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The only way I can figure this as a wear and tear at 32K miles is if the steel receptacle for the ball joint is expanding due to corrosion. As everyone already knows as steel corrodes through oxidation it expands, and the forces it can create during the process are quite tremendous. This could force that area of the arm to separate at ever decreasing suspension forces. I don't recall where these are all at in the country, but if the majority of them were exposed to road salt at some point in their life, I can see this happening in a few years. If there are desert only cars that have had this happen, then that would clearly kill this theory.
 
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Went by the nearest Service Center and they offered to look over my car. Since it was only a year old, I wondered, but then I was told they needed to replace something with the steering or front axles or something, so I brought it in again and they "fixed" it. Never had any problems before or after, but I guess this was the thing they fixed. So, I guess I'm good, fixed under warranty. Still runs great.

Nothing was said about having two different kinds of tires on my car, 3 OEM, one Michelin from a major blowout after hitting a curb. Neither did the tire shop. Just put on a new and different tire. Can't tell any difference or notice any pulling before or after. Think I'll take it to Phoenix next month and see how fast I can go out in the desert.
 
The only way I can figure this as a wear and tear at 32K miles is if the steel receptacle for the ball joint is expanding due to corrosion. As everyone already knows as steel corrodes through oxidation it expands, and the forces it can create during the process are quite tremendous. This could force that area of the arm to separate at ever decreasing suspension forces. I don't recall where these are all at in the country, but if the majority of them were exposed to road salt at some point in their life, I can see this happening in a few years. If there are desert only cars that have had this happen, then that would clearly kill this theory.
The one I have replaced also low mileage and no rust or oxidation present.

20200919_120203.jpg
 
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The one I have replaced also low mileage and no rust or oxidation present.

View attachment 701183
WOW, that is clearly wear and tear!!! (sarcasm)

Unless the tire went flat because the wheel is no longer round anymore, I can't see this being wear and tear. Small daily impacts should not cause a catastrophic low mileage failure.

I will say that if the ball joint was oversized, or the hole it fits into was undersized, could cause that. If we knew the design dimensions for the parts we could check the ball joint, but obviously the hole is no longer whatever size it started. The reason would be same as the ball joint expanding, but the force would be the preload induced by shoving a part in even though the interference fit is greater than the design. I have seen the same thing before, a part shoved in with great force into another part, and then the low cycle fatigue failures start showing up across the entire fleet.

No easy way to detect it post assembly either, they could check the parts before assembly to make sure the interference isn't greater than the spec though.
 
WOW, that is clearly wear and tear!!! (sarcasm)

Unless the tire went flat because the wheel is no longer round anymore, I can't see this being wear and tear. Small daily impacts should not cause a catastrophic low mileage failure.

I will say that if the ball joint was oversized, or the hole it fits into was undersized, could cause that. If we knew the design dimensions for the parts we could check the ball joint, but obviously the hole is no longer whatever size it started. The reason would be same as the ball joint expanding, but the force would be the preload induced by shoving a part in even though the interference fit is greater than the design. I have seen the same thing before, a part shoved in with great force into another part, and then the low cycle fatigue failures start showing up across the entire fleet.

No easy way to detect it post assembly either, they could check the parts before assembly to make sure the interference isn't greater than the spec though.
I attached some more pictures, also pictures from A revision vs B revision. I could clearly see differences. They also used a smaller ball joint with the B revision.
 

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I’m curious why that notice starts with 2015 vehicles and not earlier models

I am speculating, there are only so many D models from 2014. It isn't impossible that they made good suspension parts for a little while???
Excellent question. Like David's, my car is also a Dec 2014 model. Is it certain starting one month later in Jan 2015 Tesla used a different suspension link? I am guessing not.
 
The letter refers to “model year” which would include most Oct 2014-Dec2014 cars from other manufacturers, but Tesla didn’t switch to that system until later. My Dec 31 2014 car was registered as a 2014 model. Oh well. Hope they fix it. After getting refused for the MCU2 reimbursement, my hopes are even lower.
 
The letter refers to “model year” which would include most Oct 2014-Dec2014 cars from other manufacturers, but Tesla didn’t switch to that system until later. My Dec 31 2014 car was registered as a 2014 model. Oh well. Hope they fix it. After getting refused for the MCU2 reimbursement, my hopes are even lower.
Same. My Dec build P85D was listed as a ‘14. I’m ultra paranoid when backing up. No extreme turns of the wheel if I can avoid it and literally creep.
 
Wife was backing down our 1% grade driveway on Tuesday AM to go to work, turn wheels to back onto our side street and "Bang" the drivers side wheel is tilted at some weird angle. She called me out and I found a piece of aluminum with a two fracture points on it. We carefully move the car off the road into our driveway blocking our garage and 3 other cars. I hit the Service App and they tell me that I can't get an appoint until 6 October IN ANOTHER STATE!


I jump in my car and head to the local SC in Tysons and ask for the control arm part, told they can't sell it to me. Then they call someone else and tell me that they can. They bring out the wrong part after I already paid for it.($295)...no returns! I'm like FUK it get the AFT front control link for a 2016 AWD, he returns with the $265 part, doesn't tell me to get the other side as well, so I am headed back to get that tomorrow.

I jack the car up, pull the wheel (I hate these cheap ass acorn crush nuts they use - wasted time removing wheel with nuts they had already stripped- replacing with Gorilla Nuts) remove the wheel liner and a couple of clips from the belly pan (didn't have to remove many as Tesla failed to replace 9 of the clips and two screws at the last service explains the flapping sound on the highway). 22MM bolt released from frame knuckle in about 5 minutes, 21MM bolt at the wheel hub released in another 5 minutes using an T25 Torx to keep the ball joint from spinning.

Done. This could have killed my wife, my 22 year old daughter or me and its a known issue....what if she had been doing 70MPH and slammed into the concert barrier lined highway with no shoulder on the way to work? We got lucky as hell. I am so fukking pissed at Tesla right now. I have come off ramps in this car doing triple digits.... never again...don't trust it anymore.

Headed to the NHTSA site to file a report next...

Hey NHTSA, if you want the part, call me I will FEDEX to you for analysis... this had nothing to do with an impact, you should see the difference in the weight and engineering of the new link... Tesla freaking knows this OEM part from 2016 is an issue... cheap bastards are going to kill someone.

Link to NHTSA and question they will ask:


When describing what happened, try to answer these questions as specifically as possible:

  • What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request?
    • Suspension Component: LH Front Aft Control Link - I will provide the damaged/exploded part via FEDEX to your office
  • How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk?
    • Loss of vehicle control, flying/exploding metal debris from highly torqued part.
  • Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center?
  • Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others?
    • Vehicle Manufacturer could not get the car in for inspection for 3 weeks (in another state), owner is a former mechanic, who acquired massively reengineered part from Tesla and installed himself, documenting damaged Front LH Aft Control Link fracture
  • Were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear?
    • Zero warning before part exploded/fractured at 70,736 miles on a MY 2016 Model S.

Here are the pics
 

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Headed to the NHTSA site to file a report next...

Hey NHTSA, if you want the part, call me I will FEDEX to you for analysis... this had nothing to do with an impact, you should see the difference in the weight and engineering of the new link... they freaking know this OEM part from 2016 is an issue... cheap bastards are going to kill someone.

NHTSA has been investigating this for almost a year, so I doubt they would need your part for analysis. Hopefully they will complete their investigation soon.
 
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NHTSA has been investigating this for almost a year, so I doubt they would need your part for analysis. Hopefully they will complete their investigation soon.
I may hand deliver the part and provide my car for inspection. they are just down the road from me in the DC Swamp - 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE Washington, D.C. 20590. 1-888-327-4236

While we are waiting here is some wheel entertainment

 
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The letter refers to “model year” which would include most Oct 2014-Dec2014 cars from other manufacturers, but Tesla didn’t switch to that system until later. My Dec 31 2014 car was registered as a 2014 model. Oh well. Hope they fix it. After getting refused for the MCU2 reimbursement, my hopes are even lower.
They F'ed me on both of my MCU2 replacements too.
 
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Wife was backing down our 1% grade driveway on Tuesday AM to go to work, turn wheels to back onto our side street and "Bang" the drivers side wheel is tilted at some weird angle. She called me out and I found a piece of aluminum with a two fracture points on it. We carefully move the car off the road into our driveway blocking our garage and 3 other cars. I hit the Service App and they tell me that I can't get an appoint until 6 October IN ANOTHER STATE!


I jump in my car and head to the local SC in Tysons and ask for the control arm part, told they can't sell it to me. Then they call someone else and tell me that they can. They bring out the wrong part after I already paid for it.($295)...no returns! I'm like FUK it get the AFT front control link for a 2016 AWD, he returns with the $265 part, doesn't tell me to get the other side as well, so I am headed back to get that tomorrow.

I jack the car up, pull the wheel (I hate these cheap ass acorn crush nuts they use - wasted time removing wheel with nuts they had already stripped- replacing with Gorilla Nuts) remove the wheel liner and a couple of clips from the belly pan (didn't have to remove many as Tesla failed to replace 9 of the clips and two screws at the last service explains the flapping sound on the highway). 22MM bolt released from frame knuckle in about 5 minutes, 21MM bolt at the wheel hub released in another 5 minutes using an T25 Torx to keep the ball joint from spinning.

Done. This could have killed my wife, my 22 year old daughter or me and its a known issue....what if she had been doing 70MPH and slammed into the concert barrier lined highway with no shoulder on the way to work? We got lucky as hell. I am so fukking pissed at Tesla right now. I have come off ramps in this car doing triple digits.... never again...don't trust it anymore.

Headed to the NHTSA site to file a report next...

Hey NHTSA, if you want the part, call me I will FEDEX to you for analysis... this had nothing to do with an impact, you should see the difference in the weight and engineering of the new link... Tesla freaking knows this OEM part from 2016 is an issue... cheap bastards are going to kill someone.

Link to NHTSA and question they will ask:


When describing what happened, try to answer these questions as specifically as possible:

  • What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request?
    • Suspension Component: LH Front Aft Control Link - I will provide the damaged/exploded part via FEDEX to your office
  • How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk?
    • Loss of vehicle control, flying/exploding metal debris from highly torqued part.
  • Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center?
  • Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others?
    • Vehicle Manufacturer could not get the car in for inspection for 3 weeks (in another state), owner is a former mechanic, who acquired massively reengineered part from Tesla and installed himself, documenting damaged Front LH Aft Control Link fracture
  • Were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear?
    • Zero warning before part exploded/fractured at 70,736 miles on a MY 2016 Model S.

Here are the pics
I'm no metallurgical expert, but that doesn't look like an "impact break" to me. The fact that they have recalled certain parts in China (due to low quality roads there) indicates they should also do so here. There are plenty of places in the USA with crappy enough roads to destroy these pieces over time.

Does anyone know if this has been fixed in the 3/Y or Palladium S yet?
 
I'm no metallurgical expert, but that doesn't look like an "impact break" to me. The fact that they have recalled certain parts in China (due to low quality roads there) indicates they should also do so here. There are plenty of places in the USA with crappy enough roads to destroy these pieces over time.

Does anyone know if this has been fixed in the 3/Y or Palladium S yet?
I can't speak for the new S/X but the 3 uses an entirely different suspension with very little Aluminum. It does use plastic, so different issues but none known yet.
That break doesn't look like there were any crack propagation, it looks like it broke out at the end, and then the part near the arm member failed due to the joint opening up. This looks like many others I have seen pictures of.
 
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