Photo: @preneh24 via Twitter | composition
NHTSA has opened a preliminary investigation into the 2023 Tesla Model Y after it received two reports about detaching steering wheels. Both vehicles were delivered to their owners without the retaining bolt that secures the steering wheel to the steering column.
People who buy new cars think that a new vehicle is in perfect technical condition and doesn't pose safety issues to put them and their families in danger. However, that's not always the case, and safety recalls are fairly common, regardless of the car company or model. The automobile is an incredibly complex product, with tens of thousands of parts and points of failure. As the Murphy laws put it, anything that can go wrong will go wrong, usually at the worst time possible.
In the case of Tesla, people complain about its build quality probably more than any other brand. Sometimes the criticism is well deserved, and on a few occasions, people overreacted to smaller issues.
Nevertheless, nobody expects to buy a new car with its steering wheel falling off before breaking in. And yet, this has happened to several Tesla owners, the first time we know being in 2020 on a Model 3. Another Tesla, this time a Model Y, lost its steering wheel in January while its owner was driving on a highway shortly after the car was delivered.
This incident had an interesting development, as the owner convinced Tesla to buy back his car and replace it with a new one, hopefully with a steering wheel that doesn't fall. Full autonomy is still far away in the future, and, as the ultrasonic sensors saga showed, it's not a good idea to drop trusted hardware until a better solution has proven equally dependable and safe.
However scary this must be, it's not the only incident when the steering wheel fell off a Tesla Model Y. According to the NHTSA, two reported incidents on the 2023 Tesla Model Y prompted the agency to open a preliminary investigation into this issue. According to the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI), both vehicles were delivered without the retaining bolt that attaches the steering wheel to the steering column.
The investigation's resume explains that the steering wheel was still attached thanks to a friction fit. However, when the force exerted on the steering wheel overcame the resistance of the friction fit, the steering wheel suddenly separated. Both incidents occurred on low-mileage vehicles while they were in motion.
As ODI stresses, this is not a recall, but it can lead to one if NHTSA finds conclusive evidence that more vehicles are at risk of losing their steering wheels. For now, the investigation is meant to assess the scope, frequency, and manufacturing processes involved in securing the steering wheel.
Those who enjoy pointing the finger at Tesla should be reminded that it was not the only carmaker with this problem. Ford recalled 1.4 million vehicles in 2018 because the steering wheels detached due to a similar problem.
In the case of Tesla, people complain about its build quality probably more than any other brand. Sometimes the criticism is well deserved, and on a few occasions, people overreacted to smaller issues.
Nevertheless, nobody expects to buy a new car with its steering wheel falling off before breaking in. And yet, this has happened to several Tesla owners, the first time we know being in 2020 on a Model 3. Another Tesla, this time a Model Y, lost its steering wheel in January while its owner was driving on a highway shortly after the car was delivered.
This incident had an interesting development, as the owner convinced Tesla to buy back his car and replace it with a new one, hopefully with a steering wheel that doesn't fall. Full autonomy is still far away in the future, and, as the ultrasonic sensors saga showed, it's not a good idea to drop trusted hardware until a better solution has proven equally dependable and safe.
However scary this must be, it's not the only incident when the steering wheel fell off a Tesla Model Y. According to the NHTSA, two reported incidents on the 2023 Tesla Model Y prompted the agency to open a preliminary investigation into this issue. According to the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI), both vehicles were delivered without the retaining bolt that attaches the steering wheel to the steering column.
The investigation's resume explains that the steering wheel was still attached thanks to a friction fit. However, when the force exerted on the steering wheel overcame the resistance of the friction fit, the steering wheel suddenly separated. Both incidents occurred on low-mileage vehicles while they were in motion.
As ODI stresses, this is not a recall, but it can lead to one if NHTSA finds conclusive evidence that more vehicles are at risk of losing their steering wheels. For now, the investigation is meant to assess the scope, frequency, and manufacturing processes involved in securing the steering wheel.
Those who enjoy pointing the finger at Tesla should be reminded that it was not the only carmaker with this problem. Ford recalled 1.4 million vehicles in 2018 because the steering wheels detached due to a similar problem.
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