MODELYEARINDEX

Which Tesla Model X years to avoid

Across 6 scored model years, the 2016, 2018 and 2017 model years carry the highest severity-weighted complaint rates.

Ownership label · Tesla Model X Full report
F
Grade 2016–2021
2016 vs model median 2.1×
Model median3× median
Suspension 74
Electrical 40
Body & Interior 33
Avoid

2016 · 2018

Best

2019 · 2021

Year by year

Severity-weighted complaints filed in each model year’s first 60 months on the road, so every year is measured over an identical window.

Year Complaint volume vs median Reports Grade
2016
2.09× 292 F
2017
1.01× 182 D
2018
1.07× 149 D
2019
0.75× 118 C
2020
0.99× 172 D
2021
0.35× 56 C
2022 P
1.11× 200 D
2023 P
1.47× 267 F
2024 P
0.22× 46 C
2025 P
0.10× 20 B

P — provisional. These years have not completed 60 months on the road, so their totals are incomplete and they are excluded from the verdict.

What owners report

The component groups most often named, with one representative report. These are unverified — allegations, not findings.

2016 F 292 reports · median 10,128 mi

  1. Suspension 74

    Here is a model x in the salvage yard. It is almost brand new but the front suspension has fallen apart. Https://m.iaai.com/vehicledetenc.aspx?auctionid=0&itemid=22034238&rowid=36&pagesource=vehicleresults# the close up… owner complaint filed with NHTSA

  2. Electrical 40

    Falcon wing doors would not close. I tried multiple times to get the door to close and lock and all attempts to close and lock the door failed. Tesla had to have the car towed to a service center for repairs. owner complaint filed with NHTSA

  3. Body & Interior 33

    Falcon doors not closing, rear driver seat electrical dead, warning light blocking backup camera reading rear seats not in place, all insulation peeling off above tires, bubbling paint, trunk and side panels misaligned… owner complaint filed with NHTSA

90 crash · 6 fire · 47 injuries

2018 D 149 reports · median 10,400 mi

  1. Driver Assist 22

    Tesla model x dies two times. 1) at apx 1k miles (within 3 months of new purchase of new vehicle, 1st owner), it died on freeway with no power and stopped. owner complaint filed with NHTSA

  2. Suspension 22

    This is another complaint about dangerously weak suspension ball joints that are used in all models of tesla cars. owner complaint filed with NHTSA

  3. Electrical 19

    Audio warning glitch in tesla model x. Scenario is that the car is in park with the passenger's door and hatchback open. owner complaint filed with NHTSA

41 crash · 1 fire · 19 injuries

The best year for the Model X

Ranked by overall score among years with a full 60 months on the road.

2021 is the best-scoring Model X model year with a full 60 months on the road, at 66.1 out of 100 — a score that combines complaint rate, recall campaigns and open investigations.

Yearvs medianReportsGrade
2021 0.35× 56 C
2019 0.75× 118 C
2020 0.99× 172 D

Recalls

39 campaigns on record.

Campaign Component Model years Units affected
24V051000 ELECTRICAL SYSTEM: INSTRUMENT CLUSTER/PANEL 2016–2024 2,193,869
23V838000 ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:ADAS:AUTONOMOUS/SELF DRIVING:SOFTWARE 2016–2023 2,031,220
24V554000 LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:HOOD:LATCH 2021–2024 1,849,638
22V702000 VISIBILITY:POWER WINDOW DEVICES AND CONTROLS 2021, 2022 1,096,762
22V045000 ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:SOFTWARE 2021, 2022 817,143
22V235000 ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:SOFTWARE 2020–2022 594,894
22V063000 ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:SOFTWARE 2020–2022 578,607
23V085000 STEERING:AUTOMATED/ADAPTIVE STEERING 2016–2023 362,758
25V002000 BACK OVER PREVENTION:SOFTWARE 2023–2025 239,382
26V283000 BACK OVER PREVENTION:SOFTWARE 2021–2023 218,868
24V035000 BACK OVER PREVENTION: SENSING SYSTEM: CAMERA 2023 199,575
21V035000 BACK OVER PREVENTION:SOFTWARE 2016–2018 134,951

+ 27 further campaigns

How long do they last?

Complaint records show when problems get reported, not how long a car survives. Where owners gave an odometer reading, faults on the 2016 were reported at a median of 10,128 miles. Treat that as the point problems start being noticed, not a lifespan.

Common questions

Answered directly from this model’s record.

Which Tesla Model X years should you avoid?
2016, 2018, 2017 carry the highest severity-weighted complaint rates of any Tesla Model X model year measured over an identical 60-month window.
What is the best year for the Tesla Model X?
2021 is the best-scoring Tesla Model X model year with a full 60 months on the road, at 66.1 out of 100. The score combines complaint rate, recall campaigns and open investigations.
How many recalls does the Tesla Model X have?
39 distinct recall campaigns are on record across all scored Tesla Model X model years. A recall is a matter of record: the manufacturer filed a defect report with NHTSA.

How this was calculated

Every model year is scored over an identical window: complaints filed with NHTSA during the first 60 months after that model year went on sale. Without this, older cars look worse purely because they have had longer to accumulate reports.

Limitations. Complaints are unverified reports submitted voluntarily by owners; they are allegations, not findings, and reporting rates vary between models. Model years with fewer than 60 months on the road are marked provisional and excluded from verdicts. Cross-model comparison is withheld pending production-volume data.

Full methodology · Sources · Data vintage August 9, 2026

Working 2016 Model X
Complaints in window
292
Severity-weighted
567.5
Model median (weighted)
272
vs model median
2.09×
Recall campaigns (weighted)
12
Open investigations
6
Score 22.8 F