2018 Tesla Model 3 steering problems

“Heard a clunk noise when the vehicle turned at a low speed. Inspected the vehicle but nothing seemed amiss. No digital warnings either. Started driving but the steering was weird and pulled to the left. Then the front left tire started shredding and the wheel was displaced. The tow truck guy said that the suspension seems to be the culprit. The car is now on just the wheel. Tesla collision has still not looked at it but gave a quote of 5-6K to start and going up to 12K or more (if the HV battery got damaged). FYI, tire pressures were normal when this happened.”

“I drove over a bump in the road and all of a sudden the car started making a very loud clunky noise in the front suspension. I was close to home so I turned around and drove it back home for inspection. I found the lower control arm on the suspension is completely disconnected because the bolt is backed out of the joint. The steering had occasionally made some creak sounds in the past but it never felt loose. Seeing the lower control arm disconnected could have severely limited the steering of the vehicle thus this seems like a serious safety issue. I have scheduled an appointment for repair with Tesla Service.”

“The front left and right lower link assemblies suffered premature structural failure and required immediate replacement at 74,068 miles due to a loss of steering stability. The repair was completed at a Tesla Service Center out-of-pocket for a total cost of $1,564.04”

“This is to serve as a registered complaint in conjunction with the premature component failure and degradation of front lower lateral links and suspension parts under NHTSA investigation PE26006. In August 2026 while operating my 2018 Tesla Model 3 while driving at all speeds experienced a failure of the front suspension system. There was an intense creaking/groaning/clunking noises from the front wheels and/or front suspension that we felt extremely uncomfortable operating the vehicle fearing for the safety of the passengers. Upon taking the vehicle to the Tesla Service Center, technicians diagnosed the vehicle with severely degraded and failing front lower arms, compliance links, and control arm bushings. My vehicle only had a little over 29,000 total miles on the odometer. This premature degradation represents a critical component failure rather than standard wear and tear. A failure or detachment of the lower lateral link at highway speeds presents an immediate safety risk due to potential loss of directional steering control. This failure is directly identical to the conditions outlined in the NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation Preliminary Evaluation…”

“The contact owns a 2018 Tesla Model 3. The contact stated that while driving 4 MPH, the front sway bar detached from the vehicle, and the contact lost steering control. The vehicle was towed, and a service center was contacted but informed the contact that the repair was not covered because the VIN was not included in a recall associated with the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 81,000.”

“This is a follow-up to a previously submitted complaint regarding the same issue. I am submitting this update to reference NHTSA's recently opened investigation into 2018-2019 Tesla Model 3 suspension failures. Previous complaint ID is 11732882.”