Steering Problems of Tesla Model Y - part 1

Description of incident: while operating the vehicle with fsd engaged, the system was traveling at the posted speed limit of 25 mph. Without warning, it suddenly made a sharp left turn onto the sidewalk and accelerated during the maneuver. A pole on the left side struck the vehicle, damaging the driver-side mirror, scratching and denting the body, and leaving the left rear door unable to open properly. This was the third time fsd had been used since purchasing the car less than 24 hours prior. The system did not allow manual override of the wheel at the time of the incident. After the impact, once the vehicle returned to the road, it came to a stop and fsd disengaged on its own. Notes: no pedestrians or other vehicles were in the immediate area, preventing further harm. No system warnings or alerts were issued before or during the incident. The incident is attributed to a malfunction of the fsd system.

Two days ago a warning popped up on the Tesla screen saying to schedule service for something the car had detected. It said the car could still be driven. I submitted a service request in the app, and in the meantime researched the error. Per google, it said this was a potential issue with suspension / steering components that needed to be looked at. The next day, a Tesla technician called and asked what my appointment was for. I told him about the error and that I had found it said it was for a suspension or steering issue. He told me I was wrong, and that it was only for low tire pressure. The car did not have low tire pressure. He said the appointment wasn't needed, cancelled the appointment, and told me to drive 30-40 miles to clear the error. Literally 5 hours later, after my wife driving my kids down the freeway, when parking on the street in front go my house the car made a giant pop and the front left sank. We looked under the car and the front drivers side control arm had completely disconnected, popping straight down towards the road. More concerning, two bolts popped out, not broken, but just clearly loose and had finally unscrewed. You will see them on the ground in the pictures. If this had happened 5 minutes earlier while on the freeway I don't want to even think about what might have happened. These cars should be recalled, this is super dangerous. Not to mention the fact that Tesla explicitly canceled my appointment for this and told me not to bring the car in.

See all problems of the 2023 Tesla Model Y 🔎.

The curvature assist function activates and applies the brakes automatically on straight and level sections of freeways with no observable obstacles or curves, requiring driver to resume acceleration to override the brakes.

Incident details: • date/time: [xxx]. • location: [xxx] • event: while driving, the front left wheel partially detached without warning, causing an immediate loss of steering control. Findings (third-party technician at the scene): • the wheel/control arm/linkage had come loose/detached. • two major suspension bolts were extremely loose or had detached. • a rotor screw detached easily during inspection. • photos, videos, and witness statements are available upon request. Current status: Tesla has not provided a failure analysis or demonstrated that the issue is resolved. Similar failures have been reported on social media, and recalls between 2021–2023 addressed front suspension lateral link fasteners that could loosen or detach. “a 2021 recall (NHTSA recall #21v835) affected model 3s from January 2019-April 2021 and Model Ys from March 2020-June 2021. A 2022 recall (NHTSA #22v895) was for certain 2023 Model Ys with issues on the left-hand lateral link. “ my vehicle has not been included in any such recall, and I received no prior notification. Supporting documentation (emails, service records, publications) is available upon request. Risk level: extremely high. This defect creates a severe danger to drivers, passengers, and the public. Tesla’s lack of corrective action leaves many customers at risk. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

After installing the most recent Tesla software update, my vehicle immediately displayed multiple alerts: traction control disabled, stability control disabled, and reduced steering assist. Cameras were disabled, navigation was disabled and my vehicle location was wrong. The vehicle lost core safety systems that are critical to safe driving the car functioned normally before the update. Immediately afterward, these safety systems were disabled. Tesla service has since diagnosed and confirmed, they state “an internal short within the drive assistance module (computer). The internal short is causing excessive current draw, resulting in loss of driver assistance features. The latest software has revealed the underlying root issue within the car computer. ” this indicates that the vehicle was operating with a latent defect that Tesla’s diagnostic update exposed. The update did not cause wear-and-tear failure; it surfaced a hidden safety defect inside Tesla’s own hardware. Why this is a safety concern loss of traction control, stability control, and steering assist creates a significant risk of loss of vehicle control. If this had occurred while driving at speed, the sudden loss of these systems could have led to an accident. Attempting a reboot while driving (Tesla’s standard troubleshooting suggestion) would have created further distraction and risk. Luckily when the car catastrophically failed and was unable to turn, I was in my driveway and not on a highway or any other roads.

See all problems of the 2022 Tesla Model Y 🔎.

Accident involving my Tesla while the full self-driving (fsd) feature was engaged. Vehicle information: [2022, model - y, ] incident summary: while driving with fsd engaged, the vehicle hydroplaned and the steering wheel started spinning uncontrollably and despite attempts, couldn't regain control of the car, and it spun while crossing lanes. A truck hit the front of the car and ended up on shoulder.

[xxx] [xxx] when I entered [xxx] from los angeles airport using the [xxx], I was going about 30 miles per hour when I finished entering and was climbing the left curve to return to the sharing lane, when suddenly the steering wheel turned to the left by itself and I almost hit the wall. If I hadn't turned the steering wheel back hard, I think the car would have crashed into the wall. The dashcam footage is also available. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

The steering wheel used to be centered in the middle. When you turn right, its resistance would turn it left back to the center point. Or when you turn left, its resistance would turn it back right towards the center point. So after each turn such as u-turn, one would grab the steering wheel lightly so it can slide back to the center position. I will call it the "no resistance" point for that centered steering wheel position. Now the problem is, that no resistance point has moved a few degrees right and it brings the wheel with it. I now have to turn the steering wheel left (with the resistance that it wants to go back to right) to make the steering wheel centered and go forward straight. Car goes forward straight when the steering wheel is centered so it's not an alignment problem. But in order for the steering wheel to be centered, I have to turn it slightly left because the no resistance point has shifted a few degrees right. Now this is dangerous because the car can now take you off the lane easily. Car is equipped with lane keeping assistance and I find the system helpful but the system is not activated some times under some circumstances. I visited a dealer and they claimed the wheel is centered that there is no need for any repairs.

See all problems of the 2024 Tesla Model Y 🔎.

After I purchased this car I noticed that the steering wheel and whole car including the seats vibrate. They tried tire pressure, alignment and balancing nothing. It still vibrates so much it’s affecting the nerves in my hands and body and make me numb. They say the car is safe and refuse to diagnose or fix it unless I pay. Car is a month old it’s still under warranty!.

The contact owns a 2023 Tesla Model Y. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, he heard and abnormal sound emanating from the steering wheel, after which the electronic power steering was not functioning properly, requiring increased effort to maneuver the vehicle. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer or an independent mechanic. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, a case was opened, and the contact was referred to the NHTSA hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 20,000.

Steering consistently made rattling/clicking noises, coming from under near the steering column. Car was taken to Tesla service center, and service center replaced the front lower lateral and compliance link assemblies due to worn bushings. For additional context, this car has only 38,000 miles on the odometer, driven primarily in southern California.

While driving on the freeway, I heard an unusual noise coming from beneath the battery of my car. Concerned, I drove to a nearby friend's house and parked there, carefully checking my dashboard for any warning signals but finding none. I decided to resume my journey, but as I backed out of the driveway, I heard a sudden noise indicating something had come loose, followed by a crackling sound. Upon inspecting the car, I discovered that the control arm had become detached, the axle had popped out, and two bolts had come off. During the towing process, I noticed that the steering had become extremely tight. To my surprise, I had never received any recall notice from Tesla addressing this issue. Considering that my car is less than two years old, I was deeply disturbed by the situation. This incident has significantly undermined my confidence in the safety of the vehicle, as it highlights a potential manufacturing defect involving defective parts. I regularly use this car to drive my children to their activities, and knowing that this could have led to a catastrophic failure such as tire separation, loss of steering control, or compromised braking capabilities especially on the freeway, is worrying. The car was towed to a dealer and currently in the queue for evaluation by Tesla technicians. I requested detailed service report from irvine service center. There were no warning indicators in the dashboard while I was driving or after the bolts came loose.

According to Tesla service, my two "lateral links" for the front wheels need to be replaced. They sent us photos of the issue and it looks like one of the fasteners for one of the lateral links was missing (1 of two fasteners) if the other fastener failed/fell out the car could easily steer out of control. The problem of the lateral links was confirmed by Tesla servicing. They are repairing it under warranty. It was only been inspected by the manufacturer, Tesla. There were no warning lamps. The only indication was the thumping sound during turns.

I’ve had to replace the steering rack, upper and lower control arm for the left wheel, entire computer motherboard. I drove the car for less than 70k miles and zero accidents and zero modifications. Yes I am open for inspection. While driving with fsd lane keep failed causing the car to veer to other lane. The Tesla repair shop said the steering rack was sending errors and the whole rack needs to be replaced. They said it was both electrical and mechanical failure. Previously I’ve had the control arms replaced because it was making clicking noise when I turn the wheel. They said it was due to front compliance link and lateral link issues. Also had entire computer board replaced previously. The error message after the incident was lane assist disabled, steering assist reduced. In the maintenance mode it said “ the drive interface (di) or drive inverter (dix) electronic control unit (ecu) detects a low voltage (lv) battery undervoltage event. ”.

See all problems of the 2021 Tesla Model Y 🔎.

The vehicle lost steering at 10 mph as a bolt from the front suspension's upper control arm and lateral link fasteners became loose and detached rom the vehicle. The wheel was completely misaligned, and the vehicle was not drivable. The vehicle could not be moved to the side of the road, putting my safety and the safety of other drivers at risk. I fear that this could have been a fatal accident had I been on the highway. This issue has been confirmed by Tesla service center, and they acknowledged that this is a known issue. There were no warning indicators or recall notices sent to warn of this known issue. My vehicle should have been recalled. Tesla is making me pay $3,000 for repairs despite knowing this is a manufacturer defect, and they are continuing to put lives at risk by not issuing a wider recall.

Making a right turn and heard a pop sound. Pulled into a parking lot immediately found the steering arm dropped and shortly after a large bolt fell out. There is supposed to be 2 bolts holding up each side, one bolt was already missing. Event occurred without incident. Normal street driving at a low speed turn.

The contact owns a 2023 Tesla Model Y. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed and attempting to complete a left turn, the contact briefly heard an abnormal clicking sound coming from the front end of the vehicle, after which the steering wheel jerked abnormally. The vehicle quickly returned to normal functionality, but the failure became a regular occurrence. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who diagnosed a failure with the front-end suspension bushings. The contact was also informed that a bolt on the driver’s side control arm had loosened. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 54,000.

I am writing to report severe safety concerns involving my Tesla Model Y. Without any accident or impact, my vehicle experienced a mechanical failure on [xxx}, when the front left tire detached, making the car immobile. The vehicle had approximately 31,500 miles and no prior damage or accident history. Tesla towed the car for repairs. However, during the repair process, I discovered that the vehicle was transferred to a body shop in chantilly, va, without my prior knowledge or consent. When I visited the shop to retrieve personal belongings, I was shocked to see that the condition of my vehicle had significantly worsened. The technician informed me that the car now had serious structural damage, including a twisted frame and extensive paint damage. This damage did not exist before and was not caused by an impact. The technician indicated that repairs would take at least a week if only bodywork was addressed. Most concerning, the vehicle was transferred with no visible damage, yet now has severe structural issues. Tesla has suggested replacing the damaged body parts later, which makes no sense given that the car was in a safe condition prior to the transfer. Additionally, the front wheel, which detached earlier, was reassembled without impact, but the vehicle remains unsafe. It has taken over 30 days to attempt repairs, and the vehicle still is not fully fixed. I do not feel safe driving it under these conditions. Furthermore, communication regarding the damage has been poor. I was not informed of any body or structural damage before the transfer. Tesla’s recent message asked me to pick up the vehicle, stating they will order parts later, which is confusing and concerning. Given the extensive damage, delays, and safety risks, I request the NHTSA investigate these issues. I also urge Tesla to buy back my vehicle so I can use the credit toward purchasing a new Tesla, ensuring my safety and confidence. Thank you for your attention to this urgent matter. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information.

The contact owned a 2023 Tesla Model Y. The contact stated that while driving approximately 45 - 50 mph, the contact lost control of the vehicle. The contact stated that while attempting to regain control of the vehicle and attempting to correct the steering wheel, the vehicle kept going to the right and to the left independently. The contact was unable to regain control of the vehicle. The contact stated that the vehicle struck a railing and a concrete divider with the passenger’s side front bumper and then the rear passenger’s side quarter panel, and the vehicle spun around on the highway and came to a stop. The contact pressed the emergency latch to exit the vehicle out of fear that the vehicle might catch on fire. The contact stated that the rear passenger’s side tire was pushed back due to the impact. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact stated that all the air bags deployed as designed. The vehicle was towed to a local collision center. A police report was filed. The contact stated that the vehicle was deemed destroyed by the insurance provider. The contact sustained injuries to the upper back, left shoulder, right elbow, and neck; however, there were no broken bones reported. The contact received medical attention for the injuries sustained. The local dealer was not contacted, and the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not yet notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 40,000.

I owned the vehicle less than a month, using full supervised drive, fsd. Today 6/22/2025 1:45 pm almost had an accident. The vehicle was in the right made a left turn crossing a yellow line, then made a turn in a white line, in front of the vehicle behind me. I took control of the vehicle to proceed in the correct lane. On another occasion it made a right turn, corrected itself to the left lane as it should have done. I am hearing impaired, focus on the road, cannot look at the screen monitor while driving. The vehicle stopped, advised me fsd was inoperable, had to manual drive to my destination. There is no warning, alerts for the hearing impaired. Other issues driving in the wrong lane, then at the last minute changes to the correct lane, I am certain cutting off drivers. Unknown.

The contact owns a 2026 Tesla Model Y. The contact stated while driving and exceeding 70 mph, the vehicle drifted to the right. The contact stated that the vehicle was vibrating abnormally. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who was unable to identify the cause of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 10.

A suspension rod/bolt fell off my car. When I was making a right hand turn my car began screeching and shaking, I lost control for a second and almost hit another vehicle, luckily I was able to stop my car. I had my car towed to a Tesla service station for repair.

We experienced an extremely dangerous and life threatening situation with Tesla y model on Saturday, may 31st around 3:48pm and would like to report to NHTSA. We were driving on rt 3 going towards nashua and my Tesla-y car when the steering wheel froze and I got message that front camera was not working. When I tried to steer the car in the lane, the car suddenly braked and took two 360 degree spins (turns) on the highway with cars streaming at high speed around us. We went from the left lane to the right most lane after two 360 degree spins and ended in the right lane. Luckily, no other autos hit us and I was able to take control of the car and pull over in the right lane. The incident is recorded int the Tesla's harddrive which we can make this available to you. The car started working normally so we drove back home. We have had minor control incidents with the lane assit and auto pilot systems of this car in 2023 and 2024. We have complained and showed the problem to Tesla dealer in watertown, MA. However they said there is nothing wrong with the car. We request you to investigate this incident with Tesla and find out the cause for the car to take this dangerous breaking and spinning incident on a highway. Thanks, rashida and luvai motiwalla (978)996-9535.

The contact owns a 2022 Tesla Model Y. The contact stated that while washing the vehicle, the contact became aware that the entire inner sidewall of the tires were warped and damaged, and the tpms warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer where it was diagnosed, and the contact was advised that a cause for failure could not be determined; however, the tires were replaced and the front-end aligned. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure persisted, and the contact became aware that the tires displayed inner sidewall damages. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 21,000.

Unknown I was driving with no advanced driver assistance systems (adas). My vehicle took control of the steering wheel, swerving uncontrollably, almost hitting approaching cars, and a wooden electricity post. It was diffucult to keep the steering wheel steady. I struggled to pull the vehicle to the side of the road until I made a complete stop. A witness checked on me and was concerned that I had almost crashed.

I have had supervised full self driving in the vehicle for well over a year. I have used the Smart parking feature Monday-Thursday to park the vehicle at work and it has worked flawlessly. On [xxx] around [xxx], I went to [xxx] . After entering the gate to parking on [xxx], I drove slowly. I was able to select a parking spot and tapped on it on the screen for the selection and then started the automatic parking. There were no other cars around as we were all just starting to enter the gate and park. The car began to move in reverse. It then paused turned the wheel a bit, turned it back, tried to decide what it was going to do and started to move forward. The car then drove up the curb on to the walkway and almost drove into the building. I was able to hit the brake quickly to stop the process. There was no damage to the building or the car. I had never had an issue with the Smart parking until this time. I then backed the car off the sidewalk and parked it myself. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

The car will continue losing power steering while driving making it very hard to steer. It has happened at all levels of speed.

Steering became difficult to turn to the right with the wheel sticking to the right when trying to turn or drive the vehicle. Tesla claims we had some kind of a large impact. Maybe a pothole. Tesla claims well this is a heavy vehicle. Out of no where we had to replace the entire steering rack. I've never had to replace an entire steering rack for a pothole. Seems ridiculous.

See all problems of the 2020 Tesla Model Y 🔎.

Steering assistance reduced alert is showing up on vehicle. It is difficult to drive the car. The car has less than 33,000 miles on it.

After doing multiple search online came across multiple user complaints about new Tesla Model Y juniper 2026 lr awd you can feel vibration from steering wheel at highway speeds it is really specific at 80mph this is not a normal behavior especially vibrations took it to the service center and was told it was the wheels are not balanced properly so they fixed it apparently but is still doing it. I truly believe there is something Tesla knows but is not acknowledging it.

Vehicle was performing normally until I stopped and put vehicle into reverse to back into a supercharger stall. Heard a clunk when starting to back up. Car started to resist moving and front started to lift in the air a few inches. Stopped and went forward to go around and try again. Vehicle would not turn to left when going forward. Got out and noticed front passenger wheel was not aligned with other front wheel. Then noticed tie rod was ripped out of socket.

The vehicle was operating in autopilot mode as it approached a right turn but was in the incorrect lane. The vehicle accelerated in an apparent attempt to merge into the correct lane and initiate the turn, but it approached the turn at an unsafe speed. I pressed the brake pedal, which disengaged autopilot as expected, but the vehicle failed to slow down or stop. I attempted to manually complete the turn, but although I turned the steering wheel, the wheels did not respond. The vehicle continued forward at speed, struck a curb on the opposite side of the road, and then collided with a parked vehicle. The impact with the parked vehicle ultimately brought the car to a stop. Multiple error messages briefly appeared on the screen during the incident before disappearing.

Knocking noise coming from front left tire when turning, accelerating, and reversing. Investigated noise and found a bolt hanging (unscrewed) from control arm/tie rod and another bolt loose and working it's way loose. If this bolt unscrew, I'm positive steering would be lost. See pictures.

The contact owned a 2024 Tesla Model Y. The contact stated that while his son was driving at approximately 38 mph with his sister inside the vehicle, the brake pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle lost steering and braking functionality and failed to stop as intended, causing the vehicle to drive through a crosswalk. The contact stated that the steering wheel failed to respond while being turned, causing the vehicle to crash into a curb and then into a parked vehicle, which was able to stop the vehicle. The contact stated that the vehicle was towed to a Tesla collision center, and between Tesla and the insurance provider, the vehicle was deemed a total loss. The insurance company reviewed the event data recorder (edr) reports and confirmed the failure which contributed to the crash. The contact stated that the police was not contacted because it was a single vehicle crash. The other vehicle owner was notified of the crash and was provided the needed information to file a claim. A police report was not filed. The contact's son was taken to the local medical center in a family vehicle. The contact's son and daughter sustained headaches and concussions, and both received medical attention. The contact drove his son to the local medical center, where he was admitted and remained overnight. Additionally, the contact's son was continuing outpatient treatment for the injuries sustained. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but provided no assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 3,500.

The adaptive cruse control would stop working off an on. Also it would give false land departure warnings causing driver to swerve thinking they were going to run into another care.