One problem that has not been addressed by Tesla is that dreaded “shudder” coming from the front wheels under hard accelaration. This defect makes itself known, either at the beginning when the car is brand new, or several thousand miles later.”
The only “fix” Tesla have been able to come up with is to replace both half shafts at the front wheels. You can minimise the onset of the “shudder” if you only accelarate with the air suspension set to “LOW”. Basically, Tesla under-designed the front suspension system. The front wheel components were not designed to absorb the tremendous amount of torque that’s generated when the car launches from a standing start.
My X lasted about 25,000 miles before the onset of the “shudder”. I ignored the problem for another 20,000. Finally, the car shuddered under any accelaration, hard or gentle, and I finally took it in to get the half-shafts replaced. By then I was bumping up against the bumper-to-bumper warranty. I had the replacment done just in time. Since the replacement, my X STILL shudders under hard accelaration, even at the air suspension set to LOW. I just ignore it these days, knowing there’s no real fix, and knowing that the replacement will be out of pocket.
Not exactly a defect - the car is LOUD. There’s no doubt about it, the Model X is loud. I didn’t realise how much I’d come to just accept all that wind and road noise, especially the road noise, until I started driving my Lucid. Even our oldest Tesla, a Model S75D is quieter than our Model X.
After four years, our Model X has developed various and sundry squeaks and rattles of indeterminate origin. Driving over anything but the smoothest of glass smooth surfaces, our Model X sets up a cacophony of squeaks and rattles that I just do my best to ignore. I did take it in to Tesla service once, and they isolated some rattles coming from the rear hatch area. They replaced four clips and charged me $160. $40 for each clip. Eventually, the rattle from the rear hatch area came back.
Perhaps the best reasons I have for keeping our Model X is the FUSC - Free Unlimited Supercharging - a benefit that is no longer offered; and my parents, both in their 80s and 90s find it a lot easier to climb into and clamber out of the Model X than the Model S or my Air GT. It also has six seats, and though it’s rare that we have all six seats filled, it’s a really nice thing to have.
If I had it to do over again, I wouldn’t buy a Model X. I would hold out for another crossover EV that seats six or eight instead.
ADDENDUM - I just re-read your post. The FSD in Tesla, even in its current very primitive state, is both remarkable and terrifying. There’s a lot that Tesla’s FSD can do, and can do better than Lucid. For starters, Tesla’s auto lane changing is completely automated, and in my estimation, works perfectly every time. Lucid’s auto lane change is clunky.
There’s also a lot it cannot do, at least not in a manner that doesn’t leave other drivers wondering what the Hell you’re doing. There’s also the the continuing, vexing matter of “phantom braking”, something that curiously, my Model X does with far more regularity than our Model S, which does NOT have FSD. I don’t know if FSD or the lack thereof has any bearing on this ongoing problem. I’ve sent a “bug report” via the scroll wheel and voice activation, every time I get a phantom braking event, but they still happen.
Don’t be under any misapprehension however - Tesla’s FSD is not. What Tesla’s FSD is in reality, is a very sophisticated suite of driver assistance features. But “Full Self Driving” definitely it is not.
J/K!
. The Air doesn't really either, but I can sacrifice 1 car slot, just not 2.
