NHTSA Complaint #11576013 — 2020 TESLA MODEL X

On [XXX] traveling south from [XXX] to merge onto [XXX] via the on-ramp, we hit a rough patch of road with potholes/ruts at the shoulder. There was a loud bang, we felt the front of the car drop, and felt an immediate change in steering/stability. We could hear loud scraping/grinding noises, and we pulled to the shoulder as quickly as we could. At first we suspected a flat tire, however the tires were all fine. We could hear air hissing coming from under the car when the ignition was on. The vehicle was towed to a Tesla Service center. We learned that the front driver-side suspension had failed and broke through the surrounding strut tower. The vehicle was deemed a total loss and was sold at a salvage auction, however we do still have the broken part of the strut tower if needed for inspection. Our safety and that of other drivers on the road was put at risk in this event. If we had been traveling on a tighter curve or at a higher speed, we could have lost control of the vehicle and resulted in a crash. We were stranded on the side of a busy highway onramp at night when this incident occurred, which was also unsafe. UNKNOWN if the problem has been reproduced by a dealer or service center. Our understanding is that Tesla is already aware of the suspension issues. The vehicle was inspected by Tesla's Raleigh Service Center, by Erie Insurance, and by a local, Telsa-authorized Body Shop (Relentless Collision). They confirmed the suspension and strut tower failure. There were no warning lamps, messages, or other symptoms of the problem prior to or at the time of failure. After the car was towed to Tesla, a service center representative mentioned that the computer system showed a suspension failure/error message, but we explained that no such warnings came up at the time of the incident. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)