Regulators open probe into Tesla's Model Y following reports of steering wheels falling off

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) announced Wednesday that they are opening a preliminary investigation into 120,000 2023 Tesla Model Y vehicles following two reports of steering wheels falling off while driving.

NHTSA said "both vehicles received an end of line repair requiring removal and re-installation of the steering wheel."

The agency said it received a complaint from a customer who had bought a new Model Y five days earlier and was operating the vehicle in New Jersey on Jan. 29 "and all the sudden steering wheel" fell off. "Was lucky there was no car behind and able to pull on divider."

NHTSA posted a link to a tweet as part of the complaint filing. The tweet has received more than 2.4 million views on Twitter.

The U.S. safety regulator said the vehicles were delivered to owners missing the retaining bolt that attaches the steering wheel to the steering column. The agency is opening a preliminary investigation to assess the "scope, frequency, and manufacturing processes associated with this condition."

The agency said a "friction fit maintained the connection between the steering wheel and the column splines during operation until separation. Sudden separation occurred when the force exerted on the steering wheel overcame the resistance of the friction fit while the vehicles were in motion."

Shares of TSLA are down 1.40% in pre-market trading on Wednesday.

By Michael Elkins | [email protected]

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