US road safety regulator investigates Tesla over front suspension failure issues
Xinhua | Updated: 2020-11-28 03:20
WASHINGTON - The US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) said Friday it had opened a preliminary investigation into more than 100,000 Tesla vehicles over possible front suspension failure issues.
What is at issue is the front suspension system of the 2015-2017 Model S sedans and 2016-2017 Model X SUVs, and the failures may potentially involve 115,000 vehicles.
"The front suspension fore links may fail at the knuckle ball joint ring, which may result in contact between the tire and wheel liner," the NHTSA said.
The announcement came as the auto safety regulator received 43 complaints, of which 32 had happened during "low-speed parking maneuvers," and 11 had happened while driving, including four at "highway speeds," it wrote in the investigation, adding that another eight complaints may also be linked to the same problem.
According to the NHTSA, Tesla said in a 2017 service bulletin that some vehicles have "front fore links that may not meet Tesla strength specifications. In the event of link failure, the driver can still maintain control of the vehicle but the tire may contact the wheel arch liner."
The latest probe arrived the same week as the electric automaker issued recalls for over 9,500 vehicles over concerns that parts of their roofs may fly off and loose bolts could mess with the driver's ability to steer.