Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (struts, shocks, control arms, ball joints, springs).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2015 Tesla Model S owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
While driving approximately 45mph on a smooth dry road, the drivers side front lower ball joint broke in half. This caused the wheel to separate from the lower control arm and get lodged between the fender well and the front subframe. This caused the inner tie rod to bend and the cv joint to separate from the inner connection. The rubber brake line was torn in half and undercarriage damage due to it slamming to the pavement. I notified Tesla and scheduled an appointment. This happened on 02/26/2025 at approximately 7am. The vehicle did not drive abnormal or give any warning before the incident. All maintenance and services were up to date.
Dear National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, I am writing to bring to your attention a serious safety issue that I experienced while driving my Tesla Model S 2015 on Freeway 680 in [insert location]. On 2/27/2023], the left rear wheel of my car suddenly dropped, causing a dangerous and potentially life-threatening situation. Fortunately, the incident occurred at night with less traffic, or it could have been catastrophic for myself, my children, and other road users. I have learned that Tesla has issued a recall in China for the same suspension issue that I experienced. However, I am deeply concerned that there has been no such recall or acknowledgment of this issue in the USA. It is alarming that such a dangerous fault could occur on a car that is marketed as a high-tech and safe vehicle. …
This is the second time that a wheel becomes "lopsided" and no longer perpendicular to the axle. On 4/13/22 I was driving to work and suddenly I heard noises coming from the back wheel and I felt the car dragging. I found that the passenger rear tire was lopsided and almost falling out of the car. Then this year on 2/4/23 as I was going to work I found the driver rear tire also lopsided. Both times I had to pay for towing and $4000+ get the tire back on securely mounted to the axle. Both times the REAR UPPER CONTROL ARMS - FORWARD and REARWARD - need to be replaced. Last time we took it to a local repair shop, this time we took it to Tesla. …
Odometer at time of failure: approximately 204,078 miles Date of failure: [redacted] Location of failure: Owner's residential driveway, [redacted] Component Suspension - Front - Lower Control Arm / Front Fore Link / Front Aft Link (right side) Description of the Incident On [redacted], at approximately 1:00 PM, I began backing my 2015 Tesla Model S out of my residential driveway. The vehicle was moving at less than five miles per hour. There was no impact with any curb, pothole, road debris, or other object. As the vehicle moved rearward, there was an audible pop from the right front, and the top of the right front tire visibly sank inward (negative camber) as the wheel well collapsed. The vehicle became nearly undriveable and had to be moved slowly to a repair facility approximately 7 miles away. No crash occurred. No injuries occurred. No emergency response was required. …
I was driving my car around town and heard a slight knocking sound. It didn't seem to be a significant issue. Within a few hours, the knocking turned into a grinding sound. It seemed like the wheel was getting stuck in the wheel well. It didn't appear to be a significant issue, so I drove the car home. There were also no warning lights or indicators. As I drove home, the problem got worse and worse to the point where I was concerned about not being safe, but also didn't want to tow my car for a short distance. When I got home, I removed the tire and discovered that the fore beam on the right side had broken and was no longer connected to the wheel. Further research has shown that this is a known issue and there was a recall for the same issue in China. Tesla states that this happens due to driver abuse and bad roads. I can assure you that this isn't the issue in this case. …
Backing out of a parking spot, my car made a loud "thunk" and stopped. I put the car in park and got out, looking all around and under the car. I did not see anything. I backed out of the spot and circled the lot to see if there was anything in the parking spot I may have run over. Nothing. When exiting the parking lot, the car made the same "thunk" and again ground to a halt. I again exited the car and looked all around. This time, I could see that the front driver's side tire was not in the correct position. It was shifted toward the back of the wheel well. I knew something had physically broken. I had the car towed to a service center. They checked the car and said a suspension fore link had broken. They recommended replacing all of them, not just the one that broke. They blamed the age of the car (95,000 miles). …
In 2016, approximately 18 months after purchasing my Tesla Model S, I was driving to work and brushed a curb on a tight city street. Upon arriving at my office parking garage, as I was parking and turning the steering wheel sharply to park in a space, my front right wheel fell off and the axle completely sheared off. Tesla blamed the incident on my curbing the wheel, which only caused light damage. However, more and more reports have come out recently (including this article: [redacted] ) which suggests that Tesla has known defects they are denying and blaming on customers. Not only did this cost me money out of pocket (more than just my deductible), but my insurer had to pay the full amount. Tesla admitted no fault and made me & insurance pay the full amount. …
Failure part was drivers side front wheel "Fore Link Assembly" which broke at the wheel connection on our driveway while turning left in reverse. I heard a loud thunk but hadn't run over anything and nothing irregular outside so I continued but now I could hear something scrapping. Turns out it was the front tire now rubbing the wheel well liner when turning left. pulled the tire off and you could easily see where the fore link fractured. Fortunately this part didn't fail on the road as the outcome might have been bad considering the possible loss of control. Our car, 1985 purchased new with 68,450 miles was towed via required flatbed to a Tesla Service Center and repaired. I have all replaced parts including the fractured section that fell on our driveway. …
Driving slowly, in reverse, in a smooth parking lot, the front right suspension made a big thudding noise and both steering and any braking made horrible metal and other screeching noises. This was at a very low speed. The suspension part, the forward link (lower control arm) had split open and no longer held the ball joint in place. This happened without any warning of any sort, and with no (I've owned the car for about 45,000 miles and 3.5 years) known abuse of the front suspension (no hard potholes, no curb, no rough or dirt roads, only smooth well-kept roads). If this failure had happened at highway speeds or even city street speeds, losing the ability to brake and steer properly could have been disastrous and is a safety issue. Part may be available after Tesla provides service - car is under a pre-owned certified warranty. …
While backing out of the driveway I heard a loud crack and grinding noise when turning the wheel to pull out into the street. Upon stopping a checking where the noise was coming I found that the left lower fore link completely sheared/ cracked off and the wheel was up against the back of the wheel well. ***The area where the wheel was backed up against (Completely tore the liner) has the cooling tubing (now leaking) & a high voltage wireline. This could've resulted in serious issues if we were traveling at higher speeds. Tesla has failed to reach out and call back regarding the issue and the vehicle is rendered completely useless/ undrivable. I've owned many vehicles and this is most certainly NOT NORMAL WARE AND TARE! This is a big safety issue and needs to be addressed ASAP. Thank god my family wasn't on the highway or any road above 5MPH when this happened. …
NHTSA investigations
Fore Link Failure
The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened this Preliminary Evaluation based on forty-three complaints alleging failure of the left or right front suspension fore links in Tesla model year (MY) 2015 through 2017 Model S and MY 2016 through 2017 Model X vehicles.
Suspension complaints in other Model S years
Frequently asked questions
How common are suspension problems on the 2015 Tesla Model S?
NHTSA has 149 complaints about the suspension of the 2015 Tesla Model S, 22% of the model year's 668 complaints. The component named most often is subframe/mounting bracket (1 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2015 Tesla Model S suspension problems?
No. NHTSA lists no suspension recall for the 2015 Tesla Model S, though it has 9 recalls for other components. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 2015 Tesla Model S suspension problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 12,000 miles, and 65% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 30 crashes, 6 fires and 16 injuries and 1 death to suspension 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.