In-depth reviews

Tesla Model X review: reliability & safety rating

With cutting-edge safety aids, the Model X boasts great crash test results; build quality is a concern, though

Overall rating

4.0 out of 5

Reliability & safety rating

4.0 out of 5

Fuel Type:
Electric
Euro NCAPAdult protectionChild protectionSafety assist
5 stars (2019)98%81%94%

Tesla consistently does well in terms of customer satisfaction, but there are too many tales of poor build quality, with some owners suffering leaks from the rear doors. With a seemingly endless list of driver assistance technology, the Model X should be very safe, though.

Tesla Model X reliability and problems

Tesla’s 2022 Driver Power survey result showed that owners were very positive about their cars, although build quality came in for some criticism. Despite a strong second-place finish out of 29 manufacturers, a worrying 44% of Tesla owners reported a fault with their car within the first year of ownership.

Safety

The Model X was crash-tested by Euro NCAP in late 2019, and like the Model S saloon it’s closely related to, was awarded the maximum five stars. Added to that, the Model X returned top results in US crash tests, with the report amounting to the Model X having “the lowest probability of occupant injury of any SUV on the road,” according to Tesla.

The Model X certainly isn’t short of safety equipment. The standard autonomous emergency braking and 360-degree camera are just the start of the car’s hi-tech driver aids, which run all the way to an ‘Autopilot’ mode for the car to drive itself on the motorway. And with updates to the on-board technology happening all the time automatically when the car is connected to the internet, the Tesla’s driver aids can – to an extent – evolve as they update over time.

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