2018 TESLA MODEL 3 Suspension Problems

At just over 50,000 miles, my Model 3 experienced a failure of its upper control arm on the drivers front wheel; the suspension was exhibiting loud creaking noises over bumps and road imperfections. While Tesla refers to this issue as "noise, vibration and harshness" and has previously applied a service bulletin to my vehicle where sealant was applied to prevent water ingress into the joint, continued driving on a failing component as critical as the suspension could cause an accident. Furthermore, they consider the repair something the customer has to pay for. My vehicle is currently sitting at Tesla service with no feedback as to the final cost of repair or even when they will complete the repair.

Front suspension components need to be replaced due to loud creaking noise, vehicle is out of warranty and has only 42687 miles. There are several bulletins on related suspension issues, [XXX] Testa did replace the controls arms in this car on 09/09/2021 but it seems like the same defective parts were used. They replaced defective parts under warranty with the same type of defective parts but are refusing to warranty the repair since their parts only have a 1 year warranty. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Front suspension components needed to be replaced, vehicle was out of warranty and had only 43000 miles. These parts should last for much longer the 4 years and 43000 miles. No incident, but car squeaked at all speeds. Repair cost was $1600

Tesla replaced the upper control arm assembly in February 2021 after I complained that there was a squeaking noise when moving the steering wheel. My car and components are available for inspection. I was concerned that the front suspension would break leading to an accident. Tesla inspected and confirmed the issue. No warnings or message were displayed by the car.

At only 30,000 miles, the car began exhibiting terrible creaking sounds during colder temperatures whenever the suspension was active. Upon inspection, a Tesla technician claimed the ball joints on the upper control arms were “worn” and bushings on the lateral links were “torn”. Looking online, it’s clear this was due to defensive design/manufacture, as it’s happened to numerous vehicles. It appears that Canada and Europe have already forced Tesla to address these issues.

Front upper control arm ball joints squeaking noise. Turning the steering wheel produces loud squeaking noise. The ball joints seem susceptible to outside elements (ie water from raining) and lose internal grease and dried up creating frictions. 2018 Tesla Model 3 Long Range

After taking in my Tesla Model 3 for a loud creaking noise coming from the front right suspension, the Tesla service specialist said the suspension control arms are cracked and the car is dangerous to drive. I asked how this is possible. The Tesla specialist said the suspension is made of aluminum and cannot support the weight of the car. He said this is a known issue. However I was told I need to pay $2,300 for the repair because the car is out of warranty by 1 year. Since my car has under 29,000 miles, and this is a known flaw that is not the fault of the driver, I feel Tesla should pay for the repair. At this point I cannot afford to pay for the full repair (I paid for only the creaking fix which cost $400), so I am forced to ground my car until I...

Same exact issue as NHTSA ID: 23V235000 but for some reason my VIN is not part of the recall. Had to get it repaired by Tesla and paid out of pocket.

A bolt in the control arms of my Model 3 broke. I took it in for repair. They blamed me for hitting the bottom of the car. They changed both upper and lower control arms and charged me about $500 for it. This is a major safety problem that Tesla doesn’t accept the blame for, even though I have seen many complaints online about this issue. They should recall all the affected models and fix it before it causes dangerous situations on the road.

The front suspension lateral link fasteners on the driver side wheel came loose and fell off the car in my driveway when I was backing up the car. There is an active recall for this issue - 23V235000, but my VIN wasn't included in that recall.

Driver side compliance link bushing and lateral link bushing were both torn and required replacement of entire lateral and compliance links. Major suspension components failing when the vehicle has only 27k miles is unacceptable and unsafe, potentially effecting drivability. Obviously poor quality parts were used during manufacturing and replacements should be covered by recall or goodwill regardless of whether the vehicle is under warranty or not. I found several online articles describing this problem and it is a known issue. [XXX] [XXX] [XXX] The Tesla service manager admitted the problem, stating he sees a lot of control arm and bushing problems. Yet Tesla refused to stand behind their product, and charged nearly $1500 for the repairs. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

First Occurrence (5 Oct 2023): On 5 Oct 2023, as I was backing my 2018 Tesla Model 3 into a parking spot, I heard a loud metallic sound as I turned the wheels. I stopped the car to investigate and found a large bolt (about four inches long) under the front end of the car. Further inspection revealed that a similar bolt was partially backed out of the steering linkage. I also noticed the left front wheel was no longer aligned with the right front wheel. I determined the car was not drivable and I had it flat-bedded to the nearest Tesla Service Center. The service center diagnosed that the bolt had fallen out of the left lateral link and the other bolt had partially backed out. Inspection of the bolt that was recovered under the car showed no sign of wear and tear with the threads being in good...

Front left tire control arm completely separated from suspension with no obvious warning. Fortunately happened while backing out of driveway otherwise could have been catastrophic on street/freeway.

My car has has very loud creaking sounds coming from stabilizer links and upper control arms. This is a known defect and there are already service bulletins about this. Those bulletins are: SB1831005R1, SB-20-31-006 R3, SB-18-31-005 Unfortunately, when I took my vehicle into be repaired, they said that my VIN isn't covered by this recall... Yet, I am having the same issue. Tesla charged me $2,186.46 to fix it when it should have been free.

While traveling approximately 20mph, I heard a loud noise from the front of the vehicle. It sounded like I hit a road hazard, but the road was clear. I inspected the front of the vehicle and there was no visible damage. However, from then on, the vehicle would make a loud clunking noise whenever I made a turn, no warning lamps or messages. I was able to drive to a Tesla Service Center and they diagnosed it as a failure of the Front Lower Lateral Link. There have been recalls associated with the lower lateral link (SB-21-31-001) for 2018-2019 Model 3 vehicles, but my VIN was not part of that recall. It should have been part of recall.

The front suspension started making a lot of loud noises, the service center acknowledged that it's a control arm issue potentially however my VIN is not listed in a recall that was conducted for this manufacturer and they're doing more recalls on it but the manufacturer says that I have to pay for the repair despite it being a safety issue for the control arm not being tightened to the frame and suspension and potentially dislodge.

I noticed noise coming from the front driver's side wheel especially when turning. Upon inspection, I found that a nut was missing from the front suspension lateral link that fastens the link to the sub-frame. Also, the 2nd bolt fastening the link was very loose. This is exactly what happened as noted in the NHTSA Part 573 Safety Recall Report - 23V-235. Tesla service says that "there are no open campaigns for your vehicle for nuts missing". Well there needs to be as this is very dangerous.

The contact owns a 2018 Tesla Model 3. The contact stated while driving 25 MPH, there was an abnormal sound coming from the vehicle. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and the contact was informed that the front upper control arm, and the shifter cable needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 39,000.

I hit a medium sized pothole on a freeway in 2019 and cracked 2 rims. After replacing the rims and tires, I still had vibration. Now, over about 100-1000 miles, my alignment goes out and my suspension and steering begins to loosen (or feel that way), leading to steering instability, bounciness and vibration through the steering wheel. There are no warnings to identify this, but the car's own "applied offset diagnosis" will show this problem. I've been to Tesla over 10 times to attempt to repair this and they say the car is working as designed after redoing the alignment and torqueing suspension. On about 3-4 of these visits, Tesla has reproduced the problem on a test drive. In 8 of 10 of the visits, the alignment printout afterward shows the front left toe is out. Because they say this is how it is designed, I believe this is a...

Only when driving on HWY speeds 65 mph and above the steering pulls, while correcting to drive safely the car jerks and is very unsafe during hwy speeds as if i'm fighting to keep straight on the road. Tesla confirmed it was the lower lateral links which was replaced but did not fix the issue. the vehicle continues to have the same issue and now Telsa is saying the steering rack may need to be replaced. seems this is a common issue with this car!

Front suspension arm dislocated while driving (at 15mph). Could have been fatal had I been on the highway. Bolt connecting suspension was not broken, must have just come loose. I believe this is similar to the recall notice 21V-835, but that only covered years 2019-2021. My car is a 2018, one of the first ones released. This should have also been included in the recall. Tesla told me my car is out of warranty and to take to a body shop.

The driver side front left suspension lateral link fasteners (bolts and nuts) completely fell off, allowing the lateral link to separate from the sub-frame. This occurred at low speed attempting to turn into my home driveway and resulted in the front left fender resting only on the tire. Significant body damage was incurred, with the fender and the driver door coming in contact and obstructing initial exit of the vehicle. Tesla claimed that my car was not included in any recall, even after escalation within the service department and my insistence that they cover the costs of the repairs. They refused repeatedly. I ended up paying $2037.08 for the suspension repairs, and additional $3000 for body repairs. This would have been a catastrophic incident and failure had I been at highway speeds, which I was literally 5 minutes prior to the suspension failure.

The passenger and driver side bolts connecting the shock strut to the lower control arms have come loose. The passenger side nut is missing and the bolt has almost fallen out, just hanging on by a thread. Can make driving dangerous by increasing instability.

Bolt connecting lower control arm to the sub frame fell out as it wasn’t torqued/fastened properly during manufacturing. This caused suspension to rattle and cause wheel alignment warnings to go off.

Vehicle owned since December 2018. Squeaking noise from suspension June 2023 with no precipitating event or incident . No alert or messages. Previous front control arm replacements done. Per Tesla Service inspection, Correction: Links - Compliance - Lower - Front - RH/LH (Remove and Replace) & Correction: Links - Lateral - Lower - Front - LH/RH (Remove & Replace). Suspension issues.

THIS IS ON RECAL SB-20-31-006 R3. THE BALL JOINT OF MY TESLA MODEL 3. SQUEAKS/CREAKING, WHEN I TURN THE STEERING WHEEL, WHEN I DRIVE SLOW, DRIVE FAST, HIT ANY BUMP, TURN. THE NOISE HAS GOTTEN LOUDER. I WAS TOLD BY TESLA TAHT MY CAR DOES NOT QUALIFY UNDER THE RECAL DUE TO MY VIN#. REQUESTING ASSISTANCE TO GET THIS FIXED.

The contact owns a 2018 Tesla Model 3. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed over a speed bump, he heard a rattling sound coming from the front passenger’s side suspension. Upon visual inspection, the contact observed that a bolt had detached from the suspension. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, who determined a damaged frontal lower lateral link needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V235000 (Suspension). The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 56,000.

How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? -Due to the Suspension recall that was released in March 2023. My car spinned out of control on the High causing my car to loose control on HW 85 south I nearly lost my life but the car stopped due to a limb in the grass. Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others?No, because the accident before the recall was experienced. Were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear? No

My car has started making squeaky noise in the front of the vehicle. Upon getting it inspected I was told the suspension links will have to be replaced. I told the rep at Tesla that 2018 model 3 Tesla is under recall for suspension. Links as this problem is a common found problem amount this model of the Tesla. And therefore it’s under recall. But they refused and said my car is not flagged for that recall so I will have to pay to fix the problem.

Front suspension lateral link fell off from subframe while driving. No warning was given. Unable steer vehicle.

Left Lower Lateral Control Arm Failure: One of the bolts attaching the control arm to the subframe had loosened and fallen out. The increased stress caused the other attachment point on the control arm to break resulting in complete failure. Luckily, this happened in a parking lot; on the road this would amount to an extreme safety risk. The Vehicle has been inspected by Tesla and the incident occurred with out warning. There is currently an extremely limited recall for this problem (Recall # 23V-235), but my Model 3 is not included in this.

My 2018 Model 3 was purchased brand new direct from Tesla with no other drivers or accidents. In Feb of 2023 I heard a creaking sound from the front driver wheel. The steering wheel felt like it was shaking when going into lane changes. I brought it into Tesla and they found that both lateral link bolts were loose, subframe damage. The exact issue was recalled under #23V-235. I showed them the reports but Tesla refused to honor the recall because they only do it on specific vins. My VIN was clearly missed in error. There is absolutely no way that I had the exact issue as the recall and for my car to somehow be an exception. I paid $2,162.13 that needs to be refunded. This could have killed me and they are lucky that I brought the car in and found the issue before they were dragged by...

The contact owns a 2018 Tesla Model 3. The contact stated that upon reversing out of a parking lot, an abnormal clunking sound was coming from the vehicle while turning to the right. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact continued driving and the steering wheel became loose, and an unknown object detached from the vehicle upon entering her driveway. Due to the failure, the contact decided to have the vehicle towed; upon arrival, the tow truck driver discovered that a bolt had fallen out of the vehicle. Once the vehicle arrived at the service center, the mechanic replaced a lower front lateral link and half shaft assembly. Upon investigation, the contact discovered NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V235000 (Suspension); which she linked to the failure. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was repaired. The failure mileage was 70,950.

I received a message on the cars screen Steering alignment service recommended On the drivers side 2 bolts fell out at low speed which we picked up behind the vehicle. Using a jack one of the bolts was reinstalled to allow it to be driven onto a tow truck. I researched and found you had a recall on 2018 model 3 for bolts coming loose. It appears my vin was not part of this recall . I feel it should have been obviously as they must have worked themselves loose to fall out. I discussed this with Tesla service and they are quoting me $2500 for repairs because my vin was not included in the recall.

My wife was driving and the left front suspension became disconnected. It appears some type of connection bolt came loose. The car became undriveable and unable to steal properly.

I purchased this car used 12/05/2022. The seatbelt /driverside, doesn't catch on sudden stops, lurching me forward. I've almost hit the steering wheel with my face and head. Tesla says they are not responsible for replacing seatbelt. I have to pay for it. I don't know previous owners knew about this issue prior to selling it , but according to tesla, this issue doesn't fall with in their purview. Also the sealed control arm bushings on steering are squealing & after squeaking 10,000 miles of my driving this car and purchase. That too isn't covered.

The front left control arm (lateral link) of my Model 3's front wheel just came completely off (bolts unscrewed) without any incident. It fell to the ground and preventing my car from steering properly and was dragging on the ground. The car couldn't drive properly and needed to be towed to the Tesla service center. This could have easily caused a fatal accident by causing the car to suddenly not be able to steer and drive properly. I had the vehicle towed to the Tesla service center and the engineers did not know how or why the bolts were unscrewed and came out. The Tesla service center forced me to pay out of pocket since my vehicle had 70K miles and was out of warranty. They refused to accept it as a manufacturing safety defect.

The main bolt that holds together the wheel and body on the driver side fell off while driving, resulting in wheel falling off and car not able to operate safety. The bolt is marked with kxv109. This caused damage to the entire subframe assembly. This could have been a very terrible accident if I was driving at a higher speed. On October 27, 2022 I noticed an odd sound from my steering wheel which I reported to Tesla and had my car in for service and was told that nothing was wrong and everything worked as expected, so I continued to drive my car. My car’s wheel fell off on January 20, 2023, the bolt that held the wheel to the body completely broke off and fell on the ground.

looks like "upper control arms Parts" are poorly constructed and Tesla is not able to fix . I've had my 2018 model 3 for a 4.5 years now I notice a squeaking noise coming from the steering wheel and its constantly whenever I turn the wheel. Tesla said to replace upper control arms Parts by owner , even though it was poorly designed .costing about $2800.00.. which is not acceptable . Would you mind take a look at this issue

I was turning left into our garage at low speed, and a bolt fell out of the front right suspension (bolt came out of lower control arm) and the wheel practically fell off the car. A whole mess of damage happened, and it came out to an over $5,000 repair, and we're still getting it repaired. We recently had the tires aligned at Tesla in October 2022, roughly 3 months before the bolt fell out. Bolts like this shouldn't be falling out of the car, and at the very least Tesla should be checking the torque on all these things on any major service.

I was driving the car about 35-40 MPH when I heard a popping sound. The steering immediately locked up and the car was undrivable and unsteerable. I looked around car and the body of the car was resting on top of the front right passenger side tire. A bolt was found underneath the car. There were no vehicle system warnings, I did not hit anything, nor has the car been in any accidents. The car could not even be put into neutral or moved out of the 4 lane road. I contacted police and tow truck who said swing arm had failed. I had four children in the car who could have been seriously or fatally injured. Tesla has been contacted but said it isnt their problem or a manufacturing problem although there is lots of reports on internet and they have issued a recall for this very problem on...

2018 MODEL 3 21,060 miles, No warning lights or messages, car started to make a clicking noise when turning steering wheel right and left. Drove to Tesla Service Center after hearing noise for the 1st time. At Tesla Service: Agent #1 stated that is a normal noise and no need to bring it in and or need to make appointment. Agent #2 Technician, heard noise and said that it needs to be looked at, maybe control arm. Technician #3 came out to visual inspect vehicle heard noise when turning steering wheel while he visually inspected front suspension. Tesla made appointment for next day. Tesla stated that Right and Left Control arm and all parts, have to be replaced. Tesla has recalls out for front suspension, control arm issue. If your vin. # is not on the list then you will be charged. I believe that this is major safety issue...

The contact owns a 2018 Tesla Model 3. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, he heard a loud popping sound near the front passenger’s side wheel. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the lower front lateral link, assembly left and assembly right link, all four-ball joints and sub frame needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 59,000.

The contact owns a 2018 Tesla Model 3. The contact stated THAT while his wife was driving at unknown speed, she heard an abnormal sound and a part detached from the vehicle. There was also an abnormal rubbing sound. The contact pulled over and examined the vehicle and noticed that there was a metal part hanging underneath the vehicle. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, but the vehicle was not diagnosed. The manufacturer was contacted and stated that the vehicle was not included TSB-21-31-003. The failure mileage was 56,527.

Lateral and Comp Links Failed and Upper Control Arms Failed causing steering issues. Car has barely been driven and shouldn’t require repairs to these parts so early in its life.

After a routine breaking in traffic noticed a loud grinding noise. Upon inspection notice that the right rear suspension assembly was sitting on the inside rim of the wheel. The bolt at the bottom of the assembly had either come out or sheared off.

Car is 4 years old with 22k miles only and never was involved in an accident or high impact situation. When backing out of driveway and then turning wheels going forward at low speed, a loud noise occurred in the front passenger wheel area and car came to a complete stop. After going out to investigate, the car body was resting on the wheel and two bolts were on the road and the lower control arm was detached from the underbody and dragging to the floor. Had this happened at high speed I can’t imagine what would have been the outcome. No early warning signs occurred prior to this incident.

2 bolts mounting the left lower front control arm to the subframe has come loose. The car is out of warranty and Tesla refused to work on it without charging. The car has been making clunking noise and lately is pulling to the right when on freeway. Glad that I am handy and capable of doing DIY repair and glad I discovered it early. If one of these bolts comes loose on freeway, it could be fatal to me. I researched and found that I am not the only one. https://teslamotorsclub.com/tmc/threads/suspension-rattling-sound-turned-out-to-be-a-loose-bolt.185958/ When there are that many reports of the same problem, I believe Tesla should be more proactive or do a recall. The bolts have been tightened by me but I don't know the exact torque specs, nor do I know if any other suspension components or threads of the bolts have been compromised. I did not check the right...

The contact owns a 2018 Tesla Model 3. The contact stated while operating the vehicle, there was a squeaking sound coming from the front passenger’s side of the vehicle. The sound was present while making turns, stopping, and accelerating. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The manufacturer and local Service Center was notified of the failure and a Service appointment was scheduled. The failure mileage was 25,750.

I've heard a loud crack while driving, in a curve. The car felt strange when steering, with noises and strange feeling while driving. I was close to home, so decided to just as park and notify Tesla. While I was parking, I've noticed the wheel touched the car on a sharp curve. I've decided to no longer drive it, scheduled a Tesla service center appointment (3 weeks later). We didn't drive the car any longer. On the day of service, I've called a tow truck. As the tow driver was pulling my car into the tow, a large bolt felt from under my car; and steering at this point was impossible (tire would touch the car). The service center replaced both sides LATERAL LINK and bolts. I've looked up this part, and found the recall 21V83500, SB-21-31-003 - which stated a situation very close to mine. My car was 2018,...