Tesla has issued a recall for 376,000 vehicles due to a power steering issue.
The electric car company, which is the largest of its kind in the country, said that the issue made driving at lower speeds more dangerous and increased the risk of crashes.
Newsweek contacted Tesla for more information on the recall via email.
Why It Matters
Tesla is the biggest manufacturer of electric cars in the U.S., selling around half a million units in the last quarter of 2024. Any technical issues with their models has the potential to affect a significant number of drivers.
What To Know
In a recent filing with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), Tesla recalled 376,000 vehicles over the power steering problem.
Tesla stated that if the issue occurs while the vehicle is in motion, steering remains unaffected, and drivers are alerted via a visual warning. However, once the vehicle comes to a stop, the steering assist may fail and remain disabled upon restarting.
As of January 10, Tesla has identified 3,012 warranty claims and 570 field reports that may be linked to the condition, though the company reported no crashes related to the issue. Tesla clarified that the recall is unrelated to NHTSA's ongoing investigation into allegations of steering control loss.
In October, Tesla released an over-the-air software update (OTA) designed to address the issue but did not file the official recall report until this week. Tesla also reported that, as of January 23, 99 percent of affected vehicles in the United States have installed the update.
The decision to initiate a global recall came after a foreign regulator opened an investigation into the issue on January 16, prompting Tesla to take action.
This marks Tesla's second major recall of the year. In January, the company recalled approximately 239,000 vehicles due to malfunctioning rear-view cameras.
What People Are Saying
In the NHTSA filing, Tesla said: "Tesla's design prevents a loss of EPAS while the vehicle is in motion. Following a determination by a regulator in a non-US
market that loss of EPAS at 0 MPH should be remedied through a recall
because increased manual steering effort could increase the risk of a collision,
Tesla made a voluntary determination to recall vehicles in all markets that
were affected by this condition to avoid confusion for our customers."
What Happens Next
Tesla continues to monitor the issue, with the OTA fix issued free of charge to all affected customers.
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