NHTSA Complaint #11152089 — 2015 TESLA MODEL S

I WAS DRIVING MY TESLA MODEL S SLOWLY ON A BUSY DOWNTOWN STREET LINED WITH PARKING SPACES. SPEED WAS LESS THAN 25 MILES PER HOUR. I BRAKED TO ALLOW A CAR TO PULL OUT OF A PARKING SPOT AND MY CAR MADE A LOUD NOISE. I TRIED TO CONTINUE DRIVING BUT THE NOISE CONTINUED SO I PULLED INTO THE PARKING SPOT THAT HAD BEEN VACATED BY THE OTHER DRIVER TO SEE WHAT HAPPENED. THERE WAS WINDSHIELD WIPER FLUID LEAKING FROM THE FRONT WHEEL WELL AND A VISIBLY BROKEN CONTROL ARM AT THE FRONT LEFT WHEEL. I THINK THAT IS WHAT THE PART IS CALLED BUT I AM NOT CERTAIN. THERE IS A PICTURE OF THE BROKEN PART ATTACHED. THE WHEEL WELL WAS DAMAGED AND THE TRIM AT THE BOTTOM OF THE DOOR WAS LOOSE. THERE APPEARS TO BE NO CAUSE FOR THIS FAILURE AS THERE WAS NOTHING IN THE ROAD, NO POT HOLES, NO OBJECTS, NO BUMPS. THE CAR WAS DRIVING FINE BEFORE THIS OCCURRED. THE FAILURE OCCURRED ABOUT 3 MINUTES AFTER I STARTED THE TRIP. SPEED WAS LOW THE ENTIRE TRIP AS I WAS LEAVING A RESTAURANT IN A DOWNTOWN AREA FULL OF PEDESTRIANS, STOP SIGNS AND PARKING SPACES. THE CAR WAS NOT DRIVE-ABLE FOLLOWING THIS FAILURE SINCE THE FRONT WHEEL WAS NO LONGER SUPPORTED. TESLA SENT A TOW TRUCK TO TAKE THE CAR TO THEIR NEAREST SERVICE CENTER.