Very Shaky/ Bumpy Ride

[kverma]

Hi everyone
I bought a new tesla model 3 SR+ on Thursday March 12 2020. I was extremely excited about the car as I have been following Tesla for a few years and totally support the mission.
After years of thinking about it I finally took the plunge and bought the Model 3.
At first everything seemed great, the autpoilot is amazing the acceleration is crazy and car looks fantastic.
However after two days I started noticing how shaky the car is. The roads near me are not great but are not that bad.
The car shakes non stop feels like there is no suspension. Even on good roads I can feel the road. My old Honda Civic had a much better ride than this.
I tried calling Tesla to return the car and they said it cannot be returned as I have already taken the rebate. Please note no one informed me about this while signing the document.

Are you guys experiencing such issues with you car, or is it only me. I have fixed an appointment with them for next week so hoping for the best.

Please share your experience with the car as well.

Thanks

 

[cucubits]

Hi everyone
I bought a new tesla model 3 SR+ on Thursday March 12 2020. I was extremely excited about the car as I have been following Tesla for a few years and totally support the mission.
After years of thinking about it I finally took the plunge and bought the Model 3.
At first everything seemed great, the autpoilot is amazing the acceleration is crazy and car looks fantastic.
However after two days I started noticing how shaky the car is. The roads near me are not great but are not that bad.
The car shakes non stop feels like there is no suspension. Even on good roads I can feel the road. My old Honda Civic had a much better ride than this.
I tried calling Tesla to return the car and they said it cannot be returned as I have already taken the rebate. Please note no one informed me about this while signing the document.

Are you guys experiencing such issues with you car, or is it only me. I have fixed an appointment with them for next week so hoping for the best.

Please share your experience with the car as well.

Thanks

I think that's just how the 3 drives. There are a lot of people who bought a Model 3 without driving it first or only after a short test drive and find it's ride is very rough. If you are within the 7 day return period, I'd think about this really hard and make a decision considering there's a real chance the service center won't be able to change.

 

[cucubits]

I tried calling Tesla to return the car and they said it cannot be returned as I have already taken the rebate.

Sorry, I just noticed you mentioned this. What does it mean? Even if you're within the 7 days? Are you sure they aren't stalling you?

 

[kverma]

Sorry, I just noticed you mentioned this. What does it mean? Even if you're within the 7 days? Are you sure they aren't stalling you?

Basically they are saying that you have already taken the rebate from the government of 5k(Ontario) so now you cannot return the car

 

[house9]

You might want to try and decrease the tire pressure?

Mine came stock at 46PSI, I think Elon says you can put as low as 39PSI ? Will decrease range.

Recommended tire pressure

I still run at 46, it is fine on many roads where I live but i would not call it a Cush ride

 

[Uncle Paul]

Check your tire pressure. Cars sometimes come over inflated at delivery. Aftermarket also offers softer springs and shocks.

Model 3 comes with more of a sports suspension than a luxury suspension. If the suspension/shocks on your previous Civic was worn, that might be some of the reason your 3 feels more firm.

Many say they quickly get used to the firm ride, and appreciate the great handling that comes along with it.

 

[focher]

It might be worth adjusting the steering sensitivity in the settings to see if that makes it more palatable.

 

[Bubbatech]

Two things, my AWD was delivered with 47 pounds tire pressure. Lowering it to 41 pounds substantially moderates the ride. Also after a couple weeks, it also seemed a bit less stiff as well. Now it doesn’t bother me unless I am on A particularly crappy interstate highway.

 

[Chisale]

That sounds like a tire balancing issue to me when you said it shakes non-stop. Or possibly an alignment issue. In any event, if you think there's a problem then they should look at it for you. Was this purchased at a dealership or direct buy delivery? Yes, with the model 3 you feel bumps on the road. It's not a premium car like the S. But it shouldn't feel shaky. Mine doesn't.

 

[cucubits]

It's not a premium car like the S

I have an S (albeit with standard suspension) and the ride is ok but definitely doesn't feel "premium" like a similarly priced higher end ICE car. There are a lot of benefits to a Tesla but ride and build quality are not among these.

 

[markus313]

@kverma did you get this resolved?

Did someone take this up with the Tesla service department and get help?

Sorry to revive an old thread, but the title fits. I bought an SR+ in 2019, a couple of weeks after it became available. (Default 18" aero wheels.) I recently wrote this description of the ride:

The car is a little jiggly on smooth roads, embarrassing on average roads, and the teenagers and wife, when in the back seat, describe it as "horrible" and "a roller coaster" when on bad roads, which we have plenty. We are in the Bay Area.​

As the driver (and motivated EV owner) I have found it bearable, but my family is in open rebellion against anything other than short rides.

I did try with tire pressure of 40-41 psi for a couple of months instead of 45-46. No noticeable effect. Surface roughness is not the problem; the problem is that the car tends to deal with bumps like a kangaroo.

A few days ago a friend let me drive his 2018 LR AWD, and I got my wife and son to ride in the back on the same "test circuit" that we had just driven with our car. The higher-end car behaved noticeably better, but still not like a smooth "normal" car. Our guess is that Tesla used the same suspension parts for all trim levels, even though the SR+ is about 200kg lighter.

Looking at MPP Comfort Coilovers now but wondering if it's worth talking to Tesla first.

PS: TMC newbie here. Been finding/reading some threads for a while and finally created an account

 

[KenC]

@kverma did you get this resolved?

Did someone take this up with the Tesla service department and get help?

Sorry to revive an old thread, but the title fits. I bought an SR+ in 2019, a couple of weeks after it became available. (Default 18" aero wheels.) I recently wrote this description of the ride:

The car is a little jiggly on smooth roads, embarrassing on average roads, and the teenagers and wife, when in the back seat, describe it as "horrible" and "a roller coaster" when on bad roads, which we have plenty. We are in the Bay Area.​

As the driver (and motivated EV owner) I have found it bearable, but my family is in open rebellion against anything other than short rides.

I did try with tire pressure of 40-41 psi for a couple of months instead of 45-46. No noticeable effect. Surface roughness is not the problem; the problem is that the car tends to deal with bumps like a kangaroo.

A few days ago a friend let me drive his 2018 LR AWD, and I got my wife and son to ride in the back on the same "test circuit" that we had just driven with our car. The higher-end car behaved noticeably better, but still not like a smooth "normal" car. Our guess is that Tesla used the same suspension parts for all trim levels, even though the SR+ is about 200kg lighter.

Looking at MPP Comfort Coilovers now but wondering if it's worth talking to Tesla first.

PS: TMC newbie here. Been finding/reading some threads for a while and finally created an account

You need to have it looked at. That's not normal. Could be bad tires, bad alignment, or maybe something with the suspension.

 

[momo3605]

@kverma did you get this resolved?

Did someone take this up with the Tesla service department and get help?

Sorry to revive an old thread, but the title fits. I bought an SR+ in 2019, a couple of weeks after it became available. (Default 18" aero wheels.) I recently wrote this description of the ride:

The car is a little jiggly on smooth roads, embarrassing on average roads, and the teenagers and wife, when in the back seat, describe it as "horrible" and "a roller coaster" when on bad roads, which we have plenty. We are in the Bay Area.​

As the driver (and motivated EV owner) I have found it bearable, but my family is in open rebellion against anything other than short rides.

I did try with tire pressure of 40-41 psi for a couple of months instead of 45-46. No noticeable effect. Surface roughness is not the problem; the problem is that the car tends to deal with bumps like a kangaroo.

A few days ago a friend let me drive his 2018 LR AWD, and I got my wife and son to ride in the back on the same "test circuit" that we had just driven with our car. The higher-end car behaved noticeably better, but still not like a smooth "normal" car. Our guess is that Tesla used the same suspension parts for all trim levels, even though the SR+ is about 200kg lighter.

Looking at MPP Comfort Coilovers now but wondering if it's worth talking to Tesla first.

PS: TMC newbie here. Been finding/reading some threads for a while and finally created an account

I think this is normal actually. I find the suspension while sitting in the back to be very bouncy. But in the front seat, I think it's very composed. I would recommend you trying to sit in the back and compare, i think you'll notice the same thing. I've noticed this on multiple model 3s. It definitely sucks for rear passengers. But, in my case, i'm never going to sit in the back, so doesn't bother me! A friend of mine did the KW v3, and said the damping for rear passengers is improved.

 

[Apone]

Also say normal unfortunately. The ride is “jiggly”, a word used on the forums that I have to agree with. I find at low speed the car is pretty good, smooth even. The more you push the more it comes apart in the ride handling for me, especially given my expectation of a performance model. I have not driven the lr or sr but your description is closely enough aligned to my impression as a new owner. With two more people in the car it bounces more. The ride is best when I’m alone. Overall Tesla just needs to keep working on suspension. I recall it taking Hyundai and Kia generations of cars to refine this. It came up in every single car and driver review even on cars they liked a lot.

 

[scarpiamod3]

You would have to repay the rebate, its the same as in BC but you can still return it, sounds like they are stalling.

If you still have the car, lower the tire pressure to 39psi and drive it, I have the exact same car and its comparable to my BMW in ride, a little more harsh, but lowering the tire pressure makes a big difference.

 

[Tranceporter]

Second this. The ride is trash. I have owned plenty of sports cars in the past. With all of them, the ride was firm when the road was bad. Bumps would not soaked properly. With M3, it's weird setup. Big bump;s are soaked up nice, but on normal/fairly smooth roads I get constant jiggly/shaking/pulsating feedback through steering wheel as if it's picking every ultra-minor imperfection inthe road. Does my head in. None of my previous sports car had this jiggly steering feel. I am looking to go down the coilover route as well.

 

[Marius A]

Second this. The ride is trash. I have owned plenty of sports cars in the past. With all of them, the ride was firm when the road was bad. Bumps would not soaked properly. With M3, it's weird setup. Big bump;s are soaked up nice, but on normal/fairly smooth roads I get constant jiggly/shaking/pulsating feedback through steering wheel as if it's picking every ultra-minor imperfection inthe road. Does my head in. None of my previous sports car had this jiggly steering feel. I am looking to go down the coilover route as well.

From what I've read on this forum the rebound dampers on the TM3 are the biggest issue here.
There's too little rebound dampening so it's forced back sharply, which causes a lot of very small shocks when the road surface isn't perfectly even.

I think @MasterC17 can elaborate more, unlike me he actually knows what he's talking about.

 

[ArcticStation]

I've owned my Model 3 for over two years. Last week, I strongly recommended to my son-in-law that he NOT buy a Tesla. He is ready to upgrade from his trusty Hyundai to something a little nicer. Sadly, a LR AWD meets all his needs except for the ride. For 50K, he expects, not unreasonably, a car with a decent ride over New England's challenging road surfaces. Sadly, that is not a Model 3. And I have gotten to the point where I prefer to dodge potholes around town during winter in my ten year old hybrid , saving the Model 3 for summer and interstate travel. I love my Model 3, but there are significant compromises. If you live in a place where the roads are not the best and ride quality is more important than driving an EV that feels like it is on rails, look elsewhere.

 

[Needsdecaf]

You need to have it looked at. That's not normal. Could be bad tires, bad alignment, or maybe something with the suspension.

Nope, it's "normal".

I think this is normal actually. I find the suspension while sitting in the back to be very bouncy. But in the front seat, I think it's very composed. I would recommend you trying to sit in the back and compare, i think you'll notice the same thing. I've noticed this on multiple model 3s. It definitely sucks for rear passengers. But, in my case, i'm never going to sit in the back, so doesn't bother me! A friend of mine did the KW v3, and said the damping for rear passengers is improved.

Also say normal unfortunately. The ride is “jiggly”, a word used on the forums that I have to agree with. I find at low speed the car is pretty good, smooth even. The more you push the more it comes apart in the ride handling for me, especially given my expectation of a performance model. I have not driven the lr or sr but your description is closely enough aligned to my impression as a new owner. With two more people in the car it bounces more. The ride is best when I’m alone. Overall Tesla just needs to keep working on suspension. I recall it taking Hyundai and Kia generations of cars to refine this. It came up in every single car and driver review even on cars they liked a lot.

Agree, it's unfortunately part of the experience.

From all the things I've read, I believe that it's the fact that the car is too reliant on the bump stops as part of the suspension management. That's where the hopping comes from.

Suspension Tech - Firmer But More Comfortable? How Can That Be? | Mountain Pass PerformanceThis Article by MPP seems to be the most accurate, and makes the most sense.

I've had two Model 3's, an LRAWD and a Performance. I will say the Performance is better, likely because the springs are stiffer and it's less into the bump stops. But both exhibit this jiggly, bouncy behavior. I even made a video or two about it. Watch the video and keep an eye on fixed horizontal elements, like the bridge or road signs. Look at how they oscillate up and down. It sucks. I watch my poor kids in the back seat and their heads are like bobble heads.

And no, it's not because it's "sporty". I've owned two 911's and neither of them ride like this.

 

[TLLMRRJ]

I've owned my Model 3 for over two years. Last week, I strongly recommended to my son-in-law that he NOT buy a Tesla. He is ready to upgrade from his trusty Hyundai to something a little nicer. Sadly, a LR AWD meets all his needs except for the ride. For 50K, he expects, not unreasonably, a car with a decent ride over New England's challenging road surfaces. Sadly, that is not a Model 3. And I have gotten to the point where I prefer to dodge potholes around town during winter in my ten year old hybrid , saving the Model 3 for summer and interstate travel. I love my Model 3, but there are significant compromises. If you live in a place where the roads are not the best and ride quality is more important than driving an EV that feels like it is on rails, look elsewhere.

It's a 50K car, which is a lot, but only $10K over the average new car price in this country. If you can get yourself to imagine a box you can check on the Tesla website for "Upgraded, adjustable suspension" that costs around $2K and makes the Model 3 ride as good as any luxury sport car, would you then recommend to your son he buy the Model 3 and get that option?

If so, then it's not too bad of an idea to buy the car and then have MPP installed aftermarket and be very happy. That's what I did!