Dive Brief:
- Tesla has recalled certain 2023 Model 3 and Model Y vehicles for an overstress condition in the printed circuit board controlling the vehicle’s power steering, which may lead to a sudden loss of electronic assist after coming to a stop, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
- The recall potentially includes up to 376,241 Tesla vehicles equipped with older software versions prior to 2023.38.4.
- Tesla is rolling out an over-the-air software update to correct the issue on vehicles still equipped with an older version. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed March 25.
Dive Insight:
Tesla was aware of the problem since July 28, 2023 after the NHTSA’s Office of Defects Investigation opened a preliminary probe into the steering issue after receiving 12 reports of a sudden loss of power steering assist in 2023 Model 3 and Y vehicles after coming to a stop. An estimated 1% of the recalled vehicles are suspected of having the defect.
This initial investigation included interviews with the complainants and technical meetings with Tesla engineers, as well as a joint inspection of a steering rack from a crashed vehicle. The driver said they were unable to complete a right hand turn in an intersection due to a sudden loss of power steering assist, which led to the crash.
As the initial investigation unfolded, the NHTSA’s Office of Defects Investigation identified 2,388 additional complaints of a loss of power steering assist on Tesla vehicles, including the 124 identified through vehicle owner questionnaires and 2,264 through manufacturer data.
Tesla provided an over-the-air software update on Oct. 19, 2023 to correct the issue.
The NHTSA conducted an engineering analysis in February 2024 after Tesla shared data and its evaluation of field reports.
At the time, Tesla’s internal investigation determined that an overvoltage breakdown may overstress the circuit board’s “motor drive components.” However, Tesla says Model 3 and Model Y steering systems are designed to prevent a loss of assist functions if the vehicle is moving. But if a driver suddenly stops, the power steering assist may malfunction after the vehicle starts moving again.
Although drivers can still steer the vehicle, turning the wheel may be more difficult if the electronic assist is deactivated.
According to the NHTSA, a regulatory authority in a “non-US market” also opened a formal inquiry in December 2023 to investigate complaints relating to loss of power steering assist on the vehicles. Tesla cooperated with that probe, providing information to investigators and taking part in technical reviews.
Between October 2024 and mid-January, Tesla and the authority held several meetings to review concerns about the potential loss of power steering assist in an unsafe location and how a system malfunction would impact a driver. The meetings resulted in Tesla voluntarily recalling the affected vehicles in all markets on Jan. 16.
As of Jan. 10, Tesla identified 3,012 warranty claims and 570 field reports for U.S. vehicles believed to be related to the power steering fault. But the company is not aware of any crashes or injuries.
As of Jan. 23, 99% of Tesla’s vehicles in the U.S. have already received software update 2023.38.4 or later, according to the NHTSA. In addition, all of Tesla’s U.S. stores and service centers were notified about the recall on or shortly after Jan. 28.
As a maker of software-defined vehicles, Tesla holds an advantage over many legacy automakers. The company has been able to address many past recalls with over-the-air software updates, including a January recall of nearly 240,000 vehicles for a rear backup camera fault.
