# 2014 TESLA MODEL S — SUSPENSION
> NHTSA complaint `1449734` · 2018-02-22 · Tesla, Inc.
## Severity
- **Deaths:** 0
- **Injured:** 0
- **Fire:** No
- **Crash:** Yes
- **Police report:** No
- **Medical attention:** No
- **Vehicle towed:** No
## Vehicle
- **Make:** TESLA
- **Model:** MODEL S
- **Year:** 2014
- **Manufacturer:** Tesla, Inc.
- **Component:** SUSPENSION
- **Miles at failure:** 17,000
- **Speed:** 35 mph
## Narrative
THE LEFT FRONT FORE LINK BALL JOINT SNAPPED LIKE GLASS DURING NORMAL DRIVING. LUCKILY I WAS GOING AT RELATIVELY LOW SPEED ON A SIDE STREET. THIS ALLOWED THE SUSPENSION TO ALLOW THE WHEEL TO SLAM INTO THE FIREWALL AND IT LOCKED UP CAUSING THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE VEHICLE TO HIT A CURB. AS AN ENGINEER THIS SCARES THE DAYLIGHTS OUT OF ME, AS IF IT WOULD HAVE HAPPENED ON A HIGH SPEED HIGHWAY TURN, THE RESULTS COULD HAVE BEEN DEADLY.  EVEN WITHOUT AN UNDERSTANDING OF ADVANCED METALLURGY, IT'S CLEAR THAT A HARDENED STEEL BALL JOINT SHOULD BE STRONGER THEN THE SURROUNDING ALUMINUM ALLOY PARTS ON EITHER SIDE THAT IT ATTACHES TO. IT LOOKS LIKE A GLASS ROD HIT WITH A HAMMER.  THIS SAME THING HAPPENED TO ANOTHER 2014 IN OUR FAMILY ABOUT A YEAR AGO, AND I CHALKED IT UP TO RANDOM FAILURE.  BUT NOW 2 FAILURES?  I HAVE THE ORIGINAL FAILED PART IF NEEDED FOR ANALYSIS.  THE REPLACEMENT PART I OBTAINED THROUGH TESLA HAS BEEN RE-ENGINEERED, AND APPEARS TO BE FROM A DIFFERENT SUPPLIER.  I WENT AHEAD AND REPLACED BOTH SIDES, AND I STILL HAVE THE NON-FAILED PART ON THE LEFT SIDE.     I ATTEMPTED TO CONTACT TESLA ABOUT THIS, AND THEY HAVE NOT RESPONDED TO ME.
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*Source: [NHTSA ODI](https://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/downloads/) · AI Analytics · CC0 1.0*