So, what parts are we talking about exactly? As per the report, we’re talking about substandard suspension connections like control arms and links, which are invaluable parts of a car’s suspension setup. Other parts that failed at a rapid rate include half shafts, left and right drive axles, and steering racks. These are all parts that can cause a massive accident when they fail.
The front-aft link is especially important because Tesla effectively acknowledged that it had a problem. After multiple failures on the Model S between 2016 and 2020, China’s State Administration for Market Regulation forced Tesla to replace the link with a superior part.
This recall only happened in China and nowhere else in the world. In the USA, Tesla stuck to its guns and blamed owner abuse. “There is no defect in the subject components and no associated safety risk,” a senior Tesla lawyer wrote to NHTSA. “The root cause of the issue is driver abuse.”