Another front suspension control arm failure

[hybridbear]

We have just under 90k miles on our 2016 S90D with coil suspension. We just had both lower control arms replaced due to noise indicating that they were worn out by a local independent shop & now the upper control arm on the left side is making noise. The independent shop costs basically the same as paying the Tesla Service Center to do the work, but the independent shop has far better customer service than Tesla. The owner of the shop is also a local Tesla owner & because of that he has added Teslas to the makes that his shops specialize in. They also offer a 3 year warranty on all their work, compared to the 12 months that Tesla offers. The part #s for the upper control arms that Tesla lists on their estimate are 1043965-00-B, while the independent shop has part # 1043965-00-A. What's the difference between the two?

 

[Aggmeister2010]

We have just under 90k miles on our 2016 S90D with coil suspension. We just had both lower control arms replaced due to noise indicating that they were worn out by a local independent shop & now the upper control arm on the left side is making noise. The independent shop costs basically the same as paying the Tesla Service Center to do the work, but the independent shop has far better customer service than Tesla. The owner of the shop is also a local Tesla owner & because of that he has added Teslas to the makes that his shops specialize in. They also offer a 3 year warranty on all their work, compared to the 12 months that Tesla offers. The part #s for the upper control arms that Tesla lists on their estimate are 1043965-00-B, while the independent shop has part # 1043965-00-A. What's the difference between the two?

B is the newer revision. Has some change in design from version A. It may not be a significant change, though.

 

[TonikQL]

Add me to the list that this just happened to. 2017 S90D. I dont know much about cars so cant add much detail, other than to say I thank God this happened while reversing in a parking lot and not on the highway. Scary they just let this happen and pray no one dies.

 

[ngng]

Add me to the list that this just happened to. 2017 S90D. I dont know much about cars so cant add much detail, other than to say I thank God this happened while reversing in a parking lot and not on the highway. Scary they just let this happen and pray no one dies.

Glad you're okay. It happened to me backing out of the driveway as well. Let's see if Tesla tries to put the blame on you for hitting something. Can you please file a report with the NHTSA at safecar.gov?

Here's what I submitted:

Your Vehicle's Make Model and Model Year: TESLA MODEL X 2016
Note: Your VIN, make, model, and year are all protected under the Privacy Act.
What part of your vehicle was affected? Suspension

What happened?
While backing out of driveway we felt a clunk and heard grinding. We were on a local residential street. I let the car creep forward at no more than a walking pace and applied
brakes. When the car was moving forward and brakes were applied an extremely loud grinding and groaning was heard. I had another person drive the car while I observed
from the outside and observed the entire wheel shift when brakes were applied.

 

[hybridbear]

Add me to the list that this just happened to. 2017 S90D. I dont know much about cars so cant add much detail, other than to say I thank God this happened while reversing in a parking lot and not on the highway. Scary they just let this happen and pray no one dies.

Yikes! How much is the repair bill & what needs replacement?

 

[ngng]

Yikes! How much is the repair bill & what needs replacement?

If there wasn't damage to the body (fender, wheelwell, etc) then each side is about $400. $200 for the part and 1 hour of labor. It does not include an alignment. It's also a good idea to do both sides.

 

[Aggmeister2010]

If there wasn't damage to the body (fender, wheelwell, etc) then each side is about $400. $200 for the part and 1 hour of labor. It does not include an alignment. It's also a good idea to do both sides.

FYI, I put witness marks on my eccentric nuts, lined them up when I replaced the components, and was able to avoid getting a new alignment.

And yes, you really, really should do both sides at once.

 

[TonikQL]

Yikes! How much is the repair bill & what needs replacement?

About 4 pages and $3k worth of parts and labor. I have an extended warranty with X-Care and everything is covered at least.

 

[XCare EV]

About 4 pages and $3k worth of parts and labor. I have an extended warranty with X-Care and everything is covered at least.

That's why we're here! Merry Christmas/Happy Holidays!

 

[ngng]

FYI, I put witness marks on my eccentric nuts, lined them up when I replaced the components, and was able to avoid getting a new alignment.

And yes, you really, really should do both sides at once.

Witness marks help but they don't guarantee anything. You can get stuff close so it's not wildly off. But that being said, it's probably better than what Tesla does

 

[Dannietjoh]

Witness marks help but they don't guarantee anything. You can get stuff close so it's not wildly off. But that being said, it's probably better than what Tesla does

True, also does not account for worn vs fresh rubber

 

[Aggmeister2010]

True, also does not account for worn vs fresh rubber

My old components weren't worn - they were just the faulty design. So, in my case, it ended up still driving perfectly straight. Your results may vary.

 

[TonikQL]

Hey all. This issue recently happened to me and I had it repaired. I read from someone else here that even after having Tesla fix it, it happened a second time. I am already starting to hear some of the sounds I was hearing before the first failure, which has me worried it might be about to happen again.
My question is: can someone with knowledge about this issue let me know where I should look to be sure the car is still safe to drive? A picture of the area along with a circle of where the failure point is would help immensely. In case it isn't obvious, I know literally nothing about car mechanics.

 

[aerodyne]

Hey all. This issue recently happened to me and I had it repaired. I read from someone else here that even after having Tesla fix it, it happened a second time. I am already starting to hear some of the sounds I was hearing before the first failure, which has me worried it might be about to happen again.
My question is: can someone with knowledge about this issue let me know where I should look to be sure the car is still safe to drive? A picture of the area along with a circle of where the failure point is would help immensely. In case it isn't obvious, I know literally nothing about car mechanics.

There is a service bulletin addressing the front control arm issue. If it is replaced with the improved part, should not recur.

 

[TonikQL]

There is a service bulletin addressing the front control arm issue. If it is replaced with the improved part, should not recur.

Thank you. It was replaced very recently (month ago), so I would imagine its the newer part.

 

[hybridbear]

Thank you. It was replaced very recently (month ago), so I would imagine its the newer part.

What was your cost for the repair a month ago?

 

[TonikQL]

What was your cost for the repair a month ago?

Invoice was around $3k, but I have X-Care so it was only $100 out of pocket for me.

 

[hybridbear]

Invoice was around $3k, but I have X-Care so it was only $100 out of pocket for me.

Ok, so you didn't get the discount that has been mentioned by others in this thread... did you ask about it?

 

[TonikQL]

Ok, so you didn't get the discount that has been mentioned by others in this thread... did you ask about it?

I'm not sure what you're referring to.

 

[vanwho]

I bet they just didn't tighten the bolts properly. If lower control arm bolts aren't tightened enough they easily loosen and you will get clunks on bumps/divots at low speed. Even the Tesla center screwed me when they did a 300€ alignment and didn't tighten both sides correctly, so it clunked again, hurt the metal, and threw it out of alignment again. I hate having to use "professionals" sometimes.