Tesla Upper Control Arm CRACKED

[croman]

Unfortunately, I'm starting to agree with this. Seems this particular part has been failing on a lot of cars recently, and Keef might have been onto something.

I'll agree with the first part of your sentence, but I disagree about the last.

 

[jaguar36]

That car clearly hit something. Even from that one poor picture its obvious that's not a fatigue failure. That failure was caused by a single even, either a sharp impact or just being overloaded. Even if it was a manufacturing or design issue, no way it occurred when the car was just slowly driving along, it would have happened when the car hit a bump of some sort, or was cornering or braking hard.

Unfortunately, I'm starting to agree with this. Seems this particular part has been failing on a lot of cars recently, and Keef might have been onto something.

I've never seen a failure of the upper control arm, other parts sure, but not this failure.

 

[James*]

This is why everyone should have a dashcam.

 

[oktane]

Doesn't hurt to investigate the matter for the safety of ourselves, our families, and others on the road. I drive fast, and can't afford the suspension failing unexpectedly.

 

[JohnSnowNW]

Unfortunately, I'm starting to agree with this. Seems this particular part has been failing on a lot of cars recently, and Keef might have been onto something.

Except that it has been different parts of the suspension that have "failed." And even if there was a suspension issue, Keef wasn't onto it, and has only made a potential issue more difficult to diagnose.

 

[jelloslug]

It will be easy to tell if the fracture happened all at once or it was something that has happened over time. The cross section of the broken area will be uniform in color if the damage happened all at once.

 

[AWDtsla]

Take more pictures of the crack. It's far away and blurry but sure looks like a fatigue failure from here. I don't see what you could hit to do that damage that wouldn't have destroyed the wheel or several other parts first.

 

[alexml500]

The Tesla

Take more pictures of the crack. It's far away and blurry but sure looks like a fatigue failure from here. I don't see what you could hit to do that damage that wouldn't have destroyed the wheel or several other parts first.

Yes I would think they would have taken off the wheel first to diagnose the issue, but No they simply jack up the car and search for damage that way

 

[alexml500]

This is why everyone should have a dashcam.

I agree this will definitely be added to all my cars

 

[alexml500]

That car clearly hit something. Even from that one poor picture its obvious that's not a fatigue failure. That failure was caused by a single even, either a sharp impact or just being overloaded. Even if it was a manufacturing or design issue, no way it occurred when the car was just slowly driving along, it would have happened when the car hit a bump of some sort, or was cornering or braking hard.



I've never seen a failure of the upper control arm, other parts sure, but not this failure.

On the Cal poly campus there weren't any debris or object on the road. I was able to get the officer to provide me a report on what he saw and also ask him to indicate if there were debris from any type of impact.

He promise he will provide me the report by end of Tomorrow,

No object were hit until the car came crashing Down on the Safety Dots

 

[mongo]

On the Cal poly campus there weren't any debris or object on the road. I was able to get the officer to provide me a report on what he saw and also ask him to indicate if there were debris from any type of impact.

He promise he will provide me the report by end of Tomorrow,

No object were hit until the car came crashing Down on the Safety Dots

Does the car have coil or air suspension?

 

[idoco]

Unless abuse, this part is covered under the extended service agreement. Our 2013 MS had an issue with it noted on the annual service (not as bad as the OP's complete failure). It was replaced under the ESA (see attached invoice).

 

[alexml500]

I'm not sure how brakes would malfunction in a case like this. Did the brake lines get cut?

Does the car have coil or air suspension?

It has Air Suspension

 

[scottm]

Unless abuse, this part is covered under the extended service agreement. Our 2013 MS had an issue with it noted on the annual service (not as bad as the OP's complete failure). It was replaced under the ESA (see attached invoice).

That's nothing like this thread.

Yours was a front upper ball joint due to wear, different issue.

 

[scottm]

No object were hit until the car came crashing Down on the Safety Dots

You need to clean up this part of the story.

A car can't come crashing done onto something that it wasn't positioned over.
How did the car come to get positioned over a safety dot in the first place?

I notice many dots in a row on the road.
Unless you came down on the first dot in the row the rear of the car would have had to pass over one or more dots.

There's a chance that in passing over dots, the car hit one.

I suggest you change your statement a little.

 

[mongo]

It has Air Suspension

Interesting, that could help explain why the vehicle dropped. If the air distribution assembly failed, then all four corners could drop, might also be the precipitating event. I'm assuming that there are at least separate front/rear air circuits, so if the arm failure broke the air line, it wouldn't impact the front ride height.

 

[stopcrazypp]

You need to clean up this part of the story.

A car can't come crashing done onto something that it wasn't positioned over.
How did the car come to get positioned over a safety dot in the first place?

I notice many dots in a row on the road.
Unless you came down on the first dot in the row the rear of the car would have had to pass over one or more dots.

There's a chance that in passing over dots, the car hit one.

I suggest you change your statement a little.

I came with the same impression. Is the picture representative of the actual location however, or just a generic picture of similar dots?

I would get this part of the story straight too in case OP wants to pursue litigation or argue over whether the vehicle impacted anything. Hard to imagine how to position the car over the dots (such that it would have the mark shown in the picture) without a strong chance of possibly hitting them.

 

[mongo]

I came with the same impression. Is the picture representative of the actual location however, or just a generic picture of similar dots?

I would get this part of the story straight too in case OP wants to pursue litigation or argue over whether the vehicle impacted anything. Hard to imagine how to position the car over the dots (such that it would have the mark shown in the picture) without a strong chance of possibly hitting them.

Are you referring to this mark?

That looks more like paint that was applied wet than an abrasion. Note the lack of a single direction to the texture, and lack of any markings around it. It is also uniform across the casting part line. Also, this is the front suspension, really hard to get this area low enough to the ground to get a mark from the round dots. Seems more like a splotch that was there to begin with.

If the suspension bottomed out, it might feel like the car was hitting the dot, especially with the low profile tires.

 

[vdiv]

I don't think suspension arms should break like this. However if the car is out of warranty and there is no particular recall on this it won't matter what the cause was, defect or abuse, the owner will have to pay.

That said Tesla could be kind and help cover some of the expense, and they also may be interested in studying the failed part for future improvements.

 

[scottm]

I'm kinda interested to know the broken link is more of a shear, bend, or compression fracture.

It makes a difference as to how the dot was hit.

The wheel rolling over it might give a different kind of break, compared to a suspension component striking it.. which would lead to a different directional stress on the broken link.