2020 Tesla Model X problems & reliability
123 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2020 Tesla Model X, alongside 10 safety recall campaigns. Last verified Aug 7, 2026. Complaints are unverified reports submitted by owners to the federal Office of Defects Investigation.
Each complaint is counted once (by NHTSA case number), even when it names several vehicles.
5 complaints report injuries (6 injured).
Federal crash records (FARS 2020–2023): 2020 Tesla Model X vehicles were involved in 8 fatal crashes with 5 occupant deaths. Involvement counts are not adjusted for how many are on the road and do not imply fault or a vehicle defect.
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Suspension | 37 | 30% |
| Electrical System | 28 | 23% |
| Forward Collision Avoidance | 23 | 19% |
| Unknown OR Other | 20 | 16% |
| Steering | 18 | 15% |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 18 | 15% |
| Structure | 11 | 9% |
| Lane Departure | 10 | 8% |
| Power Train | 8 | 7% |
| Service Brakes | 8 | 7% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
Common symptoms owners describe
Keyword analysis of complaint narratives; one complaint can describe several symptoms.
Mileage when problems occurred
Half of the failures with a reported odometer reading occurred by 6,150 miles (middle 50% between 3,475 and 25,000 miles), based on 32 complaints that included mileage.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“To Whom It May Concern, I am writing to you once again to emphasize and provide additional details regarding the critical safety issue I previously addressed concerning the Tesla Model X vehicles, which is similarly affecting Tesla Model S models. My personal experience underscores the severity of this problem: I have…”
Wheels · filed May 30, 2026
“While driving the vehicle on the freeway, the driver noticed the car was handling unusually at highway speeds. After exiting the freeway at approximately 45 mph, the accelerator pedal failed to decelerate properly when the foot was lifted from the pedal. A warning message appeared on the display screen indicating the…”
Fuel/propulsion System · filed May 8, 2026
“My 2020 Tesla Model X (VIN: [XXX] , approx. 121,000 miles) experienced a dangerous defect with the automatic front passenger door opening with excessive and uncontrolled force. I noticed this issue within the past three months. The vehicle's front doors are fully automated — the driver and passengers have no manual…”
Structure · filed Apr 29, 2026
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Federal defect investigations
- FSD Collisions in Reduced Roadway Visibility Conditions
Engineering Analysis EA26002 · opened Mar 18, 2026 · open
- Traffic safety violations while Full Self Driving ("FSD") is engaged
Preliminary Evaluation PE25012 · opened Oct 7, 2025 · open
- Compliance with Standing General Order 2021-01 Reporting Requirements
Audit Query AQ25002 · opened Aug 20, 2025 · open
- FSD Collisions in Reduced Roadway Visibility Conditions
Preliminary Evaluation PE24031 · opened Oct 17, 2024 · closed Mar 18, 2026
- Recall 23V838 Remedy Effectiveness
Recall Query RQ24009 · opened Apr 25, 2024 · open
- Sudden Unintended Acceleration
Defect Petition DP23002 · opened Jun 29, 2023 · open
- Defect Petition Interlock Request
Defect Petition DP23001 · opened Apr 7, 2023 · closed Mar 18, 2026
- Pedestrian alert sounds
Defect Petition DP22005 · opened Jan 27, 2023 · closed Aug 7, 2023 · led to recall 22V063000
Technical service bulletins
70 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 2020 Tesla Model X. The 10 most recent:
On certain Model S and Model X vehicles, the battery powered Pyrotechnic High Voltage (HV) Battery Disconnect will reach the end of its battery lifespan in the near future, which will trigger alerts and may limit the…
SB-25-16-003 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jun 3, 2025
Tesla does not provide physical owner's manual copies. Instead, all available owner’s manual content is integrated into the vehicle software, and only the content relevant for a given vehicle, based on vehicle…
fsd-12-5-4-1_s3xy.pdf · Over The Air · issued Sep 30, 2024
Tesla does not provide physical owner's manual copies. Instead, all available owner’s manual content is integrated into the vehicle software, and only the content relevant for a given vehicle, based on vehicle…
fsd-12-5-4_s3xy.pdf · Over The Air · issued Sep 30, 2024
Tesla does not provide physical owner's manual copies. Instead, all available owner’s manual content is integrated into the vehicle software, and only the content relevant for a given vehicle, based on vehicle…
fsd-12-5-3_s3xy.pdf · Over The Air · issued Sep 30, 2024
Tesla does not provide physical owner's manual copies. Instead, all available owner’s manual content is integrated into the vehicle software, and only the content relevant for a given vehicle, based on vehicle…
2024.38_s3xy.pdf · Over The Air · issued Sep 30, 2024
Tesla does not provide physical owner's manual copies. Instead, all available owner’s manual content is integrated into the vehicle software, and only the content relevant for a given vehicle, based on vehicle…
2024.26.9_s3xy.pdf · Over The Air · issued Sep 30, 2024
Tesla does not provide physical owner's manual copies. Instead, all available owner’s manual content is integrated into the vehicle software, and only the content relevant for a given vehicle, based on vehicle…
fsd-12-5-4-1_s3xy.pdf · Over The Air · issued Sep 30, 2024
Tesla does not provide physical owner's manual copies. Instead, all available owner’s manual content is integrated into the vehicle software, and only the content relevant for a given vehicle, based on vehicle…
fsd-12-5-4_s3xy.pdf · Over The Air · issued Sep 30, 2024
Tesla does not provide physical owner's manual copies. Instead, all available owner’s manual content is integrated into the vehicle software, and only the content relevant for a given vehicle, based on vehicle…
fsd-12-5-3_s3xy.pdf · Over The Air · issued Sep 30, 2024
Tesla does not provide physical owner's manual copies. Instead, all available owner’s manual content is integrated into the vehicle software, and only the content relevant for a given vehicle, based on vehicle…
2024.38_s3xy.pdf · Over The Air · issued Sep 30, 2024
TSBs are repair guidance manufacturers send to dealers — they are not recalls and repairs are not automatically free. Full documents are available on NHTSA’s site.
Safety recalls
The 2020 Tesla Model X has 10 NHTSA recall campaigns — recall repairs are free at franchised dealers regardless of the vehicle’s age.
Check whether your specific vehicle is affected
Recall campaigns often cover only certain VIN ranges. Enter your VIN on the official NHTSA site to confirm whether your vehicle is included and whether the repair is still open.
Check VIN on NHTSA →Buying a used 2020 Tesla Model X?
- · Decode the seller’s VIN with our free VIN decoder to confirm the exact year, engine and trim.
- · Check for unrepaired recalls by VIN on NHTSA’s official lookup — recall repairs are free.
- · Owners most often reported problems around 6,150 miles — budget accordingly if the car is approaching that mileage.