The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has announced the closure of a preliminary investigation into potential front suspension failures in nearly 75,000 Tesla vehicles.
The probe, which first began in 2020, centered around complaints concerning the failure of the front suspension fore links in Tesla’s 2015-2017 Model S and 2016-2017 Model X vehicles. The fore link is a component of the vehicle’s suspension that helps control the front wheel’s movement for better handling and stability. A failure in this part could potentially lead to damage to other components and compromise the vehicle’s handling.
However, according to the findings of the NHTSA probe, one minor crash with no injuries was reported among the 426 instances of fore link failures. The majority of these failures occurred at low speeds, typically between 1-15mph (24km/h), typically in parking lots or driveways.
This suggests that while the failures are inconvenient and concerning, they did not lead to a loss of vehicle control and do not pose an immediate risk to driver safety.
The NHTSA’s decision to close the investigation without manufacturer action does not imply there are no safety issues. The agency said Tesla has conducted nine recalls since 2018 related to steering and suspension components. Additionally, Tesla issued a consumer satisfaction bulletin in 2017 (SB-17-31-001) to replace the fore link in some vehicles manufactured between January and May 2016. The NHTSA said the bulletin covered 75% of the incidents identified during the investigation.
As a result, the NHTSA recommended that Tesla expand the terms of the consumer satisfaction bulletin to include all vehicles equipped with the potentially defective fore links.
You can read the full closure report below.
