Tesla caught altering specs following rear suspension collapse reports

Tesla’s six-seat Model Y L, built at its Shanghai factory, is facing owner complaints that its rear suspension sinks or “collapses,” prompting questions about both the vehicle’s durability and Tesla’s response. Owners say the gap between the rear tyres and wheel arches shrinks after long journeys or when the vehicle is heavily loaded. Reported cases involve cars with roughly 9,000 to nearly 30,000 kilometres on them, and some drivers report abnormal inner-tyre wear severe enough to make tyres unsafe prematurely.

The concerns have intensified after Tesla’s online manuals showed changed and inconsistent measurements. The China website still lists unladen ground clearance at 169 mm, while the global site gives 166 mm; the global manual also shows reductions in vehicle height and laden ground clearance. Archived records indicate the specifications were unchanged as of June 16. Tesla customer service cited factors such as tyre pressure, load and road conditions but offered no specific explanation, and the company has not clarified whether the documentation changes reflect a technical or hardware revision. Tesla has replaced some owners’ rear springs with a newer part, but complaints reportedly continue. Internal service guidance treats rear wheel-arch height of 784 ± 20 mm as normal and authorizes spring replacement only below 764 mm; the underlying cause remains undisclosed.