Rear suspension cannot be adjust which results in uneven tire wear that is hard to see which has lead to 3 tire blowouts in less than a 12 month period on the rear tire.
2015 Tesla Model S suspension complaints
Page 2 of 6: complaints 11 to 40 of 150, newest first, as owners wrote them.
Tesla front right hand lower forward link failed at the ball joint (aluminum casting spilt open) Part #1041575-00-A, FRT FORE AWD LCA RH, Made in Canada. This happened while backing up on flat pavement without warning. The car has been well cared for, garaged, never damaged or abused and has less than 52K miles. It could have caused a life threatening accident if it would have happened at speed.
In 2016, approximately 18 months after purchasing my Tesla Model S, I was driving to work and brushed a curb on a tight city street. Upon arriving at my office parking garage, as I was parking and turning the steering wheel sharply to park in a space, my front right wheel fell off and the axle completely sheared off. Tesla blamed the incident on my curbing the wheel, which only caused light damage. However, more and more reports have come out recently (including this article: [XXX] ) which suggests that Tesla has known defects they are denying and blaming on customers. Not only did this cost me money out of pocket (more than just my deductible), but my insurer had to pay the full amount. Tesla admitted no fault and made me & insurance pay the full amount. I have multiple photos, but the Upload feature on this site is NOT working so I am unable to upload them but can provide them later as needed. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
For the second time in 1 year both my front suspension have broken off while backing up.last year was my passenger side tire just this week my drivers sidetire just falling off from ball joints. Tesla continues emphazing iimpacted with something and they would not fix the broken joint, they have referred me to a body shop that I disagree due to the fact that it does not have any body nor structural damage just the poor suspension and ball joints that are istalled in teslas. Someday someone is going to get hurt while driving at avg speed from these faulty parts. Thank you,
Tesla Model S began making clunking/grinding noise when reversing out of a driveway with the wheel fully turned. It turned out that the front left and right fore links have failed prematurely and caused the front wheels to rub on the wheel arch/fender. No potholes were ever hit to cause the damage. Car needed replacement parts totaling $979. A wheel alignment was also needed. Car only has 97,000 miles.
I had driven to a shopping center for buy a new backpack for my daughter who was starting school. After shopping, as I reversed my car, I felt as if I had gone over a bump. I came out to see if there was a bump or something else in the parking lot but found nothing that my car could have gone over. I got back in the car and started my drive and immediately, started hearing loud and griding noises. The noise would get worse as I would turn the steering wheel and the car would also seem as it is going over bumps. I immediately came out and look around and found nothing; I then looked at the wheel well and the surrounding area and didn't detect anything out of ordinary. I was able to drive the car home (roughly 1.5 miles) at speed no faster than 3-5 miles/hour without continuous loud and griding noise. I contacted Tesla who gave me an appointment for a week later. Inspection found fore-link broken. What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? Left fore-link connected to the front suspension of the car. Part is available for inspection. How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? The breakage of the part made the wheel get disconnected from the suspension. Had I been driving on a highway or other roadways at higher speed, my car would have certainly gotten out of control and endangered my life and the lives of others. Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? This is a known issue that has been reported by many Tesla Model S owners. There is also a recall in China for the similar parts. Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? Yes, it was inspected by Tesla service center. Were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear? There were no warnings or other symptoms prior to the failure of the fore-link.
lower control arm of front passenger wheel cracked and came off while backing out of driveway. rendered undriveable, required tow to fix.
The control arm that holds my tire in place completely broke apart. It looks like the ball joint severed from the rest of the unit. I didn’t hit anything - not even a pot hole. I was driving in a residential area going 25 mph. I thought my tire went flat so I checked the car and didn’t see anything. I continued to drive the car and turned on the main road and my car almost veered me into oncoming traffic almost causing a crash. Luckily with sheer strength I was able to pull the car barely over to the side. Had I not been driving where I was, this could have been a scary situation. Tesla admitted to me this is a known safety issue but then said because my car isn’t under warranty, I was responsible. I asked for the defective part and have it in my possession.
I am writing to bring to your attention a serious safety issue that I experienced while driving my Tesla Model S 2015 on Freeway 680 in [insert location]. On 2/27/2023], the left rear wheel of my car suddenly dropped, causing a dangerous and potentially life-threatening situation. Fortunately, the incident occurred at night with less traffic, or it could have been catastrophic for myself, my children, and other road users. I have learned that Tesla has issued a recall in China for the same suspension issue that I experienced. However, I am deeply concerned that there has been no such recall or acknowledgment of this issue in the USA. It is alarming that such a dangerous fault could occur on a car that is marketed as a high-tech and safe vehicle. I believe that it is crucial to investigate and take immediate action to rectify this potentially fatal flaw in Tesla Model S 2015's suspension system. I urge you to look into this matter and work with Tesla to issue a recall for affected vehicles and implement a fix to prevent any further accidents. As a concerned citizen and a victim of this unsafe suspension issue, I implore you to prioritize the safety of Tesla owners and ensure that such incidents do not occur in the future. Thank you for your attention to this matter, and I hope that you will take swift action to address this serious safety issue.
This is the second time that a wheel becomes "lopsided" and no longer perpendicular to the axle. On 4/13/22 I was driving to work and suddenly I heard noises coming from the back wheel and I felt the car dragging. I found that the passenger rear tire was lopsided and almost falling out of the car. Then this year on 2/4/23 as I was going to work I found the driver rear tire also lopsided. Both times I had to pay for towing and $4000+ get the tire back on securely mounted to the axle. Both times the REAR UPPER CONTROL ARMS - FORWARD and REARWARD - need to be replaced. Last time we took it to a local repair shop, this time we took it to Tesla. This time, the following parts also needed to be replaced: REAR UPPER LINK SUSPENSION ASSEMBLY HALFSHAFT - REAR DRIVE UNIT - LH SUSPENSION - REAR UPPER - LH TOE LINK ASSEMBLY - REAR - LH INTEGRAL LINK - REAR - LH DROP LINK - SWAY BAR - REAR - LH SPRING and DAMPER ASSEMBLY - REAR - LH This is a unsafe car to drive - I understand that it's a low car and there are pot holes on NYC streets. But this car is still unreliable if it happens within 12 months that I cannot get to where I need to go because the car is undrivable.
Driving slowly, in reverse, in a smooth parking lot, the front right suspension made a big thudding noise and both steering and any braking made horrible metal and other screeching noises. This was at a very low speed. The suspension part, the forward link (lower control arm) had split open and no longer held the ball joint in place. This happened without any warning of any sort, and with no (I've owned the car for about 45,000 miles and 3.5 years) known abuse of the front suspension (no hard potholes, no curb, no rough or dirt roads, only smooth well-kept roads). If this failure had happened at highway speeds or even city street speeds, losing the ability to brake and steer properly could have been disastrous and is a safety issue. Part may be available after Tesla provides service - car is under a pre-owned certified warranty. From first inspection metal "bushing" on forelink appears to be completely cracked open.
Driving at highway speed, swerved slightly (in lane) to avoid road debris, front aft suspension snapped suddenly and separated from ball joint causing wheel to collapse in, disabling vehicle and causing temporary loss of control in rainy conditions. There was no warning, noises, looseness or other symptoms present prior to this event, vehicle had to be towed. Pictures were taken as well as a police report. I have the broken part in my possession.
I was driving my car around town and heard a slight knocking sound. It didn't seem to be a significant issue. Within a few hours, the knocking turned into a grinding sound. It seemed like the wheel was getting stuck in the wheel well. It didn't appear to be a significant issue, so I drove the car home. There were also no warning lights or indicators. As I drove home, the problem got worse and worse to the point where I was concerned about not being safe, but also didn't want to tow my car for a short distance. When I got home, I removed the tire and discovered that the fore beam on the right side had broken and was no longer connected to the wheel. Further research has shown that this is a known issue and there was a recall for the same issue in China. Tesla states that this happens due to driver abuse and bad roads. I can assure you that this isn't the issue in this case. When I brought it to the shop, Tesla insisted on replacing both sides, which indicates a concern for this to happen again. I have requested the broken part to be returned to me so I can inspect what happened.
Heard a pop sound as I backed from my garage. Started moving forward and heard a rubbing noise from tire. Moved car back into garage to inspect. When car was jacked up I found front following control arm broken at ball joint and completely separated. I've contacted manufacturer about repair but this could have caused severe driving hazard and lose of control if it occurred at speed. I've sent pictures manufacturer and have not heard back about repair. There was no warning of failure other than popping noise then failure.
I was backing out of a parking space while turning the steering wheel to the right. It sounded like I was running over a plastic milk jug or something like that. I stopped the car, inspected, there was no object under the car or in the wheel wells. I looked to see if any of the wheels were rubbing on the wheel well and did not see that. I then asked a friend to watch as I backed up, moved forward, and turned the wheel. He observed that the front wheel was rubbing on the wheel well, so I had the car towed to Tesla Service SODO. The next morning I found a portion of the aluminum bearing that is part of the right fore-link assembly. I drive the car for commuting and there were no incidences of impact that could cause this.
When driving above 45 MPH, there is a shuddering sound that comes from the front left of the car. After taking the car in for service, I was told that "the front AFT and Fore links are bad on the car" and need replacement.
I was driving on a street and needed to stop fast to avoid rear ending a stopped car. The control arm of my car broke. There was no debris on the road and I didn't hit anything. My car was towed to a Tesla Service center and they replaced both control arms (per the service person) and charged me only $200.
Front right suspension lower forelink sheered apart while backing out of a parking space.
While I was backing out from my car garage and turn the steering wheel, I heard a squeaking sound while applying a brake on the passenger front tire area. I stopped the car and went out to check, the front passenger tire pretty much pushed all the way back touching the wheel arch liner (see photo). I called tesla and they sent a tow truck to towed it to their service center near by. I didn't realize how wide spread the issue was until I research the problem online. I filed this complaint to solidify with other people which have the same problem.
Left front wheel rubs against wheel well when turning and a rubbing sound is heard at speeds around 55 mph. The dealer inspected and said that the suspension had failed and needed replacement.
Suspension keeps making noises such as knocking roughly in both front wheels. Feels week and in high speeds it might get broken causing loss of control. Took it to service they will charge me even with the repair bulletin I found in the federal safety agency. Correction: Four Wheel Alignment (Air Suspension) (Adjust Camber Caster Toe) Correction: Links - Front Suspension - Lower - Aft - LH/RH (Remove & Replace)
I own a 2015 Model S - 85D / Mileage 42967 purchased September 2015. On July 11, 2021, I visited family in IL and returned to my residence. I was heading to the grocery store and backing the car out of the driveway by the garage door going 5-10 mph. As I turned to the left to back out, I immediately heard a squeaky grinding noise by the front left driver-side of the tire area. I moved forward and backwards to straighten the car and heard the grinding noise again. I also felt the left front driver tire rubbing into the wheel well liner around the tire and a little wobbly. I very felt uncomfortable and decided not to drive the vehicle and parked it in the garage until it was towed. I was without my vehicle and drove an alternate vehicle with gas. I called Tesla on 7/12/21 to inquire and was inform I may need a wheel alignment and scheduled appointment for 8/2/2021. There was the risk and danger of having a severe accident as I did not feel safe hearing the grinding noise. On Sunday, 8/1/2021, as I pulled the Tesla out of the garage to be towed this friend noticed the left tire moving from side to side. I updated my Tesla appointment and informed them of this issue. I received a call on 8/3/2021 from the Tesla Repair technician stating the problem was a broken suspension joint with the Front Driver Front Fore Link. My thought was – “What if this had occurred and broke while on the highway driving 65-70 mph?" I immediately went online to google and found the article that Tesla posted a 2017 service bulletin about the fore link suspension. I informed the Tesla repair center about the article and asked if Tesla would cover the repair expense since my vehicle problem has the exact issued addressed by Elon Musk. I had to pay $978.36 repair bill. There was no inspection except the Tesla repair center. There was no warning indication, alert or message for this critical failed nor correspondence from Tesla regarding the critical suspension problem
Was driving on freeway at approx. 55 mph. Had to brake rapidly (but not emergency type braking) for accident ahead. Passenger side front wheel locked up and could only drive vehicle to exit freeway. A piece of metal from the suspension had broken and was caught between wheel and brake. Car was towed to Tesla where they indicated the front lower fore link had failed.
I was driving at 30 mph on an empty, flat, straight road when the front passenger wheel popped and the car started wobbling and became uncontrollable. I pulled over and this wheel was tilted sideways off-axis. The car needed to be towed. I was told by Tesla that the front passenger wheel’s “control arm” broke. This happened without warning and without any impact or accident on the vehicle. Had there been traffic, or had I been driving at high speed, the vehicle would certainly have collided with other vehicles.
While backing out of the driveway I heard a loud crack and grinding noise when turning the wheel to pull out into the street. Upon stopping a checking where the noise was coming I found that the left lower fore link completely sheared/ cracked off and the wheel was up against the back of the wheel well. ***The area where the wheel was backed up against (Completely tore the liner) has the cooling tubing (now leaking) & a high voltage wireline. This could've resulted in serious issues if we were traveling at higher speeds. Tesla has failed to reach out and call back regarding the issue and the vehicle is rendered completely useless/ undrivable. I've owned many vehicles and this is most certainly NOT NORMAL WARE AND TARE! This is a big safety issue and needs to be addressed ASAP. Thank god my family wasn't on the highway or any road above 5MPH when this happened. The damage would've been catastrophic.
The information that is being provided should be added to a previous submission that was incomplete. - What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? Yes, the vehicle is available for inspection. See attached estimate from TESLA for repairs. At slow speeds, when making a left turn out of the driveway or into a parking space, I noticed something is wobbling in the right front tire suspension. It was not tight. It resembles a loose ball in socket wobble. It was first felt with approximately 98,000 miles on the vehicle. The vehicle was taken in for the last checkup prior to the end of the extended warranty, but the problem was not discovered. I did not understand what was wrong with the vehicle until I took it in to TESLA to have a nail removed from the left rear. There is no excessive wear on my tires. I was informed that the vehicle needs $3660 in repairs to replace the suspension on all four wheels at 106,640 miles. Many of the miles on the vehicle are from interstate driving. The elevated rack inspection also revealed that the rear driver side wheel wobbles back and forth. Now I question the condition of the springs and struts. - Your safety or the safety of others put at risk? A failure in a joint such as a tie rod end or a ball joint, or one of the solid parts, a vehicle with a broken steering linkage part cannot be relied on to turn when you want it to. Experts say, "Suspensions are composed of too many different parts to list, but almost everyone is necessary for safe driving; any broken suspension part will have some negative effect on a car’s handling, steering, or braking, and a car with a broken suspension piece not listed above should not be driven lest you endanger yourself and others. Vehicle does not give any warnings that these parts are failing. I am currently on my 3rd set of tires, Michelin, Goodyear, Michelin all OEM. You would expect all parts designed for a TESLA be of the highest quality.
- The right front drivers side wheel wobbles when making a left turn into a parking space. - The right front drivers side wheel wobbles when making a left turn out of a drive way when turning into the street. - It reminds you of a basketball rolling around the rim before falling through the hoop, and then falling back in-place. -This is not an everyday occurence.
Please note: the VIN of the actual car that is the subject of this complaint is unavailable therefore I have used the VIN of another tesla of the same year and model in order to be able to make this submission. This complaint is about suspension failures in teslas. Here is a tesla in a salvage auction in england. Https://www.copart.co.uk/lot/37735131/clean-title-2015-tesl-model-s-p8-wolverhampton the only damage to the car is that the front wheel and suspension has been wrenched off. No air-bags have deployed and there is no impact damage anywhere on the bodywork. Photographs attached with this submission show the broken suspension and detached wheel. I believe that the cause of so many teslas having wrenched off wheels is very simple. Circumstances can occur in which full braking is applied to a wheel but the motor is still at full power. The electronics are not infallible. Glitches can occur. Even if power to the motor is shut down there is still massive stored energy in the rotor of the high RPM electric motor which acts as a massive flywheel. The suspension linkages are not strong enough to withstand the torque which is then applied. It is even worse if the ABS or traction control pulses the brakes because this then gives a hammer blow effect. This failure can affect either the front wheels or the rear wheels. There have been many similar cases of torn-off wheels. You can see examples here https://www.flickr.com/photos/136377865@n05/albums/72157719033036968 please take action. It is obvious that tesla is refusing to remedy the situation.
Issue 1). Ever since I bought the car I noticed the drivers seat felt cooked causing low back pain. Eventually the seats power adjustment would only retract one side so it could not be adjusted evenly and I had to pay to have a whole new seat replaced issue 2). I have the 85 kw battery and after an update my battery capacity was reduced 10%. I was told it was due to risk of overheating the battery fire risk tesla never resolved the issue and never reinstated the missing 10% charge capacity 3). The suspension had failed as I was driving over a speed bump less than 10 MPH and the bottom of the car scrapped the pavement. I had to pay out of pocket to replace the suspension
Each time the vehicle accelerates or slows down/stops, it makes a loud thump noise from the rear of the vehicle, usually audible at back right portion of vehicle. Tesla has diagnosed the issue on this vehicle as a cracked rear subframe. Upon researching the issue online, multiple complaints and even recalls/class action suits have been filed to address this issue. In china, for instance, there are multiple recalls set up to address this known issue. However, there has not been a successful filing in the us as far as I can find. Ultimately tesla should cover the cost of this repair since its a known issue on this year and model, but they are forcing us to pay ($2917.50, not covered under warranty). The problem seems to stem from what tesla calls a hard pothole or suspension event, although there has not been one on the vehicle since we purchased it, pre-owned. Regardless, if the issue is known, which it clearly is, by the manufacturer, they should cover the cost of repair or recall.
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