U.S. Probes 280,000 New Teslas Over Steering Issue

US auto safety regulators said Tuesday they have opened an investigation into 280,000 new Tesla Model 3 and Model Y vehicles over reports of loss of steering control and power steering, David Shepardson reported for Reuters.

Photo Insert: The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) opened a preliminary evaluation after it received 12 complaints from owners of 2023 Tesla Model 3 and Model Y vehicles.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) opened a preliminary evaluation after it received 12 complaints from owners of 2023 Tesla Model 3 and Model Y vehicles.

One Model 3 driver reported in May the "car steering felt stuck and slid off the road which resulted in crashing into a tree."

A driver in Alpharetta, Georgia in June reported that a two-week-old Tesla Model Y was coming out of a shopping center when "suddenly steering wheel did not steer.”

This is the first step of a formal investigation to determine if the issue poses an unreasonable safety risk. NHTSA would need to upgrade the probe to an engineering analysis before it could demand a recall.

Another recent complaint said a Tesla Model Y that was less than 30 days old in April was turned on and the "wheel jerked hard right and made a thud" and the screen warned that “Steering Assist Reduced” and displayed an error code.

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