Whelp, nobody’s perfect. Tesla continues to play a dominating role in the global transition to EVs, with the Model Y leading the way. However, there is trouble in paradise. Rear suspension issues have surfaced among a rash of Model Y owners in China, while a somewhat more modest recall is under way here in the US. Trouble In Paradise: Chinese Drivers Report Model Y Suspension Problems As reported by Car News China among others, a fairly substantial number of rear suspension failures surfaced in China this year. Unlike some other issues, the problem can’t be resolved by over-the-air software fixes. A visit to the shop is in order — or, in at least one case, two visits. “About one year after its market debut in China, the Model Y L – the six-seat flagship SUV produced at Tesla‘s Shanghai Gigafactory – is facing a wave of criticism from owners reporting ‘collapsing’ of the rear wheels,” Car News China reporter Liu Miao explained on September 1. “The issue has gained traction on social media, with many users claiming the defect is a systemic batch failure rather than isolated incidents,” Miao added. By collapse, the owners mean, well, collapse. As described by Miao, the space between the rear wheel arch and the tire “narrows drastically after long-distance travel or when the vehicle is fully loaded.” Some owners have said that the space became so narrow that “not even a single finger” could fit into the gap, raising the potential for damage to the tire and other parts. “The reported failures vary by mileage,” Miao elaborated. “One owner from Hebei province reported a severe collapse after 9,000 km during a fully loaded trip to Tibet. Another owner in Shanghai, who has driven nearly 30,000 km since October 2025, noted that the rear wheel gap shrank to the width of only two fingers, leading to increased chassis swaying and a higher risk of scraping the underbody.” More Trouble In Paradise Meanwhile, over here in the US Tesla continues to hold the lion’s share of EV sales despite CEO Elon Musk’s switcheroo from a climate hero to a barking lapdog for US President Donald Trump and his fossil fuel agenda. Or is Trump playing the lapdog to Musk’s agenda? Either way, it’s an insult to lapdogs, and to dogs of all sorts, but the fact of the matter is that Musk wedded millions of his personal dollars to Trump’s re-election campaign in 2024, before marrying himself off to Trump’s “DOGE” budget cutting office the following year. Be that as it may, the Model Y is a success story here in the US and elsewhere around the world. “The Tesla Model Y has become not just Tesla’s star player, but also the USA’s and the world’s standout BEV, carrying the flag forward for the electric vehicle transition. It has become not just the top selling electric vehicle but the top selling vehicle,” CleanTechnica reported in January of 2024. That was a full year before Trump took office for the second time on January 20, 2025, inheriting a trifecta of political control in the House, Senate, and Supreme Court with consequential impacts on EV sales in the US. Despite the overall downturn in EV sales, as of Q1 2026 Tesla was still hanging onto its #1 slot by a wide margin. “So, which EV models are leading this new market? That’s still very heavily the Tesla Model Y and Tesla Model 3,” CleanTechnica reported in April this year. For the record, other automakers jockeying for the 3, 4, and 5 EV sales slots were Toyota (the bZ), Hyundai (the IONIQ 5), and GM’s Chevrolet branh (the electric Equinox). Their position is not likely to improve substantially in the near future, even though suspension issues with the Model Y have begun to surface here in the US. “Tesla has recalled just under 20 units of the Model Y in the United States market. A front suspension fastener may not be sufficiently torqued, increasing the risk of loosening and separating from the subframe over time,” AutoEvolution reported on September 2, with torqued being fancyspeak for tightened enough to not loosen up under normal driving conditions. “The field safety action covers 2026 models produced between July 26, 2026, and August 4, 2026,” elaborates AutoEvolution reporter Mircea Panait. “According to the recall documentation, the front suspension lateral link is attached to the subframe of the subject Ys with two fasteners. If either fastener wasn’t secured properly, the lateral link may detach while driving,” Panait adds. As for why only 20 units, Panait describes a scenario at Tesla’s factory in Fremont, California, in which an element in the manufacturing system was mistakenly deactivated on July 26, 2026. “That eliminated the process control intended to make sure the correct fastener was torqued to the correct value,” Panait explained, noting that the problem was flagged by employees on August 7. “From August 10 through August 21, the safety boffins reviewed all relevant video footage and records to determine what vehicles may have been released from the factory with potentially loose fasteners,” Panait summarized. Model Y Owners, What Do You Think? That description seems to reassure other Model Y drivers that their ride is solid. If all goes according to plan, Tesla will notify its Tesla stores and service centers of the suspension issue later this week, by September 4. Customers will be mailed a notification no later than October 30. “Tesla service centers will gladly inspect the fasteners, and if loose, technicians will torque them to specification. A wheel alignment check is also necessary,” Panait observes. Readers, what do you think? If you own and/or drive a Model Y, are you reassured that the problem is limited to a small number of newly manufactured vehicles, or would you rather drop into your local service center and check that torque? Drop a note in the discussion thread to share your thinks. Meanwhile, Tesla is busy pitching the new Model Y L Premium into the US market. “This is the new three-row Model Y first launched in China,” CleanTechnica reported in July, noting that Tesla’s US sales overall were down in the US by around 20% year over year. If the Model Y ultimately disappoints, perhaps Tesla’s Cybercab will help make up the difference — or perhaps not, considering the fierce competition in the robotaxi space. A wide launch for the Cybercab is set for September 3, so stay tuned for more on that. Photo: The Tesla Model Y continues to hold a strong position in EV sales globally and in the US, but a suspension problem has left a bitter taste in the mouths of some Model Y drivers (cropped, courtesy of Tesla).
+63 others
