2013 TESLA MODEL S Complaints

HERE IS A FORUM POST IN WHICH AN OWNER OF A TESLA CERTIFIED PRE OWNED CAR REPORTS THAT HE HAD 4 SEIZED BRAKE CALIPER PISTONS. HTTPS://TESLAMOTORSCLUB.COM/TMC/THREADS/4-BENT-WHEELS.75765/ CUBLDR97, THURSDAY AT 6:53 PM I PURCHASED A CPO 2013 MODEL S85 IN FEB OF THIS YEAR. LOVE THE CAR, BUT THE CAR SEEMED TO HAVE A WHEEL OUT OF BALANCE OR SOMETHING THAT CAUSED THE CAR TO VIBRATE AND SHUDDER A BIT AT 80MPH... 19 INCH WHEELS SWITCHED OUT THE BRAND NEW TIRES FOR WINTER TIRES, SEEMED BETTER BUT STILL SHUDDERED. WINTER TIRES WERE ON FOR ABOUT 4000 MILES, HAD REALLY UNEVEN WEAR, THEN PUT THE REGULAR TIRES BACK ON AND HAD AN ALIGNMENT DONE, CAR STILL SHUDDERS, HAD WHEELS BALANCED AGAIN, NO REAL IMPROVEMENT. FINALLY GOT THE CAR LOOKED AT TODAY FOR THE SHUDDER, AND SQUEAKY SUSPENSION. HERE IS WHAT I GOT IN AN EMAIL... "THE TECHNICIANS ARE WORKING ON YOUR CAR. THE CAR IS NEED OF ALL 4 WHEELS. THEY ARE SIGNIFICANTLY BENT AND A COUPLE OF THEM IN MORE THAN ONE SPOT ON THE SAME WHEEL. THE TECHNICIAN ALSO NOTICED ALL 4 CALIPER PISTONS ARE SEIZED AND THE SWAY BAR LINK HAS EXCESSIVE PLAY." THIS SHOULD HAVE BEEN PICKED UP BY TESLA MECHANICS BEFORE THE CAR WAS SOLD THERE ARE REPORTS BY OWNERS ON OTHER THREADS REPORTING PREMATURE RUSTING OF BRAKE PARTS. EXAMPLE: HTTPS://TESLAMOTORSCLUB.COM/TMC/THREADS/OUCH-FIRST-HUGE-REPAIR-BILL.70396/ IT IS OF CONCERN THAT THESE FAULTS ARE NOT BEING DETECTED BY TESLA SERVICE AND THAT IN MOST JURISDICTIONS THE TESLA FLEET IS STILL TOO YOUNG TO REQUIRE ANNUAL SAFETY INSPECTIONS. PERHAPS THIS IS A FACTOR CAUSING THE VERY LARGE NUMBER OF SALVAGE TESLAS SHOWING UP THAT HAVE HEAVY FRONT END DAMAGE PLEASE INVESTIGATE.

HERE IS AN AUCTION LISTING OF A TESLA THAT HAS CAUGHT FIRE. HTTP://SALVAGE-BID.COM/RESULT.PHP?VIN=[XXX] THE PJHOTOGRAPHS SHOW THAT THE LH TOP BALL-JOINT HAS PULLED OUT FROM THE STEERING KNUCKLE. THIS IS NOT THE RESULT OF THE FIRE BECAUSE THOSE PARTS ARE SOLID METAL AND NEITHER THE STEERING KNUCKLE NOR THE WISHBONE HAVE MELTED. THE SUSPENSION FAILURE IS CONSISTENT WITH THE PATTERN OF SIMILAR FAILURES THAT APPEAR TO HAVE BEEN THE CAUSE OF CRASHES. PLEASE INVESTIGATE THIS RECURRING FAILURE INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

I HAVE SUPPLIED NHTSA WITH DETAILS OF MANY TESLAS WITH BROKEN SUSPENSIONS. THIS LATEST ONE THAT HAS JUST ARRIVED IN THE WRECKING YARD IS A PRIME EXAMPLE. HTTPS://M.IAAI.COM/VEHICLEDETENC.ASPX?AUCTIONID=21270046&ITEMID=22443933&ROWID=7&PAGESOURCE=VEHICLERESULTS PLEASE LOOK AT THE PHOTOGRAPHS AND SEE IF YOU AGREE THAT THERE IS A REAL PROBLEM WITH THE DESIGN AND MANUFACTURE OF THESE CARS. TWO OF THE WHEELS AND TIRES HAVE BEEN BADLY DAMAGED WHILST THE CAR WAS IN MOTION. IT APPEARS THAT THE AIR SUSPENSION HAS FAILED CAUSING ALL WHEELS TO JAM UP INTO THE WHEEL WELLS. OWNERS HAVE REPORTED THAT THE CAR DOES NOT HAVE LIMIT STOPS AND THIS IS WHY A SIMPLE AIR LEAK CAN RESULT IN DISASTER. HTTPS://FORUMS.TESLA.COM/EN_AU/FORUM/FORUMS/AIR-SUSPENSION-FAILURE-VERY-UNPLEASANT-RESULTS

HERE IS A REPORT OF A TESLA CRASH AT AN INTERSECTION. HTTP://INSIDEEVS.COM/TESLA-MODEL-S-GETS-WRECKED-OWNER-SAYS-VEHICLE-SAVED-HIS-LIFE-IMAGES-OWNER-TESTIMONIAL/ THE REPORT BLAMES THE OTHER DRIVER AND CREDITS THE TESLA WITH SAVING THE OWNER FROM INJURY. THE CLAIM THAT THE HYUNDAI HIT THE TESLA AND THEN REBOUNDED AND HIT THE TESLA ONCE MORE IS QUITE UNUSUAL. THE PHOTOGRAPHS ARE HIGH RESOLUTION AND IF THEY ARE BLOWN UP AND EXAMINED CLOSE UP YOU CAN SEETHE THAT TIP OF THE STEERING KNUCKLE IS BROKEN OFF (CLOSE UP PHOTOGRAPH OF THE ACTUAL PART -WHICH WAS PURCHASED BY A REBUILDER- HERE: HTTPS://WWW.FLICKR.COM/PHOTOS/136377865@N05/22799472895/IN/ALBUM-72157658490111523/ I THINK IT IS POSSIBLE THAT SUSPENSION FAILURES ARE CAUSING MANY CRASHES. THE DATE OF THE INCIDENT IS AN ESTIMATE. THE OWNER SAYS THAT TESLA HAVE BEEN VERY HELPFUL. "?TESLA CALLED MY HOME SHORTLY AFTERWARDS SAYING THAT THEY RECEIVED MULTIPLE ALARMS FROM THE CAR AND WANTED TO MAKE SURE I WAS OK. THEY PICKED UP MY CAR FREE OF CHARGE AND TRANSPORTED IT 50 MILES TO THE NEAREST SERVICE CENTER. THEY ARE ALSO ARRANGING A LOANER MODEL S. CAN I ASK FOR MORE? PLEASE NOTE THAT I AM NOT THE OWNER JUST A CONCERNED CITIZEN PLEASE INCLUDE THIS CRASH IN ANY INQUIRY INTO THE TESLA SUSPENSION ISSUE. *TR

HERE IS A SALVAGE CAR THAT HAS HAD A SEVERE REAR END IMPACT. HTTP://WWW.COPART.COM/US/LOT/29148486?SEARCHID=342174653 IT APPEARS THAT THE DRIVERS SEAT-BACK HAS COLLAPSED. THIS IS NOT GOOD. "IT IS ESTIMATED THAT APPROXIMATELY 50,000 REAR IMPACT INJURIES OCCUR PER YEAR IN THE US ALONE. ELEVEN HUNDRED OF THESE ARE FATAL. ANOTHER 1,600 ARE LIFE THREATENING INJURIES SUCH AS BRAIN DAMAGE, BURNS AND PARALYSIS. THE PROBLEM OCCURS WHEN A VEHICLE IS STRUCK FROM THE REAR AT MODERATE SPEEDS, OFTEN BETWEEN 25 AND 32 KILOMETRES PER HOUR, CAUSING THE SEAT BACK TO COLLAPSE IN FRONT BUCKET AND SPLIT BACK SEATS. THE RESULT CREATES AN AVENUE WHICH MAY ALLOW OCCUPANTS TO BE EJECTED EVEN THOUGH THEY ARE USING SEAT BELT RESTRAINTS. WHEN A SEAT BACK COLLAPSES, CURRENT SEAT BELT SYSTEMS ARE RENDERED VIRTUALLY USELESS. THIS ALLOWS THE OCCUPANT TO SLIDE REARWARD UNDER THE SEAT BELT THEN THEY ARE EITHER EJECTED FROM THE VEHICLE OR FORCED HEAD FIRST INTO THE REAR SEAT BACK, EXPOSING THEM TO POSSIBLE HEAD OR SPINAL INJURY" CAN YOU PLEASE INVESTIGATE WHETHER THERE IS A WEAKNESS IN THE SEAT-BACK WHICH IS PLACING DRIVERS AT RISK OF DEATH OR INJURY.

HERE IS ANOTHER CRASHED TESLA IN THE JUNK-YARD. HTTP://WWW.COPART.COM/US/LOT/26133286/PHOTOS?SEARCHID=978872155 THE FRONT WHEEL HAS COME OFF AND IT HAS THE USUAL CHARACTERISTICS OF A GROOVE WORN IN THE TREAD AND THE TIRE PARTLY PEELED OFF THE RIM. THIS IS (IMHO) MOST LIKELY TO HAVE OCCURRED WHILE THE CAR WAS IN MOTION AND BEFORE THE MAIN IMPACT. IT IS LIKELY THAT THIS WAS THE CAUSE OF THE CRASH AND NOT MERELY THE RESULT OF THE CRASH. THERE SEEM TO BE FAR TOO MANY SIMILAR CASES OF SUSPENSION FAILURE. PLEASE INVESTIGATE. PLEASE NOT THAT I AM NOT THE OWNER, JUST A CONCERNED CITIZEN. THE REPORTS OF NUMBER OF PERSONS INJURED ARE ONLY AN ESTIMATE BASED ON THE SEVERITY OF THE CRASH.

THE VENTILATION IN THE 3RD ROW OF 1ST GENERATION OF MODEL S IS AWFUL. KIDS DONT LIKE TO SIT SIMPLY BECAUSE IT'S TOO HOT AND UNACCEPTABLE EVEN WITH FULL A/C ON. TESLA ACKNOWLEDGED THIS VERBALLY BUT WONT DO ANYTHING TO FIX IT.

PANORAMIC ROOF HAS CRACK ON MY FIRST GENERATION 2013 TESLA MODEL S, WHICH TESLA CLAIMS TO BE DUE TO IMPACT WITH SOMETHING FROM OUTSIDE AND MY CAR IS SAFE IN GARAGE WITH NOTHING OVER IT WHEN THIS HAPPENED. I WONDERED HOW CAN THIS BE POSSIBLE ON A CAR WITH 5-STAR SAFETY RATING THAT ROOF CRACKS AND IT'S NOT COVERED PART OF THE VEHICLE WARRANTY PROGRAM.

COMPLETE BRAKE FAILURE. ERROR MESSAGES CAME UP ON MY SCREEN. I WAS DRIVING INSIDE OF MY COMPANIES PARKING LOT AT 5MPH. WHEN I TRIED TO DRIVE THE CAR TO THE DEALER TO GET CHECKED OUT THE CAR STOPPED IT SELF. IT REQUIRED TESLA TO SEND AN UPDATE TO MY CAR TO HAVE IT BE ABLE TO GET TO THE DEALER. THIS HAPPENED WITH 42K MILES ON THE CAR.

AT 45K MILES MY SUSPENSION FAILED. IT REQUIRED A NEW CONTROL ARM AND SUSPENSION ALIGNMENT. TESLA SAID "DROVE VEHICLE AND CONFIRMED NOISE FROM FRONT OF VEHICLE. UPON INSPECTION FOUND LEFT FRONT UPPER CONTROL ARM JOINT TO HAVE EXCESSIVE FREEPLAY." THE INDIVIDUAL AT TESLA SAID IT WAS NO BIG DEAL. I WAS DRIVING THE CAR AND HEARD A CRACK NOISE WHILE GOING DOWN A STREET. FROM THEN ON OUT MY CAR MADE LOUD SQUEAKING AND CRACKING NOISES.