A potential risk posed by the front suspension lateral link fasteners in certain Tesla Model 3s has caused the automaker to issue a recall of 422 vehicles, Car Scoops reports.
The recall cites Model 3 units “produced between January 2018 and March 2019” pose a risk of their front suspension lateral link fasteners coming loose over time and “allowing the lateral link to separate from the sub-frame,” official NHTSA documents stated.
In the event of the fasteners becoming loose, the vehicle could experience “a shift in the wheel alignment” and cause “instability” and possibly an accident. According to Tesla, drivers “could notice an ‘abnormal noise’ coming from the front suspension” if the fasteners do become loose, though no accidents have been reported yet.
This issue came to light after “customer complaints, 25 warranty claims, and 2 filed reports related to the Model 3’s front suspension lateral link.” Tesla investigated the issue and discovered “a correlation between the loose fasteners and production dates,” leading to a voluntary recall.
Letters will be mailed to affected owners on May 30. Their vehicles will be inspected at Tesla Service centers, and any defective fasteners will be “replaced and/or re-torqued to the correct specification.” Those who took it upon themselves to repair the problem could qualify for reimbursement as well.
