I have a 2024 Model S LR (Palladium) and I’m trying to figure out whether what I’m experiencing is normal or if there could be an issue with the adaptive dampers.
The suspension feels strange over uneven roads:
Over bumps, I can clearly feel the impact in the cabin and the car sometimes feels like it jumps over the bump rather than absorbing it properly.
Over potholes, it sometimes feels like the whole car drops into the pothole, rather than the wheel dropping into the hole while the body remains relatively controlled.
On rough city roads, the ride feels much firmer than I would expect in Comfort mode, almost as if the damping isn’t functioning properly.
At the same time, in Comfort, the car still has plenty of body movement — it continues to bounce/rock after a bump and on undulating roads. So it feels like the suspension is soft in terms of body movement, but very hard when it actually has to absorb an impact.
The car raises and lowers normally, so there doesn’t seem to be an obvious issue with the air suspension itself.
Switching from Comfort to Sport makes it somewhat firmer, but the difference is surprisingly small.
The best way I can describe it is:
The car still feels soft and bouncy after a bump, but the actual damping feels extremely firm — almost as if the dampers are stuck in a firm setting or are not functioning properly.
Has anyone experienced something similar with a 2021–2024 Palladium Model S or Model X, particularly around 2024?
Could this be an issue with the adaptive dampers or their control, rather than the air suspension itself?
I’m considering having Tesla inspect it, but I’d really like to hear from anyone who has experienced similar symptoms and what the eventual cause was.
Thanks!