The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has opened a preliminary investigation covering nearly 1.2 million Tesla vehicles.
The probe follows 156 complaints alleging front suspension link failures.
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Owners reported hearing noises before failures but received no dashboard warnings. The investigation covers certain 2018-2020 Model 3 sedans and 2021-2023 Model Y crossovers.
No Warning Before It Breaks
The action falls short of a full-blown recall, at least for now. The Office of Defects Investigation says many owners reported no warning whatsoever before the suspension failed.
Some complained of creaking or other noises beforehand, but the agency says the vehicles generally provided no visual warnings.
Once the failure occurred, many vehicles became undrivable and had to be towed.
One complaint included in the investigation offers a good example of the kinds of failures drivers are reporting.
A Florida owner of a 2021 Tesla Model Y (NHTSA Complaint No. 11744359) said the SUV suffered a “complete failure” of the front lower lateral links, compliance links, and upper control arms at just 29,103 miles (46,837 km).
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According to the complaint, there were no warning lights or messages before the failure, only a creaking sound while turning, especially in reverse.
The owner also claimed the issue closely resembled an earlier Tesla suspension recall, but said their VIN was not included, leaving them responsible for the repair bill.
The Recalls That Came Before
Tesla has previously addressed front suspension issues through two separate recalls.
Recall 21V-835 covered 2,791 Model 3s from the 2019-2021 model years due to a production issue, while Recall 23V-235 involved 422 examples from the 2018-2019 model years that experienced similar failures.
That said, investigators say the complaints behind this latest probe extend beyond the scope of those recalls and “do not appear to be related to the production issue” that prompted them.
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Depending on what the NHTSA finds, this could turn into nothing or, conversely, one of the biggest recalls Tesla has ever issued.
