2020 Tesla Model 3 · symptom sheet

Suspension noise, struts or alignment

45owner reports
9,000median miles
$1,400median quote
3involved a crash

Newest report Sep 7, 2026 · checked Sep 9, 2026

45 of the 449 complaints on this car describe suspension.

Tick what matches of 45 reports

clunking over bumps

a strut or shock failed

uneven tire wear

the car pulls to one side

a control arm or bushing

What got replaced

Owners who name the part that was replaced mention the control arm (20 reports) and the ball joint (7 reports).

Recalls and investigations

One recall on the suspension system covers the 2020 model year. A recall on the same system isn't always the same failure, so read the defect text.

21V-835Oct 25, 2021

Suspension:Critical Fasteners

Tesla, Inc. (Tesla) is recalling certain 2020-2021 Model Y and 2019-2021 Model 3 vehicles. The front suspension lateral link fasteners may loosen, allowing the lateral link to separate from the sub-frame.

Risk and remedy

Risk: A lateral link separation could shift the wheel alignment, causing instability and increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Tesla Service will tighten or replace the lateral link fasteners as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed December 20, 2021. Owners may contact Tesla customer service at 1-877-798-3752. Tesla's number for this recall is SB-21-31-003.

NHTSA investigations into the suspension system on the Model 3

PE26-006opened Jul 29, 2026

Suspension · model years 2018 to 2023

Lower lateral link detachment. Open.

NHTSA summary

The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) has received 156 complaints alleging a suspension failure in model year (MY) 2018-2020 Model 3 and MY 2021-2023 Model Y vehicles. The suspension failure involves the detachment of the front lower lateral link, which potentially causes a loss of vehicle directional control. In most cases, there was no advance warning or indication that the suspension failure would occur. Some cases cite noises occurring prior to failure, but note that the vehicle provides no visual warnings. Once the failure occurs, the vehicle may not be drivable, thus requiring a tow. Tesla has previously recalled vehicles for lateral link detachments through two recalls. Recall 21V-835 addressed 2,791 MY2019-2021 Tesla Model 3 vehicles due to a production issue. Recall 23V-235 addressed 422 2018-2019 Tesla Model 3 vehicles that had experienced similar failures to those recalled under 21V-835. The subject failures for this investigation exceed the scope of these recalls and do not appear to be related to the production issue that prompted those recalls. ODI is opening this Preliminary Evaluation to determine the underlying cause, scope, and severity of the potential problem and to fully assess the potential safety-related issues. To review the ODI reports cited in the Opening Resume ODI Report Identification Number document, go to NHTSA.gov.

What owners paid

5 of the 45 reports quote a price. Each dot is one quote. The middle half runs $330 to $2,356.

$330$1,400$2,356

$0k$2k$4k$6k$8k

When it happens

The middle half of failures fell between 2,000 and 40,000 miles, from the 21 reports that gave a mileage.

119

920

621

122

223

724

525

1426

What owners wrote

“The front upper control arms. Causing poor steering and unbearable loud creaks when turning wheel. Mobile tesla tech confirmed upper control arm”
Filed Aug 4, 2026

“Component that failed was the lower lateral link. There was no loss of control but there was a sound going over any uneven surface. Upon bringing the vehicle to the Tesla dealership they recommended a replacement of the upper and lower control arm on both the driver and passenger side. This greatly increased the cost of the repair to a total of $2356.84”
Filed Aug 3, 2026

“This was not an incident. Instead Iâd like to report it as a design flaw. I discovered low speed noise and got it fixed at Tesla service center. Upper control arms and lower control links have both been replaced at ~70k miles and the cost to repair was over $2k at Tesla service center in Feb 2026. Later in May 2026 Tesla published a service bulletin acknowledging this is a design flaw”
Filed Jun 13, 2026 · 70,000 miles

“Front lower and upper control arms started generating noise around 100,000 miles. This was confirmed by an independent service center. So far, have spent $1400 on the lower control arms, only to find out that the noise is still there and the upper control arms need to be replaced as well.”
Filed Aug 13, 2025 · 100,000 miles

Should you keep driving it?

This page can't tell you that. 3 of 45 reports involved a crash and 1 people were hurt. Owners who file are the ones who had a bad experience, and nobody checks their reports. If the problem affects steering, braking, power or a fire risk, treat it as a safety fault and have it inspected before a long or high-speed drive.

File your own report with NHTSA. Complaint counts are how a problem gets an investigation.