Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (automatic emergency braking, adaptive cruise, lane keeping, backup camera).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2019 Tesla Model X owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
The contact owns a 2019 Tesla Model X. The contact stated that the Full Self-Driving system was updated in June 2025. Since the update, while idling at red traffic lights, the vehicle was surging forward as if it were trying to run the red light. The contact had to immediately depress the brake pedal to prevent the vehicle from accelerating unintendedly. While attempting to make a right lane change, the vehicle suddenly seize mid-lane-change and returned the vehicle to the original lane. The contact made 2 to 3 attempts before being able to make the lane change successfully. The vehicle also independently attempted to make the lane change as if self-correcting the vehicle. The failure was intermittent. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, and the vehicle suddenly ran a red-light while being test driven. …
Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) - Safety Incident Report: While using the vehicle's 'Summon' feature, the car failed to stop when I released the control button. It continued forward, drove up and over a large curb, struck a signpost, and came to rest with one tire elevated on the curb/grass and the other three tires on the pavement. This "jumping curbs" behavior and collision with fixed objects represents a serious safety hazard. I am extremely grateful that no person was nearby or inside the vehicle at the time, as this failure could have resulted in injury or death. The incident is documented on video. The vehicle is currently pending inspection. Despite my request, Tesla has not responded or addressed the issue, leaving the defect unmitigated. At no point did the vehicle display any warning lights or messages indicating a malfunction before or after the incident. …
The contact owns a 2019 Tesla Model X. The contact stated that while turning the steering wheel, there was an abnormal sound coming from the front end near the tires and wheel wells. There was a vibration in the front end of the vehicle while driving. The Autopilot feature became inoperable. The "Autopilot camera unavailable" message was displayed. While driving, the instrument cluster went dark. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed that the failure was due to a possible camera blockage. The ball joints and control arm were resealed. The vehicle was calibrated and informed that the vehicle was working as designed. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 55,482.
The MCU (Media Control Unit) and the driver's dash goes out while driving under normal driving conditions. When the MCU and Dash goes dark/dies, the turn signals don't work, the rear view camera goes out, the blind spot warning and lane departure warning is disabled and the speedometer doesn't display. Basically I was driving in the dark. It was a very dangerous situation. Fortunately I was driving and not my wife who is the primary driver. This is no longer a technical safety concern but rather a safety issue for us and for others. I brought it in for service 2 times and the outcome was: we're aware of the bug and working on an over the air fix but no ETA. …
What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? -- Cruise Control system (with or without Full Auto-pilot engaged) How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? -- Vehicle comes to a near complete stop from highway speeds, in traffic, to avoid 'something' that doesn't exist Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? -- No, but can be reproduced on Highway 54 between El Paso, TX and Alamogordo, NM Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? -- No Were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear? - No, problem has occurred since April 2022 after receiving the Full Self-driving beta software update. …
When operating under adaptive cruise control, the vehicle frequently slams on the brakes for no reason. This has become so bad that we are simply terrified to operate the vehicle under adaptive cruise control. The highway is completely empty in front of us, there are no hazards and no issues with visibility on the road. The cruise control simply reacts to a phantom in a highly dangerous manner. > What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? The adaptive cruise control - you are welcome to inspect it. > How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? We have suffered two near-miss rear-end collisions at high speed on the Interstate. The behavior throws us against the seat belt restraints, causing near loss of control. > Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? …
We continue to experience "phantom braking" from our Tesla Model X. The incidents are sporadic, but have been been consistent across our 3 years of ownership of the car. The phantom brake incidents always occur on the freeway, and are rarely associated with an actual collision. The car will be set to standard "autopilot" cruise, and will suddenly slam on the brakes. We have become so accustomed to this, that we are usually ready to intervene and accelerate manually to avoid startling/brake checking the traffic behind us. Autopilot has always seemed to phantom brake in the following conditions: around semi trucks, or large trucks, or when (what I assume) is confusion of the nav system where the car believes it's on a reduced speed limit road, when in fact it's still on the freeway.
While driving on autopilot, adaptive cruise control essentially, on a 300 mile trip last week the car had several, I think 5 total, instances of phantom braking. These occurrences happen in random situations, no consistent factors that seem to indicate what triggers it. It is often not only startling, but scary since it is almost always in a high speed situation with traffic. These events have happened in the past but not at this frequency. We have another Tesla, a Model 3, that also experiences this same phenomena. When I reported it to Tesla they said to reboot the system, which I did. Did not appear to improve. Otherwise they seem to be unconcerned about these events. I have had adaptive cruise control in other cars, mostly Lexus, where this never occurred.
When using cruise control the car decides to randomly hard-brake dropping instantly 40+ mph OR it increases speed higher than the set cruise control for no reason. We literally have had our bodies slammed into the seats during braking and we will inevitably be rear-ended for this faulty "phantom" braking. We submitted a service request to Tesla on 5/18/23 and were told there's nothing to be done because it's in Beta Testing. This is dangerous and unacceptable. Almost all new cars have adaptive cruise and those other brands have figured this out. Tesla ignoring this and basically saying "it's not our fault" is irresponsible.
Phantom Breaking does occur. It is scary when this happens because of rear vehicles not being able to stop. The breaking, I think, is probably due to some shadows on the road like bridges casting shadows on the road, or something else of that nature, the vehicle perceives an obstruction ahead. I think it is camera issue related, or sensor perceiving some unknown, not existing object ahead. This has happened multiple times, and at one spot on I 690 before a bridge. That is why my thinking is shadow issue.
Related recalls
Back over prevention › Display function
Tesla, Inc. (Tesla) is recalling certain 2018-2019 Model S, Model X, and 2017-2020 Model 3 vehicles equipped with Autopilot Computer 2.5 and operating certain firmware releases. The rearview image may not immediately display when the vehicle begins to reverse.
Remedy: Tesla will perform an over-the-air (OTA) software update, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed May 17, 2022. Owners may contact Tesla customer service at 1-877-798-3752.
Forward collision avoidance › Software
Tesla, Inc. (Tesla) is recalling certain 2017-2021 Model S, Model 3, Model X, and 2020-2021 Model Y vehicles operating software version 2021.36.5.2. A communication error may cause false forward-collision warning (FCW) or unexpected activation of the automatic emergency brake (AEB) system.
Remedy: Tesla Service has released an over-the-air (OTA) software update, free of charge. The recall began October 25, 2021. Owners may contact Tesla customer service at 1-877-798-3752.
Collision Avoidance complaints in other Model X years
Frequently asked questions
How common are collision avoidance problems on the 2019 Tesla Model X?
NHTSA has 22 complaints about the driver assistance of the 2019 Tesla Model X, 22% of the model year's 102 complaints. The component named most often is adaptive cruise control (13 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2019 Tesla Model X collision avoidance problems?
Yes — NHTSA recall 22V-169 (display function, Mar 18, 2022); NHTSA recall 21V-846 (software, Oct 29, 2021). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.
At what mileage do 2019 Tesla Model X collision avoidance problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 21,000 miles, and 75% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 2 crashes, 0 fires and 0 injuries to driver assistance problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.