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 2020 Tesla Model Y owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
The contact's daughter owns a 2020 Tesla Model Y. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, an abnormal, squeaking sound would emit from the vehicle without warning. The contact called the service center where they gave the contact an estimate for a diagnostic. The contact was also informed that the vehicle may be covered under a goodwill warranty. The vehicle several parts of the front control arm were defective and had caused several other defects related to the control arm. The contact was given an estimate for the repair. The manufacturer had yet to be notified of the failure. The vehicle remained in the service center's possession but had yet to be repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 48,000.
While driving on the freeway the autopilot kept turning on, I would immediately turn the autopilot off. The autopilot came on and turned my steering wheel to the left into the highway barrier, thus causing me to take a corrective action. The weather on the freeway way wet and traffic was moderate. The monitor displayed autopilot, which I turned off many during my trip as I am not comfortable with autopilot . I have an insurance claim as there was extensive damage to my car.
My wife made a left turn onto Agana Drive from Patterson Avenue in Santa Barbara, California a few blocks our home. After coming to a complete stop before making the turn, she drove about 150 feet when the car swerved to the right and the right rear passenger side of our Tesla Model Y hit left rear driver's side of another car (BMW). I drove over to assist her and it appears from the AAA tow truck driver that a part of the axle on the right passenger side rear wheel broke later confirmed by my insurance agent and my auto mechanic. It was surprising since she was had completed the turn, was driving slowly straight on Agana Drive at approximately 25mph when this part broke. Apparently, nobody was seriously injured, the parked car had nobody in it and no real estate property damage appears to have occurred. …
Driving on a residential street around 20 mph as we approached a stop sign , heard a loud "thump." It appeared to come from front wheel well area. Worried we hit something we circled back around back around but there was nothing. Car began making a loud noise everyone we turned the wheel. Got the car back home (we were only a few miles away) but it is sitting slightly lower on right side in front and from what I can see it looks like there is a holder for a bolt that is "empty" (i.e. I think a bolt fell off and cause the car to go lower to friend and turning the car toward that side is now noisy and impossible to turn -there is resistance). I see some 2020 Model Y's had a recall for a suspension issue but when I plug in my VIN it appears it doesn't apply to my VIN. I think you should investigate whether this recall needs to be expanded. …
This year I was charged $650 to replace both upper control arms, lower suspension links that I now find out was a known quality problem with Tesla. No recalls were issued despite this being a safety concern for drivers since it affects steering. I read that Tesla told service employees to tell customers that they had "abused" their car and that was the reason for the failure. I drive on perfect roads and without any load in the car, so clearly I didn't abuse it. It began with a Creaking sound when making a sharp turn or parking from steering or front suspension They replaced: Replaced LH Front Upper Control Arm. Replaced RH Front Upper Control Arm. Replaced LH compliance Lower Front Suspension Link. Replaced RH Aft Lower Front Suspension Link. NOTE: I tried two different browsers buy your site has a bug that won't allow uploads of documents, so I could not include the receipt. …
While driving at approximately 39,000 miles, the vehicle developed loud rattling and creaking noises from the front suspension when steering or backing out. A Tesla service center inspected the car and confirmed that both front lower lateral link assemblies were completely torn and required replacement. This failure placed safety at risk by compromising front suspension stability and steering control. The issue was confirmed and repaired by Tesla, and the replaced components are available for inspection. The defect, symptoms, and remedy match those described in NHTSA Recall 21V-835, which covers abnormal noise and damage caused by defective front lower lateral link fasteners. Despite this, the repair was classified as customer-pay instead of being covered under recall. No dashboard warning lights were displayed before the failure; the only symptom was abnormal noise when steering.
Vehicle is absolutely destroying tires at an alarming rate (every 10k miles we need new tires). We have had multiple 4 wheel alignments done and verified that the alignment is perfect. Despite this, the front and rear tires wear the inside leading edge down to wire while the outside edge has 80%+ tread remaining. The other issue is the creaking/groaning and premature wear the control arms display. This is a super common issue across all tesla models. This is alarming because the next step after the noise presents itself is total failure of the control arm due to lack of grease which results in the wheel falling off the vehicle. There are no grease fittings on the control arms like the vast majority of other manufacturers vehicles and the bearings and tesla won't fix this despite knowing it is an issue and having our vehicle multiple times for service for this issue.
This is a 2020 Tesla model Y. At 55k miles, 3.5 years of ownership I was alerted by my tire dealer about broken bushings and control arms in both front tires. They mentioned that they see these early failures often in I have a 2020 Tesla model Y. I am a careful, risk averse driver who has used the car just on roads for daily commute. No extraordinary forces or events on the suspensions happened. At the service center, I was informed that this would be due to my driving and that it is not a Tesla quality issue. In the end, all bushings, all 4 front lower control arms and associated compliance links had to be replaced. Given the history of Tesla's suspensions and their failures I do feel that this is a significant quality and a potential safety threat to US customers. There were no warnings or alarms that have alerted me to this problem.
There was a grinding sound coming from the LF wheel. This was progressively getting worse. Car was shaking while driving so dropped it off with my mechanic due to safety concerns. Per the mechanic that fixed the issue: Inspection found LF wheel bearing is loose. A bolt backed out on inside rubbing through axel shaft. Allowed wheel bearing to damage to damaged from moving in place. Axle shaft damaged from rubbing on backed out bolt. Replace LF axle shaft and wheel bearing. Informed by mechanic that wheel could have fallen off while driving. No prior work. Mechanic believes most likely issue was not having the bolts appropriately installed at time of manufactue
The front suspension bushing has torn prematurely at only 31099 miles. There is no history of external impact, accident, or modifications to the suspension assembly. This vehicle displays the exact premature structural breakdown targeted by the active NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation case number PE26006. It was found out during Tesla service inspection to replace 12 V battery.Tesla Service declined to offer a goodwill repair due to calendar age (6 years), forcing an out-of-pocket replacement. The mechanical part failed silently without triggering any electronic dashboard alerts or system warnings to notify the driver of the safety risk."
Related recalls
Suspension
Tesla, Inc. (Tesla) is recalling certain 2020-2022 Model Y vehicles. The front and rear suspension knuckles may fracture, causing the suspension links to separate.
Remedy: Tesla Service will inspect and replace the knuckles as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed January 18, 2022. Owners may contact Tesla customer service at 1-877-798-3752.
Suspension › Critical fasteners
Tesla, Inc. (Tesla) is recalling certain 2020-2021 Model Y and 2019-2021 Model 3 vehicles. The front suspension lateral link fasteners may loosen, allowing the lateral link to separate from the sub-frame.
Remedy: Tesla Service will tighten or replace the lateral link fasteners as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed December 20, 2021. Owners may contact Tesla customer service at 1-877-798-3752.
Suspension › Front › Control arm
Tesla, Inc. (Tesla) is recalling certain 2020 Model Y vehicles. The bolts connecting the front upper control arm and steering knuckle may have not been properly tightened, allowing the upper control arm to detach from the steering knuckle.
Remedy: Tesla will notify owners, and dealers will inspect, and as necessary, tighten the bolts, free of charge. The recall began January 15, 2021. Owners may contact Tesla customer service at 1-877-798-3752.
Suspension complaints in other Model Y years
Frequently asked questions
How common are suspension problems on the 2020 Tesla Model Y?
NHTSA has 31 complaints about the suspension of the 2020 Tesla Model Y, 11% of the model year's 282 complaints. The component named most often is front › control arm (1 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2020 Tesla Model Y suspension problems?
Yes — NHTSA recall 21V-912 (suspension, Nov 21, 2021); NHTSA recall 21V-835 (critical fasteners, Oct 25, 2021); NHTSA recall 20V-709 (control arm, Nov 17, 2020). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.
At what mileage do 2020 Tesla Model Y suspension problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 1,000 miles, and 92% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 4 crashes, 0 fires and 1 injury 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.