Another front suspension control arm failure

[RDoc]

I just got back from a service appointment for a sticking rear door handle and while there, the SC, unasked, replaced my other front control arm.

My wife and I are much relieved and grateful that they did it.

 

[Bill D]

My wife's 2014 P85 is 18 months older and has more miles than my my 2015 P90D but her P85 has not had a broken Forelink while my P90D had both break.

I wonder if Forelink failures are limited to a bad date code batch and/or limited to AWD cars. The ones that I've noticed in TMC postings were all built in 2015 and were all AWD.

 

[sorka]

Anyone here who's had this failure in the front experience the dreaded and quite common acceleration shudder from defective front CV half shafts?

Front vibration when accelerating - accelerometer graphs....

The low frequency vibration in the cabin measured a 0.8 g swing. The last time when I went 20K miles without them fixing it, it grew to almost a 2 g swing. Now that's in the cabin, imagine how bad it was at the axle.

In my case, it was the right CV joint 4 times in a row.

Acceleration Shudder
Nasty noise on hard acceleration

 

[KHart]

Did you file a complaint?

File a Vehicle Safety Complaint | Safercar.gov | NHTSA

Yes, filed on Friday after the car was towed.

 

[wasaboi]

My wife's 2014 P85 is 18 months older and has more miles than my my 2015 P90D but her P85 has not had a broken Forelink while my P90D had both break.

I wonder if Forelink failures are limited to a bad date code batch and/or limited to AWD cars. The ones that I've noticed in TMC postings were all built in 2015 and were all AWD.

Model X P100D, took delivery in early 2017.

Backing out of the garage, issue from this thread occurs, exactly as described.

 

[sorka]

Model X P100D, took delivery in early 2017.

Backing out of the garage, issue from this thread occurs, exactly as described.

Did you file an NHTSA complaint?

File a Vehicle Safety Complaint | Safercar.gov | NHTSA

 

[sorka]

My wife's 2014 P85 is 18 months older and has more miles than my my 2015 P90D but her P85 has not had a broken Forelink while my P90D had both break.

I wonder if Forelink failures are limited to a bad date code batch and/or limited to AWD cars. The ones that I've noticed in TMC postings were all built in 2015 and were all AWD.

Did you experience the acceleration shudder that only dual motor cars sometimes have?

 

[Bill D]

Did you experience the acceleration shudder that only dual motor cars sometimes have?

I did not notice any acceleration shudder.

FYI for any other folks ending up on this thread - backing down my driveway with my steering full right snapped my right Fore Link. Backing down my driveway with my steering full left snapped my left Fore Link. Both times, I heard a loud pop and both times I found an identical broken piece of Fore Link in my driveway. Both times the break was preceded by rattling while driving at slow speeds over small bumps. The rattling was caused by the elongation of the end of my Fore Links where the ball joint bushings are pressed into them at the steering knuckle end.

 

[RDoc]

We didn't notice any rattling or vibration before ours broke. We were slowly backing up out of a parking space. If we were turning, it was not much.

 

[wasaboi]

Did you file an NHTSA complaint?

File a Vehicle Safety Complaint | Safercar.gov | NHTSA

Going to file the NHTSA complaint soon as well as try to get more specific information about the new control arm part replacements.

Got the Model X back from service; Tesla had the control arm part in service. They said that the new part is re-designed and that it shouldn't break again. They replaced both control arms, even though just one broke.

In this case, the Model X was backing out of the driveway slowly, with only a slight turn (not steep). The driveway is at a slight declining angle (just so water runs off the driveway), which is probably typical of many driveways. Then, the thud and break of the control arm occurred.

 

[sorka]

This would have been recalled a long time ago but some idiot has filed so many complaints on NHTSA about the exact same issue from cars he finds in the junk yard that it drowns out the other legitimate half of the complaints made by real people. This guy with an axe to grind is achieving the exact opposite of what he he is intending...unless is actual intention is what is happening as a rsult

 

[cmc5dc]

Yesterday, I experienced the same problem. Initially, I was driving around 50 mph and heard a front end noise and rattle. I thought to myself, something isn't right but the car drove fine afterwards. Later, I was backing out of my driveway, which has a slight incline, turned my wheel to the right and heard something rubbing. I got out of the car and looked underneath to see if I ran over something but I didn"t see anything. Pulled forward into the driveway only to hear the noise again. I got out and looked inside the drivers wheel well to discover the liner was rubbing on my tire. I than called the Tesla and explained that the liner was rubbing and the car was undriveable. Subsequently, mobile tech. came.out and diagnosed a failed suspension. The car was towed to Tesla and they are looking into the matter. Tesla roadside called earlier and wanted to know if I was in an accident which I stated no, does the car look like it's been in an accident?

 

[Bill D]

It's interesting that these almost always snap when backing down an inclined driveway with the wheels turned in the direction of the Fore Link that breaks. It also always seems to be an AWD car.

That set of circumstances must create a unique stressful situation. Maybe Hill Hold is a factor.

The only one I recall reading that failed on the highway was JenniferQ.

 

[sorka]

Yesterday, I experienced the same problem. Initially, I was driving around 50 mph and heard a front end noise and rattle. I thought to myself, something isn't right but the car drove fine afterwards. Later, I was backing out of my driveway, which has a slight incline, turned my wheel to the right and heard something rubbing. I got out of the car and looked underneath to see if I ran over something but I didn"t see anything. Pulled forward into the driveway only to hear the noise again. I got out and looked inside the drivers wheel well to discover the liner was rubbing on my tire. I than called the Tesla and explained that the liner was rubbing and the car was undriveable. Subsequently, mobile tech. came.out and diagnosed a failed suspension. The car was towed to Tesla and they are looking into the matter. Tesla roadside called earlier and wanted to know if I was in an accident which I stated no, does the car look like it's been in an accident?

Did you file a complaint with the NHTSA?

File a Vehicle Safety Complaint | Safercar.gov | NHTSA

 

[sorka]

Most of these seem to be the result of backing up. Anyone by any chance have this happen after they washed their car and let it sit for a while? I've had my brake pads stick a few time after getting wet and sitting for a while sometime resulting in a loud pop because the wheel tries to rotate the suspension around the axle which it of course shouldn't do. The pop is the sound of the pads releasing off the rotor after some rotation. It occurs to me that if the brake pads don't release off the rotor that and you apply enough force, the weakest link radially around the wheel of stuff connecting to the frame IS that forelink on the bottom.

 

[sledom]

Most of these seem to be the result of backing up. Anyone by any chance have this happen after they washed their car and let it sit for a while? I've had my brake pads stick a few time after getting wet and sitting for a while sometime resulting in a loud pop because the wheel tries to rotate the suspension around the axle which it of course shouldn't do. The pop is the sound of the pads releasing off the rotor after some rotation. It occurs to me that if the brake pads don't release off the rotor that and you apply enough force, the weakest link radially around the wheel of stuff connecting to the frame IS that forelink on the bottom.

This happens to me quite regularly. nerve racking

 

[shred86]

Yesterday, I experienced the same problem. Initially, I was driving around 50 mph and heard a front end noise and rattle. I thought to myself, something isn't right but the car drove fine afterwards. Later, I was backing out of my driveway, which has a slight incline, turned my wheel to the right and heard something rubbing. I got out of the car and looked underneath to see if I ran over something but I didn"t see anything. Pulled forward into the driveway only to hear the noise again. I got out and looked inside the drivers wheel well to discover the liner was rubbing on my tire. I than called the Tesla and explained that the liner was rubbing and the car was undriveable. Subsequently, mobile tech. came.out and diagnosed a failed suspension. The car was towed to Tesla and they are looking into the matter. Tesla roadside called earlier and wanted to know if I was in an accident which I stated no, does the car look like it's been in an accident?

Hm, I've noticed some rubbing noise when backing up with the steering wheel turned. It doesn't happen all the time, just sometimes. Stock 19" wheels with new tires (but I'm fairly certain they're the same size as the stock tires). I'm starting to wonder if this is perhaps the initial sign something with the suspension might be going bad.

 

[divesturner]

I had a control arm and strut failure at highway speed in 2016 S with 50k. The result of impact is a crack in the mount point for the strut with the impact of suspension failure so severe on the strut mount that the hood was pushed up. A long list of parts and labor will be well over $20k...and months without a car. Body shop guy calls it a design flaw not generally seen in other performance cars (e.g. M3). He is confident it can be repaired. I would prefer to drive a different car that doesn’t leave me stranded and wondering if the next issue will endanger my passengers or others.

 

[sorka]

I had a control arm and strut failure at highway speed in 2016 S with 50k. The result of impact is a crack in the mount point for the strut with the impact of suspension failure so severe on the strut mount that the hood was pushed up. A long list of parts and labor will be well over $20k...and months without a car. Body shop guy calls it a design flaw not generally seen in other performance cars (e.g. M3). He is confident it can be repaired. I would prefer to drive a different car that doesn’t leave me stranded and wondering if the next issue will endanger my passengers or others.

Did you report it to the nhtsa?

File a Vehicle Safety Complaint | Safercar.gov | NHTSA

 

[MP3Mike]

I had a control arm and strut failure at highway speed in 2016 S with 50k. The result of impact is a crack in the mount point for the strut with the impact of suspension failure so severe on the strut mount that the hood was pushed up.

I can't tell from what you posted for sure, but it sounds like you are saying there was an impact that caused the suspension failure. Is that the case? If so what caused the impact?