My first Model YL rear suspension measurement left me with one number to watch: 771 mm on the right rear, just 7 mm above the spring replacement threshold reported by owners in China.
For this Model YL rear suspension recheck, I measured it again two weeks later after another 2,027 km. The right rear was now 770 mm. The change is tiny, but it moved in the direction I did not want to see.
This is a follow-up to my first ride-height check, where I recorded 777 mm on the left plus 771 mm on the right at 18,505 km.
The right rear measured 770 mm after the drive
We had just returned from a roughly 200 km day trip with two adults plus two children. It was only a day trip, so the car was carrying almost no luggage.
As soon as I parked, I remembered the rear ride height. After carrying a sleeping child inside, I took the tape measure back to the garage.
I started with the right rear because it had been the lowest corner last time.
The reading was 770 mm. That is 1 mm lower than the previous 771 mm.
My first reaction was that it might have dropped a little. The car had just covered 200 km, but the load was almost the same as during my first measurement.
One millimetre could easily be measurement variation. Still, it is variation in the downward direction, so it bothers me.
I measured again the next morning
I repeated the check the next morning with everyone plus all luggage out of the car.
The tyres had cooled after the drive, with the display showing roughly 3.0 bar. My garage has drainage fall from front to back, while it is almost level side to side. That makes it useful for comparing the left rear with the right rear.
I crouched at the same height, placed the tape at the same point, then read the wheel-arch edge the same way as before.
The Japanese app screen shows an odometer reading of 20,532 km plus software version 2026.26.6.1.
Here are the two measurements.
| This check: 20 Sep 2026, 20,532 km | First check: 6 Sep 2026, 18,505 km | |
|---|---|---|
| Left rear | 775 mm | 777 mm |
| Right rear | 770 mm | 771 mm |
| Left-right difference | 5 mm | 6 mm |
| Right rear margin to 764 mm | 6 mm | 7 mm |
The nominal rear wheel-arch height is 784 ± 20 mm, giving a range of 764 to 804 mm. Reports from China say Tesla replaces the rear springs free once the measurement reaches 764 mm or lower. This Model YL rear suspension check is still inside that range on both sides.
Model YL rear suspension dropped 1 to 2 mm?
The car covered exactly 2,027 km during those two weeks.
Over that distance, the left rear moved down by 2 mm while the right rear moved down by 1 mm. The side-to-side difference changed from 6 mm to 5 mm, so that part is almost unchanged.
The tape can shift by a similar amount if I hold it at a slightly different angle. There is certainly some measurement variation here.
Even so, both readings moved downward. I do not want to explain that away just because the change is small. I will keep watching it.
For now, the simple result is a 1 mm drop at the right rear over two weeks plus 2,027 km. My 20,000 km efficiency report covers the running costs at this mileage.
How I will keep the measurements comparable
This second check showed that I can track changes of a few millimetres if I keep the conditions similar.
For the next Model YL rear suspension measurement, I will use the same routine: empty car, same side of the garage, same crouching position, tape held vertically, reading taken where the tyre gap meets the wheel arch.
I am not giving myself a fixed schedule. Checking it every day would take the fun out of driving the car. I would rather use the tape occasionally, then investigate if the number has clearly moved.
When could it reach the 764 mm threshold?
I never measured the car when it was new, so this part is only a projection. The answer changes depending on the assumed starting height of the right rear.
| Assumed new-car height | Drop by 20,532 km | Distance per 1 mm | Projected mileage at 764 mm |
|---|---|---|---|
| 784 mm: nominal height | 14 mm | approx. 1,470 km | approx. 29,000 km |
| 780 mm | 10 mm | approx. 2,050 km | approx. 33,000 km |
The latest real-world change was 1 mm over 2,027 km. That is very close to the 2,050 km rate in the second estimate, so perhaps the car started a little below 784 mm.
If so, does that mean it is still sinking?
The projection puts the replacement threshold at roughly 30,000 km. We cover around 5,000 km per month, which means it could be only two months away if the same rate continues.
Part of me wants it to cross the threshold so Tesla will fit a revised spring under warranty. Another part wants this whole problem to turn out to be nothing more than measurement noise.
My car is covered for four years or 80,000 km, so there is still room before the mileage limit. Tesla explains the coverage on its vehicle warranty page.
Still in spec, but moving the wrong way
The Model YL rear suspension is still in spec. After 2,027 km, however, the left rear changed from 777 mm to 775 mm. The right rear changed from 771 mm to 770 mm. Both readings moved down.
The right rear now has 6 mm left before the 764 mm replacement threshold. Based on the two assumed starting heights, it could reach that point at roughly 29,000 to 33,000 km. That feels much closer than I expected.
Chinese owners have reported the sag returning one to two months after their springs were replaced with the same specification. If mine eventually needs the job, I hope a revised part is available by then.
I will measure it again when I feel like checking. If there is a clear change, I will write another update.
This article is also available in Japanese.
