NHTSA Probes 1.2M Teslas Over Suspension Failures
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- NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation launched a preliminary evaluation covering ~1.2 million 2018-2020 Model 3 and 2021-2023 Model Y vehicles after 156 complaints of the front lower lateral link separating while driving.
- The defect can cause loss of steering control, leave the vehicle undriveable, and require towing — and most owners reported no advance warning before the link failed.
- Tesla previously issued two recalls for similar suspension issues — ~2,800 Model 3 vehicles in 2021 and 422 Model 3 vehicles in 2023 — but NHTSA says the failures now under investigation extend beyond those earlier recalls.
- NHTSA is not aware of any crashes, injuries, or fatalities tied to the current defect, though 156 complaints is a substantial figure for a preliminary evaluation.
- The probe lands alongside a separate upgraded NHTSA investigation into Tesla's Full Self-Driving over reduced-visibility crashes, which now covers 3.2 million vehicles and has moved closer to a possible recall.
- A 2023 Model Y owner commenting on the article described experiencing the same front-driver's-side joint failure earlier this year, with Tesla covering the tow under warranty while denying any recall existed.
Why it matters: If NHTSA escalates this from preliminary evaluation to engineering analysis, Tesla could face a recall covering 1.2 million vehicles — a far wider scope than its 2021 and 2023 suspension recalls combined (about 3,200 cars). The no-warning failure mode of the lateral link, paired with 156 complaints, is the kind of combination that has historically pushed NHTSA toward escalation rather than closure.
