My Plaid's front undertray fell off!

[Jameslook]

I was driving about 80mph today and I suddenly heard a loud grinding noise from the front of the car and started to smell something burning. I pulled over and the whole front undertray valance had fallen down and was scraping on the road. It was dragging on the ground. The front part of the undercarriage consists of 5 bolts and a bunch of those plastic pop in fasteners. Everything was gone! My car has 4k miles and has never seen a gravel road or any excessive vibrations. I don't know if all the bolts were even installed in the first place.

I'm 225 miles from the closest service center. I hope they warranty it.

It could have gone much worse. Image if the front got caught on something in the road and it ripped off fully causing an accident. Check your undercarriage bolts just under the front part of your 2021 S's people.

P.S. I tried to update the subject replacing the word undercarriage with front undertray but I can't.

Moderator note: Edited thread title.

 

[FlatSix911]

You could have hit the front valence on a parking wheel stop which loosened the fasteners.

Check the painted spoiler surface for scratches... more common than you might think.

 

[Jameslook]

You could have hit the front valence on a parking wheel stop which loosened the fasteners.

Check the painted spoiler surface for scratches... more common than you might think.

Zero scratches on the front underside paint. Not even a slight scratch.

 

[FlatSix911]

Perhaps just a bad day on the Model S assembly line in Fremont.

 

[BPeter]

The front fell off? That's not very typical.

 

[PACEMD]

That happened with my Model 3 at 15k miles or so, also on the freeway. The Ranger came to my house and replaced it under warranty. On the Model 3 it's not an essential part, protects from dirt/debris and adds aerodynamics, or so I'm told. I drove as usual until it was replaced.

 

[T3SLA90D]

Happened to me when I hit a small animal on the highway.

 

[Ash83]

If they could not find any scratches then you can fight them for warranty (any other manufacturer will do it for sure under warranty but Tesla is very picky and depends on the SC). Good Luck!!

 

[Jameslook]

If they could not find any scratches then you can fight them for warranty (any other manufacturer will do it for sure under warranty but Tesla is very picky and depends on the SC). Good Luck!!

I have no scratches. I hope it all works out. Thanks!

 

[Jameslook]

I had the Retrofit Hydraulic Control Unit Wake-Up Wire recall done in Charlotte. I wonder if the front undertray needed to come off. Hmmmm

 

[Midnightsun]

I had the Retrofit Hydraulic Control Unit Wake-Up Wire recall done in Charlotte. I wonder if the front undertray needed to come off. Hmmmm

I have seen this happen on other cars after an oil change where the undertray needed to come off. It eventually came loose because the mechanics were to lazy to install all the fasteners. You may be onto something. Needless to say I don't think it was after your oil change though.