NHTSA Ends Investigation On Suspension Problems In Front Of Tesla Model S And X

Model S Plaid on the N\"uburgring circuit. (Doc. Tesla)

JAKARTA No evidence was found to be the reason the United States National Highway Traffic Safety Agency (NHTSA) officially closed an initial investigation regarding the alleged failure of the front suspension at 74,918 Tesla vehicles.

NHTSA has started an investigation since 2020 based on a number of complaints about damage to the front suspension fore link' component on the 2015-2017 Tesla S model and the 2016-2017 Model X. It is known, this component is vital in the vehicle suspension system because it can cause additional damage to other parts.

The NHTSA stated that there was no evidence that the component's failure affected the vehicle's control capability in testing. However, it should be noted that the NHTSA also confirmed that the closure of the investigation does not mean there are no safety concerns at all.

Since 2018, Tesla has made nine recalled vehicles in the United States over steering and suspension issues.

Furthermore, NHTSA recommends Tesla to expand the fore link' component repair program that was carried out in 2017 to cover all vehicles equipped with these components.

Previously, Reuters also reported that tens of thousands of Tesla owners had premature failures in suspension and steering components since 2016. Tesla's internal documents and interviews with customers and former employees show that the electric car manufacturer blames the driver for the damage.