general problems of the 2016 Tesla Model S - part 1

The contact owns a 2016 Tesla Model S. The contact stated that while driving approximately 10 mph and making a right turn there was an abnormal sound coming from the front passenger’s side of the vehicle. The contact stated then started to smell a burning rubber odor. The contact was able to stop the vehicle. The contact stated that there was no warning light illuminated. The contact became aware that the front passenger’s side wheel had seized in a right turn position and was rubbing against the wheel well. The contact had the vehicle towed to the residence. The contact had not taken the vehicle to a local dealer or independent mechanic to be diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The contact researched online and related the failure to NHTSA action number: pe20020 (suspension). The failure mileage was 60,348.

Car was making a rattling noise and no indication on the car indicating that it was a suspension issue. Drove for a few months without realizing that it was a suspension and hence a safety problem. Took it to the Tesla service center and they diagnosed as a suspension problem and said that it was unsafe to drive the car. The repair at Tesla to replace the links (aft, fore, sway bar) and spring/damper assembly was $5809. 71;.

I was backing out of a parking space and the front driver side fore link broke. Internet search reveals this is a known issue associated with Tesla Model S during the period mine was manufactured (February 2016), caused an investigation & service bulletin from the NHTSA, and a recall in china, hence I wanted to report this occurence.

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.

In December of 2023, my right rear axle broke when I accidently hit a curb. The car was repaired at the Tesla collision center. On last Tuesday, November 12, 2024, I heard a noise while braking. I continued to drive, but next time I needed to use brakes, I had a sensation that the brakes were failing, and I wouldn't be able to stop. The brakes eventually engaged, and I was able to stop the vehicle. I went on an expressway and drove as slowly as possible, maintaining a long distance from the vehicles in front of me and using regenerative braking as much as possible, being aware of a possibility of brakes failure. I got home safely on that day, however, the next day, when I was backing out of the garage, I heard a screeching noise. When I inspected the vehicle, I discovered that the left rear wheel was misaligned, looking exactly like the right rear wheel after the right rear axle broke. Although this defect hasn't been inspected by a technician yet, I am virtually certain that it's the same problem that I had before, now occurring on the opposite side. This means that I was likely driving with a broken axle, which could've resulted in a serious accident. As I mentioned, this is the second instance of the same defect affecting my vehicle, which, in my opinion, is indicative of a serious manufacturing defect that needs to be addressed. The vehicle hasn't been repaired yet and is available for inspection. There were no warning lamps, messages or other symptoms prior to the failure.

I was slowly backing up to charge my car and heard a thump then my wheel was rubbing against the wheel well. When I looked under the wheel to see what was happening, I discover the metal suspension had snapped off. This was the front passenger side.

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.

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.

Left front lower link suspension component broke at low speed. Wheel moved aft and contacted sharp metal in the wheel well causing tire damage.

When I was driving in the parking lot and turned to park at a parking spot I heard a sound from the passenger side front wheel. After I heard the sound the wheel felt stuck and was not moving freely. There were two other passengers in the car along with the driver. This is the second time that this happened. It happened first on oct 2021 when the car's mileage was 51k and the second time when the mileage was 77k. The Model S was purchased in 2016. Tesla service center fixed it the first time and the repair listed the following 1>fore link assembly lh(1041570-00-b) 2>washer nordlock(1033093-00-a) 3>nut hf m14x1. 50 znni nl insert(1004358-00-c) Tesla charged me $495 for it. The second time this happened the damage was a lot more extensive and Tesla recommended I take the car to a Tesla-approved body shop. I took the car to brooks automotive in fremont and they charged me $10,000 for the repairs. My insurance refused to pay for the damages after I filed a claim with the insurance. Tesla refused to pay for it claiming it was not a manufacturing defect and the car was not under warranty. This car is driven by me and my wife and neither of us are rash drivers. We did not hit any debris on the road or remember an incident that could have led to this happening not once but twice. The car has been driven normally and used for normal family activities on public paved roads.

The fore link assembly on the drivers side of the car failed while pulling backwards out of a parking space at low speed. There was a loud snap and then the front suspension collapsed and the tire contacted the inside of the wheel well. I will attach a picture of the aluminum piece that I found on the ground and I also have the piece in the case you would like it. Tesla did not cover the cost of repair although they replaced both the right and the left fore link (sound like this is a very well documented failure Tesla TSB-17-31-001).

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.

Right front lower suspension arm bushing pulled out leaving wheel loose. Recognized right away but could have caused loss of control. No provoking reason. Taken to dealer who replaced part.

While parking the vehicle, a loud shot gun like noise eminated from the front of the car. The car was being driven at less than 5 mph. After this there was loud noises from the front of the cars suspension. The car seemed unsafe to drive farther. I took it to the Tesla service center the next day driving at a very low speed. They replaced the right and left front contol arms and charged me $1204. 98 on October 26, 2023. The vehicle had 77,626 miles at that point. I queried them as to why this would ocurr at such low mileage and vehicle age? I got not response other than these things happen and the car is out of the normal warranty and the extended warranty. I paid the invoice since I agreed to the repair estimate earlier.

I was backing into a spot and felt the fromt. Left tire pull. I then took it too Tesla and they told me that the front left fore link was broken. This is a manufacturer issue why are they not responsible.

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, NHTSA 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.

Was merging onto the the highway when all of a sudden, my passenger rear suspension gave out nearly causing me to crash into highway traffic. The wheel almost came off completely causing $14k of damage that I was responsible for paying for.

While backing out from the garage at speed below 5 mph I heard loud snapping sound from the front suspension, then immediately rubbing sound of the front passenger tire against the wheel well. Had the car towed to Tesla dealer in burlingame CA, and upon inspection has been advised that front fore link assembly left and right have to be replaced at my expense since vehicle is out of warranty, yet only has 20k miles on it. If this happened while driving on the freeway the consequences would have been much more dire as reflates to safety. There was absolutely no warning signs that these critical parts are about to fail- absolutely shocking, yet Tesla refused to accept responsibility and goodwill the repair cost. I am attaching the Tesla service invoice and the pictures of the broken fore link piece I have found underneath the car.

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.

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.

The front suspension has failed at 124,947 miles and this is unheard of in a 6 year old car. There have been issues with this Model S 2016 which Tesla is unwilling to recall and replace. The rear suspension had to be redone in 2021 with less than 100,000 miles.

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.

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.

While pulling out of a parking space at less than 5 mph the front left suspension fore link broke, resulting in damage to the wheel liner. The left front wheel could be described as loose or wobbly and resting at less than 1 cm from the rear side of the wheel liner, making turning nearly impossible. If this had happened at a higher speed it could have been catastrophic. There was no warning measures on the vehicle but a series of unusual metal grinding noises could be heard immediately after the break. The vehicle was placed on a flatbed and towed to the local Tesla, inc. Repair location where it was inspected and repaired. All 4 front lower fore links were replaced both on the left and right side for a total cost of approximately $2000.

Front air suspension failed while driving on the highway at 70 mph while traveling from el p paso, texas to albuquerque, new mexico in July on 2023. Front end of the car hit the ground and could not steer without tire grinding into the wheel well. Upon getting the car inspected for the problem, it was found that the front left air suspension had malfunctioned and because of the way the air suspension works, neither right or left side of the suspension would hold air and keep front of the car off the road. Cost of repairs was $1258. 95 which Tesla refused to admit there was a design flaw that would render the car undrivable.

While driving, left front lower fore link broke. Front wheel became lose in the fender well. Smashing the wheel front and back in the well, whilst pulling the car very hard to the left. Front link completely broken. Inspection shows, two rear links cracked and ready to break . Telsa knows about this in safety bulletin sb-17-31-001 . They did not notify us. And additionally refuse to fix it unless we pay over $10,000 in repairs. I purchased this car brand new. Has never been wrecked, well serviced and well maintained.

While driving with auto pilot engaged on the highway, traffic slowed and ap applied the brakes at a light to moderate level. I immediately heard a loud squeal come from the front passenger wheel area that stopped when braking stopped. No warning lights or messages showed but I could tell I had reduced steering response after disengaging ap. I was able to get off the highway and navigate to a nearby service center, where they told me that a ball joint had sheared off. The squeal was a result of the tire contacting the wheel well. The service estimate called for replacement of right and left fore link and aft link assemblies of the front suspension. A web search revealed that Tesla was aware that "some Model S and model x vehicles may have been manufactured with front suspension fore links that may not meet Tesla strength specifications," per service bulletin sb-17-31-001.

Tesla vehicles suffer excessive “toe-in” wear on all tires. Tesla claims it is a function of the vehicle being heavy and that it is “normal” tires have to be replaced every 12-24 months as a result of the inner portion showing cord, wire, and losing air. The tread on the rest of the tires appears to have 1/8 to 1/4 inch of usable tread however all tires have to be replace as a result of the toe in. Vehicle was repeatedly aligned by Tesla but that did not alleviate the issue. Presents a real danger as the portion of the tire dangerously worn down is on the most inner side of the tire. Not easily visible.

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. Https://static. Nhtsa. Gov/odi/tsbs/2017/mc-10110741-9999. Pdf do I have any recourse to get Tesla to reimburse me for the cost of replacing my fore links? thank you!.

While backing out in my driveway, which has a gentle slope, the front suspension link broke and the front part of the chassis/fender scraped against the driveway surface making scraping sounds of friction and damage underneath the front fender. It is certainly a safety issue and I am glad I was still near home and not on the road, especially highway. I could see a broken metal part on the driveway which I showed the service personnel. The car has barely 45000 miles on it. It is used solely for city driving on mostly flat roads (including cupertino to palo alto office commute). I bought the car in August 2018 from a certified used car dealer with 18000 miles on it. The car was not driven that much during the pandemic closure for about 1. 5 years. There was never a service reminder sent by Tesla. . Read more...

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.

When backing up in a level parking lot, heard a loud crunch (something like rolling over a large plastic beverage bottle). Subsequently, heard frequent "scraping" sounds when turning. Took to Tesla for service - technician diagnosed "broken lower driver side forelink" - replaced (at cost of $701. 36 to me). Technician reported "inspected passenger side forelink and did not need to be replaced. " Tesla did not give me the replaced (broken) part.

The contact owns a 2016 Tesla Model S. The contact stated while driving approximately 15 mph, the brake pedal was depressed to avoid hitting an animal and the suspension detached from the vehicle as wheel well the front driver’s side wheel was loosened and the wheel rail liner was fractured. The contact stated that no warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that he was able to drive the vehicle back to the residence. The local Tesla service center was contacted; however, the cause of the failure was not yet determined. The dealer informed the contact that the suspension needed to be replaced but the part was not available. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 44,000.

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.

The contact owns a 2017 Tesla Model S. The contact stated that while driving at an unknown speed, he heard an abnormally loud sound come from the driver’s side wheel. The contact pulled over and inspected the wheel but did not see an issue. The contact stated that he continued driving and while driving approximately 35 mph, the driver’s side wheel detached and went into the wheel well. The vehicle then began to steer slowly to the left independently and the contact was able to get the vehicle into a parking lot. The contact stated there was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the vehicle was towed to his place of employment. The local Tesla dealer was contacted however, the cause of the failure not yet determined. The dealer informed the contact that the driver’s side control arm needed to be replaced but the part was not available. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where the contact was informed that the failure was not related to the control arm, but that the wheel well and the front fascia lower valence needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 140,466.