Steering Problems of Tesla Model Y - part 1

On the evening of April 8th 2026, my wife was driving our 2023 Tesla Model Y home in san francisco, CA when she noticed unusual noise coming from the front left wheel area. The vehicle was otherwise functioning normally aside from the noise. The following morning, I inspected the vehicle and found a large hex bolt (class 10. 9 grade) on the ground directly beneath the car. The front left wheel was binding and the vehicle was completely undrivable — the wheel felt stuck and made grinding/scraping noises when attempting to move. Based on the bolt size, grade, and location, this appears to be a front suspension lateral link fastener that detached from the subframe. This is the same defect described in NHTSA recalls 21v-835, 22v-895, and 23v-235, involving under-torqued or improperly secured front suspension fasteners on Tesla Model Y vehicles. The vehicle had 28,482 miles at the time of the incident. There was no prior collision, impact, or road hazard event. No warning or alert appeared on the Tesla touchscreen at any point. The vehicle displayed no diagnostic message despite having a compromised suspension component.

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While performing a low-speed reverse turn into a driveway, a loud clunk was heard and the driver side front wheel completely separated from alignment. The vehicle became immediately undrivable. Upon inspection, the ball joint retaining nut was found to be absent from the front driver side suspension assembly. No torque verification mark was present on the fastener. The vehicle is currently at an authorized Tesla service center for repair and is available for inspection. Safety risk: complete loss of wheel alignment and directional control. Failure occurred at low speed in a private driveway. Had this occurred at highway speed the consequences could have been catastrophic. Confirmed by dealer: an authorized Tesla service advisor confirmed that a technical service bulletin exists in Tesla’s system for this exact condition. No owner notification was issued prior to failure. The advisor confirmed the retaining nut is installed by an automated robot assembly process with no human torque verification step and no verification mark applied. Prior warning symptoms: none. No warning lamps, no messages, no audible symptoms prior to catastrophic failure. The absence of a retaining nut on a safety-critical suspension fastener with no quality verification process represents a systemic assembly defect potentially affecting all vehicles produced under the same assembly process.

The bolts attaching the front passenger wheel's lower lateral link to the body fell out. Luckily this occurred while pulling into a parking lot. Once both bolts had fallen out the vehicle was not steerable. There have been many instances of this reported online, but usually they occur with far fewer miles and I was not experiencing the symptoms. The day prior there was an alert stating that an alignment was needed but it was still okay to drive. I could tell there was a slight alignment issue while driving. The vehicle was towed to a Tesla service center and is currently being repaired.

I was parking my vehicle in my driveway, turning left to park in front of my garage and heard a loud pop. I got out, looked underneath the car and didnt see anything unusual. I later investigated by moving the vehicle and noticed my steering wheel was turning without any driver input, and heard the tires scrubbing more than normal. I got out of the vehicle and noticed my tires were not aligned, having one tire pointing to the left, and the other tire pointing straight. Then I noticed a large bolt on the ground. I called Tesla and they told me my car was 2000 miles out of warranty and would have to pay for towing and the repair. I feel the steering should still be covered under warranty.

Following a 25-day repair at a certified collision center due to an earlier accident, the vehicle's full self-driving (fsd) and active safety systems began failing. The vehicle repeatedly failed to keep speed and failed to stay centered in the lane. On March 25, 2026, while traveling at low speed on a public roadway with fsd actively engaged, the system failed to maintain a stable path and incorrectly steered the vehicle into a curb, causing property damage to the wheel. This failure put my safety and the safety of surrounding traffic at risk by executing an unpredictable steering maneuver that the active safety systems failed to prevent. The vehicle was taken to the manufacturer's service center twice with this specific complaint prior to the curb strike. The service center investigated and officially concluded that this was not a software issue, stating that they could do nothing else. They deferred the resolution back to the collision shop, citing likely camera/sensor physical misalignment from the 25-day body repair. The collision shop is now refusing to review the vehicle or inspect the hardware, claiming lack of visible exterior damage despite the internal service team stating this is a latent hardware alignment defect. The vehicle is currently in the same failing condition and available for inspection upon request. No warning lamps or error messages appeared on the screen prior to the failure or the curb strike. The symptom of unpredictable lane tracking first appeared immediately upon receiving the vehicle back from the collision repair earlier this year. Note: I have a formal data privacy request pending with Tesla to pull the exact chat logs showing their refusal to service this hardware defect. I will provide these to the investigator upon follow-up.

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Catastrophic axle failure, I was driving out from my driveway when this happened. Just the day before my wife was driving on the highway, and I was driving with my two boys. I have video of the complete failure of the left driver's side axle. The vehicle was towed by the dealer and is at the dealer as we speak. There has been no inspection by the police or insurance representative. We had reported it to Tesla at our last appointment but they said they could not recreate the noise.

I was entering the on-ramp to [xxx] , from [xxx] , to merge onto the freeway east bound towards [xxx] , when my Tesla suddenly lost all power, the brakes did not work and the power steering completely failed making it feel like it was locked up. I was traveling approximately 40-50 mph at the time nearing the gore point to merge onto the freeway. Fortunately I was in the inside lane and I rolled to a stop away from other vehicles. I could not steer at all. Had I been completely on the freeway, I could have been rear ended badly. I had my two young boys in the vehicle with me, both [xxx] and [xxx] . We were completely trapped in the vehicle with no power. My [xxx] old remembered to use the manual latch to get out. I opened my door manually and it broke my driver side glass window. Vehicles were passing us rapidly to enter the freeway. I called my husband who is a police officer and he came and picked us up. We called Tesla who said they could not get a read on our battery whatsoever. We called a tow company and had this vehicle towed to Tesla repair center in [xxx] , after reporting our traumatic event. They claim our warranty is expired, but our vehicle only has 37,638 miles and should be covered under the 8 year, 120,000 mile warranty that covers a major malfunction like this. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

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While driving under normal conditions, without any prior impact, collision, or road hazard, the control arm on my vehicle suddenly detached. This occurred during active driving and caused an immediate loss of vehicle stability and control. The failure happened without warning and posed a serious safety risk. At the time of the incident, my children were in the vehicle, which significantly increased the danger. The vehicle had not been involved in any accident or misuse. This appears to be a potential manufacturing or assembly defect involving a critical suspension component. Tesla towed the vehicle and repaired it at no cost. However, a suspension/control arm failure during normal driving is a serious safety concern that could lead to loss of steering control and possible crash. I am reporting this incident for safety investigation purposes, as this type of failure may pose a broader risk to other drivers.

I am reporting a suspected defect involving the front suspension or steering system of my Tesla Model Y. The vehicle produces loud popping, knocking, and rattling noises from the front end when turning the steering wheel at low speeds, particularly as the steering approaches full lock in either direction. The noise appears to originate from the front suspension or steering components and occurs consistently during normal operation. This issue raises concerns about potential premature wear, component failure, or loss of steering control, which could pose a safety risk.

On [xxx] 1512pm. Drive on [xxx] with auto pilot driving. Seen on construction and hit some object driver side by front bumper , fender, side mirror,door and wheel. Couldn't avoid crash by control handle. There is none of airbag action. All deployed. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

Incident date?March 07, 2026] current mileage, 31625 miles ? I am reporting a catastrophic structural failure of a safety-critical suspension component on my Tesla Model Y. ?upon inspection, I discovered that one of the bolts securing the driver-side lower control arm has completely detached and fallen off. A second bolt is approximately 50% loose. This has caused a significant safety hazard, as the control arm is no longer properly secured to the subframe, leading to a high risk of total steering loss and wheel detachment while driving. ?furthermore, when I contacted Tesla service, they demonstrated extreme negligence by instructing me to drive the vehicle in this lethal condition to their service center. They also initially refused to cover the towing and repair costs, claiming it was not a factory defect despite the clear evidence of fastener failure (improper torque or thread locker application during manufacturing). ?this is a clear manufacturing defect that poses an immediate threat to the driver, passengers, and other road users. I am requesting NHTSA to investigate this batch of Model Y vehicles for suspension fastener integrity issues to prevent potential fatal accidents.

I am reporting a suspected defect involving the front suspension or steering system of my 2026 Tesla Model Y awd. The vehicle produces loud popping, knocking, and rattling noises from the front end when turning the steering wheel at low speeds, particularly when the steering approaches full lock in either direction. The issue is most noticeable when entering or exiting uneven surfaces such as sloped driveways or parking lot entrances where the suspension is under load. During these conditions, the front suspension produces distinct mechanical popping or knocking sounds that appear to originate from the front wheel or suspension area. The noise does not occur while driving straight. It becomes significantly more noticeable when turning left or right at low speeds and worsens as the steering approaches full lock. In addition to the noise, a noticeable mechanical jolt or feedback can be felt through the steering wheel when the popping or knocking occurs. This issue began suddenly without any warning signs. One moment the vehicle was operating normally, and the next the popping and knocking noises began. Since that time the issue has continued consistently during turning maneuvers. The vehicle has not been involved in any collision and has been driven under normal conditions. Numerous other 2026 Tesla Model Y owners have reported similar front suspension symptoms, suggesting this may represent a broader pattern of potential suspension or steering component issues. Because the noise and feedback occur through the steering system while the suspension is under load, this raises concern that a suspension or steering component may be shifting, binding, or prematurely wearing. This condition raises safety concerns because abnormal movement or failure of steering or suspension components could affect vehicle control during turning or emergency maneuvers. I request that this issue be investigated for a possible defect trend affecting Tesla Model Y vehicles.

On [xxx] I pick up my new Tesla y. On [xxx], while traveling at highway speeds on [xxx] with autopilot "fsd" engaged, my 2026 Tesla Model Y experienced a sudden vehicle shutdown and start giving multiple alerts without warning. The vehicle displayed multiple critical alerts: "vehicle shutdown", "pull over safely", "stability control disabled. " upon the failure, autopilot fsd disengaged, and the power steering immediately became extremely heavy ("hard"), making the vehicle difficult to steer. The car lost all propulsion. I had to manually maneuver the heavy, unpowered vehicle through active highway traffic to reach the shoulder, which created an immediate and severe safety risk. The vehicle was towed to a Tesla service center in fort lauderdale with only 130 miles on the odometer. Technicians confirmed a "major motor failure" of the rear drive unit requiring a full replacement. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

On February 23, 2026, I was driving my 2023 Tesla Model Y under normal city conditions. While parallel parking at very low speed, I suddenly heard a loud metallic bang from the driver’s side of the vehicle. Immediately afterward, the vehicle lost mobility and the steering wheel became unresponsive and would not turn. I exited the vehicle and observed a detached metal suspension component and a bolt on the ground underneath the driver’s side. The vehicle was not drivable and required towing. I contacted Tesla roadside assistance through the Tesla app, and the vehicle was towed to Tesla service center in coral gables, florida. At the time of the incident, there had been no collision, no impact with a pothole, curb, or road debris, and no prior warning signs or noises indicating a developing issue. The failure occurred suddenly during a low-speed maneuver. Tesla service initially indicated that the vehicle was under warranty and that repairs would be covered if no external impact was found. However, after inspection, Tesla attributed the failure to an alleged “external impact” and declined warranty coverage, providing an estimate of approximately $4,000. After involving my insurance company, the vehicle was inspected by a Tesla-certified repair facility, which found significantly more extensive damage to the suspension system, estimating repairs at approximately $11,000. This incident represents a sudden and complete failure of suspension components resulting in immediate loss of steering control. Such a failure poses a serious safety risk, particularly if it were to occur at higher speeds, as it could lead to loss of vehicle control and a crash. I am reporting this issue as a potential safety defect involving suspension component separation and steering loss in a 2023 Tesla Model Y.

Both torn bushing and broken links at 29k miles.

The contact owns a 2022 Tesla Model Y. The contact stated that the steering wheel material had been unraveling. The contact received notification of TSB number: sb2332003. A Tesla service center was contacted via the mobile app chat feature, and informed the contact that the vehicle would be repaired at the owner's expense because the warranty had expired. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 70,000.

Incident involving fsd (supervised) v14. 2. 2. 4. On February 15, 2026, while the vehicle was operating under full self-driving (supervised) v14. 2. 2. 4, the system failed to detect a stationary curb. The vehicle initiated a trajectory that resulted in a collision, causing a structural gouge in the passenger-side rear tire sidewall. Per MA 540 cmr 4. 04, this damage renders the vehicle unroadworthy. I have saved dashcam/sentry video footage as proof of the system's failure to navigate the obstacle.

Like many have mentioned, the control arm bolt came off or broke. [xxx] / [xxx] / [xxx] information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

On January 29, 2026 my 2023 Tesla Model Y was serviced by Tesla for windshield repair and routine maintenance. Within a week after the service visit, the vehicle began displaying a service warning message on the dashboard. I contacted Tesla and was advised to bring the vehicle back for inspection. Before I could return to the service center, while slowly reversing out of my garage, a large bolt fell from the vehicle and the front left wheel assembly dropped, causing the vehicle to come to an abrupt stop. Tesla service later confirmed that a bolt from the front suspension link assembly had detached, resulting in damage to the front halfshaft, steering gear, wheel speed sensor, and other related components. The vehicle had approximately 38,000 miles at the time of failure. This appears to be a critical suspension hardware failure. If this failure had occurred at highway speed it could have resulted in loss of vehicle control and a serious accident. The vehicle had been serviced by Tesla shortly before the incident and had displayed a warning message prior to the failure.

I am reporting a safety incident involving my Tesla while autopilot/full self-driving was engaged. On February 11, 2025 at approximately 9:22 am, on waccamaw medical park CT conway, SC 29526, I was driving on a normal city street with the system actively controlling steering and speed. Without any warning or alert, the vehicle suddenly steered to the right toward the curb and struck it. I was very attentive, but the steering movement happened too quickly for me to safely prevent the impact. No forward collision warning, lane departure alert, or disengagement occurred prior to the incident. The impact caused damage to the wheel and tire (see attached photo). This behavior appears to be an incorrect steering decision by the automated driving system after misinterpreting the roadway edge or lane boundary. I am requesting review of the vehicle logs and investigation of the system behavior during this event.

The fsd system in my Model Y is hazardous. When I first purchased the car on 2/9/2026, they secretly loaded it with very outdated software, as follows: “software” 2025. 44. 300 full self-driving v13. 2. 9 I’ve already driven this car 9960 miles, about 85% of which was on fsd. I will itemize for you a list of events that have occurred with this car with me driving for which dash cam footage exists: 1. The car attempted to blow past a school bus picking up passengers at about 40 miles an hour without even slowing down. It was stacked with red and yellow lights everywhere and had two extended stop signs. 2. The car blows past police cars parked on the shoulder of the highway with their roof lights on without slowing down or making any attempt to move into the second lane. 3. While transitioning from one highway to another on an elevated single-lane overpass, on two occasions the car elected to depart the only travel lane and hug the concrete wall on the left side, driving in the dead zone. Both the yellow line and the white line were clear and bright. No traffic or obstacles present. 4. Right after exiting a hwy there were two lanes in my direction and one lane of opposing traffic separated by a clear and bright double yellow line. The car chose to drive in the lane intended for opposing traffic. I have dash of this as well. No traffic or obstacles were present. 5. Car made left turn into opposing traffic lanes. 6. When not on fsd, the lane departure avoidance and emerg. Lane departure avoidance features are both highly defective. They read everything as a lane departure— from tire tracks in the snow, to cracks and seams in the concrete, lines of tar intended to prevent water ingress, shadows, etc. Car almost pulled me hard towards construction workers, oncoming traffic, and nearby vehicles. Tesla refuses to disable. When I disable, it reenables every time I drive. 7. It ran over a curb on fsd, twice.

The car suddenly reduced lane assistance and steering assistance functionality. After calling Tesla they said it is not a software issue. I checked the service mode and it indicated a malfunction in the steering assist motor, which apparently costs $3500 to replace. Online, I have found many complaints about this problem that are not resolved by software updates. In addition, there was a large number used steering assist motors for sale online which indicates a more wide spread problem. This is not normal for cars to have this failure prematurely and is a serious safety hazard. I read online that some had their steering epas get locked while driving on the highway and nearly destroyed their Teslas.

On January 28, 2026, the vehicle (a Tesla Model Y) was operating with the full self-driving (fsd) system actively engaged in normal highway traffic conditions. Without any prior warning messages, chimes, or system alerts, the fsd system abruptly disengaged approximately 1 second before the vehicle steered into a concrete road divider. Component failed: the Tesla full self-driving (fsd) software and underlying perception/control systems failed to maintain the lane and abruptly handed over control with insufficient time to react. The vehicle and its data are available for inspection. Safety risk: the sudden, sub-second disengagement provided the driver with zero time to react, take manual control, or perform an evasive maneuver. This system failure directly resulted in a high-speed collision with a road divider, causing significant vehicle damage and physical injuries to the driver that required medical treatment. Inspection/confirmation: the vehicle is currently subject to an open insurance claim and has been evaluated for repair. Warnings: there were no warning lamps, messages, or requests for the driver to take over prior to the immediate 1-second window before the crash. Evidence: I have downloaded and preserved the complete event data record (edr) and the multi-angle dashcam video files. The edr data mathematically documents the sub-second disengagement, and the video files confirm normal traffic flow with no external hazards forcing the collision. I can provide the edr pdf and video files to NHTSA investigators immediately upon request.

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Lower front control arms are bad. Was told by tire company they need replaced. Quote about 2k.

There is a rip in the lower control bushing making steering difficult to control. I see that this is a common issue but no recall yet. My car has only 28k miles.

Any time you drive my vehicle there’s either violent shaking in the brake pedal, steering wheel, tires. When you try to brake it stutters. Using fsd it failed to stop instead almost hit a pedestrian on scooter and reported the time and date to Tesla. It stuttered and thank god I was able to jam in brakes. After 9 service visit the admitted they missed something and wheel alignment was off and tires were cupped. Along with a bracket for suspension. Which has not solved issues. It scary driving this vehicle especially as a single father who has to make long trips in the weekend for hockey.

While making a left turn at normal turning speed, the steering system became unresponsive. The steering wheel was able to move; however, there was no corresponding movement of the front tires/wheels. The front wheels appeared to remain stuck at approximately a 45-degree left position and did not return toward the straight-ahead position despite steering input. It is also possible that the steering wheel itself became locked or partially locked during this event. As a result, the vehicle could not be corrected and collided with the median and a pillar. The collision caused the airbags to deploy and resulted in severe front-end damage, with an estimated repair cost exceeding $40,000. This steering failure occurred without warning and resulted in a sudden loss of vehicle control, creating a serious safety hazard to the occupants and surrounding traffic. The vehicle was subsequently declared a total loss.

One only needs to google or ask an ai about "Tesla Model Y juniper" front end suspension noises and you will find links to hundreds of complaints and at least two youtube videos now. Based on reports from recent 2026 Tesla Model Y owners, particularly those with the juniper refresh, the front-end noises over rough or bumpy roads at very slow speeds sound like a widespread suspension-related issue. It's often characterized as a clunk, rattle, or knocking from the front suspension, especially when the suspension compresses and unloads over uneven surfaces like driveways, speed bumps, or minor road imperfections. . Read more...

On [xxx], while operating my 2024 Tesla Model Y in full self-driving (supervised) mode, the vehicle experienced an uncommanded steering input leading to a collision. The vehicle was traveling at a very low speed of approximately 5 mph in a clear, simple environment. Despite this walking pace, the fsd software failed to identify a visible concrete curb and initiated a sudden, sharp turn directly into the obstacle without any prior warning or driver input. The fact that the system executed such a violent and erroneous maneuver at 5 mph indicates a fundamental failure in the neural network's object detection and path planning logic. If this logic failure had occurred at higher speeds or near pedestrians, the results could have been catastrophic. The local Tesla service center (watertown, MA) refused to conduct a physical inspection or a log review of the steering torque. They issued a repair estimate of $1,217. 26 while claiming 'no hardware fault codes' were present, thus ignoring the documented software malfunction. As a leaseholder of this vehicle with only 15,489 miles, I am reporting this as a significant safety defect that the manufacturer refuses to investigate. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

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The contact owned a 2022 Tesla Model Y. The contact stated that while the contact’s daughter was driving at approximately 70 mph under significant rainy weather conditions, with autopilot mode engaged, the auto pilot became inoperable. The contact stated that the driver attempted to steer the steering wheel; however, the steering could not be steered, causing the driver to lose control of the vehicle. The vehicle subsequently collided with a concrete wall and might have collided with another vehicle. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that all the air bags of the vehicle deployed during the crash. As a result of the incident, the driver sustained a nose injury and facial lacerations. The driver was transported to a local emergency room for medical treatment. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed and deemed a total loss. A Tesla service center was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure, but no assistance had been provided. The failure mileage was approximately 55,000.

On Saturday morning January 3, 2026 I was driving with my wife, daughter and dog. There was light rain at the time and I had my adaptive cruise set at approximately 72 mph. I was driving our 2024 Tesla y. At approximately 10:21am the rear of car began to slide right as we entered gradual left curve, possibly because we hit water on road. I tried to slightly correct right and when I did that the steering wheel aggressively corrected back left which put us into a slide. Within a second we hit a tree on the passenger side. The impact was severe and on the passenger side door where my wife was sitting. At that time I theorize that my dog was ejected out of the back window and thrown across the freeway. We then rolled in the other direction (I dont know how many times) down a hill and settled upside down. I immediately smelled smoke and began to try get out of my seatbelt but I couldn’t. I carry a knife and I was able to cut myself out. I then tried to open door and could not so I began punching the glass and eventually got it moving and pushed on it and got it open. I slid myself out, turned around and saw car was on fire. I pulled my daughter out and then began extracting my wife. She was unconscious and had obvious orthopedic injuries. I am 100% confident that had I been driving my other vehicle (non Tesla) that this accident would have not occurred. The Tesla and its steering system caused this accident. On top of that, the batteries immediately caught fire, my seatbelt release button did not work, and the electric door button did not work. Had I not been carrying a knife and strong enough to punch door open this story would have ended up differently. The car completely burned. As far as I know, this was the first time this exact issue presented itself. However, when looking online its seems this issue is fairly common with Teslas in wet weather.

I am reporting a repeated safety defect that happens only in rainy conditions. My 2022 Tesla Model Y repeatedly shows critical safety warnings including “automatic emergency braking unavailable”, traction and stability control disabled, and “vehicle hold unavailable”. This has occurred during normal driving in rain every rainy season for 3 years, despite 4 service visits and parts replacement including the inverter. It started when I was pregnant and is now ongoing with my newborn in the car. The system failures happen while driving in normal wet/slippery conditions and greatly increase the risk of a crash. This appears to be a systemic safety defect, not driver error, and Tesla has not fixed it after multiple service attempts. Events & dates: •first occurrence: Feb/2024 •service visits: 02/01/2024 1. Verified customer's concern via vehicle log data. Technician reviewed the vehicle's logs and found that the vehicles communication system was faulted. Technician was not able to duplicate the concern at this time. Performed diagnosis and found no issues present at this time. Verified vehicle's communication system is operating as designed at this time. No further repairs are recommended at this time. Recommending customer to continue to monitor situation at this time. 2. Updated vehicle to latest available firmware version per service bulletin. •most recent occurrence: 01/01/2026 fyi today is the 4th time I’ve indicated this issue , and this is during my pregnancy again, I feel extremely stressed and helpless.

On Monday 12/29/2025, while driving my 2021 Tesla Model Y on the highway at approximately 70 mph returning from dtw airport to my home with my children in the vehicle, the steering suddenly locked / the steering wheel would not turn. I was able to pull over to the shoulder. There were no warning lamps or warning messages displayed before or during the failure. After pulling over, I powered the vehicle off and back on. The steering partially worked again, and I was able to drive home. Later the same day at my friend’s house/driveway, the steering locked out again and this time it was completely locked, making the vehicle not safely drivable. Again, there were no warning messages or symptoms prior to the lockout. Tesla service provided a written estimate documenting the complaint “steering locked out / cannot drive” and proposed replacing the steering gear/steering rack (“steering gear lhd,” part number 1188832-00-b) plus alignment, total about $3,127. 70, at 96,042 miles. The vehicle and component are available for inspection upon request (Tesla can retain the replaced part). This is a safety defect concern because sudden loss of steering control on a highway without warning could lead to a crash, especially with passengers/children in the vehicle.

While traveling at highway speeds, the vehicle suddenly veered to the right without driver input. The autopilot/fsd system was not engaged. It all happened in a matter of seconds. There was no system failure message on the screen. The vehicle airborne and hit a tree. All side airbag were deployed. Was able to open the door and walk away without any major injuries. Software update : 2025. 44. 25. 5.

Date & time: December 25, approximately 6:00 pm location: northbound I-880 between the mowry avenue and thornton avenue exits, fremont, CA weather & road conditions: heavy rain at the time of the incident. Road surface was wet with reduced visibility. Vehicle & system state: Tesla Model Y. Driver assistance / self-driving functionality was active at the time of the incident (traffic-aware cruise control / autopilot functionality). Description of the incident: while driving northbound on I-880 in heavy rain, the vehicle had been operating normally. Without warning, the vehicle appeared to incorrectly detect that it was drifting out of its lane and attempted to correct this perceived drift. Instead of a minor lane correction, the vehicle abruptly applied heavy braking and initiated a sudden and aggressive left steering maneuver. The car crossed approximately four lanes of traffic in the same direction of travel and continued rotating, ultimately performing an unintended u-turn while remaining on the northbound side of the highway. As a result, the vehicle came to a stop oriented against the direction of travel, facing oncoming northbound traffic. Immediately afterward, the vehicle unexpectedly began reversing at high speed without driver input, creating an additional imminent risk of collision with the outer highway wall (noise barrier separating the highway from adjacent residential areas). During this entire sequence of events, I was unable to regain control of the vehicle despite attempting to intervene. There were no vehicles immediately surrounding us at that moment. Had there been nearby traffic, this incident would likely have resulted in a severe or fatal multi-vehicle collision. Occupants: my wife and two young children were in the vehicle. The children were asleep in the back seat, secured in car seats. Outcome: no physical collision occurred. However, the incident caused extreme fear and distress, and we remain shaken by the event.