2017 Tesla Model S Suspension Problems

I pulled into a parking lot, and noticed that my passenger side rear wheel was leaning into the car. Luckily I was next to a Firestone and the mechanic told me the rear control arm broke off. Had I have been driving even for 2 more minutes, the wheel would have came off completely. When I pulled in, there was no noise, vibration, or any other indication that something was wrong. I know for a fact I didnt hit any curbs or large potholes. It was a normal drive.

NHTSA ID

11714816

Incident

Feb 1, 2026

I am reporting multiple safety-related defects on my 2017 Tesla Model S (VIN [XXX] ) that were present at the time of purchase but not disclosed by the selling dealer (Starling Ford, Titusville, FL). A certified independent EV repair facility (The Electrified Garage) inspected the vehicle on 11/17/2025 and documented the following safety defects: • failing/worn suspension components (control arms, thrust arms, cracked bushings) • torn sway-bar link boots • inoperative right-rear window regulator • driver window contacting internal wiring harness • moisture in the rear inner tail lamp • previous A/C drain blockage causing interior water intrusion These issues pose risks related to steering stability, electrical safety, visibility, and structural integrity. All of these conditions existed prior to the sale and were not disclosed. I am requesting NHTSA to log this complaint for federal safety review as these defects involve suspension, electrical moisture intrusion, and visibility issues that may impact the safe operation of the vehicle. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ID

11701035

Incident

Nov 14, 2025

Upon purchasing the vehicle, I discovered multiple critical safety defects that were not disclosed at the time of sale and were confirmed by an independent EV specialist (Electrified Garage). These defects include worn and failing front and rear suspension components (control arms, thrust arms, and cracked/damaged bushings), a failing sway bar link boot, and a malfunctioning window that makes contact with the internal wiring harness. The suspension defects create instability over bumps and uneven roads, producing clunks, shifting, and vibration that affect steering control and overall stability. These issues present a risk of suspension failure while driving, which could cause loss of control. The window/wiring contact also poses a potential electrical hazard if the harness becomes damaged. The independent inspection documented that these defects existed before I took possession of the vehicle. The dealer did not disclose any of these issues, and the defects were not visible during a standard test drive. I am reporting this because the suspension defects directly affect vehicle handling, safety, and crash-avoidance capability. I want NHTSA to be aware in case similar defects appear in other vehicles of the same model/year.

NHTSA ID

11701014

Incident

Nov 14, 2025

Car rattles when driven and makes loud sounds when going over bumps. Took to Tesla with 50k miles on it and they said it needs new air spring modules on front left and right. Did not do repair as it was over $3000. My car was built in the Fremont factory, the same as the cars in china that were recalled for the same reason. My car was a Tesla fleet car when I purchased it May of this year. Tesla had to know there was a problem and that’s why they wholesaled it to a different car dealership to be sold.

NHTSA ID

11632238

Incident

May 22, 2024

Rear suspension control arm broke. Causing the rare right wheel to fold in.

NHTSA ID

11607791

Incident

Mar 10, 2023

When getting into my vehicle for work, my vehicle appeared to be lopsided with the passenger side of the vehicle being considerably lower than the driver’s side. Luckily I noticed this right away and was able to back up safely into my parking spot. I brought it into the Tesla service center and they confirmed that the rear Suspension system/Air compressor/Air Spring Module on both sides are faulty and need to be replaced. They also stated that this was a “non-passenger facing alert” that they don’t believe was a new issue because I believe they stated the alert was visible 30 days prior when I had the vehicle in the service center for a different non-safety issue. After many days of research I see that this exact suspension issue thousands of Tesla owners more specifically Tesla owners of Model S/X years 2013-2018 see very frequently and in the state of California there was even a class action lawsuit due to this safety issue but for some reason there still has not been a recall? I believe that this on going suspension issue that Tesla has is a safety issue especially if traveling at higher speeds. This needs to be addressed sooner rather than later as it could lead to significant major safety issues if unaddressed.

NHTSA ID

11577507

Incident

Feb 20, 2024

In February 2022, I struck a downed tree limb which caused damage to my vehicle. The vehicle was repaired at a Tesla Service Center and the entire front suspension was replaced and paid for by my insurance. The car seemed to drive fine after this incident. In December 2023, I took the car in to a Tesla Service Center for an unrelated issue (the coolant level was low). After completing the service, I received a call from the service center stating that the service technician noticed that the vehicle was "swaying heavily to the right" and that it was not safe to drive. The service center performed diagnostic work and told me that the left fore link had detached from the ball assembly and that both the left and right fore links showed excessive wear. The service center initially told me that I would need to pay for this repair. Had them verify that the same components had been replaced recently and that only 6600 miles had been driven on the new suspension. After I told them that I would contact my insurance company, the service center quickly changed their tune, said they would cover the repair, and completed the repair within hours. Assuming their diagnosis was not fraudulent, and that the suspension was correctly replaced the first time, I find it deeply concerning that a key component of the suspension would fail after 6600 miles. I have copies of both service invoices and my chat history with the service center that I am happy to provide to substantiate this report. I was not able to attach them to this form so please contact me if you would like to obtain copies.

NHTSA ID

11562094

Incident

Dec 26, 2023

Left lower rear control arm is broken. Luckily it happened as I entered the garage. Could have been catastrophic on highway driving. There was no warning message of light.

NHTSA ID

11558223

Incident

Dec 2, 2023

While parking the left suspension fore link completely broke. The car only has 50k miles on it. I believe it is this issue: [XXX] [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ID

11557769

Incident

Nov 27, 2023

As I was backing up out of a parking spot, I was turning the wheel when I heard a pop and a ugly grinding noise coming from my front driver side wheel well. Initially, I thought I ran over something, but did not observe and debris under the vehicle. I proceeded to slowly pull forward and continued to hear grinding, but not as bad. When I turned, the grinding continued. I got out again to observe that my wheel had caught the back half of my wheel well cover and ripped it off, sitting in the wheel well still. A firm tug pulled the cover from the well and I could see the wheel was not situated in the center of the wheel well. After contacting the manufacturer, they towed the vehicle and I learned that the control arm had snapped and they would need to replace the whole front suspension. They also noted a couple knicks under my carriage and very minor scrapes on my bumper and said that the failure was due to outside influence and, thus, would not be covered by my active warranty. They said I was in an accident which is completely false. After research, I presented numerous instances of control arm failure for the same year/model as my car at very low mileages, including recall for the same parts in China, but they still refused to cover the faulty part. There is an open class action lawsuit for the exact same parts because the manufacturer refuses to acknowledge the problem. I had to pay to upgrade the suspension system which they now use in the car as they obviously don't use the old faulty components when repairing. If this failure was at full speed on the freeway, I might have lost control of the vehicle and been killed and nobody would be the wiser after the disastrous accident. As there is only a recall in China for this part, I am forced to pursue legal action through court to recover the costs.

NHTSA ID

11550269

Incident

Sep 7, 2023

I was driving at low speed when I suddenly felt a very loud pop and snap. I thought I had a flat tire. The car pulled to the left. I had trouble pulling over and thought I was going to hit someone. I was able to come to a stop abruptly. I checked for a flat and had none. I called Tesla after limping the car home because I could not see a flat. The car had a broken control arm and had completely pulled the left wheel against the frame. Almost like I got something really hard but I hadn't. I had just pulled away from a stop sign when the snap took place. I was put at risk as well as my child. I couldn't control my vehicle. There were no warning messages. The vehicle was repaired by tesla and they didn't even call me to tell me what was wrong with it. I found out it was the control arm from the documents i was given.

NHTSA ID

11517098

Incident

May 5, 2021

Suspension aft link assembly is faulty and broke down so quickly. Causing car noise and shaking and it’s clearly a safety issue. Lot of other drivers have complained about same problem

NHTSA ID

11507054

Incident

Feb 9, 2023

On January 6, 2023 I was backing out of a parking space and turning slightly. There was a deafening squeal. The car did not initially make noise when driven forward, but the noise did return with braking, and then also with turning while in Drive. The Tesla service facility has advised that the car needs new lower control arm(s) and fore -links therefore also an alignment because of the new parts. Apparently they stock these parts, and this may be a bad sign. The car is currently being repaired at the Tesla service facility in Henrietta, NY. The car was built in January 2017 and we are the original owners. It currently has 59,883 miles.

NHTSA ID

11505823

Incident

Jan 26, 2023

The contact owns a 2017 Tesla Model S. The contact stated while driving approximately 45 MPH, the contact felt like the vehicle had fallen into a pothole; however, the rear passenger’s side wheel had detached. Due to the failure, the vehicle swerved to the left and then right. The contact then stated that he was able to navigate the vehicle off the road into a parking lot. The contact stated that the vehicle was towed to his residence and then towed to the dealer to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the rear suspension failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 74,000.

NHTSA ID

11502184

Incident

Jan 6, 2023

Mileage

74,000 mi

While parking, i heard some noises underneath the front wheel area and turns out the tires are rubbing against the wheel well liner and the pins that were holding the wheel well in place were popping off. When driving off, i noticed the alignment was off and felt the car shifting around in a weird way so i pulled over into a parking lot and can see the liner nearly ripped off. Took it to the tesla service center and turns out the fore links on driver side is broken and also recommended the passenger side be replaced add it is starting to Crack. The car had 60k miles.

NHTSA ID

11492598

Incident

Nov 4, 2022

While reversing into a parking spot, like I have over 1000 times in this car, I heard a loud crack and scrape. When the tow driver got the car up we were able to see it was a Lower A-arm failure in outward loaded bearing stress. This seems like a common problem with these cars as a simple google search found many other drivers with similar issues.

NHTSA ID

11490930

Incident

Oct 25, 2022

The car was left parked for 12h in a parking lot were I work. Whilst driving there and upon exiting the car, nothing out of the ordinary was observed. Getting back in the vehicule, the car seemed ok. Upon backing up the car, a loud sound plus weird wheel camber on the rear driver's side wheel were observed. Upon verification, it looks like a tie rod broke. Given the condition (no excessive load on the car, car parked, not significant impact that we are aware of, the sudden break), it tends to point to a fatigue fracture.

NHTSA ID

11490392

Incident

Oct 21, 2022

The left fore link broke while backing out of a parking spot. It's not available for inspection. If it had broken at a higher speed it could cause a loss of control. This is a known issue. The broken fore link has been replaced by a non-Tesla repair shop. There was no warning this would happen.

NHTSA ID

11485325

Incident

Aug 14, 2022

Driver side fore link snapped causing wheel to move in hazardous conditions

NHTSA ID

11485186

Incident

Sep 17, 2022

When backing up at a low rate of speed (<10 miles per hour), I heard a loud grinding noise. When I got out of the car, I noticed that my driver's side wheel was out of proper position. Forward driving caused grinding or rubbing noises. When I took the vehicle in for service, I was quoted a repair for front fore links (lower control arms) for driver's and passenger side. Q: What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? A: Driver's side fore link. I'll ask for the replaced part to be returned. Q: How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? A: Minimal risk was observed as I was completing a parking maneuver in my own driveway. A failure at a higher rate of speed might have caused loss of control. Q: Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? A: Yes - by dealer Q: Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? A: Yes - the manufacturer has reviewed the issue at their wholly-owned dealership/service center. Q: Were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear? A: No

NHTSA ID

11484460

Incident

Sep 13, 2022

Vehicle was handling normally. I pulled into the parking lot of my bank, put vehicle in Park, and exited the vehicle to use the ATM. Within five minutes I returned to the vehicle, put it in reverse, and immediately heard a loud scraping noise like a plastic water bottle perhaps having become wedged between a tire and the wheel well. I stopped the car and looked underneath but all appeared normal. I continued backing up another three feet, again with the horrible rubbing noise. I exited the vehicle and more closely observed the right front wheel and tire, which the entire wheel/tire assembly appeared to be offset toward the rear of the car with the tire jammed up against the wheel well liner. I pulled forward into another parking space about ten feet away and called for a tow truck. After about ten minutes I observed brake fluid puddling around the tire. I Googled the symptoms and it said this was most likely failure of the suspension fore-link. This was confirmed by the dealer, who replaced the right and left front lower fore links, the wheel well liner and some other parts. Vehicle acted normally until the fore-link failed with no warning. Had this happened while driving on the freeway it would have likely shredded the tire and/or resulted in an accident. Vehicle had about 54,700 miles on it. I have NEVER had any suspension failure like this on any vehicle I have ever owned and several of my vehicles have been high mileage vehicles with over 200-300,000 miles on them.

NHTSA ID

11482615

Incident

Aug 12, 2022

while pulling out of our garage, the aluminum left hand fore assembly cracked and a piece fell on the driveway. The left front tire then rubbed up against the wheel well, which made the car undriveable.

NHTSA ID

11481414

Incident

Aug 23, 2022

Suspension links are failing after only 50k miles causing tires to rub wheel well liner.

NHTSA ID

11481222

Incident

Aug 1, 2022

Front driver’s side suspension fore link snapped while traveling at low speed(possibly while turning). Wheel slid back and hit rear wheel arch during braking, compromising braking & controllability of the vehicle. The car was inspected and repaired by Tesla. The car only has 60K miles, but I was charged nearly $700 to replace. No warning lights indicated a problem.

NHTSA ID

11477895

Incident

Aug 1, 2022

With no prior warnings while driving onto a main road with my wife and daughter I heard a thud in the rear of car at which time the car suddenly stopped. The driver's screen flashed "Suspension Failure". I could not drive the car to a safe location. I called local police who arrived and blocked traffic and my car was towed to nearby Tesla Service. The car has been at Tesla Service for past 11 days with no "diagnosis" and I received texts that they are awaiting parts and expect completion of repairs by evening of 7/26/2022.

NHTSA ID

11475477

Incident

Jul 12, 2022