Elon Musk’s Tesla under investigation amid plaints of steering wheel coming off while driving

Auto safety regulators in the US have launched a fresh probe into Tesla’s Model Y SUV after reports claimed that the steering wheels of the vehicle came off while being driven. 

Federal safety regulator National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) stated that it took cognisance of two complaints by the owners who said the car was delivered to them with a missing bolt that apparently holds the steering wheel in place to the steering column. 

“The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) is aware of two reports of complete detachment of the steering wheel from the steering column while driving the 2023 Model Year Tesla Model Y vehicles,” noted the agency in a statement. 

“Both vehicles were delivered to the owners missing the retaining bolt which attaches the steering wheel to the steering column.”

One of the complainants noted that he was driving his car with the family in New Jersey in January when the steering wheel came off, five days after the purchase of the car. Fortunately, the accident took place in an isolated area and no one was harmed. 

The customer added that after being denied a refund for the cost of the repair, he was granted the option of keeping the car or getting it replaced with a new one. 

The agency said it has started the investigation under which it will assess the frequency, scope and manufacturing procedures associated with the issue. As many as 121,089 Model Y vehicles that currently ply on US roads will be under the ambit of investigation. 

Tesla vehicles have been recalled as many as 20 times since the start of 2022. The 2023 Model Y has been responsible for four recalls with the latest one issued in November due to a taillight issue. 

Apart from the hardware issues, software issues have also plagued the electonic vehicle (EV) industry leader Tesla. The company has halted the rollout of its self-driving beta software in the US and Canada for the foreseeable future as the engineers attempt to remedy the software issue.  

(With inputs from agencies)