Suspension Problem on Model S

[doctorwho]

If you had your hands clasped together in your lap like the driver in the video do you believe you could take control quickly enough if the Autopilot glitched or a mechanical failure caused the car to veer into oncoming traffic.
If my family was in a much smaller vehicle travelling in the opposite direction do you believe you have the right to gamble with our lives?

I wouldn't drive over the bridge with my hands in my lap but surely that's a problem with the reporter not Tesla? If you read the manual they suggest that you do pay attention and be ready to take control of the car at any moment and do state that the feature is a beta. In any case we are moving off-topic from suspension failures

 

[AZ Desert Driver]

There has been a lot of flooding in the US South. I see trucks plowing through water mid-door height. Just how well sealed is a Tesla battery pack?
Would the air-suspension mode "lift its skirts" out of harms way? Can one temporarily submerge the battery pack without shorting everything out?

 

[MassModel3]

Are you being negligent for failing to report it to NHTSA.
I think that is both negligent and amoral and might even make you an accessory after the fact.
What was the problem that you had fixed?
Was it a one off occurrence or could it be an example of a defect that places lives in danger?

Ah, well there you go. You had me buying into the whole "I'm just a concerned citizen" spiel right up to this point, but amoral and an accessory for letting Tesla do their job? I'm pretty sure you just stepped into the territory of obsessive zealotry when you start attacking owners.

As for what I had fixed, it's posted in this thread already. Go ahead, look back, I'll wait, and I look forward to your criticism of my actions and your condescending interpretation of my negligence.

 

[Peter_M]

"Lucille" has already admitted his motivations - trying to find and expose "green scams". I don't see how suspension or corrosion issues have anything to do with "green" so it's clear that he's chosen Tesla as a target just because it's electric.

Lucille, actual facts about actual Tesla issues from actual owners are very welcome here. Manufactured drama and trying to concoct a conspiracy are not.

 

[JakeP]

Lucille, what the heck does your concern with safety have to do with your grudge against "green scams"? I would submit that Tesla is in fact very transparent in their mission and their attempt to help "green" the world by bringing about sustainable transportation that is not dependent on fossil fuels, or is at very least minimally so. Yes, if there is a safety issue with components, or an overall ignorance or inattention to galvanic corrosion concerns, then we should be vocal about it. But the intent should be to make a safer and better vehicle, which I believe Tesla consistently demonstrates.

In my case, I do not know if corrosion was to blame for my issues, but I will certainly be asking in light of this thread. But I do know that there is a completely revised control arm assembly introduced for the Dual Motor vehicles, as I stated above. Do we know if this new assembly better addresses galvanic corrosion? That should be a primary question to ask.

 

[Edmond]

At least one of those pictures looks to me like damage from an ignorant tow truck driver hooking on to a suspension component and tearing the wheel out of this heavy car.

 

[JakeP]

My vehicle predates the tow hook, and was once towed out of my garage and onto a flatbed via the control arms. This could easily have caused problems for me in later years, as could corrosion.

 

[DFibRL8R]

If you had your hands clasped together in your lap like the driver in the video do you believe you could take control quickly enough if the Autopilot glitched or a mechanical failure caused the car to veer into oncoming traffic.
If my family was in a much smaller vehicle travelling in the opposite direction do you believe you have the right to gamble with our lives?

So I suppose this would be also not allowed with autopilot engaged...

Driverless cars could encourage bored passengers to have 'sex behind the wheel'

 

[gpcordaro]

I just heard from TESLA AND THEY SAID THEY CAN NOT COVER THIS REPAIR UNDER WARRANTY. I an stunned. I now believe that Tesla is doing a cover up. They just turned a Tesla Ambassador into a Tesla vigilante for truth. However I will not take the law into my own hands. LOL

I have two Model 3's reserved, may have to cancel my reservations.

 

[Az_Rael]

I just heard from TESLA AND THEY SAID THEY CAN NOT COVER THIS REPAIR UNDER WARRANTY. I an stunned. I now believe that Tesla is doing a cover up. They just turned a Tesla Ambassador into a Tesla vigilante for truth. However I will not take the law into my own hands. LOL

I have two Model 3's reserved, may have to cancel my reservations.

That is unfortunate. Make sure you do report the issue to the NHTSA as well as the better business bureau.

Eventually if enough reports are written for this same issue, Tesla will be forced to respond and may cover your repair costs after the fact if they do eventually issue a recall.

 

[tonglaji]

I just heard from TESLA AND THEY SAID THEY CAN NOT COVER THIS REPAIR UNDER WARRANTY. I an stunned. I now believe that Tesla is doing a cover up. They just turned a Tesla Ambassador into a Tesla vigilante for truth. However I will not take the law into my own hands. LOL

I have two Model 3's reserved, may have to cancel my reservations.

Hmmm, I am sure Tesla reads this board. This is huge for people like me who are on the verge of clicking the order button. I am hold off for the moment... I hope Tesla get their act together soon enough.

 

[brianman]

vigilante for truth

I have no idea what this means.

 

[DFibRL8R]

I have no idea what this means.

A simple internet search is always a good place to start

 

[brianman]

A simple internet search is always a good place to start

Still doesn't help.

 

[Lucille]

Again, not disbelieving you and with no disrespect but you've posted the underside of a car photograph that you haven't taken yourself, it's alleged to be a Model S, it has what looks like Chinese watermark in the corner, who knows the history behind that car and who else has worked on it and for what reason?

I could post a photo of the aircon cable in my car that was chewed through by a rat and claim that it was eaten by a zombie, that photo and story could be passed around the internet as fact that Teslas aren't zombie-proof.

I appreciate your facts but not the hyperbole.

You are correct that it does have a Chinese watermark.
The photograph was taken from the thread "my axles shaft broke for no reason" which was posted on this forum and subsequently deleted.
The owner was decried in racist terms and accused of being a Triad member running some type of scam.
All of the photographs in my possession have provenance and can be checked so that they can be examined in context.

 

[Lucille]

I wouldn't drive over the bridge with my hands in my lap but surely that's a problem with the reporter not Tesla? If you read the manual they suggest that you do pay attention and be ready to take control of the car at any moment and do state that the feature is a beta. In any case we are moving off-topic from suspension failures

I do agree that the reporter was negligent in using the autopilot in that fashion.
This is a motoring journalist who should have known better.
He actually describes it as "autonomous" in the video.
He should have known that it should only be used on divided roads.

Dr Who has said that he would be comfortable to drive across the Harbour Bridge on Autopilot.
He too has not got the message about using it only on undivided roads.
The reality is that many (perhaps even the majority) of drivers are placing too much faith in the autopilot and using it in situations in which there is very little margin for error.
Would you like to be driving in the opposite direction to this lady?

 

[Lucille]

At least one of those pictures looks to me like damage from an ignorant tow truck driver hooking on to a suspension component and tearing the wheel out of this heavy car.

Do a Google Image search for the picture.
If it comes up then you should be able to get a better idea of the circumstances in which the damage was caused.

If you read this thread
Pothole in Vidor Texas Took the P85 Down

Then you can see that a very minor encounter with a pothole caused the suspension to break.
The wheel and tyre are completely undamaged.
Tesla fixed it for the owner so he did not bother to report it to NHTSA.

I travel on bad roads all the time. I've owned many different vehicles and I've wrecked a few tyres but I've never had the suspension fall apart.

 

[jeffro01]

Ugh... Here we go again... Having read through this entire thread I have drawn two conclusions.

1. The OP isn't being truthful at all regarding their situation. This is of no shock, Tesla didn't deny your warranty repairs for no reason.
2. "Lucille" is the same person who has been banned, I believe multiple times under multiple screen names, for their obsessive, and slanderous accusations against Tesla. Reporting to the FBI? Really???

Come on people, take a deep breath and relax. There is so much FUD in this thread it's hard to separate each thing into it's own point...

Jeff

 

[jeffro01]

I just heard from TESLA AND THEY SAID THEY CAN NOT COVER THIS REPAIR UNDER WARRANTY. I an stunned. I now believe that Tesla is doing a cover up. They just turned a Tesla Ambassador into a Tesla vigilante for truth. However I will not take the law into my own hands. LOL

I have two Model 3's reserved, may have to cancel my reservations.

Um... If it was a cover up wouldn't you expect Tesla to immediately cover all repairs and hush you up???... Yikes...

Jeff

 

[Lucille]

"Lucille" has already admitted his motivations - trying to find and expose "green scams". I don't see how suspension or corrosion issues have anything to do with "green" so it's clear that he's chosen Tesla as a target just because it's electric.

Lucille, actual facts about actual Tesla issues from actual owners are very welcome here. Manufactured drama and trying to concoct a conspiracy are not.

I have "admitted" that I am against green scams.
That is not the motivation behind my concern about the suspension problems.
I'm happy to start another thread about why I believe the Tesla is not green and why I believe that Tesla executives are trousering ridiculous amounts of money that could be better spent on developing genuine energy saving technologies.

I doubt that such a thread would remain up for long.
Sacrilege against Tesla is forbidden.

I didn't manufacture the drama.
Wheels falling off caused the drama.

Conspiracy?
Time for you to bring out the tinfoil hat argument?
I have read posts on forums that request owners "take it private" and do not
report problems to NHTSA. Isn't that a conspiracy?