--- title: "The Star of “Aladdin” Says a Defect Caused His Tesla to Crash" description: "Mena Massoud, star of Disney's Aladdin 2019, says his Tesla Model 3 crash was due to a faulty suspension. Keep up with Tesla news at Futurism." date: "2019-06-05" modified: "2019-06-14" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/aladdin-defect-tesla-model-3-suspension-crash" categories: - "Advanced Transport" - "Tesla" tags: - "Model 3" - "tesla" - "tesla crash" - "the digest" --- # The Star of “Aladdin” Says a Defect Caused His Tesla to Crash ![Only a single day after "Aladdin" actor Mena Massoud bought a Tesla Model 3, he crashed into a tree — allegedly due to a faulty suspension.]() *\Image: Tesla/Victor Tangermann\* ## Not-so-Magic Carpet Ride Star of the live-action reboot of Disney's "Aladdin" Mena Massoud has had some terrible luck. A single day after he bought a decked out $85,000 Tesla Model 3, he crashed the car into a tree. The culprit, according to Massoud: a faulty suspension that he says caused him to lose control of the vehicle. Massoud has since [decided to sue]() Tesla over the incident, which took place in September 2018. Massoud filed a complaint with the Los Angeles County Superior Court on May 30. [According to *Forbes*](), Massoud felt a sudden "pop" when changing into the right lane. "The steering wheel locked, the front-passenger wheel crumpled and ejected from the car, and the car itself skidded onto the sidewalk and crashed into a tree," according to the suit, filed by the actor's lawyer, as quoted by *Forbes*. ## Whompy Wheels Suspension problems have come up time and time again for Elon Musk's electric car maker. Reports about a so-called ["whompy wheel" problem]() — shoddy suspension arms causing the front axle to fail — have spread across message boards like Reddit and [Tesla's own forum](). "Maybe they believe the problems are not safety issues or maybe they're worried about how it will impact share price," Jason Levine of the Center for Auto Safety [told *Business Insider*](). **READ MORE:** [Not His Wish: Star Of Disney’s ‘Aladdin’ Sues Tesla For Defective Model 3 In Hollywood Crash]() \[*Forbes*\] **More on Tesla drama:** *[GM, Fiat Chrysler Caught Buying “Right to Pollute” From Tesla]()* ## Author I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()