Tesla car steering wheel falls off while driving, owner shares shocking pictures, video on Twitter

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) in the United States has opened an investigation into Tesla after receiving reports that the steering wheel of Model Y SUVs fell off while driving. The regulatory agency said it's aware of two separate incidents in which the steering wheel detached from the steering column on 2023 Tesla Model Y vehicles. The vehicles were brand new and had low mileage during the incidents.

The preliminary evaluation was launched on March 4 and applies to over 120,000 Model Y vehicles. According to the NHTSA, the vehicles were delivered without a necessary retaining bolt to attach the steering wheel to the column. The investigation will determine how frequently the issue occurs before deciding whether impacted Model Y vehicles require a recall.

One of the complaints came from a family who documented the steering wheel of their new Tesla Model Y falling off while driving, in a now-viral Twitter post. Tesla initially quoted the vehicle owner $103.96 to repair the defect, but later waived the charge and replaced the Model Y. The family’s incident is one of the two reports that triggered the NHTSA's investigation.

Tesla has faced recent recalls on its electric vehicles, including a recent one in which bolts in the back seats of the Model Y were not correctly secured, increasing the risk of injury in the event of a crash. Last month, Tesla recalled thousands of Model Y EVs due to the same issue.

However, some recalls were dealt with via software updates, including over 360,000 Tesla vehicles equipped with Full Self-Driving software that were recalled in February over concerns for vehicle safety and traffic laws.

This isn't the first time that the issue of steering wheels detaching has been reported on Tesla EV models. But these incidents have not resulted in a recall for the impacted vehicles. Tesla will have to cooperate with NHTSA in the investigation, and any necessary fixes or recalls will be decided by the regulatory agency.

Also read: Elon Musk under investigation by FTC over handling of Twitter Blue and Twitter Files