Government regulators are investigating…
While Tesla steering yokes have been quite controversial, that’s been overshadowed by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration looking into reports of Tesla steering wheels coming off. More specifically, two owners of the Model Y have claimed their steering wheel has become detached from the column as the electric crossovers were driving down the road. That seems like quite the frightening scenario we never want to experience.
Read what a Tesla owner claims a replacement battery costs here.
The NHTSA investigation seeks to determine the cause of the steering wheel detachment and if the problem could be widespread. Reportedly, the two Tesla Model Ys involved in the incidents were delivered to customers without the retaining bolt needed to secure the steering wheels to the steering column.
Also interesting: both Model Ys had low mileage, so failure happened early on. That’s not to say something like that couldn’t happen later, just that’s an interesting detail. NHTSA says it estimates 120,000-plus Teslas are part of the investigation it’s conducting, so details could change if regulators discover any additional evidence.
One of the two steering wheel incidents happened to a family as they were driving down the highway in Woodbridge, New Jersey. They had purchased the Tesla just five days before. Thankfully, there was no vehicle behind them and somehow the driver managed to pull onto the road divider – talk about staying calm under pressure. However, after the incident the owner claims a Tesla service center tried to charge $103.96 to reattach the steering wheel, something it apologized for later when the owner asked for a refund on the Model Y.
AP News notes NHTSA is still investigating why Teslas reportedly using Autopilot keep crashing into emergency vehicles with their strobe lights activated. While a portion of the public seems disturbed by such incidents, the core Tesla fanbase doesn’t seem to be all that concerned.
Source: AP News
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