I purchased a used 2016 Tesla Model S in September 2021, with 58,961 miles. Within a month, a strange scraping sound can be heard as I was backing out of my driveway, it was the metal piece that was connected to the wheel. Somehow it had broken off and was bent in a position where it was grinding my brake pads down to unsafe levels. Telsa said it was caused by making a 'sharp turn' and is not covered under warranty. The work to fix costed $1450.03 to replace brake pads and wheel that was cracked. But didn't disclose in the invoice what was causing the scraping sound. They claimed that when they drove the vehicle they could not hear any scraping sound. Based on Tesla's TSB report, this is a known defect and Tesla should have repaired it without charging me. But they would rather have me believe that I was a terrible driver.
2016 Tesla Model S suspension complaints
Page 3 of 8: complaints 41 to 70 of 211, newest first, as owners wrote them.
My car has only 50,000 miles but suspension is making noise. Tesla dealer is saying they need to replace the Links - Front Suspension - Lower - Aft -LH/RH. Tesla is charging me $1,828.87 to replace these links. I see in the internet that lot of 2016/2017 made cars has this defect. I strongly believe this is manufacturing defect and Tesla is responsible for fixing this issue for all effected customers. I appreciate if you can investigate into this issue.
Lh suspension fore link broke causing tire to rub inner wheel well while driving at around 30mph resulting in damage to tire and wheel well liner .... car was not able to be driven ..... Tesla service center was not willing to repair under warranty or good will even though they issued a tsb regarding certain 2016 model s cars having suspension parts that were not up to Tesla quality standards and could result in failure
I could hear a noise in the front suspension while driving. Upon returning home the front driver side suspension collapsed while I was parking the car. The front suspension link broke and the wheel was rubbing against the arch liner. I was lucky that the failure occurred at very low speed but the damage could have been significant if it had happened just a few minutes earlier, while driving.
Drivers side fore links broke under warranty. Per Tesla Service bulletin SB-17-31-001 filed February 17, 2017 for automobiles manufactured between January 19 and May 25, 2016, if one of the fore links break both should be replaced. Per the attached invoice and scree shots, Teslas service center in Raleigh is refusing to follow the bulletin citing that the vehicles ein is not eligible but showing no proof. Attached is an email from that shows the car finished manufacturing on May 8,2016. I'm requesting Tesla to follow their service bulletin and include replacing the passenger side fore link as part of their warranty service.
Suspension Component: RH Front Aft Control Link - I will provide the damaged/exploded part via FEDEX to your office. Event happened while backing out of garage, was under 5miles speed and hence nobody was injured or put at risk. Could have gone worst if this would have happened at higher speed/highway. There was no prior warning, corrosion and/or indication alerting of wear & tear on the part that was broken. This car has very low mileage (44k miles over 6 yrs) for some major component to fail like this without notice.
I was traveling on HWY 98 in Florida, headed home to Austin, TX from vacationing. I was with my wife and three young children. I stopped at a stop light, and when I went to reaccelerate, the car lurched. I pulled over and discovered I could barely turn and the suspension was making a terrible sound. I was able to maneuver into a parking lot and determined that my front driver's side fore link had cracked and was no longer holding. There is an existing Service Bulletin (SB-17-31-006) that should have covered this. My car is in warranty, and I have had it serviced before the accident, but after the publishing of the SB and Tesla never notified me that the links should be replaced. This was a tremendous hassle, and posed a very serious safety issue, because the broken link can protrude through the wheel well can cause the wheel to lock up.
Suspension control arm failure on front left and right. It happened twice on two separate occasions while driving. Before failure it was making a creaking sound. It failed while driving on both occasions. The first failure happened pulling out of the driveway. The second failure happened driving down the street and it certainly put myself and others on the road at risk. Speed was fairly slow when it failed ~20 mph. Nevertheless, it was a busy street with cars going fast around us. The upper control arm broke on both occasions. The car is driven as one would expect. Around town and regular highway driving. No other accidents, off-roading, no notable potholes, etc. Unfortunately, even after recent repairs it is again making the same sounds that it made right before the previous failures. Tesla is refusing to fix the defects. This is likely the same issue as the recall in China.
The Driverside Front suspension fore links completely failed and broke off, and separated and it made the Tire shift towards the the wheel arch liner and rub against it which damaged the tire and the wheel arch liner. And it caused the Front suspension LINK bushing to become damaged as well when the FRONT SUSPENSION FORE LINK broke ( the metal completely broke in half & became separated from each other ) because the two links are connected together to the front suspension arm wishbone on top when I was driving down a residential street going 20 mph, there was a small dip in the road so I slowed down to about 5 mph and after the dip I noticed this loud sound coming from my front tire & wheel. I think it was already cracked and the dip made it come off. Because that small dip could not of had the torque & power to do that to the metal on the front suspension Fore link. I own 2016 TESLA MODEL S 75. I researched and Many teslas are having the same problem!! Tesla even put out a service bulletin SB-17-31-001 stating “Some Model S and Model X vehicles may have been manufactured with front suspension fore links that may not meet Tesla strength specifications. In the event of link failure, the driver can still maintain control of the vehicle but the tire may contact the wheel arch liner.“-years affected 2016 OMG Which exactly happened to my 2016 TESLA MODEL S 75!! Now I found there’s a class action lawsuit vs Tesla and the federal safety agency INVESTIGATION about the same exact matter! My car is not driveable, I called Tesla roadside to get it towed to Tesla service center, they told me I would have to pay for the tow!! I made a service appt but it’s not until another 7 days! I’m waiting to find out if Tesla will cover the cost to fix it?? 🤞
Driver side fore link failure, driver side suspension collapsed on the tire. The car came to an immediate stop. The car did go up in the air for some time before stopping. Since the driver side fore link failed, Tesla said that they have to change both the fore links.
Left suspension front fore link broken, damaged left front tire and wasn't driable.
The contact owns a 2016 Tesla Model S. The contact stated while driving approximately 10 MPH, he heard a popping sound coming from the vehicle. The contact exited the vehicle and inspected the vehicle but found no failure. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact continued driving however, at 5 MPH he heard another popping sound. The contact called a local towing company to have the vehicle towed to the dealer. While attempting to place the vehicle on the flatbed, the contact was informed that a large metallic part had fractured and detached from the vehicle. The dealer’s diagnostic result was that the driver’s side front lower fore link collar had broken off the vehicle. The vehicle was repaired out of pocket. The mechanic was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 57,000.
Car was being pulled out of parking spot and front suspension failed. TESLA rode side service took car to TESLA dealer. TESLA said car was too heavy for parts and now the knuckles and the fore links for the front suspension need to be replaced. The car had a full alignment in February and everything was good. They said they were aware of a problem others are concerned about bit they can't do anything at this point as there is no open recall in the United States.
Front control arm separation.
The right Front Lower Control Arm broke off. When I applied the break (abruptly) at the light ( driving speed ~35mph and the street was wet), the front right wheel was bouncing and making a weird noise. I managed to drive home and found out that the control arm has broken off. I did some research and realized that this is a common problem with Tesla vehicles. I am wondering if this is a recall issue. This is a safety issue and I think Tesla needs to recall and fix this problem.
The contact owns a 2016 Tesla Model S. The contact stated that while driving approximately 30 - 35 MPH, a loud bang noise was heard, then the front passenger’s side tire kicked back and damaged the wheel. Upon inspection, the contact saw that the front passenger’s side control arm was fractured. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 140,000.
I was backing out my car from the garage at home and on the driveway my wife and I heard a weird sound. After checking we found a broken metal part on the driveway and a closer look, taking a picture, I could see that the suspension arm for the front passenger side wheel was broken, very much metal fatigue,
While backing out of a parking stall I felt a large vibration. I could tell something wasn't right. I pulled out of the parking lot and checked my tires and brakes as every time I pressed the brake pedal I felt the vibration. I couldn't tell what was going on, but the car was not driving correctly. I slowly drove to a nearby tire center when they diagnosed it as a broken control arm on the driver's side. No collisions took place before or after, nor was a pot hole or other road hazard hit before.
I have had to bring the car in for vibration in the front drivers wheel/tire over 3 times in less than 5 years. A part of the suspension was replace once or twice and I was told that I needed several tires replace less than 10,000 miles of wear. The problem has returned again with both vibration and noise, yet I can't get an appointment for 3 weeks after I reported the issue. I can't find any of my receipts for these repairs as they don't communicate in a way that is useful to humans and there is little record of it.
Failure of L front fore link resulting in unstable wheel, contact of wheel with wheel well, difficult steering and inability to drive vehicle.
Pulling my car out of my driveway, I heard a loud pop noise and the steering wheel refused to turn. Attempting to turn the wheel at all resulted in a grinding noise because the entire front driver side wheel was shifted backward and was resting on the rear of the wheel well liner. I had the vehicle flatbedded to the Tesla service center and they told me one of the fore links had failed. They blamed it on an impact or pothole, neither of which actually happened. After researching online, I've come to find there have been many documented failures of this same part - for no reason at all. Tesla even recognized they had a manufacturing issue and even issued a recall in China. This could have been a very dangerous situation. There was no warning, no cause, and the car has only 50k miles. I asked them to save the parts as I'm sure upon expert examination, they would prove to be defective.
The contact owns a 2016 Tesla Model S. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, there was an abnormal popping sound coming from the front passenger’s side tire. The contact stated that the failure caused damage to the passenger’s side front fender. The contact took the vehicle to a Tesla service center where the mechanic discovered a defective front fore link. Due to the failure, the driver’s and passenger’s side fore links were replaced at the service center's recommendation. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 71,000.
May 1, 2021 Heard some noise from front of car and then went away. Loud noise coming from the right front side of car when we back up from parking spot. Car literally cannot move an inch but we had to move car out of traffic. No warnings from the car. We saw the right front tire literally touching the back liner. Tesla towed car to Tesla service center which is almost 3 hours away from home. Weekend road trip cut short. Service center was closed. Rental car companies nearby closed. Uber voucher not enough to cover fee. Service found RF fore links broken, and RF fender liner damage and replacement of 2 front tires and alignment. Estimate of $1602.90. Back in 2020 September, I heard soft noise coming from left front. Tesla took care of it under warranty. But we asked if they should inspect and replaced the right side. They refused. Now manager said that it’s wear and tear and refused to cover under warranty when it’s still under 50,000 miles. I asked them about condition of back links and they did not inspect or given estimates for replacement for back links after 7 requests. Manager told me it’s super pricy labor alone is around $700. We feel it’s a serious safety concern. We were lucky this didn’t happen on a highway. The parts definitely broke pre maturely. Also has to file with warranty department with written letter to dispute the charge now. What a hassle. They should recall asap.
As I was pulling out my parking space at work at about 2 miles an hour I heard a loud thump and I thought something was under my tire. After getting out to inspect the vehicle, I noticed a 2-3" piece of aluminum next to my front left tire. I attempted to pull the car back into my parking spot and the loud noise continued. I left the car at work overnight and inspected it the following morning and noticed that the suspension arm was broken. Luckily this did not happened while I was driving as this could have killed me. After doing some research on a tesla forum, I learned that this exact break of the suspension arm is becoming more and more common on the s and x models with some pretty scary consequences. Tesla needs to do a recall on this because if they don't there will be lives lost.
Car suspension felt loose and weird. Under normal driving (city streets and highways), changing lanes or going over roads with slight crown or ruts caused the car to suddenly pull and shift erratically (above and beyond that experienced in other cars). It felt as if there's something not right with the front suspension. When this happened on highways while using autopilot (experienced at least three times), the car swerved left and right erratically (after changing lanes) in an effort to re-center on the lane without success, and I had to take over manually in over to avoid from flipping over or an accident. Tesla service center inspected the car in late 2019 and said everything is normal. They performed a 4-wheel alignment but did not improve the behavior. This behavior has gotten worse over the past year and is very concerning. I only have a little over 30k miles on this car, and therefore do not expect suspension failure at this low miles.
I was backing up slowly, 1-3 MPH, and the front driver tire got buried in the back of the wheel well. I was only turning slightly, and the ground was relatively flat. There was no sound or anything, the car just stopped because the wheel was jammed in the wheel well. I came to find out the lower control arm/forelink had failed. It cracked and separated at the steering knuckle. Tesla was ok about fixing it, thank goodness the car is under warranty or it would have cost thousands to replace both sides for something that should never fail. I couldn’t leave the other side in place knowing this is common defect and that my family’s safety was in jeopardy. Thankfully this didn't happen while doing 65 MPH on the freeway. Tesla begrudgingly replaced both sides under the warranty. But, they didn’t repair it correctly. I’ve repeatedly told them the tire rubs against the front wheel well, and it didn’t before, but they said it doesn’t rub. Even though, I have pictures showing the tire against the wheel well, with no space in between. I also had to ask them to put all the retaining clips in place repeatedly, but they still left at least 4 out. All this happened at the service center in buena park, ca. Their customer service is terrible and there is no way to escalate problems beyond the service advisor you deal with. So, basically I’m stuck not really knowing if it continues to be a safety hazard because tesla refuses to cooperate and there is no one else to complain to. I have another service appointment soon, I’m hoping it will finally get resolved. I used to be a huge fan, but this company is a black box when it comes to customer service. They need to be held accountable for dealing with customer complaints regarding very legitimate system failures.
Vin: [xxx] while driving air suspension has wildly activated. Unable to manually turn headlights on at night. Entertainment system has, uncommandedly, activated on full volume and unable to reduce/mute. Bluetooth link disconnected from phone eliminating handsfree ability mid-call. Mcu (media control unit)/mainscreen has rebooted on its own, with high outside heat, phoenix, arizona< shutting off cabin cooling for as long as 5 minutes. These are primary safety concerns and major distractions. Additionally, there is frequent loss of GPS/navigation position, false aural warnings and sometimes a completely unresponsive mcu that a reset sometimes/temporarily clears. This has happened since the summer through now both locally within the phoenix, arizona area, parts of northern arizona, nevada and california at different times, elevations, climates and time of day. I have video that I can share with you if needed. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6).
While I was driving at highway speed in the left lane of 3-lane i95 north (~11 miles north of florence, south carolina) around 6pm on 1/15/2021, the car suddenly gave a shake and loud noise, and immediately, was out of control and was jerking violently side to side between lanes. I was somehow able to move the unsteerable car across 3-lane traffic and brought it to stop on the right side medium. This happened on a busy highway before mlk long weekend. Thank the many drivers who managed to avoid hitting us, my wife and I miraculously survived this incident but left severely traumatized. The shake and loud noise are like car going over a pothole. However, there was not any pothole on the left lane as I did not see cars in front of me moving like going a pothole. When I was waiting for my tow truck for the next 2 hours, I watched cars passing by and did not see any car moving unusually. Thus, I am certain that there is no pothole on the left lane. I inspected the car on site, I noticed that the driver rear wheel tilted inward. I had the car towed to tesla service center and they confirmed the $3,000+ suspension damage and damages to brake line as a consequence. My tesla ms is exact 4-years old (made in 01/2017) and 60,224 miles driven. To have this early suspension failure during normal driving on highway without any warning is simply unimageable and unacceptable. Though we are very luck to survive this, this suspension failure can easily cause major accidents and have many people killed. After researching online following the incident, I found that this is not a singular incident. There is a recall on tesla s/x suspension in china, too. It is absolutely not acceptable for tesla to issue a recall in china (a country with weak consumer protection laws) but not in USA. I sincerely that the federal safety agency treats this matter seriously to avoid further loss of lives.
Backing my car out of my driveway, I heard a loud pop noise under the driver seat and after that the car make loud noise like metal hitting the floor every time the car goes over the bump. Brought the car to tesla service center the next day and tesla service technician told me that both the front fore links and suspensions were broken and need to be replaced and it was unsafe to drive.
While pulling my car out of the garage driveway on 1/8/2021, heard a metal cranking noise and I wasn't able to turn the steering wheel to the left. After inspecting the wheel, noticed the front wheel on the driver side was touching/stuck the wheel liner. Scheduled a service appointment with tesla and took the car to the tesla service center today, they identified both front forelinks need to be replaced. Shared this article https://www.carcomplaints.com/news/2020/tesla-front-suspension-failures-investigated.shtml with them but their response is according to tesla service bulletin, this only affects model s and model x vehicles were built between january 19, 2016, and may 25, 2016, but mine was built in april 6 but I experienced the exact same issue reported by other tesla owner
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