Wirtz Law Blog

For a while now, owners of some Tesla cars have been dealing with annoying mechanical issues. For example, some Tesla models have a known ongoing shudder issue. When you pay Tesla prices, the last thing you want to be left dealing with is a shaking vehicle.

Tesla has finally gotten around to addressing the issue. Here’s the news on what’s causing the shudder and how you can get it fixed. 

Acceleration Shudder Issues

For years now, acceleration shudder issues have plagued Tesla owners. Anyone who owns a Model S or Model X is likely familiar with the problem. You may have even tried to fix it already.

The acceleration shudder issue affects all Model S and Model X Tesla vehicles between the model years 2014 to 2020. 

Tesla’s most recent bulletin explains that the problem stems from the front-drive unit half shafts. The half shafts can cause excessive vibration during hard acceleration at higher ride height settings. 

The News from Tesla

Tesla’s most recent news bulletin regarding the ongoing shudder issue was posted in May 2021. The latest update is the fourth bulletin Tesla has released since 2019 for the same vibration issue. 

The issues with the front-drive unit in the affected vehicles don’t raise any safety concerns and don’t have any negative impact on functionality. 

Tesla noted in the most recent bulletin that steering functionality, braking, and acceleration are not impacted by the front-drive problems. Because of this, a recall isn’t necessary. 

Tesla’s inspection of the vibration issue was prompted by ongoing customer complaints about vehicle performance. Tesla’s bulletin response to unhappy customers offers an explanation of the issue, a reassurance of safety, and instructions on how to get it fixed. 

There’s bad news for Tesla owners who read and acted upon those previous bulletins – any work you had done may not have fixed the underlying issue, which means that your car might need more repairs. The new bulletin comes with new component numbers, however, showing that Tesla has updated the parts that need to be addressed in order to fix the problem. 

Tesla Troubleshooting Test Drive

If you’ve experienced excessive vibration while driving your Tesla, you’re probably more than ready to have the problem fixed. If you haven’t noticed this particular issue, it’s a good idea to test for it. 

Tesla’s latest bulletin includes test drive instructions for anyone with a Tesla Model S or Model X from years 2014 to 2020. Here are the steps to test your vehicle:

• Choose a safe location
• Set the vehicle ride height to “VERY HIGH”
• Quickly accelerate to highway speeds
• Observe whether vibration under hard acceleration is detected

If you run this test and you don’t notice a vibration, it doesn’t mean you’re in the clear. It’s still possible for the issue to pop up at a later time. Owners of the affected vehicles should be aware of this and take action if the issue does arise. 

If you do notice vibrations during your test drive, it’s time for some repairs. 

How to Fix Your Tesla Vibration  

If you’re dealing with the vibration issue, you’ll need to have some parts replaced. First, the front-drive half shafts will need to be replaced with the updated components. It may also be necessary to replace the front drive unit clevis and axle seal. 

The bulletin also contains a note stating that the replacement of the half shafts may result in excessive NVH. This stands for “noise, vibration, and harshness,” which is a measure of aural and tactile feedback a vehicle delivers to the driver. 

Your mechanic should test drive the vehicle to break in the new half shafts to address this concern. However, if you do notice excessive feedback from your vehicle after repairs, it’s possible the new components weren’t adequately broken in before the car was returned to you. 

Hopefully, the latest bulletin will be a final resolution to Tesla’s vibration issues. The manufacturer has already released three previous suggestions for repair, so there’s no guarantee this one will be the last. 

Tesla owners should continue to monitor their vehicles for vibration at high acceleration and keep an eye out for further updates Tesla may release in the future.  For more information, call the experienced trial attorneys at (858) 259-5009 for a free case evaluation.