Used Tesla Model X 2016-present reliability
Category: Electric car
The Tesla Model X still stands out from the crowd, and its used prices are temptingly low. Reliability is an issue, though.
What should I look for in a used Tesla Model X hatchback?
When viewing a used car, always follow our used car buying checklist.
This is a large car that will have been used in tight city centres and urban car parks and on school runs, so check the bodywork carefully for scuffs and dents. Bodywork repairs can be expensive. Check the alloy wheels, too.
There are plenty of electrical goodies on the Model X, so check all is working as it should be, especially the touchscreen, the folding rear seats, the doors and the tailgate.
What are the most common problems with a used Tesla Model X hatchback?
Recalls
Check with your local Tesla dealer that all recalls have been carried out.
Reasons for recalls
The left-side fold-flat second row seat may have a misadjusted cable that controls the recliner mechanisms. Incorrect adjustment may prevent one of the recliners from fully latching.
Due to a firmware error the vehicle's restraint control module will not recognise the passenger seat is occupied. In the event of an accident the passenger airbag will not deploy
When the eMMC reaches accumulated lifetime wear the customer may experience a blank centre display.
On certain MY 2021-2023 Model X vehicles the vehicle controller that detects the sensor voltage that indicates brake fluid level may not have a sufficient threshold range at low fluid levels. A vehicle controller that does not correctly indicate low brake fluid levels to the customer
A first-row seat belt was disconnected from its pretensioner anchor as part of a necessary step to perform a repair during a service visit. After the repair was completed on certain affected vehicles the first-row seat belt may not have been reconnected to its pretensioner anchor to specification.
On affected vehicles the eCall audio system will not operate in compliance with Regulations when the front passenger seat is occupied. As a result communications between the occupants of the vehicle and an eCall public safety answer point are unavailable post-crash.
On a small percentage of affected vehicles upon vehicle power up the car computer board may experience a short resulting in the loss of rear view camera functionality .
Is a used Tesla Model X hatchback reliable?
Tesla finished in 15th place out of 31 manufacturers in the 2024 What Car? Reliability Survey with a good overall score of 91.4%.
The models themselves are a bit of a mixed bag. The Model X didn’t feature in our last 2024 survey, but the smaller and newer Model Y did, and it finished top of the electric car class with a terrific overall score of 99.2%.
The Model 3 came ninth in the electric executive car class out of 18 cars with a good overall score of 89.2%.
The last one in which the Tesla Model S featured, which shares much of the Model X’s mechanical underpinnings, showed it to have fared pretty poorly, finishing 16th out of 20 cars in the electric car category – above the Porsche Taycan but below the Polestar 2 and Tesla Model 3.
The sheer volume of troubles reported by Tesla Model S owners is the reason it sits in the bottom 10: 42% of the cars we were told about had at least one problem. The most common culprits were the bodywork, interior trim and sat-nav/infotainment system. The silver lining is that all cars could still be driven, half were repaired in a day or less. Just as reassuring is the fact that 86% of work was paid for by Tesla and no repair bills topped £300.
