What 379 owners told NHTSA about the 2017 Tesla Model S P90d

Las Vegas,NV approximately 9:00AM an unknown motorist cut me off on surface streets. I had to apply brakes hard manually not in driving assist mode in an hard panic stop to avoid collision. When I resumed driving I heard crunching and scraping sounds coming from driver side front wheel. I pulled over and inspected an noticed tire was close to wheel well. I the drove carefully to nearby Tesla dealership. Problem was diagnosed as a fore link failure. It is important to note there was no impact whatsoever. I don’t think suspension components should fail after hard braking at approximately 40 mph.

NHTSA ODI 11453091

The fore link on the front left wheel (driver side) seems to have snapped. It got disconnected from the wheel when parking the car. Steering became impossible with the wheel wobbling and causing strong grinding noises. I had heard strange noises and weird snaps before when turning the wheel to get out of my garage a couple of times over the past few months but the car seemed to drive fine so I didn't get worried further. When I went for brunch on Sunday (02/06/22) and pulled into the parking lot of the restaurant I heard strong noises and received shocks through the steering column and I knew something was _very_ wrong. I took a couple of photos (see attached) and noticed what seemed to be the problem (wheel control arm - fore link). I called a tow truck and was glad I didn't run into the issue while on the highway... Tesla is now has the car and is asking for $1,500 for 2 Fore Link assemblies... The car only has 36,000 miles and has been exclusively driven in Northern California (no rust or corrosion from the dry climate)

NHTSA ODI 11450885

I backed out of my driveway and heard something loose from the front part of the car. It wasn’t concerning enough to stop, thought it might be something moving around in the frunk. I drove to an appointment 3 miles away, parked, took out the tow bar from the frunk. After the appointment, I backed out, once the wheel was turned fully, I heard a snap. I got out and looked at passenger front tire. It was in contact with the rear wheel well. I straightened the steering wheel to pull the car back into the spot, but the tire was still rubbing on the wheel well. It had to be towed to tesla service center. It was diagnosed as a broken suspension forelink. I believe this could have been very unsafe if I had been driving at higher speeds. I also wonder about my drivers side forelink as well, since that wasn’t replaced.

NHTSA ODI 11449501

Reversing from my driveway it appears links or bolts on the steering and wheel suspension system failed. The wheels came into contact with the wheel cavity liner causing the steering to lock, the frame to protrude through the wheel cavity casing and the car to shut off or lock. The car is no longer safe to drive. The car is in my driveway, is available for inspection before I bring it back into Tesla for repair. Having just completed a highway drive, I dread to think what could have happened had this failure occurred on that journey at higher speeds. My car only has 40,000 miles and this issue or critical part failure appears to be premature. I have taken Video of the wheel moving independently to the car chassis structure. There was no warning in advance of the failure. I welcome an NHTSA or secondary inspection prior to repair by Tesla. I intend to deliver the car back to Tesla on 1/5/22.

NHTSA ODI 11444491

While backing out of a parking space turning the steering I felt the car lurch and then heard a grinding noise from the left front tire area. Car was un-driveable and the front wheel moved forward and backward in the wheel well causing the tire to rub.

NHTSA ODI 11443799

The contact owns a 2017 Tesla Model S. The contact state that while driving at slow speeds over minor bumps in the road, an abnormal clunking noise would emit from the vehicle. He also stated that as the failure was intermittent and that no warning light would appear on the instrument panel during the failure. The contact had taken the vehicle to a service center where a service manager requested to ride along with the contact to evaluate the failure. The service manager was able to diagnose the failure and the service center replaced the fore link assembly on the driver’s side as well as other parts on the suspension. The contact questioned why the passenger’s side fore link assembly was not repaired. The contact was informed that the passenger’s side had no visible damage. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The vehicle had been repaired. The failure mileage was 13,224.

NHTSA ODI 11443039

What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? Front suspension failed while driving on highway at about 60MPH. How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? Car was hard to steer on highway when the the front suspension failed. Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? Yes. Tesla service confirmed that front suspension failed and did the replacement. See the attached receipts for details. Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? No Were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear? No

NHTSA ODI 11440225

I was parallel parking and as I was turning the steering wheel I heard a loud think. Without thinking too much about it, I continued to try to park and get my car out of the way. There began to feel pressure on the front tire so I got out to evaluate the issue. I saw that the tire was attached to the arch liner of the vehicle. I quickly ran back into the car to straighten out the wheel. I then noticed the car was able to drive but when applying the break, the tire would touch/move onto the arch liner. I called roadside assistance and when they arrived, we evaluated that the force link in the suspension snapped. He asked if I hit anything but there was absolutely no impact, contact, potholes associated with this break. It seems to be faulty mechanics. Thankfully I was parking and not driving on a highway.

NHTSA ODI 11437878

- What component or system failed or malfunctioned - Front suspension Fore Link - Fore Link Assy - How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? - Yes - Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer? - Yes - Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer? - Yes - Were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear? - No There is a TSB for this issue. However my car was just outside the recall window.

NHTSA ODI 11437820

Backing up into a parking space I heard a loud pop, soon after driving back home I noticed something felt loose on the LH side , come to find out my left fore link had snapped , my vehicle has low miles not even 25k and it snapped ! What if this would have happens at higher speeds! Supper scary! There needs to be a remedy to this!! RECALL!!

NHTSA ODI 11435483

Front passenger fore link broke while driving. Normal daily driving. Miles 29,426. Tesla is charging me for the repair even though it’s a known defect. Have photos to prove it.

NHTSA ODI 11434796

Reversing out of my driveway and front driver side suspension control arm broke. Wheel smashed into wheel well crumpling in some sections and damaging other car paneling. Car was unable to drive and partially blocked street until towed. No warning lights or errors were present before or after the incident. Vehicle has not been inspected by anyone yet. Safety was not greatly compromised aside, but had failure had occurred on busier street or higher speeds could have been catastrophic.

NHTSA ODI 11427093

Front RH side lower control arm unexpectedly snapped without any outside collision or driving error. Moving at low speed. Avoided catastrophic incident being on a local road and not the highway.

NHTSA ODI 11422788

2017 Model S 75D, Suspension Defect. Pulling out of my garage, I heard a snap when I turned the steering wheel. I drove about 1 mile and could hear clicking. Did not receive an error message from the car, but I came back home and made an appointment with Tesla Repair. I tried to drive it to the appointment, but the entire front end of the car dropped and scraped as I pulled it out of my garage. I called Tesla Roadside assistance and had it towed to the Tesla repair shop. I never received any warning or messages from the car system.

NHTSA ODI 11422366

The upper control arm was replaced by Tesla outside of warranty because, as mentioned by technician, "the upper control arm ball joint was rubbing metal on metal and will fail eventually". I initially noticed this when the wheels were squeaking loudly while turning the wheel. According to the technician, this has been a common issue on the car. I realize Tesla did a recall in China but not in US so I'm submitting this info in case the data is helpful for any potential recall in the future. Please contact me for videos.

NHTSA ODI 11422032

My car with nearly 17,621 miles only had a part come off the suspension system off drivers side. Appeared to be an aluminum part that cracked in half while pulling from the garage. This car never was in a wreck. The suspension failed and my tire backed into the plastic casing which eroded the tires causing extensive damage. If this had occurred on the highway, this would have certainly caused a fatality to myself, family and other cars on the road. It appears this has happened to many prior owners of this vehicle, mainly model X and S around this time frame. I do not want to become a statistic before a recall is reached. As a physician, I am very concerned for my family and others that may be driving a dangerous vehicle.

NHTSA ODI 11417621

FRONT DRIVER SIDE CONTROL ARM/FORE LINK ASSEMBLY SNAPPED AND BROKE WHILE PULLING OUT OF A PARKING SPOT. LOW SPEED, STANDARD PAVEMENT. FELT LIKE I HAD RUN OVER A NAIL WHERE THE FRONT OF THE CAR LIFTED UP SLIGHTLY, POPPED, SOUNDED LIKE A TIRE POP, BUT THEN WOULD CONTINUE TO DRIVE. I DROVE IT HOME, BUT COULD FEEL THE CAR WASN'T RIGHT. STEERING WASN'T VERY RESPONSIVE.

NHTSA ODI 11415985

HERE IS ANOTHER TERDSLA IN THE JUNKYARD HTTPS://WWW.IAAI.COM/VEHICLEDETAILS/39311673?TENANT=US&ROWNUMBER=21 THE FRONT WHEEL HAS FALLEN OFF BECAUSE ALL THE BALL JOINTS HAVE POPPED APART.\ THE BACK WHEEK HAS GONE WHOMPY BECAUSE THAT IS JUST WHAT TERDSLAS DO. I SUPPOSE AN INVESTIGATION IS OUT OF THE QUESTION. YOURS DISGUSTEDLY KEEF

NHTSA ODI 11402499

THE WHEEL CONTROL ARM BROKE FOR NO REASON. IT SEEMS TO BE DEFECTIVE FROM THE TIME IT WAS MADE, IT HAPPENED WITH A POPPING SOUND WHEN PARKING

NHTSA ODI 11395324

PLEASE NOTE THAT I HAVE USED THE VIN OF ANOTHER JUNKYARD TESLA SINCE THE VIN OF THE CAR I AM WHINGING ABOUT IS UNOBTAINABLE. HERE IS THE LOVELY 3 WHEELED TESLA. HTTPS://WWW.IAAI.COM/VEHICLEDETAILS/38899714?ROWNUMBER=22 THE BACK WHEEL AND ENTIRE SUSPENSION HAS WRENCHED ITSELF OFF. ALL OF THE MONKEY METAL GIBLETS ARE STRETCHED AND SNAPPED. THESE SUSPENSIONS ARE ABSURDLY WEAK. YOU KNOW WHAT TO DO. RECALL THIS DEATH-MOBILE RIGHT NOW. THIS HAS BEEN A PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT BY THE LEGENDARY KEEF WIVANEFF. THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION. BEST REGARDS KEEF PLEASE NOTE THAT I HAVE USED THE VIN OF ANOTHER JUNKYARD TESLA SINCE THE VIN OF THE CAR I AM WHINGING ABOUT IS UNOBTAINABLE. HERE IS THE LOVELY 3 WHEELED TESLA. HTTPS://WWW.IAAI.COM/VEHICLEDETAILS/38899714?ROWNUMBER=22 THE BACK WHEEL AND SUSPENSION HAS BEEN TWISTED OFF. THIS IS NOT CRASH DAMAGE. IT IS SELF DESTRUCTION CAUSED BY MONKEY METAL SUSPENSION GIBLETS. PLEASE RECALL THESE DEADLY ABOMINATIONS. THANK YOU. KEEF

NHTSA ODI 11391112

FRONT SUSPENSION MAKES A KNOCKING NOISE GOING 30 MPH OR SLOWER ON SMALL BUMPS IN THE ROAD, TESLA REPLACED FRONT STRUTS UNDER WARRANTY IN MAY OF 2020, IS LITTLE BETTER BUT THE KNOCKING IS STILL THERE

NHTSA ODI 11386624

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2017 TESLA MODEL S. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE OPERATING THE VEHICLE, THE SUSPENSION DISABLED MESSAGE WAS DISPLAYED AND THE VEHICLE WAS LOWERED CAUSING DIFFICULTY TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO TESLA OF MATHEWS LOCATED AT 9140 E. INDEPENDENCE BLVD, MATTHEWS, NC 28105, WHERE THE FRONT SUSPENSION WAS REPLACED. APPROXIMATELY ONE MONTH LATER, THE REAR SUSPENSION EXPERIENCED THE SAME FAILURE AND THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED BY THE DEALER. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 100,000.

NHTSA ODI 11378436

LEFT FRONT SUSPENSION PART BROKE ALLOWING THE TIRE TO JAMB INTO THE WHEEL COWLING. IT HAPPENED ON A CITY STREET THEN WAS UNABLE TO MOVE, NEEDED TO BE TOWED. I FOUND A SMALL CRACKED ALUMINUM PART UNDER THE CAR. IT SOUNDS LIKE THE RECALL THAT IS NOW BEING DISCUSSED, AT FIRST THEY SAID IT WAS MY FAULT BUT THEY WERE"TALKED INTO" FIXING IT FOR FREE, THOUGHT YOU SHOULD KNOW.

NHTSA ODI 11377042

THIS IS MY SECOND TESLA. I'VE HAD NOISES IN SUSPENSION AND HAVE BEEN TOLD IT WAS A CONTROL ARM AND PAID FOR IT. NOISE IMMEDIATELY RETURNED. LATER TOLD ITS STABILIZER. THAT WAS ON FIRST TESLA. MEDIA CONTROL UNIT CONSTANTLY FAILED. SECOND TESLA - [XXX]- SUSPENSION PROBLEMS. SOMETHING FEELS LIKE IT WILL POP OF I TURN WHEEL TOO FAR AND THE BRAKE OR SOMETHING MAKES A LOUD NOISE WHEN DISENGAGING. THEY SAY THEY CAN'T DUPLICATE BUT IT HAPPENS EVERY TIME I BRAKE OR RELEASE HOLD. MY MCU IS FAILING ON THIS CAR. THEY REPLACED THE RAM BUT IT STILL FAILS. GPS IS BARELY FUNCTIONAL AND MY REVERSE CAMERA WILL NOT APPEAR MANY TIMES. SOMETIMES MY CAR WON'T CHARGE. THEY IGNORE AND SAY IT'S NORMAL. MCU NEEDS REPLACEMENT. I SPOKE TO A TESLA EMPLOYEE AND I'M SURE YOU KNOW, BUT HE SAYS THEY ONLY WIPE AND RECYCLE THE RAM USED ON THE MCU. THAT WOULD EXPLAIN FAST FAILURES AGAIN. THEY ARE TRYING TO STALL OUR WARRANTIES OUT TO FORCE PURCHASE OF THE SECOND MCU THAT THEY CLAIM IS THE BEST SOLUTION. THEY ARE NOT GOING TO STOP THESE BEHAVIORS IF WE AREN'T PROTECTED. I HAVE VIDEO I CAN SHARE. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).*TR

NHTSA ODI 11376955

FOR A FEW DAYS I NOTICED A CLUNKING NOISE EMANATING FROM THE LEFT FRONT OF THE CAR WHEN GOING OVER UNEVEN PAVEMENT. THEN WHILE BACKING OUT OF A PARKING SPACE, THE TIRE COLLIDED WITH THE WHEEL LINER AND THE CAR WOULD NOT MOVE. THE CAR WAS TOWED TO THE TESLA DEALERSHIP WHERE IT WAS FOUND THAT THE FRONT DRIVER CASTER ARM WAS BROKEN. I LATER READ THAT THERE HAD BEEN OTHER REPORTS OF 'LINKAGES NEAR THE BALL JOINTS' OF THE SUSPENSION FAILING, ALLOWING CONTACT BETWEEN THE TIRE AND THE WHEEL LINER. THIS SOUNDS A LOT LIKE WHAT HAPPENED TO MY CAR SO I WANTED TO SHARE MY EXPERIENCE

NHTSA ODI 11376987