2016 Tesla Model X Problems

What owners report

Complaints on this model year are dominated by two separate patterns: front suspension and steering linkage failures that often occur at low speed and low mileage, and failures of the older center touchscreen (MCU) that take down climate, camera and turn-signal functions while driving. Suspension reports cluster well under 40,000 miles, while screen complaints tend to appear later, often in the 30,000-90,000 mile range. Roof trim and door/seat hardware issues appear as well, several of them covered by recalls.

1. 1
   Electrical system

   Center touchscreen blackout (MCU failure)

   • 123 complaints (27%)
   • median 51,500 mi at 4.8 yrs old (81 state mileage)
   • 6 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • owner-quoted repair $1,500 (median of 21 quotes)
   • filed 2016–2026

   Owners describe the center display going black, freezing, or rebooting repeatedly, sometimes while driving and sometimes on startup. With the screen out, they lose climate and defroster control, turn signals and chimes, the backup camera, and much of the car's settings access, and some say the vehicle would not start or go into gear. Several report paying for a replacement unit out of warranty or being told the part for a related recall was not yet available. Mostly reported between roughly 30,000 and 95,000 miles, with a number of cases near 50,000 miles.

   Recall 21V035000

   What to check: On a test drive, watch how quickly the screen boots and ask whether the eMMC/center display recall work (21V035000) was completed, and whether the display has already been replaced. Check that turn signals, backup camera and climate respond immediately.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “My screen goes black. This recovers over time when I reboot, but if I am checking mileage the screen goes black again. People who have the same car have told me that this is a known problem with the computer memory for this vehicle. This has happened when the car is stationary and moving on a city street. I am not able to get a service appointment until august 7, 2020”

   NHTSA complaint #11342178, filed 2020-07, 51,500 miles

   “In june of 2020, the entire power/electronic system in my 2016 Model X failed (at 73k miles), leaving the car undrivable (and even unable to be put into neutral for towing). I had it dragged onto a truck and taken to a Tesla service center, where they diagnosed a failed mcu. The failure, I was told, in rare cases caused a failure across the entire system. They replaced the mcu and charged me $1400. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11413420, filed 2021-04, 73,445 miles
2. 2
   Suspension

   Front suspension and control arm failures

   • 147 complaints (33%)
   • median 16,500 mi at 3.0 yrs old (100 state mileage)
   • 15 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • owner-quoted repair $1,319 (median of 13 quotes)
   • filed 2016–2026

   Complaints describe creaking, clunking or rattling from the front end, followed in some cases by a wheel shifting backward or forward into the wheel-well liner. Owners report these failures while reversing or braking at low speed, and some say the car became hard to steer or undrivable and had to be towed. Several state the dealer identified failed fore links, control arms or stabilizer links; a few mention air suspension compressor or strut failures that left the car very low and bouncy. Reported from very low mileage up to about 95,000 miles, with many cases between 20,000 and 60,000 miles, often at low speed.

   What to check: Listen for clunks or creaks over bumps and while reversing at low speed, and look at the front tires for rubbing marks on the wheel-well liners. Ask whether control arms, fore links or air suspension parts have been replaced.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Car lost control at low speed on city street going straight after hearing creaking (under 35mph) therefore making me run into curb. Thought it was due to tire as I saw it damaged, but Tesla service center said the control arm is broken also leading me to believe the control arm broke leading me to lose control of the car and causing damage to other vehicle parts.”

   NHTSA complaint #11415200, filed 2021-05, 45,141 miles

   “While maneuvering in reverse at low speed in a flat commercial parking lot about a mile from my home. I was maneuvering to enter a parking space, at only one or two miles per hour. I hear a loud noise. The vehicle started making a loud noise. I determined that some sort of catastrophic failure had happened in the front passenger side suspension. The wheel well liner was torn from the front wheel well. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11376550, filed 2020-11, 58,487 miles
3. 3
   Steering

   Loss of power steering assist

   • 37 complaints (8%)
   • median 63,000 mi at 5.2 yrs old (12 state mileage)
   • 4 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • owner-quoted repair $3,863 (median of 5 quotes)
   • filed 2019–2026

   Owners report a sudden loss of power steering assist, sometimes with grinding or creaking noises when turning, and a dashboard message about steering assist. The wheel becomes very heavy to turn, which owners describe happening at low and highway speeds alike. Complaints mention diagnosis of a failed steering rack or steering gear component and replacement at the owner's expense after warranty. Reported from about 25,000 to 100,000 miles, with many around 40,000-70,000 miles.

   Recall 20V062000

   What to check: Ask whether the power steering gear bolts recall (20V062000) was completed and whether the steering rack has been serviced. During the test drive, listen for grinding when turning at low speed.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “As I was driving, I heard loud grinding noise when I turned the steering in either direction and I lost power to my steering and a message power steering failure, may need extra effort to steer was on the dashboard. Luckily I was not too far from my house and was able to go back home with lots of extra effort turning the steering. I don't know what would have happened if I was going full speed on a busy highway? I called Tesla service and had my car towed to Tesla latham, ny service center. I have 60,000 miles. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11308875, filed 2020-02, 60,000 miles

   “The contact owns a 2016 Tesla Model X. The contact stated while driving 65 MPH, the vehicle inadvertently began to stall. The warning message Front Motor Disabled appeared on the instrument panel. The contact veered to the side of the road. The contact was able to restart the vehicle however, the failure recurred several times while driving. The dealer was notified of the failure and arrived at the contact's residence to diagnose the vehicle. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11437836, filed 2021-10, 95,000 miles
4. 4
   Body and structure

   Roof trim or glass detaching

   • 51 complaints (11%)
   • median 28,785 mi at 4.7 yrs old (24 state mileage)
   • 4 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • owner-quoted repair $1,500 (median of 6 quotes)
   • filed 2016–2026

   Complaints describe the cosmetic roof pieces between the falcon doors, or in one case the sunroof glass, coming loose and separating from the vehicle while driving. Owners often connect it to an existing recall and state it was not applied to their vehicle, and some report being told a repair would be at their own cost. A service bulletin describes an inspection process for appliques applied without primer. Reported from roughly 8,000 to 100,000 miles, including highway driving.

   Recall 24V615000Recall 20V7100002 related service bulletins

   What to check: Inspect the roof appliques and sunroof panel for looseness, gaps or signs of reattachment, and confirm by VIN whether recalls 20V710000 and 24V615000 were performed.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “The contact owns a 2016 Tesla Model X. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the cover on the roof between the two falcon doors detached from the vehicle. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 54,900. The contact stated that the dealer and the manufacturer have denied his request for reimbursement.”

   NHTSA complaint #11534326, filed 2023-07, 54,900 miles

   “The contact owns a 2016 Tesla Model X. The contact stated while driving at approximately 60 MPH, the roof trim detached from the vehicle. The contact called the local dealer and made them aware of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. Upon investigation, the contact associated the failure with NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V710000 (Structure) however, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was 99,370.”

   NHTSA complaint #11527929, filed 2023-06, 99,370 miles
5. 5
   Vehicle speed control

   Unexpected acceleration complaints

   • 75 complaints (17%)
   • median 10,128 mi at 3.0 yrs old (52 state mileage)
   • 37 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2016–2026

   A number of owners describe the car surging forward while parking or pulling into a space, with braking said to have little effect. These reports often involve low speed and end with the vehicle hitting a curb, tree or another car. Tesla's records in the complaints generally do not confirm a cause, and no defect finding is described. Mostly reported at very low mileage, often under 20,000 miles, during parking or low-speed maneuvers.

   Recall 23V838000Recall 22V037000Recall 23V085000

   What to check: Ask whether the Autosteer and FSD-related recalls (23V838000, 23V085000, 22V037000) have been applied, and confirm the current software version. Practice low-speed maneuvering carefully during a test drive.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “An accident occurred in my Tesla Model X 90d that was due to the fault of the car. We have owned the car for 3+ years. What occurred today in the car is something that has never happened before. The car was functioning perfectly fine during my whole 20 minute commute. As I pulled into my office's parking lot, the car seemed fine. However, as I was finishing parking the car in the parking space, the car unexpectedly started accelerating at a frightening speed. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11315719, filed 2020-03, 15,300 miles

   “On january 28, 2019 I backed out of my driveway in my 2016 Tesla x, braked, stopped, put it in drive and barely, slowly started down my lane when the car suddenly accelerated at full speed down the lane. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11300366, filed 2020-01, 25,000 miles

Buying note. Check the front suspension and steering components carefully and confirm the roof trim, steering and center display recalls were completed for the specific VIN. Budget for possible center screen replacement and front-end suspension work, since both are commonly reported on this model year.

Summary written with AI from a sample of 60 NHTSA complaints for this model year (picked at random, with complaints that state a mileage and recent ones taken first), then checked automatically against the source records. Where a problem shows a complaint count, every complaint for this model year was matched with fixed keyword rules (written with AI and tested against the sample), and the mileage, age and repair figures are calculated from those complaints; owners' figures are as stated, not verified. Other counts refer to the sample. The excerpts come from NHTSA's public complaint records and are unverified; capitalisation is normalised, NHTSA staff notes are removed, and shortened text ends with “…”. Something wrong? Request a correction.