CHECK OUT: 2017 Tesla Model X electric-car pricing, feature changes Until last December, the individual rear seats of the five-seat version slid forward, but they couldn't be folded down to create a full flat-floor load bay. That ability was added last December, but may have deterred buyers last year. The third-row seat in six- and seven-seat Model X versions does fold flat, but not the middle row. That limits utility for owners who want, for example, to carry an entire bicycle without removing a wheel. Model X owners surveyed say they're largely happy with their purchases, but the quality issues on earlier vehicles—especially with malfunctioning "falcon doors" and even the sun visors, which pull out from the windshield pillars—may have kept some buyers away. Tesla Model X by Unplugged Performance, 2016 SEMA show In the end, the vehicle's complexity, cost, and lack of a fold-down rear seat may have combined to dissuade a few likely customers who might otherwise have bought a Model X. “The X was a big science experiment to say, ‘How far can we go?’," said Jake Fisker of Consumer Reports told Bloomberg, "And they went too far.” EDITOR'S NOTE: An earlier version of this article noted that the Model X's individual rear seats slide forward, but "can't be folded down to create a full flat-floor load bay." As several commenters pointed out, that applied only to certain versions, and a fold-down seat has been available since December. We've updated the description accordingly.