2014 Tesla Model S: ball joint or control arm failure

Filed Jan 25, 2024 · Suspension · VA

Premature wear on almost all front suspension parts relating to control arms and sway bar links. Recently had to pay out of pocket to have two steering rack bolts tightened, they were not torqued properly from the factory apparently

Filed Jan 20, 2024 · Suspension · CA

Front control arms left and right FR SUSP FORE LINK ASSY , only the replacement is available for inspection upon request. The safety that was put at risk is unknown. It was repaired by Tesla at my expense. There were no warning lamps, messages the only symptoms was noise, metal banging.

Filed Nov 19, 2023 · Suspension · IL

Our vehicle has just over 100k miles, and we have had the front control arms replaced twice. Tesla says that we have to keep replacing because it's a safety issue, but refuses to take ownership of the fact that the control arms should not fail this frequently. In China, Tesla is doing recalls for this part and there is a class action lawsuit in the US. However, Tesla has told me that I need to keep replacing this parts because if they fail then the car could crash.

Filed Oct 26, 2023 · Suspension · WA

Our right rear lower control arm broke off at the outer end. The wheel and hub dropped and cambered out away from the vehicle and the vehicle could not be driven. Fortunately this occurred entering our driveway at low speed. The car was taken to Tesla and we believe should have been repaired under service bulletin [XXX] detailing this exact issue. However, they are presenting a bill for about $7000. claiming our VIN is not within this bulletin. We note that our car was purchased in January 2014 but also the bulletin says approximate. We also believe NTSHA has been made aware of this issue but has failed to issue a recall. This is a serious safety issue! At freeway speeds this could have caused a total loss of control and a serious crash in our opinion. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Filed Aug 24, 2023 · Steering · CA

My car developed a handling problem. I took it to Tesla service and they told me it was a bent tie rod. The part was ordered and I took the car back in to have it installed around a month later. However, they then decided it wasn't a bent tie rod and instead was an alignment issue. They did an alignment and told me the car was fixed. The car was not fixed. I have taken the vehicle in several more times and test driven with multiple mechanics/technicians. They all agreed that there is a handling issue but it doesn't seem that bad and they've seen much worse from other Teslas (implying it is an issue with other cars as well). At this point I am told there is nothing they can do to the car despite it being somewhat dangerous. The car pulls extremely hard to the left under acceleration and pulls to the right under deceleration. However, I have had an alignment done multiple times, I've put new factory spec tires and rims on the car and replaced all of the front suspension including bushings and control arms. At freeway speeds, if you accelerate to pass, the car will veer aggressively to the left towards possible oncoming traffic. Imperfections in the road cause the car to jump around in an unpredictable manner. Not only is my car dangerous but the technicians telling me they have seen this behavior in other cars is a huge cause for concern.

Filed Jun 23, 2023 · Suspension · FL

This is for 2017 model s, with vin: 5YJSA7E1XHF190080, but your form didn't allow it. Front lower right forward control arm, hairline crack in the portion that holds the ball joint to the hub. Can only be visible when taken off car. When discovered early you only hear a small clicking sound in the car when steering in certain angle over a pothole or similar. When allowed to be continued used, crack is expanding in the aluminum control arm and the ball joint is coming loose, further driving fatigues the aluminum arm and breaks it.

Filed Apr 20, 2023 · Suspension · UT

Left rear control arm (Tesla referred to it as Upper Rear suspension link and integral link) broke from the joint causing the wheel to fall off and damage the halfshaft, air spring and bushings. Fortunately I was barely moving at the time of the accident. Had this happened on the freeway I could have been killed. Looking online and at other comments on here this does not appear to be an isolated incident.

Filed Dec 20, 2022 · Suspension · PA

Rear lower control arm broke, causing extreme twitch and near loss of vehicle control about 1/4 mile before getting on highway. There was a loud ping in a parking garage the day before while turning, but nothing seemed to be wrong with the car at that time and I assumed there must have been a water bottle cap or something that went under the tire (can't see ground well in a tight parking garage, which had some litter here and there). Drove about 30 miles home without incident. I suspect that the control arm was only fractured at that point, but retained enough metal to hold the wheel in place (terrifying to think we were driving at highway speeds like that). The following morning, reversed out of garage and was approaching highway at neighborhood speeds when car veered very suddenly. Immediately returned to garage and changed to my other car. Found the control arm completely separated when inspecting it that evening. Part was revised and cars built just prior to mine (same part number) were covered by a TSB. Tesla refused to offer any TSB coverage and are the sole supplier of replacement parts ($350/each). This kind of part does wear out but should not catastrophically fail-- appears to be poor quality part, cast, or metallurgy. It was nearly a huge accident twice, and both times would have been at highway speeds. As unnerving as the sudden skew was, it was the best warning/outcome I could have since Tesla did not recall this widely reported failure. I don't understand how production dates take precedence over part numbers when TSB/recalls are issued -- it makes no sense.

Filed Dec 31, 2020 · Suspension · 86,000 miles · MA

While driving with my son on local roads, with no unusual bumps or potholes, I experienced an alarming loss of stability. I slowed my speed down and made it home. Once the car was in the driveway, I saw that the rear wheel was cantilevered about 15 degrees from vertical. Once I was able to hoist the car and look underneath, it became clear that the cause of the problem was a broken lower control arm (see photo). To be clear, there was no accident or incident which caused this and it could have resulted in a dangerous/fatal accident if I'd been driving on a highway or busy road. This appears to be a known issue covered by the service bulletin sb-19-31-001. I had the rear control arms replaced by a local tesla service center at my expense. This issue is a real safety risk though and affected cars should be recalled to prevent accidents and fatalities.

Filed Dec 2, 2020 · Electrical, Lights · 149,000 miles · CA

My suspension is constantly making sounds and after taking to tesla it was 3rd time it has been determined that the fore link, control arm and bushings have gone out. I repaired it and now seems the problem is back

Filed Dec 1, 2020 · Driver assistance, Suspension · 175,000 miles · KS

My front suspension failed, causing a wheel misalignment and uneven tire wear. The control arms and the suspension ball joints failed, causing the driver's side wheel to be loose. I have kept the parts and the expensive repair bill. It appears that the rubber gaskets failed and water entered the joints causing premature wear. With the lane keep (autopilot function) on highway 40 between lawrence and topeka, the car steers itself either toward the ditch or toward oncoming traffic when approaching the top of a hill. It is very dangerous. 10

Filed Nov 27, 2020 · Suspension · 52,000 miles · OK · crash

I was backing out of a parking space and the control arm completely sheered off of my front, driver side suspension. My wheel went into the wheel well. I was so worried that it could have happened while I was on the highway.