Tesla, Inc. (Tesla) is recalling certain 2018-2019 Model 3 vehicles. The front suspension lateral link fasteners may loosen, allowing the lateral link to separate from the sub-frame.
Suspension
Tesla Model 3 Suspension problems by year
379 complaints filed with NHTSA about the Tesla Model 3's suspension. Broken springs, struts, control arms, ball joints, noises and alignment that won't hold.
Suspension complaints by model year
Suspension recalls
Tesla, Inc. (Tesla) is recalling certain 2020-2021 Model Y and 2019-2021 Model 3 vehicles. The front suspension lateral link fasteners may loosen, allowing the lateral link to separate from the sub-frame.
Latest Model 3 suspension complaints
The contact owns a 2021 Tesla Model 3. The contact stated that while driving 5 MPH from a stoplight, there was a loud sound coming from the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to a Tesla Service Center, where diagnostic testing determined that the rear subframe fractured and the toe link and aft link failed, requiring replacement. The contact requested that the service center submit a goodwill claim to the manufacturer for repair assistance. The manufacturer was notified of the failure via mobile application and telephone. The failure mileage was approximately 97,000.
The front suspension lateral link bolts to the right front side of my 2018 Tesla Model 3 RWD Long Range fell out and separated from the subframe which affected my ability to steer. My safety was put into risk. Thankfully I was going at a low speed and in a parking lot with no one close by so I was able to safely stop my vehicle without hurting myself or anyone else. The problem was confirmed by a local automotive repair shop. I did not receive any warning messages or any signs of this failure before it occurred. Tesla issued a service bulletin SB-23-31-001 but my vehicle was not covered in this recall. I had to pay $650.70 out of pocket to have this issue repaired.
Sold a lemon vehicle from dealer and contract fraud, Total loss accident left emergency life threatening surgery Tesla lost control driver side driving fsd package FAiled tire steering front control battery failed hardware updates seatbelt lossed, lost control, hit medium and another total vehicle, this is one of a few complaints to several cyclists a Including Tesla can't get a lawyer no matter hard I try, no one is helping, car is sitting in my backyard until someone helps us. Lives ruined and no one is helping
Heard a clunk noise when the vehicle turned at a low speed. Inspected the vehicle but nothing seemed amiss. No digital warnings either. Started driving but the steering was weird and pulled to the left. Then the front left tire started shredding and the wheel was displaced. The tow truck guy said that the suspension seems to be the culprit. The car is now on just the wheel. Tesla collision has still not looked at it but gave a quote of 5-6K to start and going up to 12K or more (if the HV battery got damaged). FYI, tire pressures were normal when this happened.
I am reporting a premature and severe multi-component front suspension failure on my 2020 Tesla Model 3 that poses a serious steering and control safety hazard. While driving and turning at low speeds (such as parking), the front end began emitting a loud mechanical clicking and popping sound. A certified technician diagnosed the vehicle and found that multiple critical suspension components had failed or worn prematurely at just 55,089 miles. The failures include the front lower lateral links, front lower...
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compliance links, front upper control arms, stabilizer bar and front end hubs failing completely and simultaneously. This is a well-documented issue among 2018-2020 Model 3 vehicles and is currently the subject of an active NHTSA Preliminary Evaluation investigation regarding front lower lateral link detachment. Premature failure of these load-bearing suspension components compromises the vehicle's structural integrity, accelerates extreme tire wear, and presents an immediate risk of component separation or sudden loss of steering control at high speeds. Tesla should issue a safety recall for these defective suspension components and compensate owners for out-of-pocket repairs.
I drove over a bump in the road and all of a sudden the car started making a very loud clunky noise in the front suspension. I was close to home so I turned around and drove it back home for inspection. I found the lower control arm on the suspension is completely disconnected because the bolt is backed out of the joint. The steering had occasionally made some creak sounds in the past but it never felt loose. Seeing the lower control arm disconnected could have severely limited the steering of the vehicle thus this seems like a serious safety issue. I have scheduled an appointment for repair with Tesla Service.
The front left and right lower link assemblies suffered premature structural failure and required immediate replacement at 74,068 miles due to a loss of steering stability. The repair was completed at a Tesla Service Center out-of-pocket for a total cost of $1,564.04
2021 Tesla Model 3 with approximately 110,000 miles. Loud creaking/squeaking noise from the front suspension (primarily passenger side) when driving at low speeds over bumps and during slow turns. The noise matches the known front upper control arm ball joint water intrusion issue documented in Tesla service bulletin SB-20-31-006 and widely reported by other Model 3 owners. No warning lights, messages, or other symptoms. The component is available for inspection. I have scheduled a service appointment with Tesla...
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but the vehicle has not yet been inspected or repaired by the manufacturer or any independent shop. While currently only a noise (NVH) issue, progressive wear of this ball joint can lead to play in the suspension, uneven tire wear, degraded steering feel, and potential loss of control if the joint fails.
My 2017 Tesla Model 3 Long Range (RWD) makes a knocking/thumping noise from the front driver-side suspension when turning the steering wheel at very low speed (under 5 mph) while the vehicle is pitched on an incline or decline - for example, entering or exiting a parking lot via its ramp. It does not occur when turning on flat ground. I first noticed the noise in fall 2025, a few months before taking the vehicle to Tesla. Tesla Service ([[redacted]]) took the car in for this complaint and on [redacted] replaced the...
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front lower lateral links and front lower compliance links (both sides) and performed an alignment, at a cost of $1,886.78, at 44,486 miles. The noise was unchanged immediately after the repair. On [redacted] I reported through the Tesla app that the car was 'still making the same exact knocking sound,' and returned to the service center; a technician test-drove the car with me, could not replicate the noise on flat roads, and said the car was fine, without putting the car on a lift or re-inspecting the suspension. The noise has continued and progressively worsened over the following year and now sometimes occurs with slight steering inputs. The car currently has 52,126 miles. I am filing because the front lower lateral links Tesla replaced are the component under investigation in PE26006 for detachment, and Tesla's defect information for recall 23V-235 identifies abnormal front suspension noise when steering as an early warning of loosening lateral link fasteners. My car is a 2017, outside the current PE26006 population (2018-2020), but it shows the same symptom pattern and had the same components replaced. No crash, fire, or injury. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
This is to serve as a registered complaint in conjunction with the premature component failure and degradation of front lower lateral links and suspension parts under NHTSA investigation PE26006. In August 2026 while operating my 2018 Tesla Model 3 while driving at all speeds experienced a failure of the front suspension system. There was an intense creaking/groaning/clunking noises from the front wheels and/or front suspension that we felt extremely uncomfortable operating the vehicle fearing for the safety of...
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the passengers. Upon taking the vehicle to the Tesla Service Center, technicians diagnosed the vehicle with severely degraded and failing front lower arms, compliance links, and control arm bushings. My vehicle only had a little over 29,000 total miles on the odometer. This premature degradation represents a critical component failure rather than standard wear and tear. A failure or detachment of the lower lateral link at highway speeds presents an immediate safety risk due to potential loss of directional steering control. This failure is directly identical to the conditions outlined in the NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation Preliminary Evaluation PE26006, opened on July 29, 2026, targeting front lower lateral link failures on 2018-2020 Model 3's. The issue has since been repaired by Tesla Service on October 6, 2026. I am filing this complaint to formally document this premature safety component failure for the ongoing PE26006 federal investigation. We stopped driving the vehicle and used our other cars, waiting for appointments at Tesla, as well as waiting for the parts to arrive, which took quite a while. Thankfully, we had a couple other cars that we were able to use while we were waiting for the repair to be performed.
The owner reported a grinding noise coming from the front of the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the Tesla Service Center in [[redacted]], where it was diagnosed on [redacted], at 47,821 miles. Diagnosis found the front suspension required replacement of the front lower lateral links (left and right), the front lower compliance links (pair), and both front upper control arms. The repair was performed onXXX. The owner paid $2,035.20 because Tesla said the basic warranty had expired by time on [redacted], although...
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the vehicle was under the 50,000-mile limit. There was no crash, no fire, and no injury. The concern is premature failure/wear of the complete front suspension link set at under 50,000 miles. These suspension links are safety-critical components affecting steering and vehicle control, and failure or detachment could affect handling. The problem was confirmed and repaired by the Tesla service center. The symptom prior to repair was the grinding noise from the front; no warning lamps are known. Whether the replaced components are available for inspection is UNKNOWN. The failed components are the same front suspension lateral links addressed by NHTSA recall 21V835 (this vehicle was checked and is NOT in that recall population) and the front lower lateral link detachment under NHTSA investigation PE26006. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Component Affected: SUSPENSION: FRONT: LOWER ARM: LATERAL LINK / COMPLIANCE LINK Description of Defect and Incident: I am reporting an issue regarding my Tesla Model 3's front lower suspension components, specifically the front lower lateral link and the compliance link. The vehicle experienced an out-of-warranty failure requiring immediate replacement of both lower arms to restore structural integrity and driving safety. Due to the failure, I was forced to pay entirely out of pocket for the replacement parts...
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and labor. This specific failure mirrors the exact conditions currently being monitored under the active NHTSA preliminary evaluation into Tesla Model 3 and Model Y front lower lateral link detachment. Despite the severe safety risk associated with sudden structural failure or detachment of these critical suspension components while driving, my vehicle's specific VIN is not currently covered under Tesla's existing, highly limited recall campaigns (such as Recalls 21V-835 or 23V-235). I am submitting this complaint to request that NHTSA expand the scope of its current suspension investigation to ensure owners who have already paid out of pocket for these premature structural failures are officially included in a mandatory manufacturer recall and eligible for retroactive reimbursement.
There was a clicking noise that was heard as my wife (along with our [[redacted]] son) was driving on the freeway. She reached her destination and once she parked and tried to move out of the parking lot, she could not turn the wheel. The suspension control arm (specifically, the inner mounting eyelet and bushing of a front lower link) has detached and dropped down beneath the underbody shield. After taking it to Tesla Collision, it is reported that the front lateral link completely disconnected from the subframe...
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while driving. Tesla has acknowledged this as there is an active bulletin (Service Bulletin SV-23-31-001) for torque check on this component. This issue is also identical to the HTSA Recall 23V-235, however, our VIN is not included in the batch. Tesla is quoting around $7k for repairs. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
My suspension is the issue that was under recall 23V-235. Suspension could completely fail at any time. Currently I hear creaking when turning. Tesla has confirmed the problem but said my car is out of recall which is very narrow and should include my car
While operating 2018 Tesla Model 3(Odometer: ~174,489 miles)the vehicle experienced a catastrophic mechanical failure when the front suspension lateral link detached/separated from the subframe. The collapse of the right upper/lower suspension immediately rendered the vehicle non-drivable and non-rolling, Tesla quoted $4803 in customer-pay repairs, specifying complete replacement of the front subframe structure, front compliance links and front lateral links. Prior Service & Warning Symptoms Presented to Tesla:On...
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[redacted] (Invoice #[redacted]; Odometer: 89,939 miles), I brought this exact vehicle to the Tesla Service Center in [[redacted]], specifically complaining of a front-end steering issue (Clicking noise when steering wheel turns right)Tesla technicians noted could not duplicate and performed no diagnostic torque checks or structural inspections of the lateral link fasteners Correlation to Known Safety Defect / Recall 23V-235 (SB-23-31-001) Safety Recall 23V-235 (Tesla Bulletin SB-23-31-001)Tesla acknowledges that front suspension lateral link fasteners on 2018-2019 Model 3s can loosen and back out over time, leading to lateral link separation from the subframe while driving. Crucially, Tesla's defect report explicitly highlights that "abnormal noise from the front suspension when steering" is the primary early warning indicator of loosening fasteners before total separation occurs Defect Summary & Remedy Denial:We previously brought the vehicle to Tesla Service reporting the exact warning symptom front-end steering noise associated with loosening lateral link fasteners The issue was left uncorrected, directly resulting in eventual fastener detachment lateral link separation and severe consequential damage to the front subframe structure Tesla Service management refused recall remedy or goodwill coverage on the grounds that this specific VIN was excluded from the narrow VIN list for Recall 23V-235 despite the vehicle exhibiting the identical defect INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) complaints and recalls, checked daily. Complaints are owners' own reports and are not verified. How we use the data