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Tesla Suspension Breakage: It's Not The Crime, It's The Coverup (dailykanban.com)
schwit1 quotes a report from Daily Kanban: For several months now, reports have circulated in comment sections and forum threads about a possible defect in Tesla's vehicles that may cause suspension control arms to break. Many of those reports appeared to come from a single, highly-motivated and potentially unreliable source, a fact which led many to dismiss them as crankery. But as more reports of suspension failure in Teslas have come in, Daily Kanban has investigated the matter and can now report on this deeply troubling issue. Our investigation began in earnest upon reading a thread titled "Suspension Problem on Model S" in the Tesla Motors Club forum. The original poster (OP) in that thread described the suspension in his 2013 Model S (with 70,000 miles) failing at relatively low speed, saying the "left front hub assembly separated from the upper control arm." Images of the broken suspension components showed high levels of rust in the steel ball joint and the OP reported being told by Tesla service center employees that the "ball joint bolt was loose and caused the wear," which was "not normal." Because his Tesla was out of warranty, the repair was reportedly sent to Tesla management for consideration. According to a subsequent post by the OP, Tesla management refused to repair the broken suspension under warranty despite the "not normal" levels of wear reported by the service techs. Then, just days later, the OP reported that Tesla had offered to pay 50% of the $3,100 repair bill in exchange for his signature on a "Goodwill Agreement" which he subsequently posted here (a scan of the stock agreement can be found here). That agreement included the following passage:
"The Goodwill is being provided to you without any admission of liability or wrongdoing or acceptance of any facts by Tesla, and shall not be treated as or considered evidence of Tesla's liability with respect to any claim or incidents. You agree to keep confidential our provision of the Goodwill, the terms of this agreement and the incidents or claims leading or related to our provision of the Goodwill. In accepting the Goodwill, you hereby release and discharge Tesla and related persons or entities from any and all claims or damages arising out of or in any way connected with any claims or incidents leading or related to our provision of the Goodwill. You further agree that you will not commence, participate or voluntarily aid in any action at law or in equity or any legal proceeding against Tesla or related persons or entities based upon facts related to the claims or incidents leading to or related to this Goodwill." [Emphasis added]
This offer, to repair a defective part in exchange for a non-disclosure agreement, is unheard of in the auto industry. More troublingly, it represents a potential assault by Tesla Motors on the right of vehicle owners to report defects to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's complaint database, the auto safety regulators sole means of discovering defects independent of the automakers they regulate. Reuters also reports today that U.S. auto safety investigators are reviewing reports of suspension problems in Tesla Motors Inc's Model S cars.
"The Goodwill is being provided to you without any admission of liability or wrongdoing or acceptance of any facts by Tesla, and shall not be treated as or considered evidence of Tesla's liability with respect to any claim or incidents. You agree to keep confidential our provision of the Goodwill, the terms of this agreement and the incidents or claims leading or related to our provision of the Goodwill. In accepting the Goodwill, you hereby release and discharge Tesla and related persons or entities from any and all claims or damages arising out of or in any way connected with any claims or incidents leading or related to our provision of the Goodwill. You further agree that you will not commence, participate or voluntarily aid in any action at law or in equity or any legal proceeding against Tesla or related persons or entities based upon facts related to the claims or incidents leading to or related to this Goodwill." [Emphasis added]
This offer, to repair a defective part in exchange for a non-disclosure agreement, is unheard of in the auto industry. More troublingly, it represents a potential assault by Tesla Motors on the right of vehicle owners to report defects to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's complaint database, the auto safety regulators sole means of discovering defects independent of the automakers they regulate. Reuters also reports today that U.S. auto safety investigators are reviewing reports of suspension problems in Tesla Motors Inc's Model S cars.
Ford had a problem in the early 2000's with their suspension springs. They scrimped on the rust protection and the springs (out of warranty) would snap and the car would drop down onto the tires.
There was no "I'm sorry" or "My bad". They did do a quiet recall to replace the springs. But that was pretty much the extent of it.
Tesla helped paid for this. Then they STILL end up being villified for fixing something out of warranty. And contrary to the hack-job write up, this wasn't a non-disclosure agreement. It was an agreement that Tesla needs in this day and age so the owner understands they aren't admitting wrongdoing just by helping with the bill.
But Tesla sells cars to the Boutique crowd. Mainly the I-have-more-money-than-sense crowd, and the I-am-right-no-matter-what crowd. You know who I'm talking about. Tesla understands that so they went out of their way to help. Any other auto maker would have told the customer to "it's out of warranty". The only story here is that it's got the word "Tesla" in it.
Tesla has stood behind their work.
FALSE
Tesla lies and blames the drivers when their piece of shit cars are at fault.
Well, there is a good reason why you are AC, because you are a liar.
Up to this point, there has been no lemons from tesla.
I prefer the "u" in honour as it seems to be missing these days.
This "deeply troubling" issue is what? A control arm issue?
No! Many cars have mechanical faults. The deeply troubling issue is the use of gag restrictions. This is something new to the automobile industry, the creeping-in of the kind of software-industry agreements we have seen from Microsoft and others.
A chassis lube should have been performed (to include suspension parts) at leas 5-7 times in that 70,000 miles,
No. No modern vehicle ships with greaseable joints. They all have sealed "lifetime" joints which last roughly 50-150k.
"You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"
The ball joints were probably sourced from china. I have collector cars and this has been going on in this area as well. If Tesla would use Moog ball joints instead of lowest bidder they might have better results.
Read the box next time you buy a Moog ball joint... MADE IN CHINA. Moog quality has reportedly gone into the toilet like everyone else. Sadly, it really is everyone. Super-expensive TRW and Lemfoerder suspension links are also shit now. It looks like literally the only non-shit option is to buy adjustable links with replaceable ball joints, where that is even possible. I think I can get two of my four links like that...
"You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"
The point is it appears Tesla was trying to hush this guy so that there was no inquiry that may cause a recall. That's the real story.
paper nda is unheard of.
and illegal in consumer products.
You agree to keep confidential our provision of the Goodwill, the terms of this agreement _and the incidents or claims leading or related to our provision of the Goodwill_.
Which would include the part failure...and includes everyone...
They just responded to this issue on their blog:
https://www.teslamotors.com/blog/grain-of-salt
Interesting how they call out the author for his previous "death watch" on the company.
As usual, there are three sides to every story: yours, mine and the truth.
Will
remove nospam. to email!
Tesla has a slightly different take on this story which is worth reading. I\m not saying they are necessarily right and the customer is necessarily wrong, just that it could be useful to hear both sides of the story:
- They haven't seen this problem on any other cars (and they would know as they own all service centers).
- The car in question experienced a very unusual use case, it was regularly used on a long dirt road and was caked in dirt (it took two tow trucks to retrieve it, one to get it to the highway and another to get it to the service center)
- The NHTSA has not actually opened even a preliminary evaluation
- Their document would not prevent the customer from talking to the NHTSA.
- Tesla regularly meets with the NHTSA and has often issued recalls for defects before they ever became anything close to an actual safety issue
- The blogger who fabricated this issue (sic) is the same person who previously wrote a blog titled "Tesla Death Watch", starting on May 19 2008.
(Those are just a few highlights, read the to make up your own mind)
I noticed this article this morning:
http://www.cnbc.com/2016/06/10...
Seems Tesla disagrees with the Daily Kanban's report:
"With respect to the car that is discussed in the blog post that led to yesterday's newsthe suspension ball joint experienced very abnormal rust. We haven't seen this on any other car, suggesting a very unusual use case. The car had over 70,000 miles on it and its owner lives down such a long dirt road that it required two tow trucks to retrieve the car. (One to get the car to the highway and one to get it from the highway to the service center.) When we got the car, it was caked in dirt."
Secondly, Tesla said that the NHTSA had not opened any investigation and hadn't even started a so-called "preliminary evaluation", which is the "lowest form of formal investigatory work it does". The car maker said on April 20 the regulator asked about its suspension as part of a "routine screening" and on April 30, Tesla complied.
"NHTSA has since told us that we have cooperated fully and that no further information is needed. Neither before nor after this information was provided has NHTSA identified any safety issue with Tesla's suspensions. This can be confirmed with NHTSA," Tesla said.
little more info that may justify the repair cost, from the Tesla Motor Club forum OP:
"The total cost is 3100 dollars. The need to replace three of the four front control arms, EG upper and lower a-arm on the left side and the upper a-arm on the right side. It was the left side that failed. The control arm ball joint is an integral part of the a-arm or as Tesla refer Control arm."