Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2018 Tesla Model 3 owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
I hit a medium sized pothole on a freeway in 2019 and cracked 2 rims. After replacing the rims and tires, I still had vibration. Now, over about 100-1000 miles, my alignment goes out and my suspension and steering begins to loosen (or feel that way), leading to steering instability, bounciness and vibration through the steering wheel. There are no warnings to identify this, but the car's own "applied offset diagnosis" will show this problem. I've been to Tesla over 10 times to attempt to repair this and they say the car is working as designed after redoing the alignment and torqueing suspension. On about 3-4 of these visits, Tesla has reproduced the problem on a test drive. In 8 of 10 of the visits, the alignment printout afterward shows the front left toe is out. Because they say this is how it is designed, I believe this is a design issue that could put myself and others at risk. …
I was turning into a parking spot when I heard a loud clanging sound, and I was unable to complete the turn. When I came out to look, the front driver's side wheel was slanted, as if in a turn, the passenger side wheel was straight. I had returned the steering wheel to center before I came out. I found a bolt behind the car, and through visual inspection saw that the front driver's side wheel was no longer attached to the steering shaft. The tow truck driver found another bolt under the car. Neither nut was recovered despite searching. Tesla support told me to tow it to their service center, where they repaired it for me for free, despite the fact that I was no longer under warranty. …
1.The component that failed is the load index rating and both inner and outer sidewalls of the tire. Yes, the tires are available for inspection, they are off the car and stored in my garage. 2. I believe the safety of others and my self were at risk, I went for a tire rotation and saw the damage and asked the shop if tires were good and they said its good. Later my father points out this will kill me, so I went back and they offered the replacement warranty with that "tire is free and clear of all liens" claim. :( I refused to sign after reading and bought new tires at tesla and kept the old ones in storage. Also would like to note there website has a gap on warranty manual year after January 1, 2021 to before January 1, 2024 so I'm assuming the newest one is in play. Overall, the safety of others mainly heavy cars like Tesla's are involved. …
I was parallel parking the vehicle and I heard a loud "thunk" sound. I looked under chassis and came to learn that arm connected to wheel had completely fallen off. Luckily, this was not on freeway or with my family. Vehicle was taken to Tesla for inspection, they mentioned this should NOT have happened and they couldn't explain for how this would have been undone, initially. They stated they'd replace both arms but would be fee on customer $1200+ which I was bewildered that not only is this part not supposed to easily come off but that this would be something I needed to pay for. I asked that they take this up with management, they came back 20min later to state they notice slight deterioration and sent me an image, which I could barely see and now explained this "could" have been the cause. …
Bolt that held holds the control and subframe came loosened over time. Tesla is saying it is my fault but there are multiple people with the same issue on the internet. Consumer stated back in August 2021, front lateral link separated and caused damage to sub frame. It was determined by Tesla's service center at the time that this was due to driving conditions but driving on California roads should not cause an issue this damaging. Vehicle was not part of a recall but was repaired. https://insideevs.com/news/509767/tesla-model3-control-arm-fix/ https://insideevs.com/news/438005/upper-control-arm-chronic-defect-model-3/ https://teslamotorsclub.com/tmc/threads/suspension-rattling-sound-turned-out-to-be-a-loose-bolt.185958/ https://teslaownersonline.com/threads/suspension-bolt-not-torqued-tesla-roadside-a-joke.15115/ …
Tesla Model 3 Performance (M3P) comes with unrealistic "thin" wall tires on 20" wheels that easily POP when they hit potholes, nails, gutters, median divides, gashes in the road, etc. American roads are poorly maintained if at all by transportation departments. Only thick walled tires are suitable for roads. Tesla Model 3 LR (Long Range) and SR (Standard Range) comes with 18" wheels and tires, giving it 2 inches more of padding for both a smoother ride and fewer replacements. Each tire on my M3P costs $400-$500 to replace! That's around $2,000 for a set of four tires! Whereas 18 inch tires are more common and cost about half of that, about $200 per tire, $800 for a set. The remedy here is at least 19 inch wheel and tire replacements as a recall provided for free by Tesla to provide more padding and fewer tire replacements to deal with typical crappy roads.
Car is 4 years old with 22k miles only and never was involved in an accident or high impact situation. When backing out of driveway and then turning wheels going forward at low speed, a loud noise occurred in the front passenger wheel area and car came to a complete stop. After going out to investigate, the car body was resting on the wheel and two bolts were on the road and the lower control arm was detached from the underbody and dragging to the floor. Had this happened at high speed I can't imagine what would have been the outcome. No early warning signs occurred prior to this incident.
Clunk and popping sound while driving, especially while turning the wheel or going over bumps in road. Maneuverability and control of vehicle felt impacted which could have resulted in an accident, damage to property, and injury and/or death of people. The issue was reproduced at the vehicle's Service Center and identified as a lose bolt that connects the front suspension lateral links to the subframe. This issue sounds very similar to a previous recall for the same make, model, and year of this vehicle, but the VIN for this particular vehicle was not included in that recall.
We noticed that one of our tires was leaning inwards and the alignment was completely shot. There was no event that caused this but just noticed it one day driving. After having to replace two new tires, we took it into the Tesla dealership and they found that the control arm and suspension as well as the frame underneath is broken. The car has a clean tittle and this problem use to be covered by Tesla but for some reason now is not and this is a big steering and safety issue! We should not be responsible for the cost to fix the car if this has happened so often in the past!
My vehicle, was parked and pulled out of the parking lot on a doing a complete left steering turn, couple of nuts&bolts carrying the vehicle control arm fell to the ground and the entire control arm disengaged out of the shafts. This could have been very fatal, if my family or me were riding the car. Tesla was trying to tell me that saying that, this is caused due to a high impact etc, not doing wheel alignment etc. And they want to charge me $3561+ to fix this shaft to put back the nuts and bolts that fell off from the car.
Related recalls
Tires › Pressure monitoring and regulating systems
Tesla, Inc. (Tesla) is recalling certain 2024 Cybertruck, 2017-2025 Model 3, and 2020-2025 Model Y vehicles. The tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS) warning light may not remain illuminated between drive cycles, failing to warn the driver of low tire pressure.
Remedy: Tesla released an over-the-air (OTA) software update, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed February 15, 2025. Owners may contact Tesla customer service at 1-877-798-3752.
Wheel & Tire complaints in other Model 3 years
Frequently asked questions
How common are wheel & tire problems on the 2018 Tesla Model 3?
NHTSA has 26 complaints about the wheels & tires of the 2018 Tesla Model 3, 3% of the model year's 1,032 complaints.
Is there a recall for 2018 Tesla Model 3 wheel & tire problems?
Yes — NHTSA recall 24V-935 (pressure monitoring and regulating systems, Dec 17, 2024). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.
At what mileage do 2018 Tesla Model 3 wheel & tire problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 18,000 miles, and 75% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 2 crashes, 0 fires and 0 injuries to wheels & tires problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.