It appears the Tesla Model S is suffering from suspension problems, which has led the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to open an investigation, according to Automotive News.
In recent months, several Tesla customers on social media have written about suspension failures, in some cases after just 70,000 miles (110,000 kilometres).
What’s worse is that Tesla has used nondisclosure agreements with the affected owners in exchange for covering out-of-warranty repair costs on some of the vehicles, NHTSA spokesman Bryan Thomas said.
He added: “The agency immediately informed Tesla that any language implying that consumers should not contact the agency regarding safety concerns is unacceptable, and NHTSA expects Tesla to eliminate any such language.”
Tesla quickly and strongly denied any such practices, of course, insisting there is no safety defect with the suspensions in either the Model S or Model X, and claiming it never asked a customer to sign a document preventing them from talking with the NHTSA. On rare occasions when repairs are discounted or conducted for free, customers are asked to sign a “goodwill agreement,” Tesla clarified.
We’ll keep you posted.