I would really appreciate if owners reporting these failures follow up with the exact diagnosis. Most seem to be fore links (one of two lower links) but there’s been one post about an aft link and now this post about the upper arm. Please let us know...
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Another front suspension control arm failure
- Thread starter RDoc
- Start date
They're both lower links. Fore and Aft. The Fore is by far the most common thing to break and seems to do so spontaneously for no reason.
This is the part that needs to be recalled. I'm tired of white knuckling it around high speed sweeps wondering if a link is going to break.
I have over a dozen emails into Tesla asking them to tell me if I've got the defective part. I already know I have the defective part number after being told by a local service tech that I was in the clear and had the new part.
Is there any incident where any of these suspect suspension parts actually let go at higher speed, lets say above 40mph?
Looking at the geometry with the 2 lower ball joins it looks to me like there must be a lot of stress on the lower geometry when doing very tight turns; and that seems to be when these control arms let go.
Anybody with more specific knowledge here?
Any high speed failures? (documented)
Looking at the geometry with the 2 lower ball joins it looks to me like there must be a lot of stress on the lower geometry when doing very tight turns; and that seems to be when these control arms let go.
Anybody with more specific knowledge here?
Any high speed failures? (documented)
Strange, reading through the reports, it seems to me most of them break when backing up straight. There are a few reports of it happening at high speed and causing a lot of damage.
JohnSnowNW
Active Member
JohnSnowNW
Active Member
Just assumed that since he was asking they weren't.
I will have to go looking, as I don't recall any confirmed cases of this...just people speculating.
EDIT:
Searched the tread, only two people claimed to have had failure while traveling at Hwy speed (post #58 and #116), and only one had more than minor damage.
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Why would you even risk it? Our car is the family wagon, am not sticking my wife and kid into a car where the a vital part of the suspension sounds like its about to break!!
The Tesla breakdown advisor also agreed over the phone and they authorised a tow truck to collect my car that afternoon and offered a loan car from Enterprise.
Interesting Tesla fixed the car the next day, with revision 'D' parts. So the service centres are stocking these parts as routine which indicates to me Tesla knows these suspension parts fail on a regular basis.
Pretty sure the other one one had not so minor damage as it turned out. Reply and ask them.
Note, I also haven't seen any failure at speed that caused a major accident.
But consider this, cars are for the most part not taking sharp or high speed sweeping corners 99.9% of the time. Eventually this is going to happen in that scenario and cause a major accident. It's just a matter of time.
JohnSnowNW
Active Member
Yes he had several posts, the damage was contained to the area in the front side, but several things in the area ended up getting damaged. What was unclear in that accident (which happened at night) was whether something else caused the failure, and subsequent damage, or whether it was a result of the part failing as others have experienced. At least, that's how it read to me.
It's helpful that the other failures rule out prior damage (at least a the time of failure), it's more difficult to discern a potential cause when you're traveling at speed.
As someone with a potentially affected vehicle, with a family, I am concerned about these failures. I'm not trying to minimize potential risk, but there has been so much misinformation related to this specific part of the vehicle (thanks crazy Aussie guy) that I'm just trying to make sure I'm getting a clear picture of the incidents.
Began to hear squeaking from the front right wheel of my 2015 MS with 50k miles this past week. Had brought up “rattling” from the same area during my previous visit which I was told would be a charged as it was not covered by warranty...told them to hold off to see if it got worse.
Was dropping it off for a rattle issue that came about during the airbag replacement a few weeks ago and mentioned the squeaking to the tech that checked me in...he said he heard it when I pulled in.
Took the friendly Seattle SODO SC tech for a ride to listen for the dash rattle...came back and asked the tech if they would look at the squeaking as well...he said sure and that he had heard this from MY but not generally the S.
Text tonight that they are replacing the upper control arm on the right side.
I asked if they would check the left which he said they would.
Q for the group here. How hard should I push for replacement of the other three control arms?
Was dropping it off for a rattle issue that came about during the airbag replacement a few weeks ago and mentioned the squeaking to the tech that checked me in...he said he heard it when I pulled in.
Took the friendly Seattle SODO SC tech for a ride to listen for the dash rattle...came back and asked the tech if they would look at the squeaking as well...he said sure and that he had heard this from MY but not generally the S.
Text tonight that they are replacing the upper control arm on the right side.
I asked if they would check the left which he said they would.
Q for the group here. How hard should I push for replacement of the other three control arms?
*Original post removed and edited as below:
Looks like the geometry of the strut mount bolt on the aft control arm is basically acting as steering stop (yikes) Not sure where the real steering stop is but generally want to have some beefy alloy against beefy plastic to act as steering stop.
BTW, found this explanation of Model S front double wishbone suspension. Looks like Tesla suspension engineers are going for handling precision. Other high end European sport sedans also have double wishbone designs such as Audi A6. A6 didn't put the upper wishbone ball joint over the center of the tire path (most debris, probably best control?) and don't have lower control arm ball joint sleeve breaking problems (probably more beef)
2012 Tesla Model S Signature Performance Suspension Walkaround | Edmunds
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BTW, my service record shows tech noticed same marring on my fore arm and replaced the strut bolts. My strut bolt seems shorter than yours and maybe redesigned for this exact reason. See attached, might check with your SC.
I see some fore arms for sale on ebay where the seller points out the marring so this seems quite common.
Attachments
rafacq
Member
I bought my 2015 S85D with 12,004 miles, from Tesla last April. Love the car, but since I got it have been concerned if I have a problem with the front end.
When I’m pulling out of a parking in reverse and turn the wheel, I hear a clicking noise from the front end as the car turns. Sometimes I feel some bump/slip on the front tires as if they cannot do a smooth turn.
I had a Tesla Ranger come to replace a bad FOB and asked them and they said it is normal. Because I’m concerned it may be a front end issue, I avoid full wheel turning when backing up, and go super slow.
Does anyone else has this symptoms on their 2015 S? Should I take it in to be checked at the SC? TIA.
When I’m pulling out of a parking in reverse and turn the wheel, I hear a clicking noise from the front end as the car turns. Sometimes I feel some bump/slip on the front tires as if they cannot do a smooth turn.
I had a Tesla Ranger come to replace a bad FOB and asked them and they said it is normal. Because I’m concerned it may be a front end issue, I avoid full wheel turning when backing up, and go super slow.
Does anyone else has this symptoms on their 2015 S? Should I take it in to be checked at the SC? TIA.
There is no front end clicking sound that is normal unless you tape a playing card to your caliper and let the spokes of your wheel run over it
FWIW, I asked my service center about getting these parts replaced as owner-paid rather than under warranty since they say mine look fine. They did mention that they see very few broken "aft links" and they do see more bad "fore links" "upper control arms" (which is really a ball joint issue - the arm is steel) and sway bar end links. The quote to replace both sides of fore links, upper control arms, sway bar end links - with parts, labor, taxes was about $1900. I am considering it. Would have paid $1000 without much thought for the peace of mind. My gut feeling is that the sway bar end links are a driveability issue and won't cause the wheels to go bonkers. May not be worth the preventative replacement - comments on that?
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