Unresolved front drive unit noise, guidance or suggestions?

[wheatbread]

Edit: heres a quick video I made and shared with tesla in my previous service requests


Long time lurker first time caller. Love my 24 foundation, love the lifetime supercharging! FSD has me hooked on teslas! Just cant seem to get this issue taken seriously by my service center. Its like a gear failing to make proper connection or something. A grind/whine? Kinda like an old dial up computer connection almost. Semi faint but loud enough to hear even when i have my music on.

A senior and normal service tech have come with me on ride alongs where the noise was clearly present. Seems to kick in just after it hits 33-34mph. In one of these service visits the senior tech took me on a drive to see if one of their own trucks produced this same noise. It did not. Night and day difference. For some reason that same senior tech recorded my service notes as having been “normal” and ‘within spec’ essentially. Im just confused why they would do that? Clearly the noise wasnt present in their own truck he took me on. There was no question about that, he had verbally acknowledged the difference with me, but the notes said otherwise

Worth noting my truck has just under 5,000 miles, purchased new towards end of 2025. For the most part ive been happy with my tesla service appointments since they always seem to do their best to address my concerns so when I first called this out back in February I didnt mind putting it off for a future visit. While that was at a different service center I didnt think it would matter which location i went to.

Has anyone here experienced a similar issue on these awd fs? Its coming from the front motor, which they have acknowledged. They just tell me in the past they have not had success getting rid of the noise by replacing the front motor.

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[BobSaidSo]

Probably the Front Drive Unit. Our 24 AWD FS has a whining sound at 40mph. We took it in, drove tech around, he could hear it. They ended up up replacing the entire FDU, which took that away. No charge ax it was warranty.

It seemed to work on ours, but have not driven newer models to hear sounds. Talk to another Tech if possible about the front drive unit. In fact, if you search this forum, there should be posts on it as a few had to have it replaced.

 

[wheatbread]

right, but this is their senior tech essentially telling me their ‘field service tech’ is denying him the approval for that replacement. Just dont know where to go from here.

 

[wheatbread]

Heres is the senior techs notes. Just dont understand why he would leave the part out about the noise not being present in the truck we went on a test drive to see if he could replicate the noise.

 

[BobSaidSo]

Not sure how to file a complaint to Tesla, but that may be what needs to done in this situation

 

[wheatbread]

Not sure how to file a complaint to Tesla, but that may be what needs to done in this situation

Heres a quick video I made. Noise kicks in right around 34mph then dies out when i come to a stop.

 

[defaultuser]

Same noise here , service gave me a similar run around also. Feb 2025 AWD and 8500 miles. I just turn up the music or roll down a window to deal with it haha

Been following this this thread (below) awhile and seems like certain FDU version will resolve it. And you need to convince the service center to do it somehow.

I am going to goto a different service center (extra hour away) to get lightbar installed and will try adding this for them to check out along with couple other issues (front seat creaking and moving, left rear brake caliper sticking with tons of brake dust). I love Tesla and this truck and seems like my first service center choice was more hesitant to dig in, replace any parts

https://www.cybertruckownersclub.com/forum/threads/wind-bearing-or-coolant-noise.37885/

 

[wheatbread]

Same noise here , service gave me a similar run around also. Feb 2025 AWD and 8500 miles. I just turn up the music or roll down a window to deal with it haha

Been following this this thread (below) awhile and seems like certain FDU version will resolve it. And you need to convince the service center to do it somehow.

I am going to goto a different service center (extra hour away) to get lightbar installed and will try adding this for them to check out along with couple other issues (front seat creaking and moving, left rear brake caliper sticking with tons of brake dust). I love Tesla and this truck and seems like my first service center choice was more hesitant to dig in, replace any parts

https://www.cybertruckownersclub.com/forum/threads/wind-bearing-or-coolant-noise.37885/

Whats wild to me is they would note the noise as being acceptable. Like who should determine what amount of noise is acceptable? The one that didn’t pay a dime for the vehicle? Or the one the one out $100k?

 

[defaultuser]

It totally doesn’t pass the smell test for me either haha

My theory: it’s a non mechanical issue and since Tesla quieted it down in future revisions they kick the can as much as possible for us older revs

 

[Jhodgesatmb]

Long time lurker first time caller. Love my 24 foundation, love the lifetime supercharging! FSD has me hooked on teslas! Just cant seem to get this issue taken seriously by my service center. Its like a gear failing to make proper connection or something. A grind/whine? Kinda like an old dial up computer connection almost. Semi faint but loud enough to hear even when i have my music on.

A senior and normal service tech have come with me on ride alongs where the noise was clearly present. Seems to kick in just after it hits 33-34mph. In one of these service visits the senior tech took me on a drive to see if one of there own trucks produced this same noise. It did not. Night and day difference. For some reason that same senior tech recorded my service notes as having been “normal” and ‘within spec’ essentially. Im just confused why they would do that? Clearly the noise wasnt present in their own truck he took me on. There was no question about that, he had verbally acknowledged the difference with me, but the notes said otherwise

Worth noting my truck has just under 5,000 miles, purchased new towards end of 2025. For the most part ive been happy with my tesla service appointments since they always seem to do their best to address my concerns so when I first called this out back in February I didnt mind putting it off for a future visit. While that was at a different service center I didnt think it would matter which location i went to.

Has anyone here experienced a similar issue on these awd fs? Its coming from the front motor, which they have acknowledged. They just tell me in the past they have not had success getting rid of the noise by replacing the front motor.

I have not experienced any unusual noise from the front motor. Just the whine of an electric motor.

I would recommend driving without sound system and recording the noise and then attaching the recording to a service request. It is difficult to refute data; easy to refute what ‘you’ hear.

Whats wild to me is they would note the noise as being acceptable. Like who should determine what amount of noise is acceptable? The one that didn’t pay a dime for the vehicle? Or the one the one out $100k?

the service team probably determines what the acceptable noise levels are, and the price of the car should be irrelevant. The ‘type’ of noise is what is relevant here. If the OP can show a recording of a grinding noise I think there is a strong argument.

 

[wheatbread]

I have not experienced any unusual noise from the front motor. Just the whine of an electric motor.

I would recommend driving without sound system and recording the noise and then attaching the recording to a service request. It is difficult to refute data; easy to refute what ‘you’ hear.

the service team probably determines what the acceptable noise levels are, and the price of the car should be irrelevant. The ‘type’ of noise is what is relevant here. If the OP can show a recording of a grinding noise I think there is a strong argument.

Heres the video I shared on here. I mean the senior tech himself told me it was a gear not properly latching in the motor and hes familiar with it. Just that from his experience a front drive unit replacement didnt fix the issue.

 

[defaultuser]

I have not experienced any unusual noise from the front motor. Just the whine of an electric motor.

I would recommend driving without sound system and recording the noise and then attaching the recording to a service request. It is difficult to refute data; easy to refute what ‘you’ hear.

the service team probably determines what the acceptable noise levels are, and the price of the car should be irrelevant. The ‘type’ of noise is what is relevant here. If the OP can show a recording of a grinding noise I think there is a strong argument.

Also agree. I attached a video to the issue and the tech acknowledged hearing it n video and while driving it with me on a ride along. I trusted the technicians assessment and response that the noise within spec…

 

[wheatbread]

Haven’t

How much is the replacement out of pocket?

Haven’t been even quoted so I have no clue.

 

[wheatbread]

Also agree. I attached a video to the issue and the tech acknowledged hearing it n video and while driving it with me on a ride along. I trusted the technicians assessment and response that the noise within spec…

Yeah I shared this same video in one of my service requests and it just went totally overlooked.

 

[Jhodgesatmb]

Heres the video I shared on here. I mean the senior tech himself told me it was a gear not properly latching in the motor and hes familiar with it. Just that from his experience a front drive unit replacement didnt fix the issue.

I guess I misread the post. I thought the tech was saying that the noise was within spec, not that replacing the drive unit wouldn’t fix the problem. I suppose they really mean the same thing in a way. That sucks.

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