Tesla is refusing my repair for upper control arms because I am sitting on eibach springs and have aftermarket swap bars. The upper control arm issue is a very well known and common issue. They even came out to apply their black silicone crap to prevent the creaking just long enough to get out of the warranty coverage. Unfortunately for me, my car wasn't sealed in time and water damaged the ball joints prior to application. Now tesla is flat out refusing to touch the car that's still in warranty. I've filed a NHTSA complaint. I am sick and tired of Teslas shady business model. I understand that I am running aftermarket parts but that doesn't change the fact that even non modified cars have this same creaking issue. We(the Tesla community) need to force a recall on this part somehow. Tbh it's not even about the money at this point. I can just go with MPP and be done with it. It's the lack of responsibility for their *sugar* build quality that is upsetting. And that I will not let go. I'm gonna see it through that they replace this part or I'll lemon my car. This is the 4th time I've complained about this same issue in my 40k of driving.
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Tesla denied warranty for Upper control arms because of Aftermarket Suspension
- Thread starter WhiteM3P-
- Start date
drpheta
Member
That's actually a valid point. You modified the very thing that you're looking to repair. Tesla has every right to deny warranty on the suspension system, because the springs changed the dynamic of how they work. Sure, it still drives fine. But, they also changed the angle of attack on the fuca, dampers, links, etc. They also changed the rate at which these things operate.
To us it seems like not that drastic a change. However, to Tesla and any car MFR you altered there design. That voids that part of the warranty.
To us it seems like not that drastic a change. However, to Tesla and any car MFR you altered there design. That voids that part of the warranty.
I have to agree with @drpheta. You’ve modified the very system that’s in question here. There’s plenty of things that Tesla does that I don’t love, but they’re actually well within their rights here. It’s not like they’re claiming the suspension caused, say, the radio to not work - that’s what the magnussen act is about. In this case, you toyed with the suspension, which unfortunately would void the suspension warranty.
If I were you, I’d get the 3rd party control arms and be done with it. Chalk it up to a life lesson - if you want warranty support, don’t monkey with it.
Oh, I also saw you threaten a lemon law claim. That’d fail almost instantly — you modified the system. Game, set, match.
If I were you, I’d get the 3rd party control arms and be done with it. Chalk it up to a life lesson - if you want warranty support, don’t monkey with it.
Oh, I also saw you threaten a lemon law claim. That’d fail almost instantly — you modified the system. Game, set, match.
Sure. I can see your point of view if non modified cars weren't failing also. Either way I want my complaint to help others if not me. The point of this post is that Tesla tries to get out of an repair they can. Tell me that putting silicone sealant to prevent water from damaging a faulty part (just long enough to pass the warranty mark) isn't shady business practice.
UncertainTimes
Active Member
Never flashed a BMW ECU and got flagged by a dealer I’m assuming.
The lemon law claim wasn't for this issue alone. But I see what your saying. The screen shuts off while driving almost daily. No modifications there. They claimed its fixed the 3 times I've taken it in. Even replaced the MCU. Still doing it.
Just shoot some grease into the boot on the ball joint and call it good. The squeaking will quiet down over a couple hundred miles.
We’ve repaired several Tesla ball joints this way and they’ve stayed quiet for tens of thousands of miles. I’ve also paid out of pocket (out of warranty) to replace an upper control arm.
We’ve repaired several Tesla ball joints this way and they’ve stayed quiet for tens of thousands of miles. I’ve also paid out of pocket (out of warranty) to replace an upper control arm.
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Thanks, I'll do either that for a couple hundred miles or I will just replace them.
Hope I’m not coming off difficult; don’t mean it that way at all. Just trying to be practical and avoid pushing a rock uphill, that’s all.
But that screen issue is disconcerting. Does it reboot or just stay dark? That’s something that should be fixable and yes you shouldn’t have any warranty issues there at all. Occasional reboots do happen, but nowhere near daily. Almost sounds to me like a power delivery issue. Next time it happens, open a case and make a note of the exact date and time when it happened. Ask for escalation to Tier 2, note that the MCU has been replaced 3 times and it’s still happening. The escalation is important; you need them to diagnose it from the logs and such rather than just throw parts at it.
Historically, I’ve found that once I get to Tier 2, support gets *awesome*!
Best of luck — but my advice (which is worth what you paid for it - nothing!) would be to focus your energy on getting that display problem solved. I don’t mean to sound flippant, but the control arm fight is going to be a lost cause — I’d just bite the bullet and swap those for the 3rd party arms and move on. I’d double down on them to get the screen thing repaired PDQ! But that’s just me; just seems that’s a better use of your energy.
Thank you. And no you're not coming off difficult. I guess I was upset at the fact that they tried to blame the suspension when they know it's a common issue with these control arms. I will definitely follow up as you suggested on the screen issues. Don't get me wrong I love my model 3 when it's not falling apart. I'm more frustrated with the lack of customer service from Tesla. I came over from MBZ and Lexus so I guess I'm expecting too much.
Unfortunately, my opinion (again, worth nothing!) is that the service centers have actually too much latitude with customer service. It’s not consistent - each center seems to kinda do its own thing, good OR bad.
Ours here in NJ have been nothing but excellent to me, Paramus, Springfield and even Princeton. Things that I read others struggling with have been no problem here at all. I’m sorry you’re going through this — it really shouldn’t be like that. I drove Cadillacs before Tesla, so I know what you mean about good service. I’d be frustrated, too. Consider myself lucky to have 3 really good centers all nearby. Wish it were the same for you in OC.
See this was my exact point with this post. Tesla denies any work they can get away with. Even when they know it's a known and common issues. I'm glad your situation was resolved one way or another.
TomT
Technical Maven
I've said it many times before but it deserves repeating: Love the car, hate the (lack of) customer service! I've owned many cars from many companies over the years and Tesla has the worst CS of any of them...
SageBrush
REJECT Fascism
My experience with Tesla service has been so good, I'm a bit embarrassed by it.
- I called out the mobile Ranger to fix a door that had to be slammed to close. Since the ranger was coming, I asked him to bring along a 12v battery for me since I swap them preventatively. The door was handled under warranty (probably reasonable) and I was charged ~ $80 for the 12v -- the same cost as if I had showed up at service desk. Before handing over the 12v, the Ranger took the time to make sure I knew how to swap it myself, along with all necessary electric precautions.
- About a year later, I had TWO episodes of the car losing multiple power systems due to rodent related wire damage. Each time Tesla towed the car to the service center without charge. They would have been *well* within their rights to charge me the towing after identifying the underlying issue as not warranty related.
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My outlook with Tesla service is a bit jaded I'm gonna admit. My logic behind saying they deny any warranty work was not solely based off this one experience. I had a b piller camera issue on my driver side when the car was brand new. ~500 miles or less on it. They told me that the autopilot calibration takes time and the cameras were within spec. 3 visits and countless hours later. I was left trying to prove something was wrong with that camera(s) . I ultimately got an outside shop to run a camera calibration from toolbox and they determined the camera had never fully calibrated. Long story short the camera was ultimately replaced under warranty.
Suspension arms were known to fail on early 2000 audis. I had a coilover kit installed and I paid when my arms failed. A bummer for sure, but you have to pay to play.
Cybermoose
Member
I agree with Tesla here. It doesn't matter if it's a known issue, it's something you modified. It would be different if it was every car due to a specific part, but it's not every car, it happening just in just enough cars for it to be a known issue but that doesn't mean that it's not due to the modifications.
I respect any companies right to deny warranty on something that has been modified in a way that interacts specifically with what you want serviced.
I respect any companies right to deny warranty on something that has been modified in a way that interacts specifically with what you want serviced.
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