What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? Rear driver's side control arm failure during slow left-hand turn (~20 mph) from one road to another. A "clunk" noise was heard from underneath the car, like that of a rock striking the vehicle, and then the vehicle reported several errors regarding drive unit failure, brake failure, and stability failure. The vehicle automatically shifted to "P" and would not move. Upon exiting the vehicle, the rear tire was tilted in at a 45 degree angle and the control arm was broken open and a 1.25 inch piece of the control arm was on the road. How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? The suspension failed at low speed (~20 mph) and in little to no traffic, with no option to move the vehicle to a safer area. Had the failure occurred at any other time (higher speeds, heavier traffic), the danger to life would have been catastrophic. Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? The problem is evident in the broken component dangling from the under side of the vehicle. Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? The Tesla Service Center - Salem has inspected the issue and stated that they do not have the capability of fixing the issue and that the issue is due to a collision. My Insurance has assessed the issue and determined they will not cover the issue as there was no collision involved in the damage. Were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear? There were no warnings, messages, or other symptoms prior to the suspension failure.
Tesla Model X harsh shifting problems
11 of the 1,560 owner complaints about the Tesla Model X describe harsh or hard shifting, most of them for the 2016 model year.
- owner complaints
- 11
- worst model year
- 2016
By model year
- 20191
- 20181
- 20171
- 20168
Often reported together
Ball joint 6Grinding brakes 4Steering noise 1Power steering loss 1Brake failure 1
What owners say
The contact owns a 2016 Tesla Model X. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, there was an abnormal squeaky and clunking sound coming from the front end of the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the Tesla Service Center, where the front driver's side and the passenger's side front upper control arms links and bushings were replaced, and the four-wheel alignment was performed. Additionally, the contact stated while driving at various speeds, the steering wheel was significantly resistant. The vehicle was taken to the Tesla Service Center, where the intermediate lower steering column shaft was replaced. Additionally, the contact stated while driving 20-30 MPH and making a right turn, the steering wheel became significantly loose, causing the contact to lose steering control. Additionally, the wheels failed to respond as needed. The contact stated that the vehicle was perpendicular to oncoming traffic at the time of the failure. The contact parked the vehicle and had the vehicle towed to the Tesla Service Center, where it was being diagnosed. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 66,000.
Front control arms caused extremely difficult steering. No warning of failure displayed in vehicle. Suddenly noticed difficulty steering with squeaking and clunking noises. Tesla service replaced upper and lower control arms June 2023 and claim it’s a common repair in their vehicles with low miles. This vehicle has 37,100 miles. Sway bar links also repaired May 2022.
The second tow captain rear seats are not bolted securely. The seats both rock forward and back. I brought it up to Tedla service and the representative came back with, The car is 6 years old. So does that mean Tesla Model X captain seats begin to fail after 6 years? The other issue is a steering issue. When I steer left or right I hear a clunking noise. It's not related to the control arm as it is a known issue. The odd thing is when it rains the noise goes away which I believe it may be related to a lubrication issue. When the vehicle dries up after a day or two the noise starts again.
While pulling forward to straighten out car into parking/charging spot at less than 1mph at EVGo charger in front of Meijer store the front passenger wheel made loud clunk and would not move. Another motorist charging said he heard it and offered to help. I called Tesla roadside from car’s service screen and waited over half hour before being disconnected. The Tesla App provides NO applicable options for this scenario to report. I then called my extended warranty (X-care) roadside and after almost 4 hours obtained a tow to Tesla Service in Clarkston. Tesla now diagnosed that the FORE LINK ASSY, 1.00 RH(1041575-00-B) WASHER, NORDLOCK, 1.00 15.2X30.7X3.4(1033093- 00-A) NUT HF M14X1.50 [10] 1.00 ZNNI NL INSERT(1004358-00-C) need to be replaced. $400 parts and labor. Invoice attached. This luckily occurred with only me in the car, on 40 degree day and at the charger…I was nearly out of charge. I would have been stranded. And begged a lot of what if’s… The car had just been serviced by Tesla on 11/14/22-11/18/22. Invoice attached. Tesla replaced bolts in steering rack housing when I brought it in for a windshield replacement? Bottom line though this is too critical a failure during such a basic, low speed operation to be safe. I cannot trust that the fore link assembly won’t fail in future in same or different wheel. It felt like the car broke its own leg by merely taking a slow step forward. This should not be permissible. Thank you for your work.
Dealing with 2 major safety issues and innumerable minor issues with our Model X. The first major safety issue involves our right falcon wing door. It will not properly open because it is sensing an obstruction that’s not there. The mobile tech told us that something inside the door has become disconnected causing the issue - clearly something that is occurring frequently. I’m struggling to get the vehicle repaired with Tesla and very worried that my kids will become trapped in an emergency. The second major issue is the front axles grinding down over time. My car is only 3.5 years old. My front axles have already been replaced once. They are beginning to make the “clunking” sound loudly enough that it is clear they need to be replaced again. Again, Tesla will make it incredibly difficult to get in and get the needed repairs on my vehicle.
While driving slowly, making parking maneuvers, I heard a clunk sound from the right front wheel. Afterwards, sometimes when I turned right, I can hear screeching sounds. After bringing the vehicle to the Dublin, CA Tesla Service Center, the initial inspection revealed a broken control arm. Repairs call for the replacement of both right and left FORE control arms. The repair estimate is attached below.
While backing into driveway at low speed ( $1100 for out of warranty repair. Seems bizarre that they acknowledged a defective part since 2017 but never replaced during any service visits and now will not replace because vehicle is out of warranty. Seems to be a very common issue, so why hasn't there been a recall?
While backing out of driveway we felt a clunk and heard grinding. We were on a local residential street. I let the car creep forward at no more than a walking pace and applied brakes. When the car was moving forward and brakes were applied an extremely loud grinding and groaning was heard. I had another person drive the car while I observed from the outside and observed the entire wheel shift when brakes were applied.
Here is a 2019 tesla model x in the junkyard. Https://www.iaai.com/vehicledetails/38420467?rownumber=26 the lh back wheel and suspension has fallen off. The rh back wheel has gone as whompy as an elon. This one takes the proverbial biscuit. Did the tent monkeys run out of gaffa tape? Un freaking believable. To see this clunker in all its glory be sure to click the 360 degree box. I say again, un freaking believable. Please get these things off the roads before even more people get killed. Thank you. Keef
Related recalls
No recalls on record for this model year.
Questions about the Tesla Model X harsh shifting
Which Tesla Model X years have harsh or hard shifting problems?
The model years with the most reports are 2016 (8 complaints), 2017 (1 complaints) and 2018 (1 complaints).
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