NHTSA Complaint #11279979 — 2017 TESLA MODEL X

WE HAVE 2 MODEL X VEHICLES. THE 2017 X100D DEVELOPED SERIOUS BUMPING AND GRINDING ISSUES IN ITS LEFT FRONT STEERING RACK ASSEMBLY DURING SLOW TURNS. IT NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THERE WAS ZERO INDICATION OF DAMAGE TO THE VEHICLE OR IMPACT TO THE VEHICLE FROM OUTSIDE FORCES. THERE WAS A LESS-THAN-PIN SIZED PUNCTURE TO THE RUBBER BOOT, VISIBLE ONLY BY SEVERELY STRETCHING THE RUBBER APART, AND THE LUBRICATING OIL WAS GONE. TESLA SERVICE CLAIMED THE PINHOLE SIZED DAMAGE TO THE STEERING RACK'S RUBBER BOOT WAS CAUSED BY OUTSIDE FORCES. I WAS CHARGED $1,600.00. GIVEN TESLA'S MODEL S RECALL FOR THE SAME ISSUES, I RETAINED THE MALFUNCTIONING STEERING RACK AND HAD IT INSPECTED BY 2 INDEPENDENT AUTO REPAIR SHOPS: WHEELWORKS AND AAMCO. IN BOTH CASES, WITHOUT REMOVING THE BOOT, THE OPINION OF BOTH AUTO REPAIR SHOPS WAS THAT THE PIN HOLE DAMAGE TO THE BOOT COULD DEFINITELY NOT HAVE BEEN CAUSED BY EXTERNAL FORCES. THE DAMAGE COULD ONLY HAVE RESULTED FROM INTERNAL DAMAGE TO THE STEERING COLUMN JOINT SPINNING OUT A SHARD OF STEEL, AND SUBSEQUENT EXTREMELY SLOW DRAINAGE OF THE LUBRICATING OIL. THIS TESLA HAD ITS 2 YEAR SERVICE PERFORMED ABOUT 6 MONTHS AGO. TWO DAYS AFTER THIS STEERING ASSEMBLY REPAIR ISSUE, THE TESLA WAS AGAIN BACK IN THE REPAIR SHOP BECAUSE OF A LOUD CREAKING NOISE COMING FROM THE RIGHT FRONT END. TESLA MECHANICS ORIGINALLY THOUGHT IT WAS A CREAKING SEAT, AND THEN THOUGHT IT WAS A CREAKING SUSPENSION. IT WAS ULTIMATELY DETERMINED THAT THE PROBLEM WAS THE RIGHT FRONT UPPER BALL JOINT. THERE WAS NO LUBRICATING OIL IN THE PROTECTIVE BOOT, AND NO DAMAGE TO THE BOOT. THE BALL JOINT NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THIS BALL JOINT WAS REPAIRED UNDER WARRANTY, YET TESLA PERSISTS IN REFUSING TO REIMBURSE FOR THE $1,600.00 STEERING ASSEMBLY REPLACEMENT NECESSITATED BY THE SAME ABSENCE OF LUBRICATING OIL, SIMILAR AGAIN TO THE MODEL S RECALL.