U.S. Department of Energy from United States
Tesla announced on Friday that it is recalling nearly 380,000 vehicles in the United States due to a failure in the power steering assist system, which may lead to increased steering effort, especially at lower speeds, thereby heightening the risk of a potential accident.
This recall is a result of an investigation by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration that has been ongoing for over a year, prompted by reports from some Tesla owners regarding steering failures. Some drivers reported being unable to turn the steering wheel, while others noted a significant increase in steering effort. According to the NHTSA, more than 50 vehicles were reportedly towed as a consequence of this issue last year.
In late 2023, Reuters reported that since 2016, tens of thousands of Tesla owners have encountered premature failures of suspension or steering components, based on Tesla’s internal documents and interviews with customers and former employees.
In a submission to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), Tesla indicated that certain 2023 Model 3 sedans and Model Y crossovers equipped with outdated software might experience an overvoltage failure, which could place excessive strain on the motor drive components located on the printed circuit board.
Tesla clarified that if this condition arises while the vehicle is in operation, the steering will not be impacted, and a visual warning will be activated. However, once the vehicle comes to a halt, the steering assist may become inoperative and could remain disabled when the vehicle is set in motion again.
As of January 10, Tesla has recognized 3,012 warranty claims that are associated with or may potentially be associated with the condition in question. The company has stated that it is not aware of any incidents involving crashes or fatalities linked to this condition. To address the issue, Tesla has issued an over-the-air software update. This recall represents the automaker’s second significant recall this year, following a January recall involving approximately 239,000 vehicles due to issues with malfunctioning rear-view cameras. In premarket trading in the United States, Tesla shares experienced a slight decline. The stock has seen a decrease of around 10 percent this year, following a robust performance in 2024.
