Is my frame getting "creaky"?

Is my frame getting "creaky"?

First off- I love my M3... That said, it now has 10k miles of urban/country in WMass. We love to patch roads here and not actually repair them and as a result the ride can be a bit rough- I try to avoid the bumps, really. However, I have started to notice what I think are creaks and clicks in the frame when the car may be experiencing torsion on the frame. Has anyone else noticed this? Our Subaru has twice as many miles and it still quiet in similar situations. Not bad enough to pinpoint, I just wish it didn't.

CST | 11 février 2019

check to see if the rear seat is clicking where it attaches to the back. I have this problem especially going over speed bumps and such and if I put a towel between the rear seat and the back it goes away.

Halbach | 12 février 2019

Try lowering your tire pressure, especially in the winter.

M3phan | 12 février 2019

See if it’s either of your front seats, too; I’ve had a cartoonish granny rocking chair squeak from my drivers seat (solution: Tesla approved replacement of seat).

mfrey | 12 février 2019

I have the same issue. Gets worse in the colder temps. The front and rear of the passenger side sounds like it rattles like crazy. Creaking, rattles, squeaks. I hate it.

Wesla207 | 12 février 2019

Hearing similar sounds too. In my case it sounds like a piece of plastic is flopping around inside the front doors. Definitely gets worse when temps are below freezing.

HummerMan4 | 12 février 2019

On bumpy roads, I've noticed two squeaks on mine - one in the region of the rear view mirror that I haven't been able to pinpoint, and the other is my driver seat belt height adjuster on the B pillar, which I can stop by holding it. Haven't made up my mind yet whether I want to take the time to get that fixed, but it does drive me nuts since I drive on a lot of cobblestone streets.

mknewman | 12 février 2019

I have it too, but it's on very slow speed acceleration and deceleration, but it seems to be coming from the rear suspension. I tend to think coil springs compressing.

LostInTx | 12 février 2019

Experiencing the same, in abundance. My Tundra, with 220,000 miles, creaks less than my 12K mile Model 3. on my 6250 mile rotation, I had a tech drive the car around the block. I heard the creaks but he evidently did not. My next rotation is scheduled 18-February by a mobile unit. Am going to try again because the creaks have increased. They seem to be mostly around the back suspension but some of it is absolutely within the cabin.

rachang5021 | 12 février 2019

The monitor on my M3 has somehow gotten just a BIT loose, and every little crack and bump on the road triggers a small creaking noise. I'm sure it's the plastic covering of the monitor connection (neck) rubbing against the dashboard. It gets extremely annoying on long drives. I wonder if I can ask to get the monitor tightened or something.

suddled | 12 février 2019

I had this issue, I think it was the bushings in the tires. Take it into a SC and get it fixed. I was told this was the first time they heard this on a M3 (in Palo Alto at least) . So just take it in and they will fix it in a day hopefully. At lest that was my issue.

mstephens77 | 6 novembre 2019

I am having the same problem on my 5k mile SR+. There is a HORRIBLE creaking noise coming from the back of the car. Just imagine two people going at it on an old bed and that's what it sounds like in the back of my car. Tesla had the car for two days last week and failed to come even close to locating and eliminating the sound. It really does sound like a frame bending, or springs squeaking, or something structural. The amount of noise my car makes after only 6 months of driving is very disturbing. I love my M3 but lets face it, the build quality of these cars is terrible! Especially for something that costs 43K on the low end. Just imagine what these cars are going to sound like after 3-5 years! You wont be able to sell them on the used market because they are going to sound like they are falling apart at every single joint. I am actually seriously looking forward to what established automakers who know how to actually assemble a car are going to churn out in the EV space. They wont be able to match the tech of a Tesla, but who cares about the tech when you are literally being driven bat $hit crazy on your drive to and from work every morning by a brand new car that sounds like its falling apart. If you guys really want to hear something amusing....sit in the back seats of your car and stomp a bit on the floor! I just figured that one out yesterday! I think they used the tin man from the Wizard of Oz for the floor of my car....I guess I could use it to make special effects for Thunder!!

Lorenzryanc | 6 novembre 2019

Does it sound like it could be squeaking bushings? Mine has had that since the beginning in the cold weather. Speedbumps are the most obvious. I haven't yet physically pressed down on the corner of the car to see if I can duplicate the sound though. maybe a lube job could help?

foodking | 6 novembre 2019

I have what CST mentioned. SC stuck some felt tape there but it's been making noise again.

dbwitt | 6 novembre 2019

Not sure if the same creaking or not, but I brought mine to a service center about 2 months ago and they diagnosed it as an upper control arm on the front suspension starting to seize. They couldn't explain why it was happening. The creaking started small (just annoying on occasion), only happening with large bumps, but gradually kept getting worse and worse over time, with any small bump, acceleration, deceleration or flexing of the frame.

They replaced the upper control arm under warranty in about 90 minutes and I have been good to go since then!

jebinc | 6 novembre 2019

Anyone have a slight high-pitched "ring" upon hard acceleration? I do, but like it as it seems it's just coming from the high current flowing through the motor controller, etc. It hasn't changed frequency or amplitude since day one. It could also be the "Flux Capacitor" discharging... ;-)

jimglas | 6 novembre 2019

its just the knees for me

Jlomb436 | 6 novembre 2019

I have 3-4 creaks in my B and C pillars and 1 in the passenger door. Love the car, but the creaks are upsetting. I think someone mentioned a 220K Japanese car with fewer creaks. I couldn't agree more. Would still buy another Tesla though, but me being mildly OCD, this car literally gives me anxiety haha.

SC wasn't too much help so I've decided that one weekend I'm going to start taking panels off and buy felt tape in bulk.

rugersturm45 | 15 novembre 2019

@Jlomb436 my M3P has similar issues. Every door (possibly the pillars) cracks as if they are shifting around when I hit bump. This happens with even minor bumps.

Please let me know if you pinpoint your noises because it’s driving me insane and I don’t have an SC in my state.