Tesla Recalls 40,000 Vehicles Over Serious Steering Issue
Over 40,000 Tesla vehicles were recalled over an issue that causes the steering assist feature to completely power down
It seems as though Elon Musk has taken over the newsstands and made his way onto every one of our social media pages. The latest news story that has encompassed Elon’s famous name, is one regarding the recent Tesla recall. The electric car company has recalled over 40,000 vehicles, due to a seriously dangerous issue with the steering technology in the car, according to Reuters News.
These cars were made from 2017-2021 and fall into the Model S and Model X categories. These Tesla vehicles have been losing power when activating the steering assist feature. This normally occurs when the car hits a pothole, runs over an object, or takes a sharp turn in the road. The malfunction has been causing serious safety concerns and crash liabilities for the car company and for the driver, too.
A software update was released to all of these cars through Bluetooth technology. The goal was to recalibrate the steering system to help the Tesla vehicles have a better chance of detecting unexpected steering assist needs. The fix was launched on October 11th to all cars that fall into the dangerous category.
Loss of power steering can cause serious issues and pose a severe safety threat. Thus, drivers must utilize more power when steering, use caution when driving at low speeds, and be careful of potential crashes. Tesla has reported over 314 alerts associated with this power steering condition, but no deaths or injuries were reported as of yet.
As of November 1st, 2022, over 97% of recalled vehicles that have been diagnosed with having this electric steering issue have installed a successful fix to alleviate the risk and problem. However, this is not the end of Tesla’s recall list. A separate recall has also been issued for yet another popular vehicle made by the car brand.
The 2021 Model S exterior side mirrors do not comply with United States driving guidelines. These parts were made internationally, for the European market. So, the “rear-visibility” requirements associated with the United States have not been met by these Tesla vehicles, either.
53 of these cars have been recalled just this year alone. While the mirrors were installed in the United States using proper equipment, the visibility requirements were still not met. This has caused a major recall for these vehicles, which now need to be equipped with new Tesla mirrors that abide by American driving laws.
Tesla, while being known for luxury electric cars, has not had the smoothest journey when it comes to vehicle releases. There have been 17 recall campaigns in 2022 alone, and the year is not over just yet. Over 3.4 million vehicles have been recalled, leaving consumers frustrated with the difficulty of owning such an expensive yet temperamental asset. What are your thoughts? Do you plan on investing in a Tesla vehicle anytime soon? Or, have the recent recalls made you rethink your next vehicle purchase?
