Falcon wing doors won’t shut, windows won’t close on some Tesla Model X cars

As the number of drivers sitting behind the wheel of the Tesla Model X increases, so are the various glitches and bugs. Earlier this spring, Tesla Motors recalled 2,700 Model X cars to fix a third-row seat latch that could allow the seat to fold forward during a collision. Now owners of the $138,000 sport utility vehicle, whose features include falcon-wing doors, a 200-plus-mile battery range, and proximity sensors, are experiencing more dangerous issues such as doors that suddenly won’t shut and windows that refuse to close. 

Image source: Tesla.

In a recent report, The Wall Street Journal highlighted the example of a Tesla Model X owner whose car’s doors wouldn’t open. About the same time, Consumer Reports wrote about the experience of another Model X owner who had the opposite problem: one of the vehicle’s falcon wing doors wouldn’t close, and on a separate occasion, the door’s sensor malfunctioned and the door bumped into an overhang, causing damage. Consumer Reports also published an article about unhappy customers, including 75-year-old retiree, Michael Karpf, who picked up his Model X from Tesla’s Fremont, CA factory earlier this month, only to be faced with a variety of problems with the car. Issues included the falcon wing doors not closing, proximity sensors failing to sense an overhang, and the infotainment screen repeatedly freezing.

A company spokesperson told TechCrunch , “We are committed to making the world’s most reliable cars. While we have seen some issues with early Model X builds, the issues are not widespread, and we are working closely with each owner to respond quickly and proactively to address any problems. We will continue to do so until each customer is fully satisfied. This commitment is one of the reasons why 98% of our customers say they will buy another Tesla as their next car.” 

Image source: Twitter.

Venture capitalist Byron Deeter had even worse problems with his vehicle. Not only did his driver door and passenger windows not close, but his emergency brake went off plenty of times while backing up. In an interview with Fortune , Deeter said that even with all of these issues, he’s still a fan of Tesla. He pointed out the difference between what he calls “acceptable tech glitches” and “safety and usability issues.”

Deeter is a software fanatic willing to deal with the issues that come with being an early adopter. Though he noted that putting up with a glitch with a new entertainment device is one thing, and it’s a rather different story when the newest gadget to fail you is your car.

“It’s definitely a reminder that quality control with human mobility and safety is critical,” said Deeter. “In this case, Tesla did push out some software and maybe some hardware that wasn’t quite ready for prime time.” 

Source: TechCrunch