2018 TESLA MODEL 3 Complaints

When driving in a parking lot a bolt came out on the drivers side suspension. The body of the car dropped on the tire and I could no longer drive the car. I was only going about 5mph but if I was going faster I can see this putting somebodies safety at risk. When I took it to Tesla they said is was not under warranty and had me replace the lower lateral link on the driver and passenger side of the vehicle. There were no warning lamps that came on.

I am filing this complaint in direct relation to NHTSA Preliminary Evaluation PE26006 regarding Tesla front suspension lower lateral link failures. I am the owner of a 2018 Tesla Model 3. On XXX, at approximately 101,728 miles, my vehicle experienced a severe suspension issue. The vehicle began producing a loud, frequent squeaking and rattling noise originating from the front passenger-side wheel area while driving under 40 mph. Due to the clear mechanical risk and safety concerns associated with a suspension failure, I brought the vehicle to the Tesla Service Center in [XXX]. Tesla technicians diagnosed the problem and confirmed a failure in the front suspension. The repair required the complete removal and replacement of both front lower lateral links (Tesla Part Number: 1044341-00-E) and accompanying hardware. Because the vehicle was past its standard warranty mileage, I was forced to pay $1,291.75 out of pocket for the total repair, which included $583.68 explicitly for the lower lateral link parts and associated labor/alignment. While my lower lateral link did not completely separate while driving at high speed, the component failed prematurely and exhibited the exact structural degradation currently being investigated by the NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. I have retained the official Tesla service invoice (Invoice # XXX) to verify this failure, the diagnosis, and the out-of-pocket repair costs. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Car suspension failed on front driver wheel. Lower lateral link failure. Car was not drivable. Car towed and fix for $4k.

Concern: Suspension Noise - What location is the noise coming from? Front. Suspension or Steering. What best describes the issue? Noise from suspension when driving on uneven roads. Repair Notes: Inspected Front Suspension for Activity 01 (Front suspension noise). Found torn bushings on Front Lateral Links and Compliance Links. Heavily torn on LH side. Safety concern. Both LH and RH Front Lower Compliance link and Lateral Links replacement recommended. Wheel alignment required for Lateral Link replacement.

The contact owns a 2018 Tesla Model 3. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle was shaking uncontrollably. The contact pulled over and had the vehicle towed to the dealer. The dealer determined that the front control arm had detached from the front passenger’s side wheel. The dealer replaced the front control arm, lateral link, and steering column. The contact stated that there was no impact to the vehicle to have caused the failure. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 76,000.

Component/system: The front passenger Occupant Classification System (OCS) in my 2018 Tesla Model 3. The vehicle is available for inspection on request. Description of the failure: The vehicle intermittently displays "Front passenger safety restraint system fault — service required]" on the center touchscreen. The alert first appeared on or about 4 years ago and has recurred approximately ~50 times since. The failure is strongly correlated with cabin temperature. It appears after the vehicle has been parked in direct sun in warm weather, and clears on its own once the cabin cools. It has not occurred in cooler ambient conditions. Safety risk: On this vehicle the front passenger seat uses a capacitive Occupant Classification System rather than a simple occupant-detection pad. The restraint control module uses OCS output to determine both whether the passenger airbag deploys and at what force. When the system faults, I have no way to know whether the passenger airbag is suppressed, will deploy at an inappropriate force for the occupant, or will deploy at all. This directly compromises frontal crash protection for anyone in that seat. I have been avoiding seating passengers there as a result. Inspection and confirmation: The vehicle is outside the basic warranty. Per Tesla's own service documentation, the passenger-side OCS sensor is not individually serviceable; the remedy requires replacing the seat cushion assembly and running a proprietary calibration routine that requires a cabin temperature near 68°F. The vehicle has not been inspected by police, insurance, or any independent shop. Prior warning symptoms: The touchscreen alert described above is the only symptom. There was no prior indication. There is no open recall for this condition on my VIN. Given the number of similar owner reports and the cost of the remedy, I believe many affected vehicles remain unrepaired and in service.

The rear passenger side break would not release. Had to be towed because the vehicle was non operational.

As I was backing out of the driveway I heard a strange noise and the steering started feeling crunchy. I parked the car and when I got out I saw a very large bolt on the ground that appears to have dropped out of the car. This seems to be the same issue as described in safety recall 23V-235. Tesla is saying my vin isn’t included and not covered despite the safety recall expiring including this manufacturing date range.

Vehicle displayed a “Safety Restraint System Issue - Service Required” alert (fault codes RCM_a056 and RCM_a032). Tesla diagnosed an open circuit between the driver-side curtain airbag and the left airbag controller, requiring replacement of the left body harness. Tesla quoted approximately $1,800–$2,200 for the out-of-warranty repair. This is a known, recurring pattern — multiple other 2018 Tesla Model 3 owners report experiencing this identical fault at nearly the same mileage (~78,000 miles), suggesting a design or component wear issue rather than isolated damage, similar to a prior Tesla trunk-harness recall (NHTSA campaign 21V-00D) that also stemmed from a wiring/harness defect on this same vehicle. I am requesting NHTSA investigate whether this represents a safety-defect trend warranting a recall.

The contact owns a 2018 Tesla Model 3. The contact stated that while driving on a highway at approximately 70–80 MPH, the hood latch failed, causing the hood to unexpectedly open and strike the windshield, obstructing the driver's visibility. Both the hood and the windshield were damaged. No warning lights illuminated and no unusual sounds occurred prior to the failure. The contact was able to safely pull over to the shoulder of the road. The contact temporarily secured the hood using tools kept in the vehicle and drove to the residence. An appointment was scheduled with a Tesla Collision Center for inspection and repairs. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the collision center. The failure mileage was approximately 58,700.