2016 Tesla Model S: ball joint or control arm failure

Filed Oct 8, 2026 · Steering, Suspension · MN

Rear left control arm failed while driving causing loss of steering and suspension

Filed May 8, 2026 · Suspension · CA

Driver side rear control arm broke in half propagating along what appears to be a weld seam line for this hollow aluminum suspension part. It is incredible that a critical safety component holding a 5,000 pound curb weight vehicle was allowed on the car. The potential situation of a complete lower control arm break while driving at highway speeds is beyond imagining. Not only would such a situation endanger occupants but all other vehicles in the vicinity. This vehicle has never been in an automobile accident. It has 120,000 miles. It has never been used off road or for commercial usage. My wife and I are the original owners and only drivers.

Filed May 6, 2026 · Suspension · MA

On a side street approximately 1/4 mile before we were going to enter a highway the car suddenly resisted motion substantially and I had to immediately pull to the side. I tried reverse and the resistance was higher, I put it back in forward and it released. However, I immediately but slowly headed for my service station 2 miles away. A warning message appeared just as I brought the car to a stop at the station, but I did not notice what it said as I was being directed to move the car to a parking spot. Before I could fully back the car into the spot the rear wheel collapsed. The rear control arm failed and has been replaced. I have retained the failed control arm. Photos attached of the part as well as the rear wheel when it collapsed. If the initial resistance had occurred one minute later, I would have been on the highway and could have lost control of the vehicle. A serious accident would have been likely risking our safety and any others our car would have collided with. Note: This is the second suspension part failure on this car. The first was also reported to the federal safety agency.

Filed Jun 14, 2025 · Suspension, Wheels · IL

on 5/20/25, I had my Tesla repaired as I had suspension issues. They repaired my car to rectify my suspension for both my front and rear tires. Then on 6/12/25, I was driving on the highway and going about 70-75 mph when I heard a huge pop. No warning indicators came on and something did not feel right. I figured nothing else came of it. I was about 30 miles away from home and when I got home, my tire was pushed inward. I was concerned on whether this was related to a bad repair since it was so soon to my previous repair and they indicated that they did not touch that area. After they saw my video, they indicated that the lower control arm of my rear tire broke and they indicated that this was just a damaged component. My biggest concern is that if this issue was not related to the repair work done a month ago, this could be bigger issue as I could have been very concerning that this part broke when I was driving at high speeds and I think it's warranted to check on the quality of the component. In my 40 plus years of driving, I have never experienced this happened to me. If you need documentation or video of how the tire and the axle looks, I can forward it to you. The vehicle has only been inspected by the Tesla Dealership service center and as stated earlier, there weren't any warning signs or messages that showed as I specifically was looking for it when I heard the loud pop.

Filed Jun 27, 2024 · Suspension · MA

The lower control arm on my left rear tire broke. Specifically, the aluminum of the knuckle joint snapped. This occured in my driveway while backing up. This caused extensive damage to the rest of the rear left suspension.

Filed Dec 28, 2023 · Suspension · IL

Halfshaft and Control arm broke while backing up from a Walmart store. Tesla dealer diagnosed it but the repair was not covered. I had to pay out of pocket but this could have been prevented it the car was recalled.

Filed Aug 31, 2023 · Suspension · IL

This is the third lower control arm to fail in this vehicle. Left front, left rear and now front right. All failures are the same, cracked castings at the ball joint or bushing. This vehicle has had to be towed in all three times as the wheel is no longer property connected to the frame and is undrivable without vehicle damage. Seriously, the federal safety agency needs to stop worrying about FSD and go investigate these suspension failures. At 50K miles, this is unacceptable and extremely dangerous. Luckily my failures have happened at slow speeds. If these failures happen at high speed, total loss if steering is possible. Please go after Tesla for these defects. These parts must be redesigned and replaced on Model S vehicles on the road today.

Filed Jul 24, 2023 · ND

At low speeds, the rear control arm on the driver side disconnected from the wheel causing instability and a near accident. When looking into this issue, it appears it may be more common than what is published. This could have caused a serious accident if I were going highway speed.

Filed Jun 25, 2023 · Suspension · CA

The driver's side front suspension control arm (aka "fore link") spontaneously snapped. This occurred when I started the car in the garage, and began to slowly back out. The terrain was level and smooth, and my speed was under 5mph. One piece of the assembly fell from the car and is in my possession. The car was rendered undriveable.

Filed Jun 17, 2023 · Suspension · CA

The right front suspension "Lower Fore Link" broke under braking. The Fore Link broke/separated from the ball joint connecting it to the right spindle/upright, causing loss of directional and braking control. The damaged Four Link is available for inspection. Once the Fore Link broke, any braking caused the wheel to move rearward and contact the body wheel arch liner. Once the body contacted the tire, it rode up on the rotating tire, causing the front end to rise and bounce up and down. Under my situation, with my advanced driving experience, I was able to bring the car to a stop before hitting the cars stopped ahead. But under more severe braking conditions, or lower experienced driver, the car might not be able to stop in time, putting me, my passengers, and those of any cars in front of the car at risk. This problem is documented by Tesla Technical Service Bulletin SB-17-31-001. The vehicle and defective component has been inspected by the local Tesla Service Center in Carlsbad CA, but not by any police/insurance/other representative. There were no warnings in advance of the failure.

Filed May 7, 2023 · Suspension · OH

Right rear suspension lower control arm part # 1021416-00-D broke on bushing mount with no warning while driving the car at 40 mph,… this part is available for your inspection and looks like corrosion may have played a part in this failure. This failure could have caused an accident as the car became uncontrollable especially if it failed while driving on a freeway. The dealer manufacturer/Tesla replaced this part and inspected it. No warning of this parts failure was given by the vehicle.

Filed Mar 12, 2023 · Suspension · IL

This vehicle had the driver side lower suspension connector link crack and fail at the lower ball joint at 22K miles. Now at 50K miles, the rear drivers side lower control arm has failed in the same way, In both cases, this is either due to a design defect or manufacturing defect. I have included pictures of both the front and rear links.