Tesla announced the recall of 422 units of the Model 3 produced between January 2018 and March 2019, due to a potential issue with the front suspension lateral link fasteners.
According to the official documents from NHTSA, front suspension lateral link fasteners in the Tesla Model 3 may loosen over time, “allowing the lateral link to separate from the sub-frame”. This could lead to a shift in the wheel alignment, causing instability and increasing the risk of a collision. Tesla said that if the two fasteners become loose, the driver could notice an “abnormal noise” coming from the front suspension.
Read: Thousands Of Tesla Model Ys May Have Seats That Weren’t Secured Correctly
Tesla discovered the issue following customer complaints, 25 warranty claims, and 2 filed reports related to the Model 3’s front suspension lateral link. After investigating further, the automaker found out there was a correlation between the loose fasteners and production dates, and decided to proceed with a voluntary recall. Up to this point, Tesla is not aware of any accidents caused by this issue.
Owners of the affected models will be notified by a letter that will be mailed on May 30, although they can also contact Tesla’s customer service line earlier than that. The EVs will be inspected in Tesla Service centers, and any missing or loose fasteners will be replaced and/or re-torqued to the correct specification. Finally, those who have already replaced the lateral link fasteners or other related components at their own expense may be eligible for reimbursement.
While the loose fasteners do not sound as frightening or important as the detachable steering wheels in certain examples of the Tesla Model Y – a matter that is currently under investigation by NHTSA – they certainly require the attention of affected Tesla owners and should be taken seriously.
