Suspension Problem on Model S

[ggr]

So, it is not an safety issue?

1. It's not a Tesla issue. It's a law of physics. It occurs on any car with a sloping windscreen, and depends on the density of the glass to some extent, so stronger glass does it a little more.
2. Most over-50 people have much worse effects from their own eyes. If it's a safety issue, maybe old people shouldn't be allowed to drive.
3. Rain on the windscreen causes much worse effects. If it is a safety issue, maybe we shouldn't be allowed to drive in the rain.

 

[techmaven]

Obviously, You don't consider yourself among the "number of heads who remained cool",because the purchase of "Model 3 reserved on 2016-04-01T09:00 UTC - using proceeds from TSLA trade" is at stake. So your agenda is obviously profit before safety.

You seem to feel every tweet from Mr. Musk is Gospel. I'm not sure how long you have been following the twitter feed, many have turned out to be exaggerations or lies. The press has generally been very favorable to Tesla, helping to pump the stock to levels not seen in the auto industry since Tucker Motors.

The case is far from closed, The NTSHA says "The agency has not opened a formal investigation and said late Friday that the inquiry was a "routine data collection." So I think I'll see where "routine data collection" goes and keep following the Lamestream media on this. I do not own any stock in Tesla Motors and could care less, whether it's up or down. My interest on this board is a potential purchase of the Model X, if the doors can be fixed.

Tesla denies safety problems with Model S suspensions

Many of us drive these vehicles every day. We put our loved ones in these vehicles. If I felt there was a safety issue, I wouldn't put my children in my Tesla. That overrules any other interests. I double checked my boot seals and control arms.

As for NHTSA, they exist every day doing routine data collection on every make and model of vehicle on the roads. This happens every second of every day... their website is available for people to add data at any point. There is no case more than that.

 

[JohnSnowNW]

My nit to pick with some folks on this thread, however, remains. The issue of driving on dirt roads may have helped advance whatever the problem was on this particular car, but it was not improper use of the vehicle. It is perfectly fine to drive cars on dirt roads. It especially doesn't matter that a Tesla is an expensive luxury car. A car being an expensive luxury car does not make it inferior to other cars. In my opinion, I would suggest people feel entirely free to drive their Tesla down dirt roads as much as they like. It won't be a problem.

Again, the fact that it is a dirt or gravel road, or even a pasture track, is not the issue. The issue is the state of the road, and whether the "off-road" conditions led to premature failure. If driving on these roads led to an abuse of the suspension that allowed debris/salt into previously protected components, while at the same time the OP was avoiding annual inspections at the Tesla SC, it becomes an important indicator of the mechanisms that attributed to the failure.

The biggest issue with the roadway discussion is not that he was possibly traveling down roads that the Model S wasn't designed to travel, but that he stated that he wasn't doing so, and then not doing so very often.

The issue is we still have a lot of holes in how the OPs car was treated, because he refuses to answer questions.

I do agree that driving down a dirt road shouldn't automatically be concerning.

 

[lklundin]

In winter, you also have ice-accumulation on the non-salted roads, and in spring, when this ice starts to melt, it melts unevenly, so that the roads become really uneven like this: Er dette en vei?

I just wanted to thank you not only for elaborating on the road conditions, but also for the links in Norwegian. To a Dane, it is refreshing to read this different, yet understandable language.

I have some relatives in Norway, but should apparently not rely too much on my own experience with the roads of that country. I have for example never been there during spring thaw...

 

[pmadflyer]

Well, Tesla's Motors is a teenager. It's only natural that there's a lot of gossip at the new school.

I don't mind negative comments and arguments about the company, as long as it has substance. As a future Model 3 owner, I'm more worried about the service time than the car itself. The failing Model S handles and noisy drive trains were once the biggest headline. The fact that they are mostly down to problems that aren't explicitly related to Tesla designs, is pretty good. The falcon wing doors are at times problematic, but await an OTA software update. Most other issues are solved by a trip to a service center.

I wish Tesla Motors would release a graph of service visits per thousand cars by month of production.

 

[techmaven]

It seems that annual inspections are required in PA. Tesla doesn't do annual inspections here in VA, and certainly the Pittsburgh based ranger can't do them. So the OP had to have someone else do them. Ball joint inspection is specifically listed as a requirement to pass inspection. The question is then who did it last and when? Those people should be the ones the OP looks to first.

 

[JohnSnowNW]

It seems that annual inspections are required in PA. Tesla doesn't do annual inspections here in VA, and certainly the Pittsburgh based ranger can't do them. So the OP had to have someone else do them. Ball joint inspection is specifically listed as a requirement to pass inspection. The question is then who did it last and when? Those people should be the ones the OP looks to first.

Going to add "at the Tesla SC" as that's what I meant. Thanks!

 

[ohmman]

I do agree that driving down a dirt road shouldn't automatically be concerning.

I drive my Model S and X up and down a dirt/gravel road multiple times a day. My driveway is a half mile long road made of road base. It's fine.

I do think that "dirt roads" are on a sliding scale of acceptability for any vehicle. There are some dirt roads that are fit for nothing more than a Jeep. Then there are compacted road base ones, like mine, that can handle any vehicle easily.

 

[JohnSnowNW]

I drive my Model S and X up and down a dirt/gravel road multiple times a day. My driveway is a half mile long road made of road base. It's fine.

I do think that "dirt roads" are on a sliding scale of acceptability for any vehicle. There are some dirt roads that are fit for nothing more than a Jeep. Then there are compacted road base ones, like mine, that can handle any vehicle easily.

Yes our family has a second house on a river. To access the river you have to travel down dirt roads that aren't maintained particularly well. They tend to get washed out often, and as such are in rough shape...I would make an executive decision not to use a premium sedan, from any manufacturer, if I wanted to go for a swim. Then again, I wouldn't use a Model X to pull stumps out of the ground, simply because it had a trailer hitch.

 

[ksquared]

Anyone who has ever signed a non-disclosure agreement (NDA) knows that they usually contain impossibly broad language. It's possible that the NHTSA interpreted that language as so broad as to possibly discourage regulatory reporting, which I'm certain wasn't the intent (as only an incompetent attorney would consider that).

Tesla will change their Goodwill agreement to specifically note that nondisclosure does not prohibit regulatory reporting, and that will be that.

 

[JRP3]

I do think that "dirt roads" are on a sliding scale of acceptability for any vehicle.

Paved roads as well. A deep pothole with steep sides on a paved road is much worse than the gradually sloped dips and bumps one may encounter on a dirt road, especially since you would probably be traveling faster on the paved road.

 

[deonb]

If anyone can show me how to un-purchase a Tesla, even better.

Happiness Guarantee

 

[lolder]

Just joined. I'm a long time member of some Ford Fusion Hybrid forums which were very well moderated and of great value to new hybrid owners. We had only a few trolls who were mostly saddled with one of the very few lemon hybrids Ford made. There weren't so many opposed philosophically to hybrids as they had worn themselves out on Prius first. Tesla is a different story. Many people's Oxen are going to be gored by Tesla's success. You were vaguely considered to be a tree hugger by owning a hybrid but owning an electric car puts you much more squarely in the sights of climate change deniers and the massive petroleum and legacy car industries. I have a Model 3 reservation well down the list. I give Tesla a 50-50 chance of being in business 10 years from now. An old YouTube clip several years ago interviewing several S owners as they drove was very telling. After describing the pros and a few cons, one owner said: "and it's the right thing to do". Good luck to Tesla and the moderators here.

 

[bigez1]

NHTSA Finds No Safety Issue In Tesla Model S Investigation, Says Most Claims Were Fake
NHTSA Finds No Safety Issue In Tesla Model S Investigation, Says Most Claims Were Fake - Inside EVs

 

[jerry33]

Well, Tesla's Motors is a teenager. It's only natural that there's a lot of gossip at the new school.

I don't mind negative comments and arguments about the company, as long as it has substance. As a future Model 3 owner, I'm more worried about the service time than the car itself. The failing Model S handles and noisy drive trains were once the biggest headline.

I wouldn't worry. In three plus years an 70+K miles my service time has been no more than any other car, actually quite a bit less than some. Points to bear in mind:

1. Headlines focus on the negative as that gets more clicks/reads.

2. Forums often have folks that are having problems and seeking a solution. For many if there's nothing wrong there is no incentive to go to a forum. This results in forums having a disproportionate amount of problems compared to the general population of owners.

 

[HVM]

"Tesla has fully cooperated with our requests for information, and NHTSA's examination of the data is underway," NHTSA spokesman Bryan Thomas said in an emailed statement, adding that to date NHTSA has not found any safety issue with Tesla's suspensions. "NHTSA has also confirmed that Tesla has clarified the language in its Goodwill Agreements in a satisfactory way, resolving the issue," he said.
Tesla has resolved 'goodwill agreement' issue, feds say

 

[FlatSix911]

NHTSA Finds No Safety Issue In Tesla Model S Investigation, Says Most Claims Were Fake - Inside EVs

 

[X Yes?]

Many of us drive these vehicles every day. We put our loved ones in these vehicles. If I felt there was a safety issue, I wouldn't put my children in my Tesla. That overrules any other interests. I double checked my boot seals and control arms.

Sounds like a good idea.

 

[techmaven]

Sounds like a good idea.

BTW, the suspension components including the ball joints are required to be inspected at the annual inspection each year in Virginia, just like in PA and MD. So mine were inspected at that point by a local mechanic. Also, Tesla inspected them at the recent annual service. Many owners already have had theirs inspected because of annual inspections required by their state and again by taking in their vehicles to Tesla for annual service.

 

[techmaven]

The original design of the suspension was from a Mercedes S class, on the Model S it carries far more weight.

Curb weight of a W221 S class, model years 2006 to 2013 is 4,310 lbs to 5,000 lbs. The OP's vehicle's curb weight is 4,647 lbs. I don't see how 4,647 lbs is far more weight than 5,000 lbs.