The Tesla Model X Is Almost A Decade Old. Its Quality Issues Still Aren't Fixed

Tesla introduced the Model X electric SUV in 2015 with much fanfare, with Elon Musk declaring it the world's safest SUV and revealing the signature falcon wing doors to admiration and applause from the audience. Initial reports on the EV were flowery. Wired called it "awesome," "futuristic," and that Tesla was "once again redefining the electric vehicle" after doing so with the Model S.

However, few could foresee the issues these complicated doors, along with various other components of the EV, would cause down the line. And those issues continue today, according to accounts from new owners.

New owners have flocked to online forums in recent months complaining of several problems with what is nearly a ten-year-old EV. Issues such as gaping panel gaps and door malfunctions that were present nine years ago appear to exist even today.

Here are some common problems documented by owners on online forums and complied by CR:

A barrage of rival EVs is beginning to erode Tesla's market share. In the U.S., that has already declined from 61% of new EV sales in Q1 2023 to 51% in Q1 2024. Meanwhile, Kia is ramping up the production of the EV9, Rivian began deliveries of the heavily updated R1S earlier this month and the upcoming U.S.-made Volvo EX90 shows great promise.

Above all, as Tesla shifts its focus to advancing its self-driving ambitions with artificial intelligence and mass-deploying robotaxis, the Model X's future - and how its lingering quality concerns might be resolved - remains extremely uncertain.