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Featured Tesla Under Investigation After Steering Wheels Fall Off While Driving

Discussion in 'Prius, Hybrid, EV and Alt-Fuel News' started by Georgina Rudkus, Mar 8, 2023.

  1. Georgina Rudkus

    Georgina Rudkus Senior Member

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    Tesla Under Investigation by US for Detached Steering Wheels (TSLA) - Bloomberg


    Tesla Under Investigation After Steering Wheels Fall Off While Driving
    • Investigation follows two incidents with Model Y vehicles
    • Preliminary evaluation covers 120,089 vehicles, NHTSA says
    [​IMG]
    A Tesla Model YPhotographer: Bing Guan/Bloomberg
    By
    Rick Clough

    March 8, 2023 at 7:37 AM ESTUpdated onMarch 8, 2023 at 9:52 AM EST
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    Tesla Inc. is under investigation by US regulators over complaints the steering wheel can fall off certain new Model Y vehicles while they’re in use.

    The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said it’s aware of two incidents in which the wheel detached from the steering column while drivers were operating the 2023 model year SUVs. The preliminary evaluation, opened March 4, applies to an estimated 120,089 vehicles, according to a filing posted on NHTSA’s website.

    The affected vehicles were delivered to owners without the retaining bolt that holds the steering wheel in place, the agency said. NHTSA is assessing “the scope, frequency and manufacturing processes associated with this condition.” There are no known injuries or deaths related to the issue, NHTSA said.

    Tesla didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.

    The move by NHTSA is the latest in a series of investigations targeting Tesla, its products and its chief executive officer, Elon Musk. The Austin, Texas-based automaker last month recalled 362,758 electric vehicles after NHTSA said Tesla’s automated-driving technology could increase the risk of a crash.

    Read more: Tesla Recalls Cars Over Driving Software Crash Risk


    A Tesla owner in New Jersey posted photos on Twitter in January that appeared to show a detached steering wheel in a Model Y he said he received several days earlier. He said in subsequent tweets that Tesla agreed to replace the vehicle and that NHTSA had contacted him about the issue.

    Tesla shares fell 3.2% at 9:50 a.m. in New York.

    The Model Y is a key product for Tesla, which recently started manufacturing the vehicle at its two newest plants — one outside Berlin and the other in Austin. The company reports a combined figure for Model Y and Model 3 deliveries and handed over more than 1.2 million of the vehicles last year. The Model Y was the best-selling EV globally last year and could be one of the top vehicles of any type this year, according to BloombergNEF.

    Steering wheel detachments, while rare, are not unique to Tesla.

    In August, Ford Motor Co. recalled 692 F-53 Motorhome Stripped Chassis and F-59 Commercial Stripped Chassis vehicles because the steering wheel attachment bolt could loosen and separate from the steering column. It also recalled about 1.3 million Ford and Lincoln brand vehicles in 2018 over a similar problem.
     
    #1 Georgina Rudkus, Mar 8, 2023
  2. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    i remember one incident where the guy said the wheel came off on the highway, and he had to pull over to the side :confused:
     
    #2 bisco, Mar 8, 2023
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  3. hill

    hill High Fiber Member

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    if the steering wheel comes off - does autopilot count that as holding or not holding onto the wheel ....
    ;)
    .
     
    #3 hill, Mar 8, 2023
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  4. Georgina Rudkus

    Georgina Rudkus Senior Member

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    It's just like the news media not to understand that steering wheels are generally held on with a nut that holds it in to the end of a splind shaft.
     
    #4 Georgina Rudkus, Mar 8, 2023
  5. Will Falls

    Will Falls Junior Member

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    #5 Will Falls, Mar 8, 2023
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  6. bwilson4web

    bwilson4web BMW i3 and Model 3

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    Hummmm, will they also investigate the glass roof(s) that blew off in Texas?

    Bob Wilson
     
    #6 bwilson4web, Mar 8, 2023
  7. dbstoo

    dbstoo Senior Member

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    While that is true on the surface, the distinguishing factor for this failure is that the steering wheel attachment bolt was not installed. It managed to get through the quality checks and out the door without anyone detecting it.
     
    #7 dbstoo, Mar 9, 2023
  8. DavidA

    DavidA Prius owner since July 2009

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    From what I understand, the steering wheel is primarily attached with a press-on friction fit. There is then supposed to be a locknut attached immediately after that step. Apparently, in both cases of the detached steering wheels, there was no locknut present. Where they get the 120K number is known only to Tesla and the NHTSA. Maybe they found 120 thousand locknuts in the corner of the factory?

    My steering wheel seems firm enough, so far. The 120 thousand number is very troubling, though.
     
    #8 DavidA, Mar 9, 2023
  9. mikefocke

    mikefocke Prius v Three 2012, Avalon 2011

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    I've read that both failures were on cars where quality control caused the steering wheels to be removed post assembly line to correct some defect and apparently they didn't get correctly reattached. But like anything Tesla ....the media make a BFD out of it.
     
    #9 mikefocke, Mar 9, 2023
  10. hill

    hill High Fiber Member

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    Ford has had steering wheels fall off on occasion, being recalled. Our Pacifica hybrid minivan is on standby for a recall because the engine can stall. But they don't have a fix for it yet .... maybe after they figure out why. It's the nature of making millions of things. Doing it right 100% of the time is near impossible. It's why things fall out of the sky (shuttle .... Jets etc) in the Aerospace industry for example.
    .
     
    #10 hill, Mar 9, 2023
  11. Georgina Rudkus

    Georgina Rudkus Senior Member

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    Leaving off the nut holding the steering wheel on has to be an absolutely inexcusable rookie mistake.

    Steer wheels have been in use for over 120 years and even tillers and boat rudders for thousands of years more.

    The fault is inexcusable.
     
    #11 Georgina Rudkus, Mar 9, 2023
    Last edited: Mar 10, 2023
  12. Trollbait

    Trollbait It's a D&D thing

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    Yeah, it's about as bad as having a wheel come off.
     
    #12 Trollbait, Mar 9, 2023
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  13. bwilson4web

    bwilson4web BMW i3 and Model 3

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    In helicopters, they call it 'the Jesus nut.'

    Bob Wilson
     
    #13 bwilson4web, Mar 10, 2023
  14. austingreen

    austingreen Senior Member

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    1.4 Million Fords are potentially affected 120,000 Teslas are potentially affected, until the investigation shows a cause for the manufacturing defect (not putting on one part that is critical) we won't know how many have the problem. So far they have seen the problem in 2 recently manufactured model Ys.

    It is a big deal because the steering wheel holds an airbag, still I hope you are right and it is a small number of vehicles that had rework done incorrectly. Tesla should inspect all steering wheels of affected cars and see if this is the case. This is nothing compared to many old line auto problems, but it needs to be diagnosed and corrected fast. We shouldn't make the excuse that ford or gm or toyota have been worse, all car companies need to be better.
     
    #14 austingreen, Mar 10, 2023
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