Front Vibration

[igroza423]

Right from the start when I picked up my 2020 MX in Dec 2019, I felt a slight "tire imbalance" at speeds 40-plus. I ignored the issue until I was leaving for a long-trip through the mountains and wanted to be safe. Tesla balanced the tires. Vibration still there. Purchased a new set of tires. Vibration still there. Went on this trip with the vibration. In the mean time, this vibration has created these repairs: replaced clunking left adaptive air-spring module, both front semi-axles only because the left one had deteriorated, grinding outer ball bearings, front gearbox pump, dropped harness robbing on left tire. The car also developed a metal-to-metal clunking noise going over small bumps that they cannot identify and fix after numerous trials. I am stuck. The vibration is rhythmic and synchronic at all speeds but better heard, felt in the steering wheel, seat, and floor at speeds 70-plus. At speeds 85-90 and higher it feels like a very bad unbalanced tire. The car is only 35,000 miles. I give up and I thinking to file for a lemon law.

Any ideas what it might be? Any idea if Tesla is hiding the real problem and excusing it by "it's just the normal operation of the car and we cannot legally drive the car more than 70 mph, and it's safe to drive?" This has been the worst customer service and cover up I have ever experienced: arrogant and incompetent. Is it the motor or anything else? This vibration will continue to deteriorate front parts and cost me an arm and a leg when it's out of warranty.

What do you all see, know, and could advise me? Thank you.

 

[mattiaswij]

Hi, did you ever get a fix for this?

I've been having the exact same problem for a while now with my MX LR (from Dec 2019). Small vibrations which can be felt through the steering wheel and the seats. Theay are also rythmic in nature. I get a feeling they are from the front but I'm not sure. My SC has looked at it and they can not fix it. I have been having a lot of shudder also. My front half shafts has been replaced three times. SC blames tires but I think it sounds unlikely since I have had the problem with both summer and winter tyres (studless). A tire shop has checked the tyres between season changes also, the tyres are round and balanced.

Since my car has been to SC a lot I have been driving different MX loaners (pre Raven) who have been silky smooth but the general feel of the suspension is better in Raven. Is it a Raven Issue?

 

[igroza423]

It might be a Raven issue. Thanks for sharing.

I have someone else in this area that I am talking with about this issue who has the same model, and the problem is exactly the same as mine and yours. It seems to be an issue that Tesla knows about, but they are not letting customers know and they keep on blowing us off by replacing a part or so and sometimes refusing to service the issue. I talked with the general manager from this area and he just plainly refused to do anything else. It seems that they know about this issue but they only comment in their internal documents but not in the customer's invoices. They simply deny the problem (ie: we cannot drive the car above the speed limit or saying that the car is safe to drive), and do not acknowledge the issue. Both managers from Fort Worth Service Center and the Dallas one, are in unison talking with each other and covering it up.

I tried to get it replaced under the lemon law but the car is way passed the 24,000 miles limit in Texas and I will be out of the 50,000 miles warranty soon. The law firm can pursue the warranty issue but they cannot guaranty any results because of the Texas Lemon Law limits. Its at the mercy of Tesla. It will hit my pocket hard. This entire service is just unfair. The MXs are great cars; love them; but the service and their treatment of customers (many that I know) is arrogant and dismissive. I have never seen more incompetent and arrogant customer service, especially the managers.

At this time, my only option is the courts. I simply want to drive a normal car and get it fixed, if needed, and move on. I class action lawsuit might be the only option in dealing with this. Any other ideas?

 

[n1h1]

It sounds like you guys are describing the shudder problem?:

The shudder problem: Current status (end of February 2020)

 

[igroza423]

I previously saw the post your are referring to, and I read a lot about the shudder problem and this is not it. The problem with my front vibration is not when I accelerate. It is a rhythmic imbalanced vibration at any speeds and even when I am not accelerating at all. It seems to be an unbalances part/thing in the front driving axle, unrelated to the tires or reams. Mine is mostly on the left side. It has been the cause for many repairs already: replacing the front axles because it shuttered the left outer ball bearings, the adaptive air-spring module, front motor pump, and it has created a metal-to-metal clunking on the left suspension. Now, I am again hearing the left side ball bearings when accelerating. I haven't taken it for service, yet. All these repairs were made because the car has this mysterious front (slight) vibration at low speeds, and at speeds higher than 70-75 it sounds and feels like an badly unbalanced tire.

 

[n1h1]

I previously saw the post your are referring to, and I read a lot about the shudder problem and this is not it. The problem with my front vibration is not when I accelerate. It is a rhythmic imbalanced vibration at any speeds and even when I am not accelerating at all. It seems to be an unbalances part/thing in the front driving axle, unrelated to the tires or reams. Mine is mostly on the left side. It has been the cause for many repairs already: replacing the front axles because it shuttered the left outer ball bearings, the adaptive air-spring module, front motor pump, and it has created a metal-to-metal clunking on the left suspension. Now, I am again hearing the left side ball bearings when accelerating. I haven't taken it for service, yet. All these repairs were made because the car has this mysterious front (slight) vibration at low speeds, and at speeds higher than 70-75 it sounds and feels like an badly unbalanced tire.

Ah i see. That sounds awful

 

[Steinmetz]

First, I have no solution but curious at what point did this start? If I read you post correctly in one year's time you put on 35000 miles. Did you notice this issue shortly after purchase or did it develop over time? Has it gotten worse or remains the same? Is there a place where you can safely coast in neutral to see if there is a difference? I really do not know if the motors are connected in neutral but trying to determine a balance issue in a rotating component. Is it better or worse if regenerate is set to normal or min?

 

[Dominik_12]

Right from the start when I picked up my 2020 MX in Dec 2019, I felt a slight "tire imbalance" at speeds 40-plus. I ignored the issue until I was leaving for a long-trip through the mountains and wanted to be safe. Tesla balanced the tires. Vibration still there. Purchased a new set of tires. Vibration still there. Went on this trip with the vibration. In the mean time, this vibration has created these repairs: replaced clunking left adaptive air-spring module, both front semi-axles only because the left one had deteriorated, grinding outer ball bearings, front gearbox pump, dropped harness robbing on left tire. The car also developed a metal-to-metal clunking noise going over small bumps that they cannot identify and fix after numerous trials. I am stuck. The vibration is rhythmic and synchronic at all speeds but better heard, felt in the steering wheel, seat, and floor at speeds 70-plus. At speeds 85-90 and higher it feels like a very bad unbalanced tire. The car is only 35,000 miles. I give up and I thinking to file for a lemon law.

Any ideas what it might be? Any idea if Tesla is hiding the real problem and excusing it by "it's just the normal operation of the car and we cannot legally drive the car more than 70 mph, and it's safe to drive?" This has been the worst customer service and cover up I have ever experienced: arrogant and incompetent. Is it the motor or anything else? This vibration will continue to deteriorate front parts and cost me an arm and a leg when it's out of warranty.

What do you all see, know, and could advise me? Thank you.

Just read another input on FB. Seems it's a warped front rotor. You CAN'T find a warped rotor by spin balancing your tires. Best way to check it is to put on the brakes and see if it exacerbates the vibration.

 

[igroza423]

Steinmetz,

It was like this from the start, from the moment I got on the highway after I picked it up. I thought it was an unbalanced tire. Then, I thought it was a bad tire. Then, I thought it was the front axles. The vibration pretty much remained the same. It didn't progressively gotten worse; if it did, it is very, very little. I think this could be some sort of unbalanced rotating component but not the axles. After the front axles were replace, the vibration didn't change a bit. I am speculating here: it could be the "housing" that locks in place the axle coming from the motor, or it could be the motor itself that vibrates because it is mounted just a touch off from where it needs to be.

Also, thanks for the good advice. I will put it in neutral and see what happens.

First, I have no solution but curious at what point did this start? If I read you post correctly in one year's time you put on 35000 miles. Did you notice this issue shortly after purchase or did it develop over time? Has it gotten worse or remains the same? Is there a place where you can safely coast in neutral to see if there is a difference? I really do not know if the motors are connected in neutral but trying to determine a balance issue in a rotating component. Is it better or worse if regenerate is set to normal or min?

 

[igroza423]

Dominik_12,

I don't think it's the warped front rotor, or any rotors because when I brake, if I have to use the brakes, it's very smooth, like no other car. I usually have the car in standard regenerative mode and I hardly use any brakes. Well, great thought, though. Thanks.

Just read another input on FB. Seems it's a warped front rotor. You CAN'T find a warped rotor by spin balancing your tires. Best way to check it is to put on the brakes and see if it exacerbates the vibration.

 

[2020]

I just changed the two front tires yesterday and today while driving on the highway the car vibrates. Feels like the tires need to be balanced or like the lug nuts are loose. I will take it back to the service center to check it. I am hoping is just a bad balance job and something else did not pop up as in the previous posts. Also the TPMS sensor shows about a 10psi difference between the two front tires, I doubt this will cause it but I will even out the tire pressures tonight. Any other suggestions? (2018 X with 20'' wheels)

 

[mjtian]

I have had this issue since I took delivery of my MX in 2017. I have brought it to 2 different SCs (Santa Clara and Fremont) a total of 4 times. Mine would send this annoying vibration at highway speeds > 65/70 MPH. The exact same steering wheel vibration on my cheapo Ford Taurus when I was 16 YO. I did not expect it on my brand new >$100K Tesla MX.

1). First time (Santa Clara), I was told I needed to balance my tires. Didn't do a darn thing.
2). Second time (Santa Clara), I showed the tech my video, they asked a senior tech to go on a drive with me and he admitted that there was some internal bulletin on this known issue. He said the only way to fix it was change the front motor or something and its very expensive. Perhaps there will be a different fix later.
3). Third time (Fremont), I was told perhaps I need new tires (they were around 23K miles at that time). So I went to purchase OEM Contis at around 25K from Discount Tires.
4). 4th time (Fremont), I was told it is normal. The only issue (later announced) was vibration during hard acceleration, which my MX did not have.

If anyone has any ideas, I am all ears

 

[FirstInTown]

Do I have the same thing? 9-2020 Raven, At 40-65 MPH only on certain roads, I get a 1 second quick shimmy in the steering wheel, every minute or so. On the Interstate, it is fine. no shimmy. Seems like has something to do with side roads and *sugar* condition the are in. Standard, Low, Very low, no diff. Maybe MORE when on Comfort, but still does it on Auto and Sport.

 

[nuP90D]

Might sound stupid, but try to turn off your changing lane assist or alert in the auto-pilot menu; test drive again to see if the vibration is gone.

 

[FirstInTown]

Well, Mine is fixed. Took in to Tesla to get a 2nd FOB programmed and had this looked into. They balanced all 4 tires (charged me this but whatever) and turned off Lane Keep warning. I turned lane keep warning back on, and that was NOT the problem shimmy, although it feels about the same. The true LKW alert shimmy comes on when got to the center line now and not in Auto Pilot. The warning shimmy is then very similar to what I had, but actually weaker feeling. Before I got the shake when centered in a lane and it would come and go, all the time.

What made me NOT think is was a tire shake is it wouldn't get a faster oscillation as the car sped up. This means, at 40 the shake was a 1 second, 5hz shake. Same as at 75MPH, where shake was same 5hz. A tire is going way faster, so would think it should be a 8-9 hz shimmy at higher speed. It wasn't any different.

 

[gwsteele]

My 2020 LR+ Raven has a vibration like this above 70/75 mph. I suspect it to be drive unit related. I kind of wish they would replace my front drive unit already. In addition to the above, it’s noisy/whiney on low speed regen, I’ve noticed it’s developed a groan in a certain spot when regen happens at high speeds, and it has medium pitch tone under load when sustaining highway speeds on flat roads. Overall, I haven’t been super impressed with the Raven drive-train from an NVH perspective - but I’m not sure if it’s just my car - which is super disappointing.

This combined with the “park assist unavailable” bug, messed up homelink, and unresponsive door controls, are making the ownership experience pretty shoddy at the moment.

Part of me is wondering if anyone at the company is really caring about Model X quality at the moment.

 

[gwsteele]

My 2020 LR+ Raven has a vibration like this above 70/75 mph. I suspect it to be drive unit related. I kind of wish they would replace my front drive unit already. In addition to the above, it’s noisy/whiney on low speed regen, I’ve noticed it’s developed a groan in a certain spot when regen happens at high speeds, and it has medium pitch tone under load when sustaining highway speeds on flat roads. Overall, I haven’t been super impressed with the Raven drive-train from an NVH perspective - but I’m not sure if it’s just my car - which is super disappointing.

This combined with the “park assist unavailable” bug, messed up homelink, and unresponsive door controls, are making the ownership experience pretty shoddy at the moment.

Part of me is wondering if anyone at the company is really caring about Model X quality at the moment.

Update: putting my car in neutral while experiencing this vibration doesn't seem to fix it. That makes me think might be wheel balance or something other than the motor...

 

[ktan]

My x came with a whole bunch of weights in the wheel. I found that odd. I also have vibrations at 80mph+ in the steering wheel. And mild vibrations in front passenger at 40+

A regular balance did not fix it. A forced wheel balance did. I used a location from here Road Force® Elite Wheel Balancer | Hunter Engineering Company®

It was $40 for all four wheels at discount / America tire.

 

[VictorAvrigean]

It might be a Raven issue. Thanks for sharing.

I have someone else in this area that I am talking with about this issue who has the same model, and the problem is exactly the same as mine and yours. It seems to be an issue that Tesla knows about, but they are not letting customers know and they keep on blowing us off by replacing a part or so and sometimes refusing to service the issue. I talked with the general manager from this area and he just plainly refused to do anything else. It seems that they know about this issue but they only comment in their internal documents but not in the customer's invoices. They simply deny the problem (ie: we cannot drive the car above the speed limit or saying that the car is safe to drive), and do not acknowledge the issue. Both managers from Fort Worth Service Center and the Dallas one, are in unison talking with each other and covering it up.

I tried to get it replaced under the lemon law but the car is way passed the 24,000 miles limit in Texas and I will be out of the 50,000 miles warranty soon. The law firm can pursue the warranty issue but they cannot guaranty any results because of the Texas Lemon Law limits. Its at the mercy of Tesla. It will hit my pocket hard. This entire service is just unfair. The MXs are great cars; love them; but the service and their treatment of customers (many that I know) is arrogant and dismissive. I have never seen more incompetent and arrogant customer service, especially the managers.

At this time, my only option is the courts. I simply want to drive a normal car and get it fixed, if needed, and move on. I class action lawsuit might be the only option in dealing with this. Any other ideas?

What is the issue? What are they covering up? I have the same Problem..