The NHTSA announced that a Tesla suspension recall was filed on October 25th, 2021. This newest recall is the fourth Tesla recall in 2021. However, this latest recall might have more potential for danger than the previous instances.

Tesla suspension recall for Model 3 and Model Y

According to a public notice from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), Tesla has confirmed that it will be recalling Model 3 and Model Y vehicles due to a defect with components found in the front suspension system. According to the NHTSA listing, “a lateral link separation could shift the wheel alignment, causing instability and increasing the risk of a crash.”

The Tesla suspension recall summary states that the “front suspension lateral link fasteners may loosen, allowing the lateral link to separate from the sub-frame.” It is easy to see how such a defect could turn into a major issue. If part of the suspension comes apart from the sub-frame while driving at highway speeds, it could be catastrophic.

How could something this severe happen? According to the recall report, Tesla believes it could have resulted from assembly workers getting confused over which fasteners were tightened and which ones weren’t. Tesla stated, “in rare circumstances, if the operator made several unsuccessful attempts to torque a fastener to specification, the operator may have subsequently loosened a properly secured fastener.”

The recall is specifically for certain 2020-2021 Model Y and 2019-2021 Model 3 vehicles. In total, the Tesla suspension recall affects 2,791 cars.

How is Tesla going to fix the recalled suspensions?

Anyone who owns a car affected by the Tesla suspension recall can take it in to a service center where a technician will tighten or replace the lateral link fasteners free of charge. Notification letters are expected to be mailed out to owners of the affected vehicles by December 24th, 2021. Quite the Christmas gift, isn’t it?

How to know if your Tesla is being recalled

If you want to know if your car is part of the Tesla suspension recall, contact customer service. When speaking with the representative, reference the Tesla recall number SB-21-31-003.

You can also contact the NHTSA vehicle safety hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153) or go to www.nhtsa.gov.

Considering the nature of the defect, this is not something that owners should try to fix themselves. Recalls of this nature are serious and should not be taken on as a DIY project.

This is not the only 2021 Tesla recall

As we mentioned previously, the Tesla suspension recall is the fourth one that the EV maker has filed in 2021. In May, Tesla filed a recall for loose brake caliper bolts and another for front seat belts not securely attached to the B-pillar.

The third recall was filed at the same time as the suspension issue. It involves the side curtain airbags on the 2020-2021 Tesla Model 3. The side curtain airbags may have been twisted when installed, which could cause them to not deploy correctly in a crash. However, the file indicates that the issue only affects two cars, so it is not a widespread issue.

If you think your vehicle might be part of a Tesla recall, make sure you contact customer service or the NHTSA as soon as possible.