--- title: "Model 3 & Y Front Suspension Creak: How Owners Fixed the Upper Control Arms | EV Fix Guide" description: "How Model 3 and Model Y owners on Tesla Motors Club fixed the front creak and squeak: worn upper control arm ball joints, warranty replacements, reseal vs new arms, part numbers, torque specs and DIY videos." canonical: https://evfixguide.com/blog/model-3-y-upper-control-arm-squeak-owner-fixes lang: en last_updated: 2026-10-24 --- [Tesla Model 3](https://evfixguide.com/models/model-3) · [Tesla Model Y](https://evfixguide.com/models/model-y) 6 forum sources · 3 videos # Model 3 & Y Front Suspension Creak: How Owners Fixed the Upper Control Arms By the EV Fix Guide team · October 24, 2026 · 3 min read ![Model 3 & Y Front Suspension Creak: How Owners Fixed the Upper Control Arms](https://evfixguide.com/assets/images/suspension-repair.jpg) A creaky-staircase noise from the front of a Model 3 or Model Y, loudest when turning slowly or rolling over speed bumps, is one of the best-documented faults on Tesla Motors Club. Owners have traced it again and again to the ball joint in the front upper control arm [3] · [4]. The threads also show what to push for at service, when greasing is a waste of time, and where the noise turned out to come from something else. ## What owners learned - The usual culprit is the upper control arm ball joint: once the boot splits and water gets in, the joint corrodes and grease only buys time [1] · [3]. - Several owners got both arms replaced free under the 4-year/50,000-mile basic warranty, so report the noise before it runs out [1] · [3] · [4]. - A boot reseal instead of new arms brought the noise back about a year later for one owner [1]. - Out-of-warranty Tesla bills ranged from about $178 to $750 [1]. - Not every front creak is the upper arm: one owner found cracked lower link bushings [5]. ## How owners recognised it A 2020 Model Y owner compared it to a creaky staircase when turning the wheel or going over bumps; replies pointed straight to the upper arms, a problem seen on earlier Model 3s around 30,000–40,000 miles. Two weeks later Tesla had replaced the arms and the noise was gone [4]. A Model 3 on a road trip developed a left-front squeak that was loudest in slow turns [2], and an out-of-warranty car at 77,000 miles had a creak that got worse as the car warmed up [3]. One member explained the mechanism: a split boot lets water in, the ball joint corrodes, and that damage cannot be reversed [3]. [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/gfoNuPYvcJ4/hqdefault.jpg)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gfoNuPYvcJ4) **Fix suspension Groan by Replacing Tesla Upper Control Arm - Model 3** · Austin EV Only on YouTube. Step-by-step swap of the front upper arms on a 2018 Model 3; the channel says it also applies to Model Y built up to March 2022. Plays from youtube-nocookie.com when you press play. ## Reseal, grease or replace? A 2019 Model 3 owner was offered a reseal of the boot instead of new arms and asked whether to push back. Other owners said grease only quiets a worn joint for a while, and one reported the creak returning about a year after a reseal [1]. Grease injected through a torn boot or a penetrating spray were described only as roadside stopgaps [2] · [3]. The arms are normally replaced as a left/right pair. A warranty invoice posted in one thread listed part numbers 1044326-00-J (right) and 1044321-00-J (left) with an alignment check, and about five hours at the service center [2]. Another owner had both arms swapped by mobile service and the squeak disappeared [2]. One owner, though, said the noise came back within a month of a replacement [1]. ## When it was not the upper arm A 2019 Model 3 kept creaking from the front driver side, worse on hot days, after the ball joint had been greased twice. A responder found cracked bushings on the lower lateral link and rear lower control arm and replaced them with polyurethane-bushed aftermarket parts, then had Tesla swap the upper arms and align the car [5]. The twist: the polyurethane parts later creaked badly and the owner tried to return them [5]. Inspect the lower link bushings before buying parts, and be careful with stiff aftermarket bushings. ## Doing it yourself Aftermarket arms are sold by febi and EVANNEX among others, and both have published install videos. Tesla’s Model 3 service manual gives the torque figures: 56 Nm for the arm-to-knuckle nut (use a new nut), 50 Nm for the arm-to-mount bolts, and 35 Nm or 62 Nm for the mount-to-body bolts depending on size, followed by a ride height check and an alignment check [6]. That page is from the 2024 manual edition, so confirm the figures for older builds. Whichever route you take, budget for a front alignment afterwards. [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/MXik4pBMUfs/hqdefault.jpg)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MXik4pBMUfs) **[EN] Tesla Model 3 front suspension upper control arm replacement** · febi.bilstein on YouTube. The parts maker tests and replaces a Model 3 upper arm and explains why the ball joint wears on heavy EVs. Plays from youtube-nocookie.com when you press play. [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/3FxgRXP5u2E/hqdefault.jpg)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3FxgRXP5u2E) **EVANNEX Front Control Arm DIY For Tesla Model 3 and Model Y** · EVANNEX Aftermarket Tesla Accessories on YouTube. A DIY install of aftermarket front control arms on a Model 3/Y. Plays from youtube-nocookie.com when you press play. ## What it cost owners - Under warranty: both arms replaced at no charge, including one 2018 car at 73,500 miles [1] · [3] · [4] - Tesla out of warranty: about $178, $391 for the driver side only, and estimates around $748–750 [1] - Tesla labor quoted to one owner: about $90 per arm plus alignment, under $300 total labor [5] - DIY: aftermarket arms plus an alignment; no thread confirmed a parts price ## Full repair guide and cost table Step-by-step fix, tools and Tesla vs independent shop vs DIY prices: [Tesla Model 3/Y Upper Control Arm Squeak: Fix & Cost](https://evfixguide.com/guides/upper-control-arm-squeak). Tesla Service $500 - $750 · independent shop $200 - $350 · DIY $100 - $170 (Parts only) ## Sources: owner forum threads and references 1. [1] [Upper Control Arm](https://teslamotorsclub.com/tmc/threads/upper-control-arm.232109/) · Tesla Motors Club, Jun 2021 · Reseal vs replace, warranty replacements and out-of-warranty prices. 2. [2] [Squeaking left front wheel](https://teslamotorsclub.com/tmc/threads/squeaking-left-front-wheel.264742/) · Tesla Motors Club, Apr 2022 · Warranty invoice with part numbers; mobile service swap. 3. [3] [Does this sound like control arm?](https://teslamotorsclub.com/tmc/threads/does-this-sound-like-control-arm.301740/) · Tesla Motors Club, May 2023 · Why a split boot ruins the ball joint; replacement just before warranty end. 4. [4] [Creaky Tesla](https://teslamotorsclub.com/tmc/threads/creaky-tesla.264031/) · Tesla Motors Club, Apr 2022 · 2020 Model Y: arms replaced by Tesla, noise gone. 5. [5] [Bad Bushings](https://teslamotorsclub.com/tmc/threads/bad-bushings.332837/) · Tesla Motors Club, Aug 2024 · Creak from cracked lower link bushings; aftermarket bushings creaked worse. 6. [6] [Control Arm - Upper - Front - LH (Remove and Replace)](https://service.tesla.com/docs/Model3/ServiceManual/2024/en-us/GUID-0ADFCCDA-D7E5-4BF9-8E7D-83D391FD6271.html) · Tesla Model 3 Service Manual, 2024 edition · Official torque values and post-repair checks. We summarise owner reports in our own words and link to the original threads; individual results vary. Videos belong to their creators and are embedded from YouTube. ## More owner repair stories - [Tesla Service Mode: How to Open It and What to Run — The hidden diagnostics menu every Tesla has, and the four tests worth running.](https://evfixguide.com/blog/tesla-service-mode) - [How to Reset a Tesla: Soft Reset, Power Off and 12V Reboot — Three resets, from 15 seconds to 10 minutes. Start with the lightest one.](https://evfixguide.com/blog/tesla-reset-guide) - [4 Tesla Fixes Owners Swear By (Most Cost $0) — Steering shake, dead 12V, AC smell and idle fees. Four shortcuts from owners.](https://evfixguide.com/blog/tesla-owner-hacks) - [Tesla DIY Tool Kit: What You Need (and What Not to Touch) — Torx set, jack pads, trim tools. And the jobs you should never do at home.](https://evfixguide.com/blog/tesla-diy-tool-kit) This guide is for information only. High-voltage components (orange cables) can be lethal — leave them to trained technicians. Not affiliated with Tesla, Inc.