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2018 Tesla Model X problems, recalls and owner complaints
What the 2018 Tesla Model X has been recalled for, how often it fails the UK MOT and what owners report, from official government data. Updated October 25, 2026.
- 0safety recalls
- 140owner complaints
- 24crash reports
- 2fire reports
- 18%fail the UK MOT
140 complaints, against an average of 126 for the other 10 Tesla Model X model years.
Every Tesla Model X model year with its number of owner complaints. Pick a year to compare.
What goes wrong with the 2018 Tesla Model X?
The components named most often in the 140 owner complaints. One complaint can name several, so the shares can add up to more than 100%.
What symptoms do 2018 Tesla Model X owners describe?
Found by reading the text of all 140 owner complaints. Tap a symptom for the answer, a real owner quote and any related recall.
- Why does my 2018 Tesla Model X accelerate unexpectedly or surge?7 owners · 5%
- Why does the infotainment screen freeze, reboot or go black in my 2018 Tesla Model X?6 owners · 4.3%
- Why does my 2018 Tesla Model X brake suddenly for no reason?5 owners · 3.6%
- Why does adaptive cruise control not work properly on my 2018 Tesla Model X?5 owners · 3.6%
- What causes clunking or suspension noise in the 2018 Tesla Model X?5 owners · 3.6%
Has the 2018 Tesla Model X been recalled?
NHTSA lists no safety recalls for the 2018 Tesla Model X as of October 25, 2026. Recalls can be issued at any time, so check your VIN before you rely on this.
Is the 2018 Tesla Model X recalled in the UK or Europe?
Recalls issued by the UK's DVSA and through the EU's Safety Gate system that cover this model and build period. European models can differ from U.S. ones, and "years estimated" means the recall gave no build dates, so confirm your own car with your registration or VIN.
UK DVSAWhen the emmc reaches accumulated lifetime wear the customer may experience a blank centre display
Risk: When the eMMC reaches accumulated lifetime wear the customer may experience a blank centre display.
Fix: Ensure current software is installed and upgrade the VCM daughterboard to a 64GB Micron eMMC.
UK DVSASeat may not correctly latch
Risk: The left-side fold-flat second row seat may have a misadjusted cable that controls the recliner mechanisms. Incorrect adjustment may prevent one of the recliners from fully latching.
Fix: On affected vehicles check cable and adjust if necessary.
EU Safety GateThe cable controlling the adjustment mechanisms for the left-hand seat in the second row could be badly-adjusted.In the event of a crash, this could lead to the backrest moving forwards, increasing the risk of injury for the occupant of the seat.
Measures: Type of economic operator taking notified measure(s): Manufacturer; Category of measure(s): Recall of the product from end users; Date of entry into force: Unknown
How often does the 2018 Tesla Model X fail its MOT?
Why they failed: the share of failed tests with at least one fault in each area (a test can fail on several). Cars first registered in 2018, tested in Great Britain in 2023; first registration is usually, but not always, the model year. Source: DVSA anonymised MOT tests and results, Open Government Licence v3.0.
What do 2018 Tesla Model X owners report?
12 of the 140 complaints, the most recent for the most-reported components, as the owners wrote them. NHTSA removes names and VINs; long reports are trimmed. CarHooq has not verified individual claims.
I was driving down the road and my car started shaking, I was about 5 or 6 miles from an exit so continued and within 1 mile a rod broke and fell on top of my tire causing me to catastrophically have to stop n swerve off the road in 5 o'clock traffic. I just purchased this car 3 months ago, no issues just happend all of sudden. There are reports of weak suspension parts for tesla specifically the model x and y. The suspension parts need to be recalled. I was VERY lucky to not have collided with another car and potentially causing a fatality.
My 2018 Tesla model X front suspension is making cranking noise and seems like it’s unsafe to drive. This is a known issue to Tesla and NHTSA but recall was never announced so Tesla service center is not fixing this issue. Could you please look into this.
Our Tesla Model X is failing recently with several issues as listed below: 1. 'Autiopilot disabled' - Autopilot was not available to use since 09/2024 after upgraded to 12.x FSD upgrade. Tesla service diagnosed in 11/2024 with some error connected to evaporator fan, advised me to replace the kit at an estimated $580 2. 'Unable to start' - HV battery failed on 03/06/2025 with series of failures that was reported to NHTSA (VOQ#11651899). Tesla replaced the battery, and service delivered vehicle on 03/24/2025 3. 'Hood unlatch' failure - while driving home from Service center on the same day at 70…
One fine morning Car would not start and shows some errors. tried using a AAA service and Had the car towed into Tesla SC. After diagnosis they mentioned that a HV x099 connector is corroded. To me this cannot be a vehicle owner fault. This seems to be a failure of an integral part associated with the Battery pack. Tesla has charged me a total of $2891.46 including taxes out of which $85 was for the part replacement and $2626.80 for labor costs. This seems like a major issue with a connector so deeply protected if corrodes this should be a Tesla design/manufacturing fault. ------------- Notes…
Based on thousands of posts, replies, etc, this seems to be a well known issue with this model/year Tesla as well as other years/models. It seems that the Wheel Sensor Cable is not fastened properly, and over time, the cable runs against the tire, causing the internal wires to be exposed, this in turn causes numerous faults to occur, which includes causing ABS, lane departure avoidance, traction control, stability control, ABS, and regenerative braking to stop working. This happens while driving resulting in an immediate change in how the vehicle functions which could easily lead to a major…
‘safety restraint system issue’ error pops up when ever car is turned on was told that can cause airbag to not be deployed when needed.
AC compressor failed within 1000 miles of High Voltage battery being replaced. This is the second AC compressor failure, the first failure occured at approx 70k miles, Nov 2022. The AC is used to cool the battery during high voltage charging and driving. Upon failure speed can be reduced, determined by multiple factors and charging rate is reduced as well. I was told it was an internal failure of the compressor and when pressed further tesla was unable to explain why it failed, again.
INCIDENT REPORT: automated driver seat attempted to crush me when vehicle placed into drive Date: 15 June 2024 4:10 ET firmware version: v12 (2024.14.9 0b82f700aebe) steps to produce incident: 1. vehicle to park 2. seat auto changes to easy entry 3. opened the frunk 4. exit vehicle, closed door 5. re-entered vehicle to move it a little forward 6. press brake, put into drive, entered PIN 7. DRIVER SEAT BACK BEGINS TO TILT FORWARD TO ABNORMAL EXTREME FORWARD ANGLE, SEAT STARTS TO MOVE FORWARD (from easy entry mode), CRUSHING DRIVER AGAINST STEERING WHEEL 8. manual press of profile to user…
I was driving on [XXX] from Carson City to Reno in Washoe Valley while on autopilot, the car suddenly alerted with very loud alarms, showed 1. steering assist reduced, 2. Automatic Emergency Braking is unavailable 3. Traction Control disabled 4. Stability control disabled 5. Park Assist unavailable. I pulled over to a safe parking area. Then the car locked out for 75 mins, in Neutral gear, can't shut off, can't park, can't reset the car at all even after talking to Tesla support. While waiting for the tow truck, I turned it into Tow mode, was able to change into Park mode finally, and hard…
Falcon doors failure to open on numerous occasions since Dec. 2020. This is a very frequent issue and I've had it into Tesla 6 to 7 times, they say can't replicate issue, same this past week and 30 min after I got it back same issue. Heat and Sun cause the doors to not open and it's getting worse. Aug 28, 2023 at 10:39 am and on thru Aug 30, 2023 on road trip to and from Phoenix, AZ in Indio CA I stopped for my kids to use the bathroom and neither door would open, override doesn't work and just shows "obstruction" even when there is nothing there, because my kids couldn't get out they were…
The Model X has doors that are electromechanically opened. The "door pop actuator" appears to be malfunctioning and the door can no longer be opened from the inside or the outside, creating a serious hazard for the driver in case of emergency. The only way to get into or out of the car is by crawling through the passenger door. I found others who had the same problem: [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
While driving at speed approximately 4:20PM EST April 9th, 2022 on I95 near the Georgia/South Carolina border the onboard computer froze and became unresponsive, including the speedometer, the radio, navigation system, etc.. I became aware of the issue because the car started to slowly slow down but the display continued to show 70 MPH. I forced the computer out of Autopilot but the car continued to show it was in autopilot. shortly after the display behind the steering wheel went blank then rebooted, followed by the center console. thankfully I was paying attention and did not panic, had I…
2018 Tesla Model X: questions owners ask
Is the 2018 Tesla Model X reliable?
NHTSA data alone cannot rate reliability, but it shows what owners reported. Owners filed 140 complaints with NHTSA about the 2018 Tesla Model X; the most common categories were suspension (34, 24.3%), electrical system (26, 18.6%), forward collision avoidance (19, 13.6%). There are no safety recalls listed for this model year. 24 complaints mention a crash, 2 mention a fire, 12 injuries were reported.
What are the most common problems with the 2018 Tesla Model X?
Across 140 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the categories mentioned most often are suspension (24.3% of complaints), electrical system (18.6% of complaints), forward collision avoidance (13.6% of complaints), structure (10.7% of complaints), vehicle speed control (10.7% of complaints). One complaint can name several components.
Does the 2018 Tesla Model X have any recalls?
As of October 2026, NHTSA lists no safety recalls for the 2018 Tesla Model X. Recalls can be issued at any time, so check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
Why does my 2018 Tesla Model X accelerate unexpectedly or surge?
7 of the 140 owner complaints NHTSA has on file for the 2018 Tesla Model X (5%) describe unexpected or sudden acceleration, or surging. One owner wrote: "The car suddenly accelerated on its own as i was slowly entering a parking space in a supermarket parking lot and hit the car that was parked in the space in front of me." (NHTSA complaint 11319392, March 2020). If it happens to your car, check your VIN for open recalls at nhtsa.gov/recalls and report the problem to NHTSA; complaints are what trigger investigations.
Why does the infotainment screen freeze, reboot or go black in my 2018 Tesla Model X?
6 of the 140 owner complaints NHTSA has on file for the 2018 Tesla Model X (4.3%) describe the infotainment or touch screen freezing, rebooting or going black. One owner wrote: "While driving on interstate highway at 75 mph, the instrument display and MUC display both go blank. The cruise control did not disengage. No display of vehicle speed, rear camera or other parameters. The display did not return after approximately 2 minutes." (NHTSA complaint 11420672, June 2021). If it happens to your car, check your VIN for open recalls at nhtsa.gov/recalls and report the problem to NHTSA; complaints are what trigger investigations.
Why does my 2018 Tesla Model X brake suddenly for no reason?
5 of the 140 owner complaints NHTSA has on file for the 2018 Tesla Model X (3.6%) describe sudden, unexpected automatic braking ("phantom braking"). One owner wrote: "The vehicle was in cruise control and had a phantom braking event. The vehicle was going at 70 mph and suddenly braked even though there was significant distance between the car in front and nothing on the road." (NHTSA complaint 11574320, February 2024). If it happens to your car, check your VIN for open recalls at nhtsa.gov/recalls and report the problem to NHTSA; complaints are what trigger investigations.
Why does adaptive cruise control not work properly on my 2018 Tesla Model X?
5 of the 140 owner complaints NHTSA has on file for the 2018 Tesla Model X (3.6%) describe adaptive cruise control disengaging, braking or not working. One owner wrote: "The vehicle was in cruise control and had a phantom braking event. The vehicle was going at 70 mph and suddenly braked even though there was significant distance between the car in front and nothing on the road." (NHTSA complaint 11574320, February 2024). If it happens to your car, check your VIN for open recalls at nhtsa.gov/recalls and report the problem to NHTSA; complaints are what trigger investigations.
What causes clunking or suspension noise in the 2018 Tesla Model X?
5 of the 140 owner complaints NHTSA has on file for the 2018 Tesla Model X (3.6%) describe suspension clunks, worn parts or air suspension failures. One owner wrote: "My 2018 Tesla model X front suspension is making cranking noise and seems like it’s unsafe to drive. This is a known issue to Tesla and NHTSA but recall was never announced so Tesla service center is not fixing this issue. Could you please look into this." (NHTSA complaint 11659397, May 2025). If it happens to your car, check your VIN for open recalls at nhtsa.gov/recalls and report the problem to NHTSA; complaints are what trigger investigations.
Check your own Model X
Counts are a starting point, not a verdict: popular models collect more complaints because more of them are on the road, and NHTSA does not verify individual reports. To see whether a recall is still open on your car, enter your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls (U.S.) or your registration at check-vehicle-recalls.service.gov.uk (UK). Had a safety problem? Report it to NHTSA; complaints are what trigger investigations and recalls.
Data: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation recall and complaint databases (public domain), DVSA anonymised MOT results (Open Government Licence v3.0), DVSA vehicle recalls (Open Government Licence v3.0), EU Safety Gate alerts (© European Union), retrieved October 25, 2026. Model year 2018 only; combines NHTSA's entries for MODEL X 60D, MODEL X 75D, MODEL X 90D, MODEL X P100D and MODEL X P90D.