Problems · by component
2016 Tesla Model X suspension problems
148 owner complaints to NHTSA about the 2016 Tesla Model X cite suspension, 35% of all 417 complaints for this model year.
Complaints
148
35% of all complaints
Crashes
15
Reported by owners
Fires
3
Reported by owners
Injuries
13
Reported by owners
What owners say about the suspension
Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first
“Sudden and catastrophic shearing of the driver side rear suspension arm (control arm). My understanding is all these cars from Tesla have aluminum suspension arms which causes identical and catastrophic failure of the vehicle during driving due to choice of Aluminum instead of stainless steel(SS). Aluminum has an ultimate tensile strength of only 90 MPa while SS can exceed 500 MPa. Since my car got disabled completely (motor gets disconnected from the wheel) I almost lost my life with vehicles coming at high speed from behind. I saw the same control arm failures with Tesla cars including S and 3 and X (like mine) all over the world. Here is an example of a very similar failure to mine on a model 3 in Norway : [XXX] The failure is so similar that even the wheel tilted inwards to the wheel bay just in my case due to the clean shearing of the aluminum bushing on the control arm. I would like to make sure these failures do not continue with Tesla and people's lives are not at risk and thus this report.”
“I was parking my car at home when all of a sudden there was a violent/sudden drop in the front of my car. I initially thought I got a flat tire, but when I took a look the entire front suspension was shot and dropped as low as possible. The Model X feels and is very unsafe to drive and has a grainding sound like the car is about to fall a part.”
“subframe bolt was broken off without external impact, caused loud noise when driving, and potential safety concern. I suspect the bolt has proper quality control. One year ago, the front suspension(fucas) has to be replaced due to strange noise at low speed.”
“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…”
“Squeaking noise on the passenger rear side was noticeable when I am hitting the breaks then a thump sound as if I landed on some big pothole occurred. So I drove as slow as I can until we reach home. I inspected the vehicle and to my surprise the control arm had torn and the tires were hanging loose.”
“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.”
Showing 6 of 148 reports. Read every report on NHTSA.gov.
Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Nov 10, 2026NHTSA vehicle page
Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.