2016 Tesla Model X suspension problems

SUSPENSION

In March of 2025, my steering of the model X became really stiff. As time went on, the problem became worse and no longer able to turn left or right without major force. I made an appointment with Tesla and took it in for servicing. At this time they changed the steering bolts and steering shaft April 23, 2025. This cost $489.70 (I will attach invoice). As soon as I picked up the vehicle my steering wheel was about 30% stuck to the right. I immediately sent a picture to tesla for them to conduct an alignment and fix the issue. They fixed the issue but around May 15th, I had a nail in my tire so I took my car in to fix it. At that time I find out that the tires on my car were exposed to the wire (I will add the picture of the tires). I replaced these tires on March 1st 2025 which is only 2 1/2 months since I replaced it. It was an indication that something is wrong so I make another appointment with Tesla to check it and get another alignment I dropped off car on June 3rd. Tesla tried to perform another alignment to find that they are not able to because the steering gear assembly needs to be replaced. I asked for clarification because I just fixed the steering components in April and they are now wanting $4900 for the steering gear assembly. As I was researching, I find that my model x was produced on May 2016 and there is a recall for Model x produced before Oct 2016 for the steering bolt and steering components if they are damaged. When I tell tesla that there is a recall they say that my vin is not associated with the recall. I am filing a complaint because my car is with in the period of vehicles produces in the recall. There is a huge safety issue if the steering bolt and steering gear assembly is malfunctioning. There were no warning lamps or messages to indicate this. This has put my family and other vehicles at risk and Tesla is aware of this problem but won't honor the recall or admit that the steering issue are all related.

NHTSA complaint #11667556 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

SUSPENSION

Sudden and catastrophic shearing of the driver side rear suspension arm (control arm). My understanding is all these cars from Tesla have aluminum suspension arms which causes identical and catastrophic failure of the vehicle during driving due to choice of Aluminum instead of stainless steel(SS). Aluminum has an ultimate tensile strength of only 90 MPa while SS can exceed 500 MPa. Since my car got disabled completely (motor gets disconnected from the wheel) I almost lost my life with vehicles coming at high speed from behind. I saw the same control arm failures with Tesla cars including S and 3 and X (like mine) all over the world. Here is an example of a very similar failure to mine on a model 3 in Norway : [XXX] The failure is so similar that even the wheel tilted inwards to the wheel bay just in my case due to the clean shearing of the aluminum bushing on the control arm. I would like to make sure these failures do not continue with Tesla and people's lives are not at risk and thus this report. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA complaint #11661421 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

SUSPENSION

I was parking my car at home when all of a sudden there was a violent/sudden drop in the front of my car. I initially thought I got a flat tire, but when I took a look the entire front suspension was shot and dropped as low as possible. The Model X feels and is very unsafe to drive and has a grainding sound like the car is about to fall a part.

NHTSA complaint #11651182 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

SUSPENSION

Wheel tilted in when backing out of driveway turning due to control arm failure

NHTSA complaint #11645648 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

SUSPENSION

Steering Stuck: It happened several times that the steering wheel completely locked up while driving on the road. Today it happened again. It does not move, cannot turn left or right. I was in the middle of the road, the only thing I could do was to back up. I had to stop in the middle of the road and reboot the car. Luckily the cars behind me were able to stop before crashing into me. In May 2024, I addressed the same issues, but it happened again. I think it is their defect which I have serious concerns for my safety. I heard other people also experienced the same as mine. I believe this is the defect which will cause the danger of drivers. Suspension and tires: I went to several tires shops every year and they all told me that my tires have been worn quickly because alignment was not properly installed. I went to Tesla, but they said there were no issues. The fact is that my tires have been worn quickly than normal and we can hear the squeaky noise from the suspensions when turning. My friend has the same issues with his tesla. This is also a defect that Tesla needs to repair it. WiFi: My Tesla cannot connect to WiFi for all of those years for updates. I have asked Tesla to help but they cannot connect to it either. This is a defect that they cannot fix which cause my car not being able to update it automatically.

NHTSA complaint #11623222 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

SUSPENSION

subframe bolt was broken off without external impact, caused loud noise when driving, and potential safety concern. I suspect the bolt has proper quality control. One year ago, the front suspension(fucas) has to be replaced due to strange noise at low speed.

NHTSA complaint #11608596 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

SUSPENSION

What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? Rear driver's side control arm failure during slow left-hand turn (~20 mph) from one road to another. A "clunk" noise was heard from underneath the car, like that of a rock striking the vehicle, and then the vehicle reported several errors regarding drive unit failure, brake failure, and stability failure. The vehicle automatically shifted to "P" and would not move. Upon exiting the vehicle, the rear tire was tilted in at a 45 degree angle and the control arm was broken open and a 1.25 inch piece of the control arm was on the road. How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? The suspension failed at low speed (~20 mph) and in little to no traffic, with no option to move the vehicle to a safer area. Had the failure occurred at any other time (higher speeds, heavier traffic), the danger to life would have been catastrophic. Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? The problem is evident in the broken component dangling from the under side of the vehicle. Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? The Tesla Service Center - Salem has inspected the issue and stated that they do not have the capability of fixing the issue and that the issue is due to a collision. My Insurance has assessed the issue and determined they will not cover the issue as there was no collision involved in the damage. Were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear? There were no warnings, messages, or other symptoms prior to the suspension failure.

NHTSA complaint #11605987 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

SUSPENSION

Squeaking noise on the passenger rear side was noticeable when I am hitting the breaks then a thump sound as if I landed on some big pothole occurred. So I drove as slow as I can until we reach home. I inspected the vehicle and to my surprise the control arm had torn and the tires were hanging loose.

NHTSA complaint #11588949 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

SUSPENSION

The contact owns a 2016 Tesla Model X. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, there was an abnormal squeaky and clunking sound coming from the front end of the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the Tesla Service Center, where the front driver's side and the passenger's side front upper control arms links and bushings were replaced, and the four-wheel alignment was performed. Additionally, the contact stated while driving at various speeds, the steering wheel was significantly resistant. The vehicle was taken to the Tesla Service Center, where the intermediate lower steering column shaft was replaced. Additionally, the contact stated while driving 20-30 MPH and making a right turn, the steering wheel became significantly loose, causing the contact to lose steering control. Additionally, the wheels failed to respond as needed. The contact stated that the vehicle was perpendicular to oncoming traffic at the time of the failure. The contact parked the vehicle and had the vehicle towed to the Tesla Service Center, where it was being diagnosed. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 66,000.

NHTSA complaint #11583309 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

SUSPENSION

Car tends to brake in autopilot without having any car in front causing jolt feeling and dangerous scenario for vehicles behind. Suspension work like upper control, half shafts, ball joints, toe and struts been replaced 5 times. One time entire wheel came off.

NHTSA complaint #11579425 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

SUSPENSION

Front suspension creaking and groaning with zero reason. Upperand lower links bad Rear tires blew out because of severe wear on inner edge while the rest of the tire had 80% tread left bad camber caused uneven wear

NHTSA complaint #11577325 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

SUSPENSION

My Tesla Model X had the "famous" suspension problem that Tesla refused to acknowledge but cost me thousands to repair the defect.

NHTSA complaint #11565500 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

SUSPENSION

The contact owns a 2016 Tesla Model X. The contact stated that while driving down the driveway, the front suspension system failed rendering the vehicle undrivable. The vehicle was towed to the local service center who diagnosed that the front suspension was faulty and needed to be replaced. The suspension system was replaced, and the vehicle was fixed. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 93,000.

NHTSA complaint #11562357 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

SUSPENSION

Aluminum lower control arms break under normal driving conditions

NHTSA complaint #11551107 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

SUSPENSION

Left front lower control arm broke when parking.

NHTSA complaint #11551108 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

SUSPENSION

Hello! The front fore links have failed in my vehicle which are a known issue in Tesla Model X's manufactured in 2016. I want to report this to add to the number of complaints

NHTSA complaint #11522444 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

SUSPENSION

The suspension (the front half shaft) has repeatedly failed and has been replaced multiple times by Tesla. First it was replaced under warranty and now we are paying for it as it is no longer covered under the warranty. The part failure is a safety concern as it has lead to unstable handling, nearly resulting in a crash several times. The parts have always been discarded by Tesla but a full explanation of the problem is here: https://n2itive.me/ No warning lamps or messages appear as it happens every time you accelerate, and sometimes the vibrations are so severe that it affects the handling of the vehicle severely.

NHTSA complaint #11517670 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

SUSPENSION

The control arm joints of the Model X started to squeak under warranty. Under warranty, they "Reseal Area Around Both Front Upper Control Arm Ball Joints With Urethane (Model X)" which they knew didn't fix the problem from looking Tesla forum. It just masks the problem for another 1-2 years and when the car is out of warranty, they now offer a fix which is to replace the entire control arm joint which is around $1k per side. There is a known issue with Model X suspension. It looks like other models have had a recall for similar issues.

NHTSA complaint #11517259 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

SUSPENSION

In Sept of 2022 I took my car to a Tesla Svc Ctr due to the ceiling panel had dislodged. Although there was a recall for this of which I was not notified of but found on my own, I had to argue with the young woman who checked me in. She denied that a recall existed. I had to show her the notice from Teslas own website before she conceded. I later received a note letting me know I needed front tires which wasn’t unexpected but the next day, I received a new invoice with a note stating I also needed fed & aft links adding $1k to the bill. I didn't find a recall but DID find an applicable Service Bulletin but got no response when I asked about it. Flash fwd: 2-3 weeks ago I started got a, “air compression suspension disabled”. I saw no other alerts & checked for service notes of which there were none. The car drove fine, so I thought the note would clear it itself but it didn’t. I found some info on a blog & followed a tip on doing a reset which initially worked, but the alert popped up again. The car started bobbing violently. The car is at the service center now. When I checked in the gentleman helping me reviewed the cars notes & got an odd, concerning look on his face but only said he hoped the car would be done later today. When I got home I did a google search on 2016 Tesla Model X suspension issues, & found articles indicating Tesla had issued a recall in China but refused to do so in the US, & that the NHTSA was investigating the issue at the time the article was written, which has prompted me to file this complaint.

NHTSA complaint #11512222 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

SUSPENSION

I had a failure of the front right suspension fore link assembly on Feb 22, 2023. This occurred while driving at highway speeds. There was no pothole or traumatic impact to the vehicle that could have caused this failure. This resulted in misalignment of the front passenger tire, as it was off-center and made impact against the wheel arch liner. It was difficult to maintain control of the vehicle, which is a significant safety hazard. I was stranded on the roadside for several hours since the vehicle was not drivable. A tow truck had to bring my vehicle to the nearest Tesla Service Center, which confirmed the failure of the front suspension fore link assembly. This is already a well known problem that NHTSA is aware of, with over 40 complaints of the same issue filed with increasing frequency over the past year. There is an active investigation by NHTSA (opened on Nov 22, 2020) and a Tesla service repair bulletin (Feb 10, 2017) that was issued regarding this problem. Please make this a safety recall as it poses a significant safety hazard that can easily cause car accidents, harming people. Lives are at risk if this problem is allowed to continue without a safety recall.

NHTSA complaint #11509211 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

SUSPENSION

While pulling forward to straighten out car into parking/charging spot at less than 1mph at EVGo charger in front of Meijer store the front passenger wheel made loud clunk and would not move. Another motorist charging said he heard it and offered to help. I called Tesla roadside from car’s service screen and waited over half hour before being disconnected. The Tesla App provides NO applicable options for this scenario to report. I then called my extended warranty (X-care) roadside and after almost 4 hours obtained a tow to Tesla Service in Clarkston. Tesla now diagnosed that the FORE LINK ASSY, 1.00 RH(1041575-00-B) WASHER, NORDLOCK, 1.00 15.2X30.7X3.4(1033093- 00-A) NUT HF M14X1.50 [10] 1.00 ZNNI NL INSERT(1004358-00-C) need to be replaced. $400 parts and labor. Invoice attached. This luckily occurred with only me in the car, on 40 degree day and at the charger…I was nearly out of charge. I would have been stranded. And begged a lot of what if’s… The car had just been serviced by Tesla on 11/14/22-11/18/22. Invoice attached. Tesla replaced bolts in steering rack housing when I brought it in for a windshield replacement? Bottom line though this is too critical a failure during such a basic, low speed operation to be safe. I cannot trust that the fore link assembly won’t fail in future in same or different wheel. It felt like the car broke its own leg by merely taking a slow step forward. This should not be permissible. Thank you for your work.

NHTSA complaint #11500041 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

SUSPENSION

Significant creaking/squeaking of front suspension when driven st lower speeds, turning, and going over speed bumps. There are hundreds of other drivers complaining of the same for 2016-2018 model years on the Tesla forums. I have no idea if my suspension will fail, and am waiting on an appointment with Tesla. My vehicle is available for inspection should you deem it necessary. There were no warning signs at all, it just started happening on December 8, 2022 and has stayed consistent since then.

NHTSA complaint #11497904 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

SUSPENSION

In a parking lot when going over a speed bump air suspension failed causing the car to become lower in the front and frequently rubbing against uneven ground. In Tesla model S and X vehicles sent to China, there has been a recall of approximately 30,000 vehicle recalls of these models of Tesla vehicles for faulty air suspension.

NHTSA complaint #11494287 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

SUSPENSION

The contact owns a 2016 Tesla Model-X. The contact stated while reversing, the contact noticed that the front driver’s side of the vehicle inadvertently lowered, and an abnormal sound was heard coming from the vehicle. The contact examined the vehicle and noticed that the front driver’s side wheel was resting on the inner wheel well liner. The vehicle was towed to the dealer and the contact was informed that the front driver’s and passenger’s side suspension fore-link needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and authorized the repair of the vehicle. The failure mileage was 42,000.

NHTSA complaint #11493706 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

SUSPENSION

Drivers Front fore link cracked. Suspension failure at speed Tesla TSB over this issue that says to replace parts. Tesla TSB SB-17-31-001 Tesla stated this doesn’t apply to my vehicle even though it clearly does.

NHTSA complaint #11490894 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

SUSPENSION

The passenger front tire suspension makes a cracking sound on low speed. We brought our car to the local service center for repair twice over the past year (spent $5000), and the noise is still there. Tesla had a recall on this issue: https://cdn.motor1.com/pdf-files/sb-21-39-001-replace-front-drive-unit-halfshafts.pdf but they told me that my vehicle was not included, even though my vehicle was made during the time period that should be covered by the recall.

NHTSA complaint #11490221 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

SUSPENSION

It appears that the front air spring module fails pretty easily and causes increased stopping distance. On my vehicle, this failed at less than 38k miles (left), and at less than 50k miles (right). Both times it required full replacement of the "Air Spring Module". While I expect this to happen eventually, both of them occurred on a fairly low mileage vehicle.

NHTSA complaint #11480909 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

SUSPENSION

When I went to back out of parking place, I head something rubbing and car shuddered. Discovered when turning right the behavior would manifest. Drove across parking lot to tire shop. Discovered that the control arm fork had broken. Needed to have towed to Tesla service, at my expense as I was "out of the service area." Discovered there is a service bulletin, but no recall on this part? I am forced to cover repair expense, when their bulletin acknowledges the part is not up to "Tesla standards." Service claimed it was a "wear part," which could be true for bushings and connectors, not a physical piece of metal that started to rub the inside of my tire. I am told that they cover this in China, not in the US? Also, they apparently have internal memos on how to deal with customers over the issue. Currently I have been without the vehicle since August 4, 2022 with a targeted release date now August 17. That date is a moving target, as it has changed 2 different times.

NHTSA complaint #11479106 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

SUSPENSION

The contact owns a 2016 Tesla Model X. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, there was an abnormal creaking sound coming from the front suspension of the vehicle. The cause of the failure was not yet diagnosed nor repaired. The contact indicated that the sound was caused by insufficient lubrication of the suspension ball joint and socket during manufacturing of the vehicle and the manufacturer was aware of the issue. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but no assistance was offered. The local dealer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 60,000.

NHTSA complaint #11474083 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.