Tesla Model Y L Suspension Controversy... Manual Specifications 'Quietly' Changed After Outcry

*This content was translated by AI.

Amid a flood of complaints from owners regarding the collapse of the rear suspension on Tesla's six-seater flagship SUV, the "Model Y L," produced at its Shanghai Gigafactory, it has emerged that the company quietly altered the manual specifications amidst the controversy, drawing widespread criticism.

The core of this controversy is that the rear-wheel suspension of the Model Y L, officially launched in the Chinese market in August 2025, collapses under load. Recently, a phenomenon where the gap between the rear wheel arch and the tire becomes extremely narrow during long-distance driving or when the vehicle is fully loaded has been frequently observed, primarily on social media.

Owners have unanimously reported that this issue occurs at mileage ranging from 9,000 km to as high as 30,000 km. In severe cases, the vehicle body sags so much that even a finger cannot fit between the wheel arch and the tire. Secondary damage has also been reported, including abnormal wear on the inner side of the tires due to misaligned wheel alignment caused by suspension degradation. Some owners have stated that their tires have already reached safety limits.

In response, Tesla is offering free replacements with spring part number 2188477-00-B instead of the previous "A"-series parts for vehicles within the warranty period. However, some owners criticize this measure as merely a temporary fix, reporting that their suspensions collapsed again just ten days after the spring replacement. According to internal guidelines at Tesla service centers, the normal rear wheel arch height is 784±20mm, and spring replacement is only permitted when it falls below 764mm.

As the situation has unfolded, a self-diagnostic "finger test" has even begun circulating among owners. To add fuel to the fire, Tesla chose to modify relevant parameters in the user manual rather than revealing the root cause of the suspension anomaly. On the latest version of the website, it was revealed that the overall vehicle height is 1664mm, with the minimum ground clearance during loading reduced by 4mm to 118mm and the minimum ground clearance when empty reduced by 3mm to 166mm.

The Tesla Model Y L has also gained significant popularity in South Korea, currently ranking among the best-selling electric vehicles. This is why the issue must be examined once the vehicle reaches its mileage threshold.

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*This content was translated by AI.