Overview
- The Office of Defects Investigation opened a preliminary evaluation covering about 1.2 million vehicles after receiving 156 owner complaints about a front suspension part detaching.
- The probe targets 2018–2020 Model 3 sedans and 2021–2023 Model Y SUVs and centers on the front lower lateral link, the component that helps hold the front wheel assembly and set steering geometry.
- NHTSA says a detached lateral link can cause loss of steering and leave the vehicle undriveable and needing towing, but the agency reports no known crashes, injuries, or fatalities tied to the failures so far.
- Many owners reported little or no warning before the link separated, an abrupt failure mode that differs from slower, noisy suspension issues and that helped prompt regulator action.
- Tesla issued limited recalls for similar Model 3 suspension production problems in 2021 and 2023, but NHTSA says the current pattern appears broader and the preliminary evaluation may be escalated to an engineering analysis or a recall if a safety defect is found.