My 2021 Tesla Model Y Is Nearing 60,000 Miles, and When I Turn It Is Making an Expensive-Sounding Creaking Noise Up Front From Both Sides - Am I Alone, Or Is This a Known Problem With This Model?

Barely out of her Tesla’s 4-year, 50,000-mile warranty, Model Y owner C.J. is hearing what may be a very expensive noise coming from her vehicle’s front suspension area. She is wondering if this sound is serious, and if she is the only Model Y owner to have heard this type of noise so early in the vehicle’s lifespan. After all, less than 60,000 miles is considered young for a Tesla, right?

Here’s what C.J posted in a Facebook Tesla Model Y club:

Hey! I’m nearing 60,000 miles, and all of a sudden, when I turn or anything, my front end is making a terrible creaking noise coming from both sides up front. Has anyone else experienced this?

It did not take long for the Tesla owners in the Model Y club to reply back to C.J., and the verdict seems unanimous. Here’s what folks said to C.J. in reply:
-A.L. - Mine was making weird noises all over at 51K, vinyl was cracking/peeling, seated warped, and the pair cracked near the charge port. These things are definitely built to last cosmetically until 50-60k miles and kaboom!
-J.L - I’d get your control arms checked.
-M.P. - Yep, just replaced mine. Upper Control Arms.
-K.B. - Upper or lower control arms.
-J.P. - Upper control arms.
-M.A. - Sounds like ball joints and control arm bushings.

These are just some of the replies that all say the same thing - “Control arms.” We could have filled a page with more comments just like these, but you get the point. Control arm failure (meaning noise) seems to be a well-known problem for owners of Model Y cars with just a few more miles than the Tesla warranty.

We took a look at Consumer Reports, which gives some years of the Model Y it’s coveted “Recommended Stamp” to see what the group’s members who own Model Ys say about the quality of the vehicle. 2021 is one of the Model Y years that did not earn the Recommended stamp of approval from Consumer Reports. Overall, it earned a 59/100 reliability score so far. The suspension is not widely cited as a problem area. Build quality only ranks a 2 out of 5. Interestingly, the 2020 Model Y had the dreaded red mark for suspension quality, but the 2021 ranked better.

What Will C.J. Need to Pay To Repair Her Model Y?
One member of the group offered a very helpful comment. A.K. wrote:

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Upper control arms. My creak started at 53,000 miles (lovely)! Tesla service replaced both sides (upper) for $351. North East Ohio. 2023 Model Y Long Range.

That price seems like a great deal for work on two sides of a suspension. Hopefully, C.J. will end up paying that price for her repair. We found a post on a Tesla Motor Club page saying that an owner had their upper control arms replaced for even less. Xenogeo posted:

Being out of warranty and after researching online, I was worried the estimate would be astronomical, but they quoted $76.50 for verify and inspect, $181.44 for both control arm parts (1044326-00-J and 1044321-00-J), and $0 for labor (remove and replace control arm pair)? Totaling $274.49 including tax.

That post, which you can view at the link above, also had a work order showing the whole breakdown of the work performed.

What Are Control Arms?
Control arms help maintain the steering knuckle's contact with the vehicle's frame or structure. They play an important role in the vehicle’s handling. We would recommend a detailed inspection of all of the suspension components and an alignment if a part like a control arm failed (meaning it needed to be replaced). If one part has worn, others may have as well.

If you own a Tesla Model Y and have heard control arm noises, tell us your story. We’d love to have a couple more examples of the cost to deal with this suspension issue. Click the red Add New Comment link below and share your thoughts with us.
 

John Goreham is a long-standing member of the New England Motor Press Association and an expert vehicle tester. John completed an engineering program with a focus on electric vehicles, followed by two decades of work in high-tech, biopharma, and the automotive supply chain before becoming a news contributor. He is a member of the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE int). In addition to his eleven years of work at Torque News, John has published thousands of articles and reviews at American news outlets. He is known for offering unfiltered opinions on vehicle topics. You can connect with John on LinkedIn and follow his work on his personal X channel or on our X channel. Please note that stories carrying John's by-line are never AI-generated, but he does employ grammar and punctuation software when proofreading and he also uses image generation tools. 

Top of page image showing Tesla service center taken by John Goreham