The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has requested additional information from Tesla regarding complaints about the power steering system on 2023 Model 3 and Model Y vehicles. Tesla has until July 24, 2024, to respond to the information requests.
The NHTSA opened a preliminary evaluation into the matter last July after receiving reports of power steering issues in some 2023 Model 3 and Model Y vehicles. In February, the NHTSA upgraded the probe into an engineering analysis covering 334,569 vehicles from the 2023 model year.
The NHTSA’s safety probe involves several steps, starting with preliminary evaluations where agency engineers request information from affected manufacturers. This typically includes data on complaints, injuries, and warranty claims, and allows manufacturers like Tesla to present their views and potentially issue recalls for affected vehicles.
After the evaluation phase, the NHTSA may close the investigation or proceed to the next stage. If a safety defect is determined, the NHTSA could issue a recall request letter to the manufacturer.
It’s important to note that Tesla has previously experienced hardware-related recalls, as seen with the Cybertruck’s accelerator pedal recall, which was physically fixed by service employees. The NHTSA’s letter about the information request on Tesla’s potential power steering system issues can be viewed below.