Tesla Power Steering Problems May Increase Risk of Accident, Especially After Stopping: Recall

Federal regulators have announced a Tesla recall that impacts 376,241 electric vehicles, after learning about a risk that drivers may lose power steering assist, which can increase the risk of an auto accident, especially when the vehicle is traveling at a low speed.

The U.S. National Highway Safety Administration (NHTSA) issued a recall (PDF) for certain model year 2023 Tesla Model 3 and Model Y vehicles on February 20, following reports of power steering problems in the Tesla vehicles, with the systems sometimes failing to work after the vehicles come to a stop.

Power steering systems make turning a vehicle’s wheel easier for the driver, and have been widely included in new vehicles since the 1970s. However, unlike many modern systems, which use hydraulics to help drivers turn the wheel, Tesla’s power steering assist relies on an electric motor, allowing for even more advanced features, like lane-keeping assist and automatic steering adjustments based on driving conditions.

However, the NHTSA is now warning about Tesla power steering problems that some vehicle owners may experience, with a visual alert signaling that the power steering assist is about to fail. Once the alert appears, functionality could be lost when the vehicle begins accelerating once again after coming to a complete stop, which could increase the risk of a crash, leading to severe injuries or death.

According to the safety recall report (PDF), Tesla first became aware of the issue in December 2023, when a foreign regulatory body initiated an investigation over complaints about power steering failures.

From December 2023 through October 2024, the manufacturer initiated a technical review of the vehicles. It was eventually discovered that certain Tesla model year 2023 Model 3 and Model Y vehicles could lose power steering assist when accelerating after coming to a complete stop.

After identifying 3,012 warranty claims and 570 field reports concerning U.S. vehicles that may have been affected by the same problem, Tesla initiated a recall on January 16, 2025.

There have been no reports of crashes, injuries or deaths related to this issue.

The manufacturer began sending an over-the-air software update to the affected vehicles in October 2023. This update should prevent a malfunction in the vehicle’s circuit board due to a power steering assist overload, which Tesla has determined to be the cause of the malfunction.

Owners of the affected vehicles only need to install software release 2023.38.4 or higher to ensure that their vehicles are not affected by the recall issue. No service visits are necessary.

Notification letters are expected to be mailed out to owners on March 25, 2025. Questions can be addressed to Tesla customer service at 1-877-798-3752 by referencing recall number SB-25-00-004.

Vehicle owners can also contact the NHTSA vehicle safety hotline at 1-888-327-4236 or go to nhtsa.gov.

Additional Tesla Issues

This recall is not the only issue Tesla has faced in recent months. The electric vehicle manufacturer also issued a recall of nearly 240,000 vehicles in January due to a rearview camera failure, which could lead to accidents, injuries or death.

Earlier that same month, the NHTSA also initiated a Tesla “Smart Summon” feature investigation, after reports of at least 16 accidents caused by defects in the vehicles’ full-self-driving systems, which are designed to control the cars with the help of a mobile app.

A prior Tesla self-driving investigation was launched by federal regulators in October 2024, after four pedestrian accidents, one involving a fatality.

In addition, a wrongful death lawsuit was filed against Tesla in 2024, claiming that deficiencies in Tesla’s autopilot system led to the death of a 33-year-old man after his vehicle collided with a fire truck, despite the company portraying its autopilot feature as a safe and fully autonomous driving system.