NHTSA Complaint #11543277 — 2015 TESLA MODEL S

I had driven to a shopping center for buy a new backpack for my daughter who was starting school. After shopping, as I reversed my car, I felt as if I had gone over a bump. I came out to see if there was a bump or something else in the parking lot but found nothing that my car could have gone over. I got back in the car and started my drive and immediately, started hearing loud and griding noises. The noise would get worse as I would turn the steering wheel and the car would also seem as it is going over bumps. I immediately came out and look around and found nothing; I then looked at the wheel well and the surrounding area and didn't detect anything out of ordinary. I was able to drive the car home (roughly 1.5 miles) at speed no faster than 3-5 miles/hour without continuous loud and griding noise. I contacted Tesla who gave me an appointment for a week later. Inspection found fore-link broken. What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? Left fore-link connected to the front suspension of the car. Part is available for inspection. How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? The breakage of the part made the wheel get disconnected from the suspension. Had I been driving on a highway or other roadways at higher speed, my car would have certainly gotten out of control and endangered my life and the lives of others. Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? This is a known issue that has been reported by many Tesla Model S owners. There is also a recall in China for the similar parts. Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? Yes, it was inspected by Tesla service center. Were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear? There were no warnings or other symptoms prior to the failure of the fore-link.