Tesla investigated by safety agency over reports of steering wheels falling off

Grace Kay

March 8, 2023 at 10:29 AM·2 min read

Tesla driver Prerak Patel said the steering wheel on his brand new Model Y fell off while he was driving down the highway.Courtesy of Prerak Patel

The NHTSA is investigating two reports of the steering wheel on the 2023 Model Y falling off.
The agency said the probe covers over 120,000 Tesla cars.
In January, a Tesla owner said his steering wheel fell off when he was driving on the highway.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said on Wednesday that it is investigating reports that the steering wheel on Tesla's Model Y can fall off while the SUV is in use.

The NHTSA says the inquiry covers over 120,000 Model Y vehicles from the model year 2023. The agency said it launched the probe after it was made aware of two reports of the steering wheel on the vehicle falling off while drivers were on the road. In both cases, the agency said the cars had low mileage and were missing a bolt that attaches the steering wheel to the steering column. No fatalities or crashes have been associated with the issue, according to the NHTSA report.

The agency is looking into the frequency of the alleged issue and how many vehicles may be impacted, as well as Tesla's manufacturing process. The preliminary investigation could potentially lead to a recall.

A spokesperson for Tesla did not respond to a request for comment from Insider ahead of publication.