2019 Tesla Model X Problems

What owners report

Owners of this model year most often write about the front and rear suspension — half-shaft shudder on acceleration, squeaks and rattles, and in a few cases a wheel or suspension link coming apart. The next largest group is electronics: blank or rebooting center screens, 12-volt battery and power-loss warnings, and door or window faults. A further cluster concerns driver-assistance behavior — sudden braking, unintended acceleration reports, and Autopilot or FSD acting unpredictably. Many complaints arrive in the first 20,000 miles.

1. 1
   Suspension

   Rear or front suspension link/axle failure

   • 16 complaints (16%)
   • median 10,000 mi at 1.8 yrs old (11 state mileage)
   • 3 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2019–2026

   Complaints describe a rear or front wheel collapsing after the suspension links or axle let go, often with no prior impact reported, leaving the vehicle undrivable. Several owners cite salvage-auction listings of low-mileage cars with a wheel torn off and the suspension arms broken or stretched. Others report a loud squeak or creak when turning the wheel and say the service center attributed it to the weight of the battery pack; quotes of a few thousand dollars for the repair appear in the complaints. Mostly reported under about 15,000 miles, with several examples at only 1,500–5,000 miles.

   What to check: Have a shop inspect the front and rear suspension links, ball joints and axles on a lift, and listen for creaks or clunks when turning the wheel at low speed. Ask whether any suspension arms or half-shafts have already been replaced.

   An excerpt from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “5 week old vehicle with 2200 miles had the left rear axle become disconnected spontaneously after accelerating straight ahead from a city street red light without any prior collision or accident. This wheel was tilted 30 degrees into the wheel well rendering the car undrivable. The left rear axle or control arm was visibly hanging freely underneath the car. Tesla service has been unable to diagnose the cause for spontaneous failure and await input from the engineering department. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11277294, filed 2019-10, 2,200 miles
2. 2
   Electrical system

   Center screen goes blank or reboots while driving

   • 28 complaints (27%)
   • median 23,867 mi at 2.5 yrs old (8 state mileage, few)
   • 4 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2020–2026

   Owners report the large center display going dark while the car is moving, taking the speedometer and controls with it, then coming back after a period of time. Complaints say the problem was raised repeatedly and that remote fixes or part swaps did not resolve it, with one owner saying a technician acknowledged it as a known issue with the model. Separate complaints describe the car failing to start or losing power at speed, traced to a low-voltage battery, a memory card in the display unit, or the high-voltage battery. Reported from around 6,000 to 56,000 miles, sometimes within the first weeks of ownership.

   Recall 24V0510001 related service bulletin

   What to check: Ask whether the memory card and 12-volt battery have been replaced, and check the software version. Note any warning messages about power reduction or service required during the test drive.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “We purchased this vehicle back in august 2019. We have been experienced both instrument panela fail on hwy in daytime and night time. We have returned to Tesla service center almost every month for this issue. However, Tesla isnt able to solve the problem for us. It seems very common to have both panels failed after more than an hour of driving it. Please kindly help to investigate it. This really put myself and family members in danger.”

   NHTSA complaint #11398249, filed 2021-02, 5,986 miles

   “Historically (may 2019 - dec. 2020), the screens (showing speed, autopilot status, and other information) would sometimes go blank. I reported the problem in my 1st week of ownership (in may 2019) and periodically thereafter. Tesla remotely sent a fix from time to time, but the problem persisted. I then learned from the media (not Tesla or the NHTSA) that NHTSA had mandated a fix on 2016-2018 Model X's because of screen failures. I asked Tesla to fix my 2019 (noting that it appeared to be the same problem as what had req'd. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11408406, filed 2021-04, 38,000 miles
3. 3
   Suspension

   Acceleration shudder from front half-shafts

   • 6 complaints (6%)
   • median 22,000 mi at 2.0 yrs old (5 state mileage, few)
   • filed 2020–2024

   Owners describe a vibration or shudder felt through the car when accelerating, typically in the 30–40 mph range, which returns after the front half-shafts are replaced. Complaints say the service center replaced the shafts, sometimes more than once, and in some cases told the owner the design itself is the cause and a revised part was pending. One owner reports being told that hard acceleration would void the warranty. Reported from a few thousand miles up to the 20,000–56,000 mile range, with repeat repairs over time.

   What to check: During a test drive, accelerate firmly from about 30 mph and feel for vibration or shudder through the floor and steering wheel. Ask for service records showing whether the half-shafts have been replaced and how many times.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “This is the 2nd time that the left front suspension vibrates and rattles on acceleration. When I went to Tesla to see if repair was still under warranty, I was told no. I explained that this repair was done some time ago after I purchased the vehicle, and was look for a good faith repair. I was told I'd have to pay for repair this time around. I am a limo driver and use my vehicle to transport passengers.... This is a major issue to my business.”

   NHTSA complaint #11377084, filed 2020-11, 56,000 miles

   “I bought this car new in 2019 and after a few months of driving the car developed this horrible shudder as you accelerate between 30-40mph. I brought the car in for repair and was told there was no fix for it. After I contacted an attorney Tesla replaced the axles on the car. Tesla told me that if I accelerated hard on this car I would void the warranty. Problem I use this for work as a doctor in the hospital and I do not hard accelerate this car. Now imagine if I had to hard accelerate to get on a highway or pass someone. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11378408, filed 2020-12, 8,000 miles
4. 4
   Forward collision avoidance

   Sudden braking or odd speed behavior on Autopilot

   • 16 complaints (16%)
   • median 10,000 mi at 4.3 yrs old (2 state mileage, few)
   • filed 2020–2026

   Complaints describe the car braking hard with nothing in the road ahead — sometimes near bridges or shadows — and, less often, speeding up beyond the set cruise speed. Owners report the behavior on highways and say the service center told them it was part of a beta feature or that nothing could be done. Some drivers describe being pushed forward in their seats and worry about being hit from behind. Reported across a wide mileage range, from a few thousand miles up to about 55,000, often on highway trips.

   Recall 21V846000Recall 23V085000Recall 22V037000

   What to check: Ask which driver-assistance software version is installed and whether outstanding software recalls have been applied. Try adaptive cruise on a divided highway during the test drive and note any unexpected braking.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “When using cruise control the car decides to randomly hard-brake dropping instantly 40+ mph OR it increases speed higher than the set cruise control for no reason. We literally have had our bodies slammed into the seats during braking and we will inevitably be rear-ended for this faulty “phantom” braking. We submitted a service request to Tesla on 5/18/23 and were told there’s nothing to be done because it’s in Beta Testing. This is dangerous and unacceptable. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11522751, filed 2023-05

   “Phantom Breaking does occur. It is scary when this happens because of rear vehicles not being able to stop. The breaking, I think, is probably due to some shadows on the road like bridges casting shadows on the road, or something else of that nature, the vehicle perceives an obstruction ahead. I think it is camera issue related, or sensor perceiving some unknown, not existing object ahead. This has happened multiple times, and at one spot on I 690 before a bridge. That is why my thinking is shadow issue.”

   NHTSA complaint #11452767, filed 2022-02
5. 5
   Body and structure

   Door closings and door sensor faults

   • 7 complaints (7%)
   • median 11,000 mi at 2.5 yrs old (3 state mileage, few)
   • 3 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2019–2026

   Complaints describe the self-closing doors and rear falcon wing doors closing on occupants, with one owner reporting a fractured leg when the door did not sense it, and another reporting pinched fingers and a door closing on the head. Other owners report the falcon wing doors opening on their own while parked, or refusing to open because the sensors detect an obstacle that isn't there. Dealers are described as unable to find a cause in some cases. Reported from a few thousand miles upward, in parking and garage settings as well as when passengers were getting in or out.

   What to check: Test the falcon wing doors and self-closing doors several times with people standing nearby, and watch for doors that reverse, reopen, or fail to detect an obstruction. Ask whether any door sensor or latch has been replaced.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “This is a 2019 Tesla Model X with rear wing doors . Left car in a parking garage. Attendant parked the car, left fob in the car, walked away and left rear wing door mysteriously opened on its own. I saw this happen on garage security video system. A couple of months ago I walked in my home garage and the right rear wing door was in the up position. Nothing had been touched. Nothing activated. Car was in sleep mode.”

   NHTSA complaint #11279068, filed 2019-11, 2,300 miles

   “The falcon wing doors fail to open properly and keep detecting ghost objects, ie there is nothing there, but door detects there is something imminently close by.”

   NHTSA complaint #11525509, filed 2023-06

Buying note. Check the suspension and half-shaft service history closely on this model year, since those repairs recur in the complaints, and confirm the driver-assistance and instrument-cluster software recalls have been applied. A pre-purchase inspection by a shop familiar with Teslas is worth the cost given the range of electrical and door faults owners describe.

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.