Overview
- Federal regulators launched a preliminary evaluation after receiving 156 complaints that the front lower lateral link can detach on certain 2018–2020 Model 3 sedans and 2021–2023 Model Y crossovers.
- The front lower lateral link helps position the front suspension and steering; owners report the part can fail abruptly with no dashboard warning, leaving cars undrivable and requiring towing.
- NHTSA says it is not aware of any crashes, injuries, or deaths tied to these reported failures so far, and the investigation remains at the initial review stage with no recall ordered.
- Tesla previously issued limited recalls in 2021 and 2023 for related lateral-link problems affecting a small number of Model 3s, and federal officials say the newly reported problems exceed those earlier scopes and do not appear to share the same cause.
- Owners of affected Model 3 and Model Y vehicles are being told to listen for clunking or knocking at the front end and to seek Tesla service if steering feels loose, because regulators will decide next whether to escalate the probe to a detailed engineering analysis or require a recall.