Beautiful Virgin Islands

Thursday, Jul 24, 2025

Tesla investigated by US regulator over steering wheels that can fall off

Tesla investigated by US regulator over steering wheels that can fall off

A Tesla service centre gave one complainant a $103.96 estimate for repairs after the driver said the wheel came off while he was driving with his family on a major highway.
US motor vehicle safety regulators have opened an investigation into a Tesla model after getting two complaints that the steering wheels can come off while being driven.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) says the probe will look into Tesla's Model Y SUV after the cars were delivered to customers in both cases with a missing bolt that holds the wheel to the steering column.

In one complaint, an owner said he was driving with his family on a major highway in New Jersey when the steering wheel suddenly came off - five days after the vehicle was bought.

Prerak Patel said: "It was horrible experience, I was driving back from mall with family and in middle of freeway steering wheel fell off."

He added that there were no cars behind him and no injuries, and he was able to pull over toward the central reservation.

At first, a Tesla service centre gave Mr Patel an estimate of $103.96 to repair the problem. The service centre apologised in what appear to be text messages posted on Twitter.

Tesla, which has disbanded its media relations department, has been contacted for comment.

When Mr Patel wrote that he had lost faith in Tesla and asked for a refund, the service centre removed the charge and wrote that Tesla doesn't have a returns policy, but he could contact the sales and delivery team.

Mr Patel said he was later given the option of keeping the car or getting it replaced with a new one, which he chose to do.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says the investigation covers an estimated 120,000 vehicles from the 2023 model year.

It comes as US safety regulators said on Wednesday that a Tesla that crashed into a fire truck in California last month killing the driver and injuring a passenger, as well as four firefighters, is suspected of operating on one of the company’s automated driving systems.

The latest NHTSA investigation adds to a long string of problems that Tesla is having with the US road safety agency.

In the past three years it has opened investigations into Tesla's 'autopilot' driver-assist system crashing into parked emergency vehicles, and problems with suspension systems.

At least 14 Teslas have crashed into emergency vehicles while using the autopilot system.
Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
"Crazy Thing": OpenAI's Sam Altman Warns Of AI Voice Fraud Crisis In Banking
The Podcaster Who Accidentally Revealed He Earns Over $10 Million a Year
Trump Announces $550 Billion Japanese Investment and New Trade Agreements with Indonesia and the Philippines
US Treasury Secretary Calls for Institutional Review of Federal Reserve Amid AI‑Driven Growth Expectations
UK Government Considers Dropping Demand for Apple Encryption Backdoor
Severe Flooding in South Korea Claims Lives Amid Ongoing Rescue Operations
Japanese Man Discovers Family Connection Through DNA Testing After Decades of Separation
Russia Signals Openness to Ukraine Peace Talks Amid Escalating Drone Warfare
Switzerland Implements Ban on Mammography Screening
Japanese Prime Minister Vows to Stay After Coalition Loses Upper House Majority
Pogacar Extends Dominance with Stage Fifteen Triumph at Tour de France
CEO Resigns Amid Controversy Over Relationship with HR Executive
Man Dies After Being Pulled Into MRI Machine Due to Metal Chain in New York Clinic
NVIDIA Achieves $4 Trillion Valuation Amid AI Demand
US Revokes Visas of Brazilian Corrupted Judges Amid Fake Bolsonaro Investigation
U.S. Congress Approves Rescissions Act Cutting Federal Funding for NPR and PBS
North Korea Restricts Foreign Tourist Access to New Seaside Resort
Brazil's Supreme Court Imposes Radical Restrictions on Former President Bolsonaro
Centrist Criticism of von der Leyen Resurfaces as she Survives EU Confidence Vote
Judge Criticizes DOJ Over Secrecy in Dropping Charges Against Gang Leader
Apple Closes $16.5 Billion Tax Dispute With Ireland
Von der Leyen Faces Setback Over €2 Trillion EU Budget Proposal
UK and Germany Collaborate on Global Military Equipment Sales
Trump Plans Over 10% Tariffs on African and Caribbean Nations
Flying Taxi CEO Reclaims Billionaire Status After Stock Surge
Epstein Files Deepen Republican Party Divide
Zuckerberg Faces $8 Billion Privacy Lawsuit From Meta Shareholders
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
SpaceX Nears $400 Billion Valuation With New Share Sale
Microsoft, US Lab to Use AI for Faster Nuclear Plant Licensing
Trump Walks Back Talk of Firing Fed Chair Jerome Powell
Zelensky Reshuffles Cabinet to Win Support at Home and in Washington
"Can You Hit Moscow?" Trump Asked Zelensky To Make Putin "Feel The Pain"
Irish Tech Worker Detained 100 days by US Authorities for Overstaying Visa
Dimon Warns on Fed Independence as Trump Administration Eyes Powell’s Succession
Church of England Removes 1991 Sexuality Guidelines from Clergy Selection
Superman Franchise Achieves Success with Latest Release
Hungary's Viktor Orban Rejects Agreements on Illegal Migration
Jeff Bezos Considers Purchasing Condé Nast as a Wedding Gift
Ghislaine Maxwell Says She’s Ready to Testify Before Congress on Epstein’s Criminal Empire
Bal des Pompiers: A Celebration of Community and Firefighter Culture in France
FBI Chief Kash Patel Denies Resignation Speculations Amid Epstein List Controversy
Air India Pilot’s Mental Health Records Under Scrutiny
Google Secures Windsurf AI Coding Team in $2.4 Billion Licence Deal
Jamie Dimon Warns Europe Is Losing Global Competitiveness and Flags Market Complacency
South African Police Minister Suspended Amid Organised Crime Allegations
Nvidia CEO Claims Chinese Military Reluctance to Use US AI Technology
Hong Kong Advances Digital Asset Strategy to Address Economic Challenges
Australia Rules Out Pre‑commitment of Troops, Reinforces Defence Posture Amid US‑China Tensions
Martha Wells Says Humanity Still Far from True Artificial Intelligence
×