Upon purchasing the vehicle, I discovered multiple critical safety defects that were not disclosed at the time of sale and were confirmed by an independent EV specialist (Electrified Garage). These defects include worn and failing front and rear suspension components (control arms, thrust arms, and cracked/damaged bushings), a failing sway bar link boot, and a malfunctioning window that makes contact with the internal wiring harness. The suspension defects create instability over bumps and uneven roads, producing clunks, shifting, and vibration that affect steering control and overall stability. These issues present a risk of suspension failure while driving, which could cause loss of control. The window/wiring contact also poses a potential electrical hazard if the harness becomes damaged. The independent inspection documented that these defects existed before I took possession of the vehicle. The dealer did not disclose any of these issues, and the defects were not visible during a standard test drive. I am reporting this because the suspension defects directly affect vehicle handling, safety, and crash-avoidance capability. I want the federal safety agency to be aware in case similar defects appear in other vehicles of the same model/year.
Tesla Model S harsh shifting problems
20 of the 3,428 owner complaints about the Tesla Model S describe harsh or hard shifting, most of them for the 2016 model year.
- owner complaints
- 20
- worst model year
- 2016
- typical repair cost reported
- $2,150
- typical mileage
- 50,000
By model year
Often reported together
Ball joint 7Grinding brakes 2Pulling 1Steering noise 1Knocking 1Backup camera 1
What owners say
2016 Model S started making clunking sounds when turning and braking. Tesla service center inspected the vehicle and observed visible defects on the front left and right fore and aft links. Tesla recommended replacement of and quoted almost $2000 for parts and labor, including inspection fee. Vehicle only has 89000 miles and never had high impact incidents over obstacles.
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.
My wife was driving the car through a twisty road, and she heard a clunking noise come from the front passenger door, and then the door opened. A warning came up that the emergency door release was pulled and that the door was open. My wife was the only person in the car and could not have pulled the emergency door release on the passenger side door. I took the car to Tesla, and they were able to confirm the error messages, but did not see anything wrong within the door that they felt explained the issue. They did not have an explanation other than suggesting we pulled the emergency handle, which was impossible since no one was sitting in the seat at that time. They also admitted that a recent software bug in Model S and X cars was likely the cause of previous errors about the emergency handle being pulled, since we know not to pull it. We were obviously concerned since the door opening suddenly could be quite dangerous. We have not had any symptoms before or since.
Drivers side suspension fore-link failed while driving. There was no warning, simply a loud "clunk" sound. I was able to limp the vehicle home, and then to the service center several days later. The fore-link completely failed while driving to the service center, causing the wheel to interfere with the inner fender, requiring us to stop. The dealer replaced the fore-link, however, we were required to pay for the replacement. There is currently a TSB for this issue, however, Tesla indicated that our VIN wasn't included, despite being within the dates of manufacture listed on the TSB. Do I have any recourse to get Tesla to reimburse me for the cost of replacing my fore links? Thank you!
The contact owns a 2017 Tesla Model S. The contact state that while driving at slow speeds over minor bumps in the road, an abnormal clunking noise would emit from the vehicle. He also stated that as the failure was intermittent and that no warning light would appear on the instrument panel during the failure. The contact had taken the vehicle to a service center where a service manager requested to ride along with the contact to evaluate the failure. The service manager was able to diagnose the failure and the service center replaced the fore link assembly on the driver’s side as well as other parts on the suspension. The contact questioned why the passenger’s side fore link assembly was not repaired. The contact was informed that the passenger’s side had no visible damage. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The vehicle had been repaired. The failure mileage was 13,224.
I was approaching a stop sign at 2 mph when I heard a terrible metallic clunking sound from under the front of the car. When I went to make a right turn, I was unable to steer the car. I was able to get it into a parking lot where I saw that the front right wheel was cambered in at about 30 degrees. I took photos of the car and in the wheel well and saw that the wheel was disconnected from an upper control bar. I had it towed to the Tesla Service Center and they confirmed that the Upper suspension link had disconnected from the wheel. There is a ball and socket type of joint that connects the two and the ball had popped out of the socket causing the problem. I had them check the Right front connection and was told that that socket was also loose and needed to be replaced. I had both sides repaired. My concern is that had I been traveling on a highway at 70 mph, I would have lost control of the car causing a terrible accident. The fact that the other side also showed similar problems leads one to conclude that there is a design or material flaw in the Tesla Modal S front suspension. The car has only 83,000 miles of normal driving usage. I believe that all Model S cars from this era should be recalled and inspected for this problem. Otherwise, accidents will occur and some may be fatal. Tesla told me that they were unaware of any such problems with their cars. A quick internet search shows that this is not true. I have the parts that were removed if you need to inspect them.
When driving at low speed and turning the car over slightly uneven surfaces like a driveway or car parks the front suspension makes a clunking and clicking sound. Vibration and thuds can be felt through the steering wheel and footwells of the car. I brought to tesla and they said this is wear and tear and charged me $2,700 to fix even though my car is under warranty. Many similar issues have been recorded of other teslas with worse cases of parts breaking during slow or highway speeds. Tesla service center stated that if I do not want to pay for the repair the car is still safe to drive! Even though there are cases of parts breaking while the car is moving. Very negligent of tesla staff to state this. Car details model s85 61,000ks (38,000miles) year 2014 see attached image of parts repaired.
I noted a clunking noise on the driver side wheel area while driving. I ask for help from service, but everything is automated and they made an appointment for a month later. A few weeks after reporting the noise, I was breaking when my driver side front wheel seem to give way and the car started to skid. The affected wheels seem to be scraping the wheel well. Not much help from the service app and suggested I get it towed 200 miles away at $1100 so they could evaluate. My local tire guy saw the broken left lower control arm and said this was all over the internet and class action suit had just been filed. Telsa has been unresponsive and inaccessible due to their automated system. So far bill to fix is over $4,000.
Ball joint on front left upper control arm assembly failed prematurely at approximately 80,000 miles vehicle usage; specifically, it separated so as to cause the uca (upper control arm) to disconnect from from the steering knuckle during a low-speed parking lot maneuver (three point 'y' turn) at approximately 5 MPH or less, which caused the wheel to tip in words against the strut assembly. Repaired suspension by replacing upper control arm with integral ball joint. Approximately 40,000 miles later, the ball joint on the right hand upper control arm exhibited extreme looseness and clunking sounds forcing me to replace the rh uca / ball joint on that side as well. Vehicle now has approximately 150,000 miles vehicle usage and the suspension is once again exhibiting abnormal clunking noise (from the lh front corner) over bumps at low speeds that makes me suspicious that additional or same ball joints are wearing prematurely. I am a professional mechanical engineer (with 27 years industry experience) responsible for propulsion systems on agricultural harvesting vehicles and can definitively state I have never abused this vehicle. The wear rates are excessive on the uca ball and socket connection which does/could cause ball joint separation and suspension function/control.
Related recalls
No recalls on record for this model year.
Questions about the Tesla Model S harsh shifting
Which Tesla Model S years have harsh or hard shifting problems?
The model years with the most reports are 2016 (5 complaints), 2017 (5 complaints) and 2015 (4 complaints).
How much does it cost to fix harsh or hard shifting on the Tesla Model S?
Owners who mentioned a price put the repair at about $2,150 (median of 5 complaints that include a dollar amount). Costs vary with mileage, warranty and where the work is done.
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