2020 Tesla Model Y Suspension
Owner-reported problems and safety issues filed with NHTSA. Review common failures, severity levels, and complaint trends over time.
Complaint Timeline
Chronological view of owner reports
Front suspension issues with lots of creaking and noise when accelerating and decelerating as well as turning. Tesla had previously greased my upper control arms but this issue is now back, worse than ever
Brought the vehicle in for tire replacement and alignment on 08/15/2024. Right front tire was wearing on the outside. Tesla service technician found bolt had backed out and jammed on rear subframe. This caused vehicle to pull to the right and presented a potential safety issue. The bolt secures a link between the wheel assembly and subframe. Tesla service center claims that I must have had an accident or hit a pothole etc. The vehicle has not been involved in any accident or hard bumps. I suspect this is an assembly issue . A properly installed bolt would not come loose.
Experienced a loud clicking noise from front wheels. Took into Tesla service and the front lateral link bushings are torn. There was a recall in 2021 of some Model Y and Model 3 Teslas, but not all. I am concerned that my car and others should have been a part of this recall and that cars that weren’t inspected could be driving in a dangerous vehicle. Here is the recall number: 21V83500, SB-21-31-003. Alternatively, I am concerned that this is a safety issue on its own.
This is a 2020 Tesla model Y. At 55k miles, 3.5 years of ownership I was alerted by my tire dealer about broken bushings and control arms in both front tires. They mentioned that they see these early failures often in I have a 2020 Tesla model Y. I am a careful, risk averse driver who has used the car just on roads for daily commute. No extraordinary forces or events on the suspensions happened. At the service center, I was informed that this would be due to my driving and that it is not a Tesla quality issue. In the end, all bushings, all 4 front lower control arms and associated compliance links had to be replaced. Given the history of Tesla's suspensions and their failures I do feel that this is a significant quality and a potential safety threat to US customers. There were no warnings or alarms that have alerted me to this problem.
Vehicle is absolutely destroying tires at an alarming rate (every 10k miles we need new tires). We have had multiple 4 wheel alignments done and verified that the alignment is perfect. Despite this, the front and rear tires wear the inside leading edge down to wire while the outside edge has 80%+ tread remaining. The other issue is the creaking/groaning and premature wear the control arms display. This is a super common issue across all tesla models. This is alarming because the next step after the noise presents itself is total failure of the control arm due to lack of grease which results in the wheel falling off the vehicle. There are no grease fittings on the control arms like the vast majority of other manufacturers vehicles and the bearings and tesla won’t fix this despite knowing it is an issue and having our vehicle multiple times for service for this issue.
The front right passenger strut knuckle axel suspension was separated. We currently have the car at Tesla's service center. Our safety was put at risk when the tire locked up and we had no control of the steering. Driving at a higher speed could have resulted in a major traffic accident, or a fatality. The car is currently being inspected by the manufacturer (Tesla). There was a clicking/knocking noise that we heard one day before the incident. The noise was heard while turning the wheel. It got louder as the day went on.
Driving on a residential street around 20 mph as we approached a stop sign , heard a loud “thump.” It appeared to come from front wheel well area. Worried we hit something we circled back around back around but there was nothing. Car began making a loud noise everyone we turned the wheel. Got the car back home (we were only a few miles away) but it is sitting slightly lower on right side in front and from what I can see it looks like there is a holder for a bolt that is “empty” (i.e. I think a bolt fell off and cause the car to go lower to friend and turning the car toward that side is now noisy and impossible to turn —there is resistance). I see some 2020 Model Y’s had a recall for a suspension issue but when I plug in my VIN it appears it doesn’t apply to my VIN. I think you should investigate whether this recall needs to be expanded. What is described in the suspension recall sounds EXACTLY like what is happening to my car. Thank you. [XXX] INFORMATION Redacted PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).
I had taken my 2020 Tesla Model Y to have the rear tires replaced. The mechanic at the tire shop noticed a nut missing and a bolt about ready to fall out of one of the suspension rods on the driver side rear of the vehicle. The mechanic took a picture before fixing and then checked the rest of the nuts and bolts on the rear suspionsion on both sides of the vehicle. I had begun to notice a considerably shimmy with the rear of the car when going over railroad tracks, dips, and bumps in the road. I also thought it was odd that the rear tires were wearing faster and maybe this had something to do with that if the alignment was out of wack.
HERE IS ANOTHER MODEL Y IN THE JUNKYARD. HTTPS://WWW.IAAI.COM/VEHICLEDETAILS/39862499?TENANT=US&ROWNUMBER=65 THE BACK WHEEL HAS FALLEN OFF. ALL THE MONKEY METAL SUSPENSION GIBLETS ARE STRETCHED AND SNAPPED. ONE WHOMPY WHEEL CAN REALLY SPOIL YOUR DAY. WOULD IT BE TOO MUCH TROUBLE FOR YOU TO ISSUE A COMPULSORY RECALL? THANKS KEEF
THIS IS A COMPLAINT ABOUT SYSTEMIC FAILURES IN TESLA SUSPENSION COMPONENTS THAT AFFECT ALL YEARS AND MODELS OF TESLAS ON THE ROADS. PLEASE NOTE THAT I HAVE USED THE VIN OF A RANDOM TESLA MODEL Y SINCE THE VIN OF THE CAR IN QUESTION IS UNAVAILABLE. HERE IS A LINK TO A VIDEO IN WHICH AN OWNER SHOWS HIS CAR BROKEN DOWN ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD BECAUSE THE FRONT CONTROL ARM HAS SIMPLY FALLEN OFF THE CAR. HTTPS://WWW.TIKTOK.COM/[XXX]/VIDEO/6904844653024054533 THIS FAILURE COULD EASILY HAVE CAUSED A FATAL CRASH AND IT IS MOST LIKELY THAT THE FAILED CONTROL ARM WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN IDENTIFIED AS THE CAUSE OF THE CRASH. DO YOU REALLY THINK THAT THIS KIND OF THING IS ACCEPTABLE? ARE YOU JUST GOING TO LET LORD ELON CONTINUE TO GET AWAY WITH MURDER?? AM I REALLY THE UNHINGED ONE? [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR
HERE IS A TESLA MODEL Y IN ITS NATURAL ENVIRONMENT THE JUNKYARD. HTTPS://WWW.IAAI.COM/VEHICLEDETAILS/38164352?ROWNUMBER=7 THE FRONT WHEEL HAS FALLEN OFF. THE COMPLETE HUB AND WHEEL BEARING ASSEMBLY WHICH SHOULD BE SECURED BY 3 BOLTS HAS POPPED APART. THE SLIGHTLY MUTILATED WHEEL IS LYING ON THE GROUND AT THE REAR OF THE CAR. IT WOULD HAVE BEEN NICE IF THE BOLTS HAD BEEN PROPERLY TIGHTENED BEFORE IT LEFT THE TENT FACTORY BUT HEY THIS IS A TESLA SO WHAT CAN YOU EXPECT. HAVE A NICE DAY KEEF
PLEASE NOTE THAT I HAVE SUBSTITUTED THE VIN OF ANOTHER DAMAGED TESLA MODEL Y IN ORDER TO MAKE THIS SUBMISSION. THIS IS NOT DONE WITH ANY FRAUDULENT MOTIVE AS HAS BEEN ALLEGED BY ELON MUSK IN REGARD TO SOME OF MY OTHER GENUINE PUBLIC SPIRITED COMPLAINTS. NOW, ON WITH THE SHOW. HERE IS A MODEL Y IN THE JUNKYARD. HTTPS://WWW.COPART.COM/LOT/56817590/PHOTOS/2020-TESLA-MODEL-Y-MI-DETROIT TO MISQUOTE OSCAR WILDE - TO LOSE ONE WHEEL MAY BE REGARDED AS A MISFORTUNE; TO LOSE BOTH LOOKS LIKE CARELESSNESS. THE LOSS OF THE BACK WHEEL IS CERTAINLY CARELESS. THE CAST MONKEY-METAL BRAKE ROTOR AND HUB ASSEMBLY HAS CRACKED IN HALF. THE FRONT WHEEL AND SUSPENSION HAS WHOMPED IN THE TRADITIONAL TESLA WAY. THERE IS A CLASS ACTION UNDERWAY - I HOPE YOU ENJOY YOUR DAY IN COURT. HTTPS://WWW.PLAINSITE.ORG/DOCKETS/4ETIULZDR/CALIFORNIA-NORTHERN-DISTRICT-COURT/WILLIAMS-V-TESLA-INC/ KEEF
HERE IS A TESLA MODEL Y IN THE JUNKYARD. HTTPS://WWW.IAAI.COM/VEHICLEDETAILS/37390387?ROWNUMBER=4 THE FRONT SUSPENSION HAS FALLEN OFF. IT IS HIGHLY LIKELY THAT THE REASON IT FELL TO BITS IS THAT THE NUTS CAME LOOSE. HERE IS THE FORUM THREAD THAT PROVES THIS BOLT FALLS OFF FAR TOO EASILY. HTTPS://TESLAMOTORSCLUB.COM/TMC/THREADS/BE-AWARE-TIE-ROD-SAFETY-LIFE-AND-DEATH-ISSUE.205014/ NATURALLY THE TESLA FANBOYS RUSH TO THE DEFENSE OF THE SACRED TESLA. I WOULD BE GRATEFUL IF YOU WOULD INVESTIGATE THIS AND ASK TESLA TO GLUE THE SUSPENSIONS ON A BIT BETTER. THANK YOU KEEF
HERE IS A LOVELY TESLA MODEL Y IN THE JUNKYARD. HTTPS://WWW.IAAI.COM/VEHICLEDETAILS/37278352?ROWNUMBER=0 AND GUESS WHAT? THE BACK WHEEL FELL OFF! ALL THE SUSPENSION GIBLETS HAVE SNAPPED LIKE A PRETZEL. IT SEEMS HIGHLY UNLIKELY THIS IS THE RESULT OF COLLISION DAMAGE UNLESS IT WAS CHARGED BY A PYGMY HIPPOPOTAMUS. WOULD YOU KINDLY HAVE A WORD TO TESLA AND ASK THEM TO DO A BETTER JOB OF MANUFACTURING THE SUSPENSION GIBLETS. THANK YOU ONCE AGAIN. KEEF
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Quick Summary
The 2020 Tesla Model Y has 14 Suspension complaints on file. Review the timeline above for detailed owner experiences.