2018 Tesla Model X Problems and Recalls (188 Complaints)
The most-reported problem on the 2018 Tesla Model X is Suspension (16% of 188 owner reports). There are 9 safety recalls. Check the VIN and inspect Suspension — this is the NHTSA file, not a score.
NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation Snapshot 2026-09-07 188 complaints · 9 recalls
What problems show up on the 2018 Tesla Model X?
30 of 188 filings named Suspension (16% of the file). That is what owners wrote, not a shop diagnosis of the vehicle in the driveway.
Second is Automatic braking / collision warning (28 reports).
There are 9 official safety recalls on this year. They were filed about Rear camera / backup safety, Automatic braking / collision warning, Steering, Electrical, and Seat belts. Check the VIN at nhtsa.gov — a campaign on this page can still be open on a specific truck.
The 2017 has 266 reports on file; this year has 188. A smaller lifetime total is not a clean bill of health. If you need a fairer comparison, use the equal-time view.
What owners reported
System named most often: Suspension 30 complaints · 16.0% of the file
Crashes, fires, injuries and deaths in those filings:
- Crashes 34
- Fires 2
- Injuries 16
- Deaths 0
NHTSA Consumer Complaints Snapshot 2026-09-07 Open source record Read our complete data methodology →
Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.
Which systems owners named
Share of owner complaints filed against each vehicle system. These shares are not adjusted for how many vehicles were sold.
“Unclassified NHTSA leftover” is not a car part. It is a filing bucket and always sits last.
View component data as a table
| System / Component | Complaints | Share of Reports | Safety Reports (Crashes / Fires) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Suspension (SUSPENSION) | 30 | 16.0% | 2 crashes · 0 fires |
| Automatic braking / collision warning (FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE) | 28 | 14.9% | 4 crashes · 0 fires |
| Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM) | 20 | 10.6% | 3 crashes · 0 fires |
| Body / frame (STRUCTURE) | 12 | 6.4% | 1 crashes · 0 fires |
| Steering (STEERING) | 11 | 5.8% | 0 crashes · 0 fires |
| Cruise / speed control (VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL) | 8 | 4.3% | 7 crashes · 0 fires |
| Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN) | 7 | 3.7% | 1 crashes · 0 fires |
| Wheels (WHEELS) | 6 | 3.2% | 2 crashes · 0 fires |
| Lane keeping (LANE DEPARTURE) | 5 | 2.7% | 1 crashes · 0 fires |
| Unclassified NHTSA leftover | 90 | 47.9% | 20 crashes · 2 fires |
NHTSA Consumer Complaints, NHTSA Safety Recalls, and NHTSA Defect Investigations Snapshot 2026-09-07 Open source record
Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.
When reports and recalls showed up
When owners filed reports, and when recall campaigns showed up.
- Campaign 21V846000 was reported 288 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
- Campaign 23V838000 was reported 2,044 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
- Campaign 24V051000 was reported 2,093 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
- Campaign 24V376000 was reported 1,638 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
View timeline records as a table
| Date | Record type | Count | Record identifier |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2018-Q2 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2018-Q3 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2018-Q4 | Owner reports | 5 | |
| 2019-Q1 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| 2019-Q2 | Owner reports | 4 | |
| 2019-Q3 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| 2019-Q4 | Owner reports | 10 | |
| 2020-Q1 | Owner reports | 13 | |
| 2020-Q2 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| 2020-Q3 | Owner reports | 5 | |
| 2020-Q4 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| 2021-Q1 | Owner reports | 8 | |
| 2021-Q2 | Owner reports | 6 | |
| 2021-Q3 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2021-Q4 | Owner reports | 4 | |
| 2022-Q1 | Owner reports | 9 | |
| 2022-Q2 | Owner reports | 9 | |
| 2022-Q3 | Owner reports | 5 | |
| 2022-Q4 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| 2023-Q1 | Owner reports | 9 | |
| 2023-Q2 | Owner reports | 5 | |
| 2023-Q3 | Owner reports | 8 | |
| 2023-Q4 | Owner reports | 4 | |
| 2024-Q1 | Owner reports | 9 | |
| 2024-Q2 | Owner reports | 6 | |
| 2024-Q3 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| 2024-Q4 | Owner reports | 4 | |
| 2025-Q1 | Owner reports | 7 | |
| 2025-Q2 | Owner reports | 6 | |
| 2025-Q3 | Owner reports | 7 | |
| 2025-Q4 | Owner reports | 7 | |
| 2026-Q1 | Owner reports | 8 | |
| 2026-Q2 | Owner reports | 4 | |
| 2026-Q3 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 21V035000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 21V846000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 22V037000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 22V169000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 22V818000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 23V085000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 23V838000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 24V051000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 24V376000 | |
| Defect investigation | 1 | DP19005 | |
| Defect investigation | 1 | DP20001 | |
| Defect investigation | 1 | PE20010 | |
| Defect investigation | 1 | EA20003 | |
| Defect investigation | 1 | PE21020 | |
| Defect investigation | 1 | EA21002 | |
| Defect investigation | 1 | PE21023 | |
| Defect investigation | 1 | EA22002 | |
| Defect investigation | 1 | DP22005 | |
| Defect investigation | 1 | DP23001 | |
| Defect investigation | 1 | DP23002 | |
| Defect investigation | 1 | RQ24009 | |
| Defect investigation | 1 | PE24031 | |
| Defect investigation | 1 | AQ25002 | |
| Defect investigation | 1 | PE25012 | |
| Defect investigation | 1 | EA26002 |
Safety Recalls (9)
Official campaigns. Each one says what could go wrong and what the dealer was told to fix.
In short, these campaigns were filed about Rear camera / backup safety, Automatic braking / collision warning, Steering, Electrical, and Seat belts.
-
Recall campaign 21V035000
Rear camera / backup safety
- Report date
- Component:
- Rear camera / backup safety (BACK OVER PREVENTION)
- Consequence:
- The eMMC controller wear-out condition can cause the loss of the rearview camera display, defrost/defog control settings, and exterior turn signal lighting, reducing visibility and increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy:
- Owners should ensure their vehicles are operating firmware release 2020.48.48.12 or newer, which will alert owners if the eMMC is approaching lifetime wear. Tesla will notify owners, and will replace the VCM daughterboard with one containing an enhanced eMMC controller, free of charge. The recall began March 29, 2021. Owners may contact Tesla customer service at 1-877-798-3752. Tesla's number for this recall is SB-21-21-001.
-
Recall campaign 21V846000
Automatic braking / collision warning
- Report date
- Component:
- Automatic braking / collision warning (FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE)
- Consequence:
- Unexpected activation of the AEB system may cause the car to stop suddenly, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy:
- Tesla Service has released an over-the-air (OTA) software update, free of charge. The recall began October 25, 2021. Owners may contact Tesla customer service at 1-877-798-3752. Tesla's number for this recall is SB-21-00-004.
-
Recall campaign 22V037000
Steering
- Report date
- Component:
- Steering (STEERING)
- Consequence:
- Failing to stop at a stop sign can increase the risk of a crash.
- Remedy:
- Tesla will perform an over-the-air (OTA) software update that disables the "rolling stop" functionality, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed March 28, 2022. Owners may contact Tesla customer service at 1-877-798-3752. Tesla's number for this recall is SB-22-00-001.
-
Recall campaign 22V169000
Rear camera / backup safety
- Report date
- Component:
- Rear camera / backup safety (BACK OVER PREVENTION)
- Consequence:
- A delayed rearview camera image reduces the driver's rear view, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy:
- Tesla will perform an over-the-air (OTA) software update, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed May 17, 2022. Owners may contact Tesla customer service at 1-877-798-3752. Tesla's number for this recall is SB-22-00-004.
-
Recall campaign 22V818000
Steering
- Report date
- Component:
- Steering (STEERING)
- Consequence:
- A loss of power steering assist can require greater steering effort, especially at low speeds, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy:
- Tesla has released an over-the-air (OTA) software update to recalibrate the EPAS system, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed December 31, 2022. Owners may contact Tesla customer service at 1-877-798-3752. Tesla's number for this recall is SB-22-00-014.
-
Recall campaign 23V085000
Steering
- Report date
- Component:
- Steering (STEERING)
- Consequence:
- FSD Beta software that allows a vehicle to exceed speed limits or travel through intersections in an unlawful or unpredictable manner increases the risk of a crash.
- Remedy:
- Tesla will release an over-the-air (OTA) software update, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed April 15, 2023. Owners may contact Tesla customer service at 1-877-798-3752. Tesla's number for this recall is SB-23-00-001.
-
Recall campaign 23V838000
Electrical
- Report date
- Component:
- Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM)
- Consequence:
- In certain circumstances when Autosteer is engaged, and the driver does not maintain responsibility for vehicle operation and is unprepared to intervene as necessary or fails to recognize when Autosteer is canceled or not engaged, there may be an increased risk of a crash.
- Remedy:
- Tesla will release an over-the-air (OTA) software update, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed February 10, 2024. Owners may contact Tesla customer service at 1-877-798-3752. Tesla's number for this recall is SB-23-00-008.
-
Recall campaign 24V051000
Electrical
- Report date
- Component:
- Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM)
- Consequence:
- Warning lights with a smaller font size can make critical safety information on the instrument panel difficult to read, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy:
- Tesla began releasing an over-the-air (OTA) software update, free of charge. Owners may contact Tesla customer service at 1-877-798-3752. Tesla's number for this recall is SB-24-00-003.
-
Recall campaign 24V376000
Seat belts
- Report date
- Component:
- Seat belts (SEAT BELTS)
- Consequence:
- A seat belt warning system that fails to alert occupants of an unbelted seat belt can increase the risk of injury during a crash.
- Remedy:
- Tesla will release an over-the-air (OTA) software update. Owner notification letters were mailed July 26, 2024. Owners may contact Tesla customer service at 1-877-798-3752. Tesla's number for this recall is SB-24-00-008.
Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.
What owners actually wrote
Short excerpts from the public NHTSA file. Look for the same symptom repeating.
Data: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation · snapshot 2026-09-07
Showing 4 of 188 complaints · page 1 of 8
CrashFireInjuryDeath
The contact owns a 2018 Tesla Model X. The contact stated that while attempting to park the vehicle, the vehicle became stuck in drive(D) and failed to shift to park(P). Due to the failure, the safety system locked the doors, and the contact was trapped inside the vehicle. The front end of the vehicle struck the garage door, causing damage to the garage door. The vehicle then rolled backwards and came to a complete stop after depressing the brake pedal. No air bags had deployed during the failure. The message “Self-Driving Feature Disabled” was displayed. A Police report was filed. No injuries were reported. The Fire Department arrived at the scene and had to open the frunk to cut the wires and disconnect the battery to turn off the vehicle, and the contact safely stepped out of the vehicle. The dealer was notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 72,929.
CrashFireInjuryDeath
My vehicle intermittently and without warning disables Autopilot/cruise control while driving, most consistently during hard acceleration from a stop or low speed. The touchscreen displays "Take Over Immediately" and Autopilot becomes completely unavailable for the remainder of the drive. The system only resets after the vehicle is parked and allowed to sit. This has occurred repeatedly over multiple weeks, documented via the vehicle's own Service Mode diagnostic logs, showing the following recurring fault codes occurring together, dozens of times between approximatelyXXX and XXX: PM_w041_dasMIA – "Pedal Monitor Warning: DAS CAN node is missing" DI_w124_cruiseFault – "Drive Inverter Fault: Cruise faulted," user-facing message "Cruise control disabled" I brought the vehicle to a Tesla Service Center. Technicians stated they could not identify a specific cause, but acknowledged they were aware of similar cases from other owners of this vehicle model reported on Tesla's internal systems. No repair or resolution was offered. This vehicle is equipped with an HW3 (FSD Computer 3) Autopilot computer and Full Self-Driving Capability (purchased package). Tesla CEO [XXX] publicly confirmed on the company's Q1 2026 earnings call (XXX) that HW3 computers do not have sufficient capability for current and future Full Self-Driving software, and announced a remediation plan for affected owners. I have not been offered any remedy. I am concerned this represents a safety-relevant defect: the sudden, unpredictable loss of Autopilot/cruise control during active acceleration, particularly on-ramps or intersections, could create a hazardous situation for the driver and surrounding traffic. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
CrashFireInjuryDeath
While driving on FSD (Full Self Driving) the vehicle was turning off the road into a parking lot and sped up and hit a vehicle while I was pressing the brake to the floor! I had to brace for impact when I hit the vehicle. I have requested the data and telemetry logs from Tesla. Everything was fine before the crash. Husband had a similar incident a few weeks ago where he was turning with FSD engaged and the vehicle stopped in the middle of the turn with a vehicle coming right at him, he had the gas floored to get out of the way but was completely stopped, could not move for 15 seconds or so.
CrashFireInjuryDeath
The falcon doors on the model X, when it is a hot day, and the sun is hitting the door, these doors will not open under any circumstance, resulting in a major safety issue. should there be an accident, a fire or other issue where someone needs to exit the vehicle, they are simply not able to do so under any circumstance! This is a known problem with these vehicles, if the sun hits these doors or it’s a hot day. There are hundreds, if not thousands of posts about these doors, not opening when the sun is hitting the door for a prolonged period of time or the door gets hot. There needs to be a recall for this issue. From my research, seems that there’s some sort of sensor adhesive that comes loose or something similar to that. And either case this is a major safety issue, as it does not allow the passenger to exit the vehicle under any circumstance. Even holding the override button on the screen does not open the door. My kids have been stuck in this car on a repeated basis due to this issue of the door, not opening due to this failed sensor. Tesla is aware of this issue, and has never issued a recall, even though they know it affects all of the model X models
Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems on the 2018 Tesla Model X?
Owners named Suspension most often — 30 of 188 reports (16%). That is the NHTSA file, not a diagnosis of every vehicle.
Are there recalls for the 2018 Tesla Model X?
NHTSA lists 9 safety recall campaigns. They were filed about Rear camera / backup safety, Automatic braking / collision warning, Steering, Electrical, and Seat belts. Check the VIN at nhtsa.gov; a campaign on this page can still be open on a specific vehicle.
What should I inspect before buying a 2018 Tesla Model X?
Look up the VIN for open recalls. Listen for clunks over bumps and look at tire wear for alignment issues. Then skim owner filings for the same symptom and take that list to a mechanic.
Does a high complaint count mean I should skip this year?
No. Counts are reports people chose to file and they are not adjusted for sales volume. YearTell does not publish scores or a list of years to skip. Inspect the vehicle.
Estimated Ownership Cost
EPA fuel economy ratings and annual operating cost estimates
Data: US EPA Fuel Economy Guide · snapshot 2026-08-21
Adjacent Model Years
Immediate preceding and succeeding model year records
Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.
Methodology & Data Integrity
Source: NHTSA ODI / recalls, snapshot 2026-09-07. YearTell is not a government agency.