Sweden’s Transport Agency announced on Friday that it is currently conducting an investigation into suspension failures in Tesla vehicles, a parallel effort to a similar probe initiated by Norway’s traffic safety regulator.
In an emailed statement to Reuters, the Swedish agency confirmed, “We can … confirm that investigative work is also underway with us.”
As of now, Tesla has not responded to requests for comment on the matter.
Meanwhile, the Finnish transport and communications agency informed Reuters that it has not been approached regarding any issues related to faulty suspension failures.
The Norwegian Public Roads Administration (NPRA) disclosed last Thursday that it had commenced an inquiry into Tesla in September 2022. The NPRA has asked the automaker to evaluate consumer complaints about lower rear control arms breaking on its Model S and X vehicles.
Depending on the findings, the Norwegian agency may recommend a recall of the vehicles for part replacement if they are deemed to pose a “serious risk.” Alternatively, they may conclude the investigation if no safety concerns are identified or choose to extend the review.
Regarding the Norwegian probe, the Swedish agency acknowledged that it, too, had received “a number of notifications about cars from the Tesla brand that have suffered from similar problems.” However, a spokesperson for the Swedish regulator declined to provide additional details, citing the ongoing nature of the investigation.
These inquiries in Sweden and Norway come on the heels of a Reuters investigation published earlier in the week. The report revealed that Tesla had consistently blamed drivers for frequent failures of suspension and steering parts that the company had been aware were defective for an extended period. To reduce escalating warranty costs, Tesla reportedly attempted to cut repair expenses by attributing these failures to “driver abuse.”
The investigation was based on an examination of thousands of Tesla documents and interviews with former employees, including service managers and technicians in Norway.
