A failed suspension ball joint WILL become a safety issue, given enough time.
Yeah, that was lame.
There are multiple issues with Model 3's front suspension, due to choice of geometry and undersized bushings and ball joints.
The issue with the upper control arm, is that the rubber boot starts cracking and tearing over time, allowing water to get in. Once the ball joints starts rusting, it is game over. Creaking and groaning are the symptoms, not the root cause of the problem. Injecting extra grease quiets the noises, but the damage has already been done, and will only get worse over time.
Multiple re-designs have been deployed by Tesla ("A" was original, the one I got installed in 2022 was "H"). None solved the underlying problem - rubber boot sits on top of the wheel and tire, and gets pummeled with road debris. It's only a function of time before it gets compromised, and you get to buy and install a new set of upper control arms.
It's a yet another undocumented maintenance cost of owning a Model 3.
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