2023 TESLA MODEL Y Complaints

While parking my Tesla in my driveway, I suddenly lost the ability to steer the vehicle. After exiting the vehicle, I noticed that the front driver’s side wheel was locked. I looked underneath the vehicle and observed that components of the front suspension had collapsed. The vehicle could not be driven and required towing to a Tesla Service Center. Tesla repaired the vehicle under the manufacturer’s warranty at no cost to me. Immediately before arriving home, I had been driving on the highway with my children in the vehicle. If this suspension failure had occurred while traveling at highway speed instead of while parking, it could have resulted in a loss of vehicle control and a serious crash. I am submitting this report because I believe this represents a significant safety concern. The Tesla service invoice does not accurately reflect the concern I reported. I did not bring the vehicle in because of a noise or vibration. While parking in my driveway, I suddenly lost steering, the driver’s front wheel locked, and the front suspension collapsed, leaving the vehicle undrivable. The vehicle was towed to Tesla. Tesla replaced multiple front suspension components under warranty, including both front lower compliance links, both front lower lateral links, and the left front halfshaft. The attached photos show the vehicle before it was towed. I suddenly lost steering while parking, the driver’s front wheel locked, and the vehicle became undrivable. Although the Tesla invoice lists the concern as “noise or vibration,” the vehicle was actually towed because of this suspension failure.

Left lower control arm link failure. No collisions had occurred in the history of the vehicle, and small sounds were heard prior to failure, with the total failure sound being obvious. No system malfunction warnings were displayed.

On July 9, 2025, while making a right turn at about 15 mph on a standard road, the two front-left bolts fell out, causing the entire bracket and lateral link assembly to detach. The vehicle became inoperable and had to be towed for repairs. Not long after, on September 29, 2025, while making a left turn at 20 mph, the two front-right bolts also fell out, and the bracket and lateral link assembly detached just as before. Once again, the vehicle required towing for repairs. I am now afraid to drive the car; fortunately, neither incident occurred on the highway—where a major accident could have easily happened—since the vehicle becomes completely immobilized the moment these parts fall off. What's more, the Tesla's center console computer doesn't show any issues or trigger any warnings, yet the car simply won't drive—it won't move at all.

This issue occurred on August 02, 2026 at around 3pm. I was parked and put my 2023 Tesla Model Y in reverse to give myself enough room to drive forward from being parked on road next to my house. While going into reverse, I heard a really loud bang noise coming from under the front section of the car. I put the car in park and got out to take a look around. At first I thought I had hit something while backing out but did not see any object in the reverse camera. So then I kneeled down and looked under the car and that's when I saw the passenger side front lateral arm of the suspension detached and left hanging down from the wheel. I let Tesla know what occurred using their app to message the company.

I was driving the car to the parking lot from 5mph to 0 mph , car reversed on its own sped to 10 mph causing accident .

While exiting a parking space, I noticed a very obvious clunking sound from the front of the car. As I started driving slowly and moving the steering wheel back and forth, there would be a loud clunk and a bump in the steering wheel when moving it from the right back to center. I drove home 30 miles very carefully and called Tesla when I got there. They set up a tow and fixed the car under warranty. They said bolts had loosened on the front lower lateral link assembly. Safety was at risk due to the possibility of my car falling to the ground and not being able to steer. In the right setting, this could have cause a major accident. I did not receive any warning lamps or any warnings of any kind. There was never a clunk until the bolt was fully out. The car didn't steer or drive any differently either so no way to know something was wrong.

I was driving the vehicle and heard a lot crack and felt the steering wheel unstable. Whenever I would turn the steering wheel the car would make crackling noises and I would feel the car go up as I was driving. When I was turning into my driveway the car felt like the whole left wheel had fallen off, according to my spouse she said the wheel looked like it was folding in as a turn and the car was elevating. We made an appointment with Tesla service senter and we had to get our car towed since it was not drivable. I went to speak with the Tesla agent and they had told me there was wear and tear on both lower front arm links and that they had replaced them. My car has only 19,000 miles so that seemed extremely strange and fast. The following day as I was cleaning my driveway I noticed a big suspension bolt on the ground, I took a picture of the bolt and sent it to my agent and he confirmed it was form the suspension bolt. Something they never mentioned until I found the bolt in my driveway. They repaired the issue according to them, we had no messages or indications of something going on. We also noticed that our wheels were getting worn down unevenly due to this. This is a family vehicle which is concerning that we could’ve had a more serious accident if it would’ve happened at a highway or on a trip.

1. Front left suspension system — specifically the suspension control arm bolt — failed and detached while reverse parking. The failure caused the suspension arm to drop and resulted in secondary damage to the fender, wheel-well liner, and door alignment. The vehicle has been repaired, but all service records, photos, and documentation are available for inspection upon request. 2. The suspension bolt failure caused the front left suspension to collapse suddenly while I was reverse parking. If this had happened at normal driving speeds, it could have caused loss of control and a crash. I regularly transport a [XXX] and a [XXX], and this unpredictable suspension collapse created a serious risk to my family and others on the road. 3. Yes. The failure was inspected and confirmed by Tesla’s Alpharetta Service Center and the Tesla Marietta Collision Center. The Marietta team documented that the front left suspension control arm bolt had detached and that the resulting damage was not caused by any external impact. Tesla ultimately approved the repair under warranty, confirming that the failure was due to a component issue rather than misuse. 4. Yes. The vehicle was inspected by Tesla’s Alpharetta Service Center immediately after the incident, and then by the Tesla Marietta Collision Center. Both locations confirmed that the front left suspension control arm bolt had detached and caused the suspension collapse. The Marietta team documented that the failure was not caused by any external impact and Tesla approved the repair under warranty. No police or insurance inspection was performed because the failure occurred at low speed on private property. 5. No warning lamps or messages appeared. I did hear suspension clunking/creaking before the failure and had a Tesla service appointment scheduled, but Tesla postponed it. The bolt failure happened suddenly with no electronic warnings. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

In January 2025, my 2023 Tesla Model Y Long Range had approximately 22,000 miles and was only about one year old when a right-front suspension mounting bolt backed out of the front frame/subframe. Before discovering the problem, we heard a popping or knocking sound whenever the steering wheel was turned left or right. Upon inspecting the vehicle, I found that the loosened bolt was dragging across the plastic underbody/skid plate and was close to completely falling out. The photographs show the affected right-front suspension mounting point and bolt. To prevent the suspension connection from separating, I reinstalled and tightened the bolt myself and applied red thread-locking compound. The bolt has remained in place since that repair. However, a major front suspension fastener should not loosen or back out on a nearly new vehicle with only 22,000 miles. I am concerned that if the bolt had completely fallen out while driving, the suspension component could have detached, potentially causing a sudden change in wheel position, steering control, or loss of vehicle control. I am also concerned that the same condition could occur again or could exist on the opposite side of the vehicle. No crash or injury occurred, but this was a serious safety-related suspension failure. I am requesting that NHTSA investigate this incident as a possible manufacturing, assembly, or fastener-retention defect.

2023 Tesla Model Y, only 18,270 miles. While driving with my wife and children in the car, the front suspension/axle control arm disconnected from the wheel assembly. A large suspension bolt failed — it came out bent and heavily corroded (photos available). We heard an abnormal noise, then the steering stopped responding and the wheel splayed out of position. We were at low speed and stopped safely. The car was undriveable and had to be towed. The day before, we drove this same car on the highway at 75 mph. Had this failed then, with my family aboard, it would almost certainly have caused a serious or fatal crash. Critically, Tesla had sent us a notice that the vehicle needed service. We scheduled it per their availability for Aug 6 — but the control arm failed before that date. We were never told the car was unsafe to drive. Had we known we were at risk, we would never have driven it with our children. The vehicle was inspected by a Tesla service center. Tesla did not fully cover the repair — I was charged — and the lateral/structural damage from the failure was not fixed. Insurance was used to tow the car (also at our cost). The failed bolt and suspension components are in our possession and available for inspection on request. Cause: UNKNOWN — I am not a mechanic — but a bent, corroded suspension bolt and a disconnected control arm on an 18,000-mile vehicle indicate a premature failure of a suspension/axle fastener. I request that the manufacturer and NHTSA inspect the component. This is a serious loss-of-steering hazard.