- +1 on subframe failure —> I want to quickly chime in here to echo the other P85 owners that had the subframe failure at 117,000 miles. I had a new DU installed around 92k and am wondering if not correctly torquing/ tightening the DU to subframe would contribute to such failure. Also this is not a moving component & not an item that needs maintenance; hence would like to see engineering review this component/ composite used to resolve this premature failure. I have twitted to Elon and Tesla about this just now from my Twitter account. Really would like to see this as a recallable item. BTW love my Tesla MS and the company wholeheartedly.
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Just took my P85 in for a loud rear clunking noise which I suspected to be a mount of some sort but they said that the drive unit has failed because of an isolation fault within the assembly and upon further inspection noted the rear mount failure. They initially said it was due to a bent wheel but those were replaced the moment I was informed of the bend.
rickyjb
Member
sadly another one bites the dust ...
i suspect they are blaming the impact that caused the bent wheel , not driving with a bent wheel . I didn't really get a proper explanation to what caused mine , was told it was caused by a torsional movement . to be honest i don't recall hitting anything that would have caused the damage , i even looked back at my trips using teslafi leading up to hearing the clunk, 3 short trips with low wh/mi and didn't hit anything.
Still believe that subframe mount is not up to the job of holding the power/torque of the p85
rickyjb
Member
when you get a chance put your invoice up here , interested to see the part numbers used .
So the bent wheels were replaced almost immediately after the recommendation about 1 year ago. I switched to 19's for that reason and the rubber is lower cost. I knew the moment the subframe broke which was in the snow, backing up with suspension in high due to a rough road but was going in reverse at 2-4 mph and then heard felt clunk and lots of shuddering. Possibly it was traction control engaging that caused a sudden stoppage of the motor then causing the frame to fail? Either way it is a design defect. Still negotiating with Tesla about paying for that part and labor. If they want me to pay for it I will take to a local expert fabricator and have them box the weak link in so I wont have any other concerns about future failure. The good news is I was able to drive for 1k miles back home from my trip on the broken frame (carefully I might add). I believe the isolation fault in the motor has been going on for a year plus when I initially brought the car in for the rear whine and had the subframe issue happened separately from that. Will keep posted on the outcome.
Good news all. I was able to get my service center to Goodwill the subframe as well. Took some arm twisting and frustration but saved me 3k. Hope others can have some hope and faith that they will do right.
Cheers,
Cheers,
Ssvladi
Member
To all the people in the Bay Area with this issue, i fixed mine for fracture of what Tesla asking price was, but subframe wasn’t new. You can pm me for details.
After reading the entire thread, it seems like it’s a combination of poor engineering and poor drive unit installation, cause it’s always rear mount. I talked with one of the mechanics who is specialized in welding , he propped a solution of triangle design. ( to keep mount angled at 90 degrees and also helps to spread torque even)
After reading the entire thread, it seems like it’s a combination of poor engineering and poor drive unit installation, cause it’s always rear mount. I talked with one of the mechanics who is specialized in welding , he propped a solution of triangle design. ( to keep mount angled at 90 degrees and also helps to spread torque even)
Is there anyone in socal that has had this problem and able to get it fixed @ a non tesla shop? I have not gotten it quoted yet, but dreading $3000+.
Ssvladi
Member
My shop is in Sacramento. I can link you with them. No clue about SoCal, but I assume there are some people too, I'm just not aware of them
We replace rear subframes for far less than 3000+ We generally see P cars crack the rear mount and part of the subframe.
Spoke to Eddy @ EV-Fixme, seemed like a standup guy, knowledgeable and fair pricing. I am very fortunate that Tesla said it's not the rear subframe, and instead if the rear drive unit so they will be replacing under warranty after they get the part almost 30 days from now. I will use EV-fixme in the future though since they're based in orange county.
I've just had the same exact issue. 2013 P85, subframe cracked all at a sudden and i'm out of warranty. Quoted $3447.95. After reviewing this forum and seeing how common this issue specially for a car that with dwarf production back in 2013, I requested to have this repaired at goodwell. Moreover Toyota Tundra had a similar issue back in 2006 and they extended the frame warranty for 15 years regardless of mileage and were forced to issue a recall.
Service center denied my request.
Just opened a complaint with NHTSA as loose Drive Units are not a simple defect
sla service
Service center denied my request.
Just opened a complaint with NHTSA as loose Drive Units are not a simple defect
I was at evfixme in Costa Mesa, ca yesterday on an unrelated issue and saw the rear subframe. The 2 points that it attaches the rear of the motor to the frame are welded instead of cast as one piece, and they are relatively very thin. I think with the high amount of cracks in this one area, hopefully you/we have a case. Highly recommend an Indy shop /replace fix as its much lower cost, for now anyway.
Ssvladi
Member
As far as I understand, most of us who experienced subframe mount crack, had DU replaced. Which means only one thing : improper installation. Might be overtight bolt on that mount, could be slight bend to that mount (uneven torque distribution will cause this thin mount to crack slowly). But yeah poor design, all i can say. NHTSA dont care unfortunately =(
rickyjb
Member
Thanks for posting the invoice with part numbers , prices . Mine was replaced back in july 19 , part number for rear subframe is the same as yours .
That is very unfortunate. I’m getting my rear drive unit replaced in july under warranty. I’ll drive it gently but it’s a p85, it’s meant to take a thrashing. I don’t see a way to prevent this except dumb luck that they install it properly. Yikes.
Im not sure about being improper installation. The cases we have seen the 2 tabs are cracked which is most apparent. However when we took a closer look we also saw there were 2 additional cracks in the frame where the weild was, and extended beyond.
Interesting, I've looked at the newer subframe online and they appear to look the same. Will see if we can find on in person to see if we can find the difference.
Huachipato
Member
Small motor uses different subframe. Base and Sport motor are same physical size, different power capability.
