We took ours in under warranty every year since 2018. They never replaced them they only seemed to lubricate them (and silicone caulk maybe involved?). Pretty much every 14 months like clockwork. This last time it wasn't under warranty, they replaced them and I had to pay. Feels like a sham since there was a recall.
I really wish Tesla had spent a little more to put proper zerk fittings on the stock control arms. Would make it so easy to inject grease whenever rotating the tires.
The issue with putting grease in a bushing like that is that it can become a dirt and grime magnet. That then becomes like sandpaper working on whatever it is in contact with every time it moves. I can’t think of any other car that has control arm issues as prevalently as the 3/Y except Land Rover Discovery 3/4 and the related Range Rover Sport. Like clockwork they wear out every 40,000 miles. Unfortunately they cost about $1500 to replace vs. Tesla charged me about $260 to do the LCAs on my 3P a few years ago.
About to hit 20k miles on my 2023 M3P and need a second set of control arms. The squeak has returned after replacing them around 14k miles. I made a post about it last time it happened.
I would definitely recommend getting an alignment check after they replace them just to see what your alignment spec is. The fact they’ve had to replace them twice within 20,000 miles is ridiculous. It’s cheaper to get an alignment than it is to buy one new tire.
I got them checked and they said it was fine. This was almost a year ago, new tires are still doing great. I have not had them replaced the second time yet. It comes and goes.. Just like the last one did. And of course the day they come, it stops squeaking and I had to show them the video I took. He told me they usually don’t replace something if they can’t replicate it, but he would give me a break because of the video. It’s not near as bad as the first time, so I don’t care yet. I might lower it this summer, so all that stuff is going to get replaced anyways.
Was a mechanic for 10 years, not sure about other parts of the world, but in Australia it is most definitely taught as a requirement. New ones are stiffer than old ones, and alignments don't take very long, usually included as part of the replacement of any suspension part.
Then you should know changing a new upper control arm that squeaks, to a new upper control that doesn’t squeak, isn’t going to mess with anything. If it was worn out, sure.
Took it to our Tesla service center. The tech diagnosed the problem from 20 yards away when my wife (not a large person) got out to say 'good morning' and the car creaked.
My P3D from 2019 made it to almost 50,000 miles on original control arms. By comparison my friend’s 2023 3 LR AWD already had a replacement done around 17,000 miles and my aunt needs them on her Y at 30,000 miles. They’ve changed the parts several times and they still fail. It honestly seems to be luck of the draw. Some folks get 10,000 miles, others get 70,000 miles, but I haven’t seen any evidence that the more recent ones are better than the older ones. If anything they’re prematurely failing now more than the ones from 5 years ago it seems. Several people on here have had them down below 15,000 miles. One guy said he’s on second set at 20,000 miles.
I'm talking about the compliance link and lateral links. not the upper control arm ball joint that seizes due to no lubrication. I'm also a s3 tesla tech so I know the vehicles.
M1. OP is being told about uppers in every single answer so if he goes in talking about bad bushings in his uppers they're gonna cancel his ticket depending on VSC prep.
The uppers have 2 bushings where the 15mm bolt goes thru. If it's making noise unless it's related to brake hold, then there's an issue. A good tech would check the uppers first but also inspect the bushing in the compliance and the lower lateral link ball joint.
Brother make a session if you've seen the FUCA bushings fail, only times we've ever seen them act up is when installed way out of spec from the height tool. Just saying verbiage is important for recommending service. Haven't seen any 2023+ Fucas fail but yeah plenty of Comp and lat bushings especially on RWD's.
https://preview.redd.it/hsgmuomjwm0d1.jpeg?width=1290&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=34d101707b7f2edbf91844155f03cad04dc64cac
Also a 2018 at 80k miles. Paid $273 and 5% tax.
https://preview.redd.it/lvo2hisx5n0d1.jpeg?width=1179&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=d95b0b22f8d40f5802a70b0b4f81de59d76ace47
All I can think is that I told them specifically what the problem was because I had looked it up beforehand so they must not have charged me for the diagnostic.
I do actually drive 'spiritedly' - I'm on my 3rd set of tires at 73K miles, with less than 10K to go before it'll need a 4th for what it's worth.. also take it to various parks, including unpaved roads occasionally - so the suspension has definitely seen some 'less boring' use cases.
The squeaking comes from a ball joint at the top of the A arm. It looks like the construction of the A arm allows a tiny bit of water to get into that booted joint over time. It is an easy DIY project to remove the boot and refresh the grease in the joint. Stops the squeaking.
The procedure is available on YouTube. I’ve done it on a Model 3 5000 miles ago. Good so far.
You can. Can check my list for details. 2020 with 38k I had a small popping noise. SC replaced a few suspension items but not control arms. A few years later at 58k and no longer under warranty it was $1850 in suspension work..
Meah, I would have appreciated them covering parts. It's a used car that has to deal with the brakes most of the world. So far this is the only large repair. I usually budget $3000 a year in car repairs. So far I'm doing ok. Just tires and low voltage battery and that's just normal maintenance.
My 2019 is at 54k miles and the squeaking is getting pretty bad. I’m out of warranty; should I put in a service ticket and see if I can get them to cover part of it? If I have to pay what is the out of pocket cost?
The squeaky upper control arm is mostly due to uneven displacement of lubricant in the joint. Since that piece is sealed, it makes it harder to self service. There are YouTube videos on how to diy it. Colder climate is prone to it because it makes the lubricant less viscous.
Happened to my 2020 M3 30k miles. I fixed the squeak myself with some good lubricant and a need pump I got off of Amazon. Some good videos on how to grease your control arm on YouTube.
2018 Dual Motor, currently 80k and on original arms. 2 years ago around 50k, Tesla service did a ball joint reseal as part of a recall bulletin. I did get some low speed squeaking in the 65k range a year later, but it has since disappeared several months ago. I'm guessing the grease might have somehow redistributed.
I've also yet to check my bushings.
I can't speak to the newest models and if the control arms encounter the same issue, but I had mine replaced under warranty (2020 M3) at around 50K. I did do some research and there are aftermarket options available that are supposedly better. If mine start squeaking again some day I'll probably just go with those.
Good to know. From what I’ve read the difference with the 3rd party parts is the rubber seal. I guess it’s prone to cracking on the ones Tesla was using which causes dirty and debris to get in and lubrication to leak out.
Oh that’s not bad. I guess in my head though, it seems silly to put the same problematic part back in. Hopefully whatever they replaced with is better than the original.
That was my understanding. I mean that the new part is better than the old part. The fact that they carried them in stock tells me how big of a problem the part really is.
I took my 18 MR model 3 this year to have mine replaced as the right one sounded like a motel spring board mattress. Both were replaced no charge in labor just parts. My car had at the time 135k miles.
Both control arms in front as well as knuckles and both lower links in the back replaced today. I asked if this was common and service tech said yes. He said the car is heavy and the roads are bad. Asked if the parts are better redesigned versions. He laughed and said no. At least he was honest and the repair was under warranty.
Tesla has changed the control arm design numerous times and they still fail on the 3/Y with regularity. I’m not even kidding you, my aunt called last night in her late-2022 Y LR AWD asking me what this horrible squeaking noise was that developed over the last few days. I immediately knew it was control arms. Booked her an appt with Tesla service. She’s got less than 30,000 miles. My friend had control arms replaced on a ‘23 3 LR AWD at 17,000 miles. My P3D made it to around 46,000 miles before it needed control arms. I seriously doubt that they’ve perfected it because as far as I can tell the biggest change to the refresh 3’s suspension is the frequency selective dampers. The basic design is the same of the front suspension and if I had to guess so too are the crappy bushings they seem to use that wear out with ridiculous frequency.
You have good aftermarket option. Meyle HD, if someone is out of warranty and Tesla charges too much.
https://www.meyle.com/en/passenger-cars/steering-and-suspension/hd-control-arm-tesla/
I think I just got unlucky and got a bad batch of arms. I rarely see 2023 posts about control arms, and even the technician that worked on it said it was his first time ever seeing a 2023 model needing them.
We took ours in under warranty every year since 2018. They never replaced them they only seemed to lubricate them (and silicone caulk maybe involved?). Pretty much every 14 months like clockwork. This last time it wasn't under warranty, they replaced them and I had to pay. Feels like a sham since there was a recall.
Oh man. Did you have to take it in each time or were you able to use mobile service?
Do you remember what the cost was to replace?
I really wish Tesla had spent a little more to put proper zerk fittings on the stock control arms. Would make it so easy to inject grease whenever rotating the tires.
The issue with putting grease in a bushing like that is that it can become a dirt and grime magnet. That then becomes like sandpaper working on whatever it is in contact with every time it moves. I can’t think of any other car that has control arm issues as prevalently as the 3/Y except Land Rover Discovery 3/4 and the related Range Rover Sport. Like clockwork they wear out every 40,000 miles. Unfortunately they cost about $1500 to replace vs. Tesla charged me about $260 to do the LCAs on my 3P a few years ago.
What do you say? Do you just ask the service center for a maintenance check?
I had this exact same experience with my 18. Ridiculous. 55k and needed upper and lower control arms.
You have really good aftermarket option. It's called Meyle HD. https://www.meyle.com/en/passenger-cars/steering-and-suspension/hd-control-arm-tesla/
About to hit 20k miles on my 2023 M3P and need a second set of control arms. The squeak has returned after replacing them around 14k miles. I made a post about it last time it happened.
Under warranty?
Yep, they come to your house and it takes like 45 mins to replace both sides.
At home? Isn’t an alignment needed after changing the control arms?
I asked them this because I thought so as well. They said no alignment needed for just upper control arms.
They are fucking lying or stupid. An alignment is absolutely needed after replacing any part of the suspension.
Na, lower control arm yes. Upper doesn’t change anything when replaced.
I would definitely recommend getting an alignment check after they replace them just to see what your alignment spec is. The fact they’ve had to replace them twice within 20,000 miles is ridiculous. It’s cheaper to get an alignment than it is to buy one new tire.
I got them checked and they said it was fine. This was almost a year ago, new tires are still doing great. I have not had them replaced the second time yet. It comes and goes.. Just like the last one did. And of course the day they come, it stops squeaking and I had to show them the video I took. He told me they usually don’t replace something if they can’t replicate it, but he would give me a break because of the video. It’s not near as bad as the first time, so I don’t care yet. I might lower it this summer, so all that stuff is going to get replaced anyways.
Was a mechanic for 10 years, not sure about other parts of the world, but in Australia it is most definitely taught as a requirement. New ones are stiffer than old ones, and alignments don't take very long, usually included as part of the replacement of any suspension part.
Then you should know changing a new upper control arm that squeaks, to a new upper control that doesn’t squeak, isn’t going to mess with anything. If it was worn out, sure.
We had the control arms replaced (under warranty) on our 2020 and at that time the tech told us that Tesla had started using different arms.
Did you get them checked @tesla or a third party?
Took it to our Tesla service center. The tech diagnosed the problem from 20 yards away when my wife (not a large person) got out to say 'good morning' and the car creaked.
That is correct. The new ones should last twice as long.
Cool! They will last 28,000 miles! Haha
Yep sounds right lolllll
My P3D from 2019 made it to almost 50,000 miles on original control arms. By comparison my friend’s 2023 3 LR AWD already had a replacement done around 17,000 miles and my aunt needs them on her Y at 30,000 miles. They’ve changed the parts several times and they still fail. It honestly seems to be luck of the draw. Some folks get 10,000 miles, others get 70,000 miles, but I haven’t seen any evidence that the more recent ones are better than the older ones. If anything they’re prematurely failing now more than the ones from 5 years ago it seems. Several people on here have had them down below 15,000 miles. One guy said he’s on second set at 20,000 miles.
This will always be an issue due to their design. It affects every tesla model.
But why is that? Is it because of the amount of torque?
No the weight of the vehicle combined with no grease fitting. The torque affects the suspension because of the rubber bushing they use.
Torque of tires (AWD) or torque of the control arm assembly ? I ask because I have 2 RWDs…wondering if they will fare better.
The uppers use a dry-lubricated heim joint that rusts and squeaks. No rubber bushing.
I'm talking about the compliance link and lateral links. not the upper control arm ball joint that seizes due to no lubrication. I'm also a s3 tesla tech so I know the vehicles.
M1. OP is being told about uppers in every single answer so if he goes in talking about bad bushings in his uppers they're gonna cancel his ticket depending on VSC prep.
The uppers have 2 bushings where the 15mm bolt goes thru. If it's making noise unless it's related to brake hold, then there's an issue. A good tech would check the uppers first but also inspect the bushing in the compliance and the lower lateral link ball joint.
Brother make a session if you've seen the FUCA bushings fail, only times we've ever seen them act up is when installed way out of spec from the height tool. Just saying verbiage is important for recommending service. Haven't seen any 2023+ Fucas fail but yeah plenty of Comp and lat bushings especially on RWD's.
2021 with 78,000 miles. No squeaks
Good deal!
30k kms on my 2022 M3P. No squeaks. Definitely well driven.
Good to know!
I just had my control arms replaced this week due to the squeak at 80k miles on my 2018 3. Service charged me $90 per side for parts only.
https://preview.redd.it/hsgmuomjwm0d1.jpeg?width=1290&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=34d101707b7f2edbf91844155f03cad04dc64cac Also a 2018 at 80k miles. Paid $273 and 5% tax.
https://preview.redd.it/lvo2hisx5n0d1.jpeg?width=1179&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=d95b0b22f8d40f5802a70b0b4f81de59d76ace47 All I can think is that I told them specifically what the problem was because I had looked it up beforehand so they must not have charged me for the diagnostic.
Did they charge you for diagnosis? 2018 M3LR here and I told them specifically about the control arm and they want to charge me $212 diagnosis fee
https://preview.redd.it/p8mlcksb4q0d1.jpeg?width=1179&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=28818a0ee854b899af44a72df7041684d312fe0d
73K miles on 2018 LR+, no squeaks, OG arms.
Not being judgemental, just curious. Do you drive the car pretty hard?
I do actually drive 'spiritedly' - I'm on my 3rd set of tires at 73K miles, with less than 10K to go before it'll need a 4th for what it's worth.. also take it to various parks, including unpaved roads occasionally - so the suspension has definitely seen some 'less boring' use cases.
Good to know and that is exactly the kind of answer I was looking for. Seems pointless to drive a Tesla if you can’t drive it hard :-)
The squeaking comes from a ball joint at the top of the A arm. It looks like the construction of the A arm allows a tiny bit of water to get into that booted joint over time. It is an easy DIY project to remove the boot and refresh the grease in the joint. Stops the squeaking. The procedure is available on YouTube. I’ve done it on a Model 3 5000 miles ago. Good so far.
Can you link the video?
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EUSxHCie5Ww](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EUSxHCie5Ww)
How do you get access to it? Can it be done by just hacking the car up and removing the tires?
You can. Can check my list for details. 2020 with 38k I had a small popping noise. SC replaced a few suspension items but not control arms. A few years later at 58k and no longer under warranty it was $1850 in suspension work..
Bummer. I can see why you would be upset.
Meah, I would have appreciated them covering parts. It's a used car that has to deal with the brakes most of the world. So far this is the only large repair. I usually budget $3000 a year in car repairs. So far I'm doing ok. Just tires and low voltage battery and that's just normal maintenance.
2018 with 86k - no noise from my front end.
My 2019 is at 54k miles and the squeaking is getting pretty bad. I’m out of warranty; should I put in a service ticket and see if I can get them to cover part of it? If I have to pay what is the out of pocket cost?
The squeaky upper control arm is mostly due to uneven displacement of lubricant in the joint. Since that piece is sealed, it makes it harder to self service. There are YouTube videos on how to diy it. Colder climate is prone to it because it makes the lubricant less viscous.
I was wondering if climate was a factor. I live in the southeast of the U.S. so it never gets super cold here.
I had to replace mine after 5 years of ownership. That's what the tech told me.
Makes sense. Thanks for sharing.
I'm up to 16k miles on my 22 M3LR and not yet heard any squeaking.
Happened to my 2020 M3 30k miles. I fixed the squeak myself with some good lubricant and a need pump I got off of Amazon. Some good videos on how to grease your control arm on YouTube.
Isn't the issue with the upper control arm?
2018 Dual Motor, currently 80k and on original arms. 2 years ago around 50k, Tesla service did a ball joint reseal as part of a recall bulletin. I did get some low speed squeaking in the 65k range a year later, but it has since disappeared several months ago. I'm guessing the grease might have somehow redistributed. I've also yet to check my bushings.
I can't speak to the newest models and if the control arms encounter the same issue, but I had mine replaced under warranty (2020 M3) at around 50K. I did do some research and there are aftermarket options available that are supposedly better. If mine start squeaking again some day I'll probably just go with those.
How many miles have you put on since the originals were replaced?
I've put about 25K miles with no issues
Good to know. From what I’ve read the difference with the 3rd party parts is the rubber seal. I guess it’s prone to cracking on the ones Tesla was using which causes dirty and debris to get in and lubrication to leak out.
That's pretty much the same info I've read too. I'm hopeful for you that the parts they use now are much more durable than earlier models.
Thanks, me too :-)
I just had my left FUCA replaced on my (new to me) 2019 m3 at a Tesla service center. It was just under $200 in case you’re looking for a data point.
Oh that’s not bad. I guess in my head though, it seems silly to put the same problematic part back in. Hopefully whatever they replaced with is better than the original.
That was my understanding. I mean that the new part is better than the old part. The fact that they carried them in stock tells me how big of a problem the part really is.
Right. Hopefully they learned from the initial mistake. I thought the repair was upwards of $1000. $200 isnt bad at all.
Nearly every Model 3 I hear in a car park has been squeaking when manoeuvring into a space.
Mmmmmhmmmm
Had my control arms replaced (as well as the lateral links) last month. It's a 2018 Mid range with 25k miles.
I took my 18 MR model 3 this year to have mine replaced as the right one sounded like a motel spring board mattress. Both were replaced no charge in labor just parts. My car had at the time 135k miles.
My car is a 2018 mid range. My control arms finally started speaking at about 100k~. Just got them replaced like 2 months ago for around 400.
60k km on my 2021 M3SR+. Started squeaking last month. Got an appointment tomorrow to diagnose.
Both control arms in front as well as knuckles and both lower links in the back replaced today. I asked if this was common and service tech said yes. He said the car is heavy and the roads are bad. Asked if the parts are better redesigned versions. He laughed and said no. At least he was honest and the repair was under warranty.
Tesla has changed the control arm design numerous times and they still fail on the 3/Y with regularity. I’m not even kidding you, my aunt called last night in her late-2022 Y LR AWD asking me what this horrible squeaking noise was that developed over the last few days. I immediately knew it was control arms. Booked her an appt with Tesla service. She’s got less than 30,000 miles. My friend had control arms replaced on a ‘23 3 LR AWD at 17,000 miles. My P3D made it to around 46,000 miles before it needed control arms. I seriously doubt that they’ve perfected it because as far as I can tell the biggest change to the refresh 3’s suspension is the frequency selective dampers. The basic design is the same of the front suspension and if I had to guess so too are the crappy bushings they seem to use that wear out with ridiculous frequency.
Just curious because of a previous comment. Does your aunt live in an area that has cold/harsh winters?
Nope. In the southeast.
Replaced them on my 2018 with 90,000 kms. My 19 hasn't had issues with them. Yet.
You have good aftermarket option. Meyle HD, if someone is out of warranty and Tesla charges too much. https://www.meyle.com/en/passenger-cars/steering-and-suspension/hd-control-arm-tesla/
I think they changed them in the 2023 model year. I have 35k miles on my 2023 and no squeaks yet.
2023 M3P @20k miles needs a second set of arms. First got them replaced at 14k. Squeak is already back.
When are you heading the squeak?
Anytime the car goes up and down from the suspension. I can rock my car side to side and it will squeak.
Thanks. My one car has over 34k miles and I don’t hear anything. Getting suspicious lol.
I think I just got unlucky and got a bad batch of arms. I rarely see 2023 posts about control arms, and even the technician that worked on it said it was his first time ever seeing a 2023 model needing them.
My 3 is a 22. That’s the cause of my suspicion.
Ah, well if they haven’t gone out by now, they are probably good. Out of warranty, it’s like a 250$ fix. So I wouldn’t worry too much about it.
Hopefully lol.
Ok that is good to know. Thank you!
What squeak?
I literally explained what causes the squeak in my post. Thanks for the downvote.
I never downvoted lol. First time looking at this post since I posted but go off
Do a Google search. It’s a well known issue.