— Tesla front suspension failures in Model S and Model X vehicles are under a federal investigation after 43 complaints were filed alleging failures of the front suspension fore links.
Included in the suspension investigation are 2015-2017 Model S and 2016-2017 Model X vehicles, with 32 of the failures occurring during low-speed parking.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) says a typical low-speed failure occurs while backing out of a driveway or parking space below 10 mph. Four suspension failures occurred while driving highway speeds and seven incidents occurred while driving above 10 mph.
"Pulling my car out of my driveway, I attempted to reverse the car into the garage to charge it. After putting the car in reverse I heard a loud pop noise and the steering wheel refused to turn. Attempting to turn the wheel at all resulted in a grinding noise that made the car undriveble. After a tow truck was called, we noticed that the entire front driver side wheel was shifted backward and was resting on the rear of the wheel well liner. The air suspension controls would not allow me to move the height of the vehicle and instead were locked at "Very high." - 2015 Tesla Model S owner
"While the contact was exiting the driveway, the suspension arm fractured on the driver's side of the vehicle. The defect led to scratches on the inside of the front driver's side wheel. There were no warning indicators illuminated. The contact notified the manufacturer of the failure and was informed that something may have struck the vehicle and caused the suspension failure. The contact disputed this claim. The failure mileage was 30,300." - 2017 Tesla Model S owner
NHTSA says Tesla front suspension failures appear to indicate an increasing trend because 34 complaints were filed in the last two years and three of the highway-speed incidents have been reported within the last three months.
Tesla issued a service bulletin in February 2017 which talked about a manufacturing problem that could cause front fore link suspension failures.
"Some Model S and Model X vehicles may have been manufactured with front suspension fore links that may not meet Tesla strength specifications. In the event of link failure, the driver can still maintain control of the vehicle but the tire may contact the wheel arch liner." - SB-17-31-001 - Replace Front Suspension Lower Fore Links
The bulletin says the Model S and Model X vehicles were built between January 19, 2016, and May 25, 2016.
NHTSA says more than 114,000 Model S and Model X vehicles are included in the Tesla front suspension failure investigation.
CarComplaints.com will update our website with results of the investigation.