Suspension Problems of Tesla Model 3 - part 2

Two major safety issues need to be reported: 1) the left front lower control arm falling off in the middle of driving, caused car wheel stuck on a traffic street (luckily it was off the freeway 5 minutes ago). The long bolts connected the lower control arms were loss due to the defective design (the bolts are screwed upward vertically, falling off is definitely just a matter of time). I found there was a class action against Tesla due to this problem (it is referred to model x and s) 2) the other major safety issue I encountered as I turned on the “advanced autopilot “ feature, the car could break suddenly without warning on the freeway. There were no cars or obstacles in the front. I researched online and found many Tesla owners have experienced this so called “phantom breaking” problem as I had (I had experienced this unsafe auto breaking randomly since I have driven this car).

See all problems of the 2019 Tesla Model 3 🔎.

Front suspension lateral link fasteners loosened, allowing the lateral link to separate from the sub-frame. I have a 2018 Model 3 and this seems to be the exact same issue that led to a recent recall with the help of the NHTSA. Recall no. 23v235000 sb-23-31-001 an expansion of previous recall number 21v-835. I noticed for months something was slightly off in the front right area of the car. I brought it into the Tesla service center, they drove it and didn't notice anything. About a month later the lateral link separated from the subframe rendering the car undriveable. I had it towed immediately.

See all problems of the 2018 Tesla Model 3 🔎.

At low/no speed, turning the steering wheel to the extreme left or right produces a low-end creaking noise as if something is rubbing.

See all problems of the 2022 Tesla Model 3 🔎.

Under-torqued lateral link bolt these bolts are known to fall out or cause damage to bushings from being installed improperly failure of the suspension would result in the suspension collapsing and the car becoming uncontrollable, with serious risks at higher speeds out of pocket repair has been made by Tesla component has been inspected and tightened to spec no warning sings, other than loud, clunking noises at 40k miles on smooth roads, this is not a driver issue, but a manufacturer assembly issue. They already have a recall for other vins in other years, but I believe this should be expanded to more vins and years, as this appears to be a common issue.

The contact owns a 2018 Tesla Model 3. The contact stated that while making a right turn he observed a loud bang and the vehicle came to a stop. The contact stated that he observed bolt left lateral link of the suspension was hanging with boldt detached an the second bolt completely missing. The vehicle was towed to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the left lateral link suspension subframe, steering rack, and left finder needed to be replaced. The vehicle wa not repaired. The contact related the failure to NHTSA campaign number: 23v235000 (suspension). The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 81,976.

Upper control arm unit is defective on most Model 3's. This has been reported by thousands of Tesla owners. After 50,000 miles the upper control arm will fail due to being assembled incorrectly, which causes a hard time driving the car and causing a strange sound in the suspension which can cause a risk in driving and increase the likelihood of an accident.

Incident summary: on [xxx], I was in an accident and dropped my Tesla Model 3 at Tesla’s north phoenix collision center in Nov 2024. I received the car back in Dec/Jan. Immediately, I noticed dangerous swaying, bouncing, and veering when hitting dips—especially on the freeway. The car was unstable and unsafe to drive at high speeds. In Feb/Mar, tanner (assistant manager at the collision center) drove the vehicle with me in the passenger seat. After hitting a dip on the freeway, he panicked, exited, and agreed something was wrong. I was later told they did a wheel alignment, but the issue remained. This was the second time they returned the vehicle in an unsafe condition. I nearly crashed due to how unstable it felt. In may 2025, I brought the car back again. Tanner suspected the steering column but said no diagnosis was done. He gave me a loaner vehicle, which had a flat tire. I had to drive my own unsafe car for nearly a month while waiting for another loaner and parts—no resolution during that time. On 6/13/2025, I contacted the Tesla glendale service center. The advisor expressed frustration, saying this collision center often offloads unresolved issues. I also contacted Tesla support (877-798-3752), who advised me to file this NHTSA complaint. As of June 2025, the issue is still unresolved. My car continues to sway and veer dangerously on the freeway, and Tesla north phoenix collision has failed to properly diagnose or fix it despite multiple returns. This vehicle is unsafe to drive, and I’ve been given excuses for over 7 months. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

See all problems of the 2023 Tesla Model 3 🔎.

I was called told suspension issue unrelated to accident. Sounds like a recall from the same year and same model. Could it be under this recall? suspension: front recall date 2023-03-30 recall no. 23v235000 Tesla, inc. (Tesla) is recalling certain 2018-2019 Model 3 vehicles. The front suspension lateral link fasteners may loosen, allowing the lateral link to separate from the sub-frame. Recall consequence a lateral link separation could shift the wheel alignment, causing instability and increasing the risk of a crash. Recall action Tesla service will tighten or replace the lateral link fasteners as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed may 30, 2023. Owners may contact Tesla customer service at 1-877-798-3752 (tel:1-877-798-3752). Tesla's number for this recall is sb-23-31-001. This recall is an expansion of previous re call number 21v-835.

While driving, I started to hear a creaking sound while backing up and turning the wheel left. The sound became worse over the course of a few weeks. The steering also felt a little loose. I reached out to the manufacturer for a service appointment, and could only be scheduled about a month out. After a few weeks, while trying to parallel park, the car felt like a tire was stuck, or had a flat. I stopped the car to look at all of the tires and they looked fine. When I returned home, I tried to recreate the issue with my wife moving the car slowly from the driver seat while I looked at the wheels. As she turned and backed up, the creaking sound was very loud, but the tires looked fine. When she put the car in drive and began to pull back into the driveway, I could see the front passenger tire was turned abnormally far to the left, looked like it was leaning, and it was locked (not rolling). Once we had the car in a safe position, I jacked up the car and looked at the passenger control arm to see a bolt completely missing from the front suspension lateral link. The other bolt was 1/2 of the way out and barely holding on. If this had come apart at highway speeds, I am afraid it could have killed or seriously injured my family.

See all problems of the 2021 Tesla Model 3 🔎.

Lateral links failed. It was exactly what was described in this recall. However my car was not part of the recall because it was manufactured outside the date range. Recall affected until Mar 2019. My car was produced maybe a month or two afterwards. [xxx] the fastener became loose and the entire lateral link popped off. This happened in the parking lot and the entire car dropped 3 inches. Had this happened on the freeway it would have been much more dangerous. Problem was inspected by Tesla and Tesla said they were not at fault. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

On [xxx], I started driving to work when I heard an click from my front wheel. The car was driving without any problem. After a while when making a u-turn, the car front wheel got completely locked with a "grinding sound" and I lost control of the car. Fortunately, it was at low speed and I just stopped driving, if it was at high speed, it could've been a horrible situation. I had to park my car, call Tesla and tow the car to them as it was not drivable. After initial evaluation, they said the bolts of the right suspension lateral arm were not only loose, but detached and fell off, so there was physical locking between the wheel and the lateral arm. Also the bolt attachment site at the subframe was completely worn out so they needed to change the whole subframe and both lateral arms. Beside a clear recall from Tesla models 3/y made between 2018-2020 about the exact same issue, and this event being for the same exact problem, Tesla keeps not appreciating that and says that recall is gone. Tesla says the loose component will be audible before it completely separates, but it was not in my case. Looking at people's posts in public media, I strongly believe Tesla is ignoring this life-threatening deficit in these cars and models and this can put the lives of many drivers at risk. While I paid out of pocket for repairs, I'm more concerned about the safety of driving my and similar cars at the moment, so I request adequate investigation. Here is some evidence: [xxx] [xxx] [xxx] . [xxx] information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

See attached document for complaint.

The suspension front control arm and lower links were all bad and had to be replaced. One day, our car started making this terrible clunking sound, so we brought it in. They charged us $1,800 to replace the whole control arm/link system. I have seen that this is a common problem. I have heard that the issue is known by Tesla as a defect because they put in bad control arms in the early models of Tesla that are known to go bad. We were told that if we did not get them replaced, they could go out while driving and cause us to lose control of our vehicle.

Without any warning from feel unstable, wobbly, or noisy, my car began pulling hard to the right as I was going straight on a small street. I was going about 10 m-15 miles an hour. My steering wheel did not respond to my efforts to straighten the vehicle and my brakes did not slow the car’s path. I was only stopped by two parked cars on the side of the road that I bounced off of. When I got out, bystanders pointed to the sheared tie rod on the front passenger side. The witnesses stated it was clear from their view that if I had been going faster on a wider street there would have been severe injury instead of only three cars being damaged. My car was three years old and had passed its annual inspection one week before. The police were called twice but did not come within three hours so the car was towed without a police report.

1. I had my car for only 6 years, and the main monitor would randomly go black. I have to do multiple hard resets to get it to work again. 2. I'm getting a front left safety restrain system fault, on a car that I had only for 6 years. Compared to my prius that I had more than 10 years, which I had no problems at all, Tesla is junk. 3. Front suspension is squeaking when making turns at slow speeds. Review of youtube indicates that this is a very common problem. Tesla should fix this for free instead of charging $800.

The contact owns a 2021 Tesla Model 3. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed the contact noticed a knocking sound coming from the suspension with no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where the vehicle was diagnosed as the front suspension lateral link separated. The contact was informed that the front suspension lateral link needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 51,543.

Purchased 2023 Tesla Model 3 performance in January 2024. On August 6, 2024 at approximately 2 pm, I got a flat tire drivers side front on a remote highway outside of reno nv. At that time, I found out that I didn't have a spare tire or jack supplied by Tesla. I called Tesla roadside service and was told before they would send out assistance, I had to agree to purchase a new tire at 540. 00 per tire, the towing company couldn't be to my location till after 6pm. I declined Tesla service. The Tesla had less than 18000 miles on it. My son came and assisted me in removing the flat and we took it to les schwab tire center where I purchased a new tire for 375. 00 dollars. Les schwab stated that the wear on the tire was caused by alignment. I contacted Tesla made a service appointment for alignment for August 26, 2024. I got another flat on the drivers rear on August 20, 2024, which cost 283. 00 from les schwab with the same disposition as caused by alignment. I took the car in the next morning and had the remaining two tires changed as it was no longer safe to drive 766. 00 cost, and alignment was to blame milage was documented by les schwab at 18792. When I went for the service at Tesla, I was told they do not warranty tire or alignment and when I told them that I would let small claims decide if that the tire wear was excessive and caused by improper alignment, they threw me out of the dealership and have refused to work on my car. The main reason for filing the complaint is none of this was disclosed when I purchased the car, every car I have ever bought has come with a spare tire, jack, and tools needed to change it. There are no other tire repair shops that can do Tesla alignments, Tesla offers no warranty on their tires and les schwab stated even their lowest cost tires come with a 20k mile warranty. Tesla is price gouging for tires 540. 00 each and alignment 275. 00. Any of the Tesla forums state that this is happening thru all models and tire sizes to most owners.

Received several "steering assist reduced" alerts when stopped in traffic last week, followed immediately by the failure of the power steering after each alert. Power steering resumed after a soft restart. Tried to make appointment at Tesla service center last Friday to get this addressed, but they said they had no appointments available and would not be able to diagnose my vehicle until today, August 12, 2024. . In the interim, the power steering went out again while on the freeway, forcing me to exit and restart the vehicle again. This is a clear danger to myself and my passengers. After receiving the results of the diagnosis today, they informed me that both the steering rack and harness would need to be replaced at the cost of nearly $5,000. The technician showed me some corrosion in one of the electrical connections where there had been water intrusion. I told him this was surprising since the car is relatively new and it would seem that Tesla would have sealed this connections to resist the relatively dry rainy seasons we experience here in southern California.

See all problems of the 2020 Tesla Model 3 🔎.

During the first 5 years of ownership and while under warranty I experienced many creaks in the suspension that did not sound normal. I took it to the Tesla service center many times but was often unable to reproduce the sound when needed and told there was nothing they could do. When a technician did finally hear the sound, Tesla resealed the ball joints at no cost. This was a short-term fix and the problem persisted. After doing some research on my own I have found that this is a known defect in my car model along with the control arms often failing which can cause loss of control of the car. I am now over a year past my warranty and the control arm did in fact fail at 46,000 miles. I experienced a loud creak/rubbing sound when driving over any uneven surface. This happened overnight and was not due to any incident. When I brought the car for repairs and inquired about all of this I was told that this is normal wear and tear and that because it is such a heavy car it is not an unusual repair. I pressed the technician sharing the information I had researched and he said that he would not charge me for the labor. Because this is a known defect and I have read about many owners having to replace the control arms multiple times (often at very low mileage), I continued to argue for no cost to me which was finally granted. That being said, Tesla definitely knows it has a defective product and is doing everything it can to make owners responsible for any cost.

The right front passenger side suspension started squeaking at 22586 miles. Service center replaced lower lateral links on 7/1/24. Repair did not fix the squeaking sound. Service center could not replicate the issue until a test drive with myself and a tech on 9/20/24 and made me make a third appointment for repair. On 10/16/24 the service center said the control arm was failing, but did not think it would be covered under warranty. A quick internet search turned up lawsuits, hundreds of complaints, and crashes resulting from failing control arms.

The contact owns a 2018 Tesla Model 3. The contact stated that after taking the vehicle for service, the contact was made aware that the front suspension lateral linkage bolt had detached and that the bolts were damaged. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to NHTSA campaign number: 23v235000 (suspension); but the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, and a case was opened. The failure mileage was approximately 51,000.

This complaint is about a Tesla rental car from avis which has just shown up in the salvage yard. Because the VIN of the wreck can not be identified I have used the VIN of another wrecked Tesla. Here is the wreck in question. . Read more...

The suspension: the control arms and lateral links suddenly stopped working. No trauma to car. Car only has 25, 000 miles. Very dangerous as car and steering could have stopped working suddenly and cause death and an accident. No warning lights went on at all. Only a sudden grinding and clanking sound. I had to pay over $2000 out of pocket to repair and I had to wait a full month before they were able to diagnose and repair it. It was diagnosed and repaired by a Tesla dealer.

Customer concern confirmed there is a creaking noise coming from the front of the car while turning, I performed a visual inspection and found that both rf lower control arm bushings are torn and the lf frontward lower control arm bushing are torn but this is not the cause of the noise the cause of the noise is the upper control arms I took the load off of the upper control arms and the noise went away I also had someone turn the wheels while I looked for the cause of the noise and found that the noise is coming from the upper control arms, recommend replacing upper and lower control arms to fix all safety concerns.

The front wheels suspension are squeezing. For a relatively new and low mileage car I don’t think this should be happening. I understand there’s been a lot of complaints about this issue. We believe it should be recalled. Thank you!.

The contact owns a 2018 Tesla Model 3. The contact stated that there was an abnormal sound underneath the vehicle. There were no warning lights illuminated. The front passenger restraint message was displayed. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 24v376000 (seat belts); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed that the front lower link was tearing. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The failure mileage was approximately 37,000. Parts distribution disconnect.

The car is just out of warranty and has been driven about 62,000km. The suspension and both frond and back control arms started to squeak badly during low speed driven, turning, back-in etc.

Rattle sound in suspension and not sure if part is loose or bushing is worn out not even 1 year old car.

The upper control arm on the driver's side of my Tesla Model 3 has started making a loud squeaking noise. After researching, I discovered that many owners have experienced this issue. Tesla service centers acknowledge it as a known defect but refuse to issue a recall, only addressing it upon customer request. Since my vehicle is out of warranty, they have quoted me over $500 for the repair. This defect poses a significant safety risk if the upper control arm fails. Please look into this matter. Thank you!.

Front control arms are indicating loud noises suspected to be failure of these components. The vehicle handles poorly at speeds over 35 mph as a result. I contacted Tesla and they were to schedule a service appointment back in may but it hasn't happened. The internet shows this to be a very common issue with selected recalls for these components. I never received a recall notice. My car is out of warranty for both mileage and length of time.

Upper control arm is creaking, extremely common problem, we need to demand a recall.

My car began making a loud creaking noise that was palpable in the gas pedal on turns, especially when turning into an incline. I requested service from Tesla who gave me an appointment approximately a month after my request. The noise grew louder and more frequent so I messaged service again to make sure the car was safe to drive and see if an earlier time was available. They replied that yes it was safe and no there was no earlier time. Soon thereafter I pulled into a parking spot and heard a very loud noise from the front left and got out to find the left front wheel bent inward and support components hanging from the bottom of the car in contact with the pavement. Per Tesla service's report, "front suspension damage and driver side front finder damage. . . Left front strut damage, front sub-frame assembly damage, lower lateral links damage, aero shield is damaged, and both front lateral and compliance link brushings torn. " recommend to replace front suspension lower lateral and compliance links, both front upper control arms, left front strut, front sub-frame assembly and perform four wheel alignment. Steering rack feels harder than normal while turning on the lift. Recommend to replace steering rack assembly" the technician stated that this appeared to be due to "collision damage". The car was hit while parked a year ago, but a Tesla-authorized collision repair facility did not identify damage to any of these components at the time of repair. The quote for repair currently is $7374. 47.

The first time was rattling and squeaking from front driver's side wheel. It got progressively worse so I took it in and they replaced the control arms. About 10 months later the rattling is back. This time Tesla says it's a different problem. I need to replace the lateral links, the compliance links and get a wheel alignment.

I am writing to express my concern regarding the recurring issue with the control arms and sway bar in the 2020 Tesla Model 3. It has come to my attention that Tesla acknowledges this issue, which manifests as creaking sounds during various driving conditions such as climbing into the car, traveling at low speeds, and navigating over speed bumps or uneven terrain. What's particularly troubling is that when I brought my car into them Tesla acknowledged that they are aware of the prevalence of this issue across many of their vehicles, yet they continue to charge consumers for repairs, even if their vehicle is not included in the recalled vins. This policy unfairly burdens consumers who experience the same issue but are denied coverage under the recall. I urge the NHTSA to investigate this matter thoroughly to ensure consumer protection and fairness in addressing safety concerns in Tesla vehicles. It's essential that manufacturers uphold their responsibility to rectify known issues without imposing undue financial burdens on consumers.

My car began producing very loud creaking noise at low speed. I brought the car into a Tesla service center and the technician said that this was a well known issue with the upper control arm of the front suspension. He mentioned he performs this repair every day. I was given an estimate of approximately $200 to repair the suspension. I later receive an updated estimate of $1,850. Tesla states there was extensive damage to the front suspension. In addition to the upper control arms; the compliance and lateral links of the front suspension were torn. The technician confirmed that the torn components posed a safety risk. This was shocking as the car only had 33,500 miles on it. I asked about the expected wear life of these components. Tesla was unable to provide me with an answer. Later I was reading discussions of this issue on an owner's forum. Many owners report this issue and have replaced their front suspension two or three times only to have the issue reoccur. It appears that Tesla knowingly sold vehicles with defective components, creating a safety issue; and have placed the burden of repairing and replacing these components on consumers.