Table 1 shows one common steering related problems of the 2017 Tesla Model S.
| Problem Category | Number of Problems |
|---|---|
| Steering problems |
Upon purchasing the vehicle, I discovered multiple critical safety defects that were not disclosed at the time of sale and were confirmed by an independent ev specialist (electrified garage). These defects include worn and failing front and rear suspension components (control arms, thrust arms, and cracked/damaged bushings), a failing sway bar link boot, and a malfunctioning window that makes contact with the internal wiring harness. The suspension defects create instability over bumps and uneven roads, producing clunks, shifting, and vibration that affect steering control and overall stability. These issues present a risk of suspension failure while driving, which could cause loss of control. The window/wiring contact also poses a potential electrical hazard if the harness becomes damaged. The independent inspection documented that these defects existed before I took possession of the vehicle. The dealer did not disclose any of these issues, and the defects were not visible during a standard test drive. I am reporting this because the suspension defects directly affect vehicle handling, safety, and crash-avoidance capability. I want NHTSA to be aware in case similar defects appear in other vehicles of the same model/year.
I am reporting multiple safety-related defects on my 2017 Tesla Model S (VIN [xxx] ) that were present at the time of purchase but not disclosed by the selling dealer (starling Ford, titusville, FL). A certified independent ev repair facility (the electrified garage) inspected the vehicle on 11/17/2025 and documented the following safety defects: • failing/worn suspension components (control arms, thrust arms, cracked bushings) • torn sway-bar link boots • inoperative right-rear window regulator • driver window contacting internal wiring harness • moisture in the rear inner tail lamp • previous a/c drain blockage causing interior water intrusion these issues pose risks related to steering stability, electrical safety, visibility, and structural integrity. All of these conditions existed prior to the sale and were not disclosed. I am requesting NHTSA to log this complaint for federal safety review as these defects involve suspension, electrical moisture intrusion, and visibility issues that may impact the safe operation of the vehicle. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).
While merging onto the highway an error message showed up on the dash stating "steering assist may be reduced" upon immediately after the steering froze and could only be moved slightly using significant force. Approx. 75lbs. I am athletic and work out and had trouble moving the car to the side. If my wife or daughter had driven the car they would not have been able to steer and this could have caused a significant accident, injury or death. Upon pulling over, I rebooted both computers on the Tesla Model S 75 d and the problem went away. I immediately drove to the Tesla dealer in chesterfield, mo. There they seemed unconcerned, and advised me it was likely just a firmware issue and wouldn't be able to look at the car until the next week. I was shocked. Since the systems seemed to work I drove home and parked the car. On the driveway, the same error showed up and steering seemed again to lock up. After rebooting problem went away. Looking at the Tesla forums this seems to have happened before and poses a serious danger to the driver, occupants and fellow drivers on the road. I no longer feel safe driving the car.
The intermediate steering shaft is binding, causing difficulty turning the wheel and inconsistent steering wheel feel. It often will cause the full self driving to disengage during turns Tesla has revised the part that now includes a protective rubber bootyet has not issued a recall as the part accumulates debris and rust out and binding the universal joint.
As I was driving down my driveway to the street the power steering failed. It was extremely difficult to then steer. My wife would have been unable to. I was able to re-enter the driveway, with great difficulty from which the car was towed on a flatbed to the local Tesla service center. Had I been on busy city streets of highway I fear what would have happened. The service center cited the failure of a fuse ( fuse part # fuse,bf180a,32v; #1071379-80-a) though the car is a 2017 model the odometer shows 42,302 miles. I don’t know if this a systematic issue but I view it as a safety issue and so am reporting it.
Using software version 2025. 14. 1 with fsd (full self driving) version 12. 6. 4. About 50% of the time the vehicle attempts and fails to change lanes when using fsd. It will: 1. Turn on signal and not change lanes, confusing cars around me. Or more often 2. Swerve between lanes indefinitely. See example at [xxx] it drives like a drunk driver. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).
I was driving and my power steering assist went out making the steering almost impossible. Fortunately I was driving in my neighborhood and was close to home.
The power steering motor prevents proper movement of the steering wheel by forcing it back to the center if moved in either direction, making turning impossible. The wheel allows only about 5 degrees of movement before violently snapping back to center. When I attempted to replicate the issue at startup, the steering initially operated normally, and I was able to turn the wheel approximately 90 degrees. However, it suddenly and forcefully snapped back to center, striking my hand. This occurred while the car was stationary. The malfunction in the power steering motor or its control system makes the car undrivable, as the steering wheel actively resists turning. The first incident occurred while driving in a parking lot, but thankfully at low speed. The car had to be towed. This presents a significant safety issue.
The vehicle at low speed unexpectedly lost power steering making it impossible to steer. The resistance was greater than on a vehicle without power steering as if the steering mechanism was working to prevent steering. This is the second incident for me -- the first occurring in September, but immediately resolving itself.
The car was on park for charging. When charging was at 75%, when it was complete, the car was put on drive. Auto-steering disengaged message came up. The steering was stuck and could not be turned. After multiple tries, called Tesla road side assistance which resulted in car getting towed to service station. The steering rack had to be removed and replaced. I cannot imagine if this happened when the car was on a higher speed road.
As I was driving. Multiple warning sensors came on the vehicles screen. Everything was shutting down. I made it to my driveway to reverse in and the car completely shut off. I got out of the car, closed the door and got back in the car and it worked again. I drove the car into Teslas service center and they said it was a steering rack that needed to be replaced, but they never actually looked at the part that needed to be replaced. They just hooked up a pico scope and received a signal. I asked if they would look at it and they said they can only replace it. Ive seen multiple stories similar to mine online where people have had to check the vehicle on there own only to find a loose ground wire or a loose connection that connects to the steering rack. Once they connect the wires the car works fine. There is a faulty design on the Tesla Model S and probably other models as well that should be looked at. Tesla is charging over $5000 to replace the entire rack as opposed to checking the connections. Please look into this. This is not safe at all. Great car, bad design.
Steering ujoint exposed to elements, eventually causing it to bind during normal use/wear.
The contact owns a 2017 Tesla Model S. The contact stated that prior to the failure experienced, there was an abnormal clicking sound coming from the steering wheel. The contact attempted to start the vehicle, and upon starting the vehicle, the message "service power steering" was displayed, and the eps warning light was illuminated. The local dealer was contacted; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.
Power steering problem which is not safe.
My car has 55k miles on it and the power steering has failed. Last October, I brought it in to the service center and they wanted $4000 to replace my steering rack. At the time, the car only had about 50k miles on it. It seems like these parts are failing much faster on the Teslas then previous cars that I've owned.
1x while driving, the steering wheel locked up. Luckily this was only for about 1 second, and I was only traveling on a 25 mph road. If this was on a highway, it could have been deadly. 2x the car steering wheel would not move when shifting out of park. It required a tremendous amount of force to turn the wheel even slightly. The car needed to be reset multiple times in order to free up the wheel. This last time, I cannot get the wheel unstuck.
The contact owns a 2017 Tesla Model S. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle lost steering functionality. The contact stated that the steering wheel was difficult to turn. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed with a failed steering rack. The contact was informed that the steering rack needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 100,000.
2017 Tesla Model S steering veered me off the road while driving at a normal rate without auto pilot enabled. I had just installed the 2022. 8. 10. 11 software update Friday morning before the almost wreck. The car then from Friday to Wednesday appeared to work fine and then Wednesday failed again with the steering assist being almost impossible to turn the wheel and fighting back against the driver. This is a major concern that it fights back constantly trying to adjust itself. If a power steering rack fails it should not fight back against the driver. I see there was a previous recall on 2017 for this exact issue but Tesla said it doesn't apply to my vehicle and quoted $4300 to replace the steering system. . Read more...
Sudden loss of power steering is the issue. I was driving the car home and it was about a 5 mile trip. About half way home I tried to turn left and it took all of my strength to turn the wheel. I made it around that corner and the car did the same thing when I made a right turn. It continued for two more turns and something in the steering seemed to break loose when I arrived home and steering was normal as I backed the car into the driveway. The date was 02/01/2023 at around 7:30 pm. The roads were in good condition. We had driven over some very bumpy dirt roads the weekend before. The car was giving me warnings as the steering stopped working indicating that the epas wasn't working and it may be harder to steer the car. I felt that it was a very dangerous situation and my safety and the safety of other drivers was at risk. No damage occurred. There were no prior warnings or messages leading up to the steering failure. The car had been in for unrelated service the month before. I do not feel it's safe to drive the car until I have am certain there is a proven fix for the issue. The software version 2022. 8. 10. 8 I have scheduled service for the car on 02/7/23.
On December 26, 2022 I was driving my Tesla s 2017. Full self driving was engaged. I have a video of the car footage showing the incident in full detail. The car took a left onto a 2 lane road and then without warning ran off the road hitting the curb and a metal drain. The force was so great that I suffered a contusion to my right knee from hitting the under side of the dash.
Car started making a popping sound when accelerating and when letting off the accelerator. I checked and found that the front tire seemed to be loose. After checking further, I found a loose bolt that holds the control arm on. The car was just in Tesla’s service center for several issues to include checking the alignment.
This is atesla Model S electric car. The battery was 80% charged at the time of the incident. Under normal driving at a speed of around 40 mph in a city road road, suddenly the car lost power. The steering wheel locked and I had no control over the car. Display screen in the instrument panel and the large central tocuh screen display blacked out. A few seconds later, the car control returned and I was able to safely drive the car. But, the momentary loss of control is dangerous and scary.
The left fore link broke while backing out of a parking spot. It's not available for inspection. If it had broken at a higher speed it could cause a loss of control. This is a known issue. The broken fore link has been replaced by a non-Tesla repair shop. There was no warning this would happen.
The contact owned a 2017 Tesla model-s. The contact stated while driving approximately 55 mph there was an unknown sound of something breaking. There were issues with the steering functionality. There was no steering warning loss warning light. The vehicle drove off the side of the road and crashed into a telephone pole, then landed on an embankment. All air bags were deployed. The vehicle was destroyed. The vehicle was towed to an auction facility. The police and fire department arrived on the scene. There was a police report. The contact and passenger received medical treatments for back injuries. The manufacturer was notified of the steering failure prior to the accident, and after. The approximate failure mileage was unknown.
Reversing from my driveway it appears links or bolts on the steering and wheel suspension system failed. The wheels came into contact with the wheel cavity liner causing the steering to lock, the frame to protrude through the wheel cavity casing and the car to shut off or lock. The car is no longer safe to drive. The car is in my driveway, is available for inspection before I bring it back into Tesla for repair. Having just completed a highway drive, I dread to think what could have happened had this failure occurred on that journey at higher speeds. My car only has 40,000 miles and this issue or critical part failure appears to be premature. I have taken video of the wheel moving independently to the car chassis structure. There was no warning in advance of the failure. I welcome an NHTSA or secondary inspection prior to repair by Tesla. I intend to deliver the car back to Tesla on 1/5/22.
While driving in heavy traffic on highway 92, the left hand fore link assembly (Tesla part no 1041570-00-b) finally cracked. A loud crunch and a dark smoke plume was let out as the front left tire made contact with the wheel well. I stopped to check for a blown tire, but found none. The vehicle was still operable and maneuverable, though for any braking or more than mild turning, the tire again made contact with the wheel well and gave off loud crunching sounds. No warning lamps or messages prior to the failure, but some weeks prior, the left fore wheel's tire thread depth had started wearing down significantly – down to 1mm, vs the others being 4, 6, and 4 – this part had probably been slowly degrading until it finally cracked and failed permanently on the road. This problem is apparently widely experienced, reported, and published (see https://teslamotorsclub. Com/tmc/threads/cracked-forelink. 95637 for others experiencing it at least back through 2017). I towed the vehicle to my nearest Tesla service center, and though it apparently is common and seems like a production defect, I had to pay for the whole repair of both fore link assemblies myself.
Backing up into a parking space I heard a loud pop, soon after driving back home I noticed something felt loose on the lh side , come to find out my left fore link had snapped , my vehicle has low miles not even 25k and it snapped ! what if this would have happens at higher speeds! supper scary! there needs to be a remedy to this!! recall!!.
I was pulling out of my garage when I had trouble turning the wheel and there was this cracking sound from the front of the car. I looked at the left front tire and there was a liner inside the wheel well that crumpled against the tire and the steering was not responding the way it should. I pulled the car back into the garage as the car could not be safely driven. My wife and I were about to take a 3 hour road trip. Thankfully this happened when we just started on the road and not when we were driving 60 mph on the highway. I made an appointment with Tesla. The service technician came to the house a week later (the car remained in the garage) and told me I had to have the car towed to the Tesla service center; which I did today. He told me that the front control arm had snapped off. Tesla service center currently has the car. I do have a piece that broke off from the car that I recovered inside my garage. There were no warning messages or other symptoms that I am aware off to the best of my recollection.
My car with nearly 17,621 miles only had a part come off the suspension system off drivers side. Appeared to be an aluminum part that cracked in half while pulling from the garage. This car never was in a wreck. The suspension failed and my tire backed into the plastic casing which eroded the tires causing extensive damage. If this had occurred on the highway, this would have certainly caused a fatality to myself, family and other cars on the road. It appears this has happened to many prior owners of this vehicle, mainly model x and s around this time frame. I do not want to become a statistic before a recall is reached. As a physician, I am very concerned for my family and others that may be driving a dangerous vehicle.
Here is another terdsla in the junkyard https://. . Read more...
For many months, my Tesla's computer would reboot or just shut down while I was driving. That would stop the defroster, the ability to back up, and multiple driving issue. Tesla suuggestec that I replace the chip and the screen, I paid$2500. They refuse to pay for it despite a recall on the specific issue. It is well documented with tesls.
Driving home from service on the highway, while on a straight section, I was forced to use my brakes to slow down for another car and bam! catastrophic failure of the drivers side front control arm. Interesting thing though. . . I'd addressed a concern about a grinding noise from up front, at a prior service, and they informed me that the sound was normal based on the high performance brakes. Which I knew sounded wrong. Now this? seems a bit shady to me.
I was braking from about 35 mph to make a 90 degree right hand turn into driveway. There was a sudden grinding noise and shuddering. I continued to brake and turn until I was safely in the driveway. A quick inspect revealed some damage to the wheel well, but the car seem drive-able, so I very slowly limped into a parking spot. I've read enough posts from other people having this same failure to immediately suspect a suspension failure. When parked it was easy to identify the same failure I've seen all over the internet. Control arm failed, resulting the wheel touching the wheel well as I was braking, burning through to the metal and gouging my wheel.
This is a complaint about the Tesla autopilot. Please note that the VIN of a random Tesla Model S has been used to enable me to file this complaint. Here is a freshly uploaded youtube video of some kids fooling around with autopilot and putting many lives at risk. . Read more...
Backing into a parking spot the driver side front fore link failed while turning the steering wheel. This damaged the wheel, tire and wheel well.
Model s has lost range compared to what was advertised. Also many problems with ball joints that can cause difficult steering.
With the current release v9, in a specific location, under autopilot the vehicle attempts to suddenly veer off the road to the right, in a violent action. Manually correcting causes autosteer to disengage but cruise control remains on exasserbating the situation. Conditions: 2 lane highway, traveling at 45 mph. Painted center line jogs slightly to accommodate center turning lane. Travelled this road safely on autopilot for over a year without incident. Now it happens everytime. Attempts to contact Tesla, thus far have resulted in no response.
This is a complaint about the Tesla autopilot. Here is a recently posted video: https://youtu. Be/flxyhwfvaza the autopilot drives onto the wrong side of the road!!! this owner is a Tesla enthusiast and presumably keeps up on the latest new about Tesla crashes. Despite this he is still under the mistaken impression that it is safe to use autopilot on narrow winding roads and against oncoming traffic. It is only a matter of time before this man collects his darwin award. Unfortunately he will probably take the lives of innocent road users at the same time. Please pass this information on to the ntsb who are investigating the Tesla autopilot crashes. Thank you. Outraged citizen.
Yet another Tesla in the junkyard: https://. . Read more...
This is a complaint about fragile alloy steering and suspension components used on all models of Tesla cars including the s, x, and model 3. Here is a thread in which several owners report the same snapped steering arm. Https://teslamotorsclub. Com/tmc/threads/cracked-forelink. 95637/page-2 photographs are attached which show that the eyelet of the steering arm has snapped. This is a classic "brittle fracture" *brittle fracture is the sudden, very rapid cracking of equipment under stress where the material exhibited little or no evidence of ductility or plastic degradation before the fracture occurs. * some of the posters on that thread have recommended that this failure should be reported to NHTSA. Others have suggested just leaving it to Tesla. Since it seems that the original poster has not so far filed a complaint I am filing this report in the interest of public safety. This is not a one off failure. It is the result of poor design and manufacture. Lives are at risk. Please investigate this matter immediately.
This is a complaint about the Tesla autopilot. Despite several serious crashes involving autopilot owners are still placing too much trust in the device. Videos have been posted of owners attaching weights and water bottles to the steering wheel to defeat the warning to hold wheel nag. A steering weight called autopilot buddy is now on sale. . Read more...
The contact owns a 2017 Tesla s75. While the vehicle was in autopilot mode, it independently veered to the left to make a lane change. Additionally, while the vehicle was at a traffic light, it independently accelerated, made a sharp left turn, and drove into vegetation on the off ramp of a freeway. There were no injuries and a police report was not filed. Tesla of santa barbara (400 hitchcock way, santa barbara, CA 93105, (805) 770-6090) was contacted and the vehicle owner was informed to have the vehicle repaired. Afterwards, a diagnostic test would be performed. The contact stated that the failure recurred three times. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 3,000.
This is a complaint about the absolute madness of Tesla autopilot. Here is just one more example of how dangerous this so called autopilot really is. From today's forum posts. Https://teslamotorsclub. Com/tmc/threads/nag-reduced-with-2017-46. 102558/ d21mike, today at 6:01 pm bertx said: ↑ hold the wheel lightly with one hand just above the flat portion at the bottom, along the side, just letting the weight of your hand bear down. Don't steer, but don't keep the ap from steering. You will never, ever get a nag. If you need to do something with your hands, then do it and put one back when you can. Switch hands if you need to. Prop your elbow on the console. This is what I do as well. Works really well. *** this is contrary to the advice given by every driving school and every regulatory authority in the world. Having one hand loosely resting at the bottom of the wheel will not allow the driver to keep control of the vehicle . The marketing of this autopilot feature has been grossly irresponsible and the claim that it is 40% safer than a human driver is simply ludicrous. Internet forums and youtube videos show that owners are putting lives in danger by using this feature on narrow winding roads and in inappropriate situations. Tesla will always claim that autopilot was not engaged at the time of the crash because it disengages the moment before impact. This is not a laughing matter. Please stop this madness before more lives are lost.
Please note - this is a complaint about the Tesla model 3 which does not yet appear on your database. At least 50 of these have already been released to Tesla employee guinea pigs and are loose on the highways. It is expected that thousands more will be on the roads soon. . Read more...