Tesla S/X/3/Y: strut top mounts — signs of failure and replacement

Summary

The strut top mount is a rubber-metal assembly at the top attachment point of the strut to the body, plus a support bearing (on the front axle). As the rubber wears, the mount sags, the bearing dries out — squeaks appear when turning the wheel at standstill / low speed and a dull clunk over potholes. The topic is relevant for all Teslas, but on 3/Y it's a cheap replacement while on S/X with air it's often easier to replace the strut as an assembly.

Symptoms / Diagnosis

• Squeak when turning the wheel at standstill or low speed (especially in the cold / after a wash).
• Dull clunk over big bumps, speed bumps — as if something "settles" at the top of the strut.
• When rocking the body (push-release the hood) — odd noise around the mount, sometimes a click.
• One corner sagging relative to the others (on air it's masked by the compressor).
• On the front axle — sometimes the steering feel changes: stickiness, uneven effort.

Easy to confuse with: front upper control arm (FUCA, ball joint squeak), sway bar end links (metallic rattle), boot/bump stop.

What to do

1) Diagnostics. Remove the upper boot or hood cowl, inspect the mount for rubber cracks and weeping. Rock the body — listen near the upper hat. On the front axle — turn the wheel on a lifted car: squeak/crunch in the support bearing is heard right away.

2) Platform differences.

• Model 3 / Y, front: standard coil-over strut. Tesla has no separate PN for the mount — the front damper is sold only as an assembly (Spring & Damper Assembly); a separate mount + bearing is aftermarket only (febi, SWAG, Sachs, Monroe) and replaces for reasonable money.
• Model 3 / Y, rear: struts and springs separate, the upper damper mount is a simple rubber unit.
• Model S / X (coil suspension, RWD/AWD non-air): construction close to 3/Y, but physically larger. Mount replacement is straightforward with a spring compressor.
• Model S / X with air suspension: on early (2012–March 2016) and facelift (2016+) — damper and air spring as an assembly. The mount is not sold separately as a rebuild kit — it's usually replaced as a strut assembly (Tesla OEM 1027361-00-X etc.) or Arnott, Bilstein as replacement. Repairing the air spring/mount separately is not pleasant.

3) Replacement options.

• Tesla OEM — available, but not cheap; on S/X air it's the main path.
• Arnott — the most popular alternative for S/X air, used by every repair shop.
• Bilstein, KYB, Sachs — coil strut replacements on 3/Y and S/X non-air; compatible mounts available.
• Polyurethane / tuning (Unplugged Performance, MPP) — for those who don't fear comfort loss.
• AliExpress — on 3/Y, upper mounts actually last (CTR, RBI, Febest brands), but on S/X air don't go there.

Belarus budget

Parts (per pair, axle):

• M3/Y, upper mount + bearing, aftermarket: $40–90 pair.
• M3/Y, OEM or Sachs/Bilstein: $80–160 pair.
• S/X (non-air), mounts: $70–140 pair.
• S/X with air: new Arnott strut assembly — ~$650–800 each, rebuilt OEM strut — from ~$400–450, new OEM $700–1000 each.

Labor (Minsk, ~$50/h):

• M3/Y, front mount + strut rebuild, pair: 2.0–3.0 h → ~$100–150.
• M3/Y, rear mount, pair: 1.0–1.5 h → ~$50–75.
• S/X coil, mount, pair: 2.5–3.5 h → ~$125–175.
• S/X with air, strut assembly replacement: 1.5–2.5 h/side → ~$75–125 per side, plus often air system calibration in Service Mode.

Total range:

• M3/Y, front assembled: ~$140–310.
• S/X coil: ~$200–315.
• S/X air, both front struts as assemblies with labor and calibration: ~$1000–1200.

DIY notes

• Disconnect 12V before any work in the engine bay.
• On M3/Y front struts a spring compressor is required — no other way.
• Don't mix sides of S/X mounts: left/right differ.
• On air — release pressure via the service menu before removal.
• After front mount replacement — alignment is mandatory.
• On S/X with air, after strut replacement — height sensor calibration in Service Mode (via Toolbox or Toolbox 3 at specialists).
• Often a squeaking "mount" when pressing/releasing the gas pedal is not the rubber pillow but a loose strut rod nut. Check that first before buying mounts (see chat below).

Links / Sources

• MPP — diagnosing suspension noises: https://www.mountainpassperformance.com/diagnosing-suspension-noises-on-the-tesla-model-3-model-y/
• Tesla Service Manual — Damper Assembly Front (Model Y): https://service.tesla.com/docs/ModelY/ServiceManual/en-us/GUID-CB1ABF30-5F19-4066-B070-DD98EF22517E.html
• Go-Parts — Model S Air Strut: clunks, leaks, ride height: https://www.go-parts.com/garage/suspension-strut-tesla-model-s-2021-2025
• TMC — Shocks/Struts thread: https://teslamotorsclub.com/tmc/threads/shocks-struts.301339/
• YouTube — Model Y Front Strut Top Mount Removal: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rYRlEAlaAZc
• Unplugged Performance — Model S PnP shocks installation: https://unpluggedperformance.com/installation-documents/model-s-pnp-shocks-installation-guide/
• Autodoc — aftermarket strut mounts for Model 3/Y: https://www.autodoc.parts/car-parts/strut-mount-and-bearing-10471/tesla/model-3

Community experience

From the TESLA owner's group BELARUS chat: top mounts are often a "diagnosis of exclusion" when the end links have already been replaced and the knock/squeak remains.

Additional observations:

1. A loose strut rod nut mimics a top mount squeak. Squeaks on press/release of the gas pedal — first thing to check (#260508).
2. Owners chasing knock symptoms "not found at 4 shops" go as far as replacing struts, sway bar mounts and the strut top mount (#341954) — sometimes the culprit is in the brake brackets, and the mounts were replaced "along the way".
3. Support bearings are often confused with sway bar end links — symptoms similar. Check both at once (#194554).