US officials probe Tesla's incredible detaching steering wheel
(2023/03/09)
- Reference: 1678390326
- News link: https://www.theregister.co.uk/2023/03/09/nhtsa_launches_new_tesla_investigation/
- Source link:
If you needed another reminder that Tesla vehicles might not have the highest of quality control standards, the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said it is investigating steering wheels falling off of two low-mileage 2023 Tesla Model Ys.
In its preliminary evaluation [1]notice [PDF], the NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation said it was aware of two reports of "complete detachment of the steering wheel from the steering column while driving."
While only two incidents have been reported, the NHTSA said its investigation concerns some 120,000 2023 Model Y vehicles that may also suffer from the same issue.
[2]
In both instances, the NHTSA said the Model Ys were delivered to owners without the inclusion of a rather critical retaining bolt that prevented such [3]rapid unscheduled disassembly of the wheel. That left friction fitting between the wheel and column splines to hold everything together, the NHTSA said, and "when the force exerted on the steering wheel overcame the resistance of the fiction fit" at least one of the owners ended up with a wheel right in his lap.
[4]
[5]
Although details of the incidents weren't included in the Agency's PE notice, the document did contain a link to an NHTSA [6]complaint [PDF] filed on January 29. That complaint appears to have been filed by Prerak Patel, who [7]tweeted at Tesla and its CEO Elon Musk on January 29 about the incident.
Patel said in his complaint that his family received their 2023 Model Y on January 24, and just five days later Patel "was driving on highway and all the sudden steering wheel f[e]ll, was lucky enough there was no car behind," the NHTSA complaint document summarized, indicating that he was able to pull onto the divider and call police.
[8]
Photos included in Patel's post show the wheel sitting in his lap, having detached right at the top of the column.
Tesla owners: Time to bolt?
It's worth noting this isn't the first time Tesla has dealt with issues from loose or missing bolts - nor even the first time the problem has dogged late-year Model Y vehicles.
Late last month Tesla [9]recalled [PDF] 4 percent of its 2022 and 2023 Model Y fleet - around 3,470 cars - in which the bolts holding the second-row seats weren't properly screwed in. As a result, Tesla said in its recall notice, "the seat belt system may not perform as designed in a collision, which may increase the risk of an injury for occupants seated in affected second-row seating positions."
In 2018, the company also [10]recalled Model S vehicles manufactured before 2016 due to steering bolts that were made from aluminum subject to corrosion from road salt used in cold weather.
Bolts are the least of Musk Auto's concerns, though, as the NHTSA has been doing a deep dive into safety concerns around Tesla's Autopilot and full self driving software that has caused a number of accidents, including frequent collisions with roadside emergency vehicles.
[11]
That probe, which began in 2021, was [12]upgraded to a formal engineering analysis last year, leading to the software being "recalled" via an over-the-air patch to address concerns that Tesla software made the vehicles behave unsafely around intersections.
That investigation and associated recall have been back in the news lately, as yesterday NHTSA officials said they were launching a probe into a fatal February 18 Tesla accident after finding the Tesla Model S that slammed into a fire truck was likely using Autopilot software at the time.
[13]Update your Tesla now before the windows put your fingers in a pinch
[14]Ex-Tweep mocked by Musk for asking if he'd actually been fired
[15]If Tesla Investor Day was about exciting investors then boy did it fail
[16]Shareholders accuse Tesla of overegging Autopilot, Full Self-Driving capabilities
That probe will be part of the NHTSA's larger continued investigation into Autopilot and FSD safety claims, the AP [17]reported . The crash, which killed the driver and injured a passenger and four emergency responders, occurred when the Tesla slammed into a fire truck that was parked diagonally across a road to block lanes while responding to another accident.
The NHTSA [18]said last year that Autopilot was involved in 70 percent of accidents in which automated driver assist software (ADAS) was being used. Tesla drivers may want to watch out for [19]dangerous windows too. ®
Get our [20]Tech Resources
[1] https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/inv/2023/INOA-PE23003-5769.PDF
[2] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_offbeat/front&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=2&c=2ZAplFrEH3ug9hAF4ItACXgAAABY&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D2%26raptor%3Dcondor%26pos%3Dtop%26test%3D0
[3] https://www.theregister.com/2015/01/16/watch_spacexs_falcon_crash_land_on_floating_barge_after_fluidic_fail/
[4] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_offbeat/front&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44ZAplFrEH3ug9hAF4ItACXgAAABY&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[5] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_offbeat/front&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=3&c=33ZAplFrEH3ug9hAF4ItACXgAAABY&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D3%26raptor%3Deagle%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[6] https://regmedia.co.uk/2023/03/09/tesla-steering-wheel-detach-complaint-patel.pdf
[7] https://twitter.com/preneh24/status/1619889507133976580?s=48&t=-diw7ET9CNnRr31mHffyfw
[8] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_offbeat/front&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44ZAplFrEH3ug9hAF4ItACXgAAABY&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[9] https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/rcl/2023/RCLRPT-23V130-5860.PDF
[10] https://www.tesla.com/en_eu/support/model-s-steering-assist-motor-bolt-recall
[11] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_offbeat/front&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=3&c=33ZAplFrEH3ug9hAF4ItACXgAAABY&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D3%26raptor%3Deagle%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[12] https://www.theregister.com/2022/06/09/nhtsa_tesla_autopilot/
[13] https://www.theregister.com/2022/09/22/tesla_update_nhtsa_fingers/
[14] https://www.theregister.com/2023/03/07/twitter_staffer_musk/
[15] https://www.theregister.com/2023/03/02/tesla_investor_day/
[16] https://www.theregister.com/2023/02/28/tesla_securities_fraud_lawsuit/
[17] https://apnews.com/article/musk-tesla-electric-vehicle-steering-wheel-c69867f4eb15bc582d956c309aeba95b
[18] https://www.theregister.com/2022/06/15/tesla_autopilot_accounts_for_70/
[19] https://www.theregister.com/2022/09/22/tesla_update_nhtsa_fingers/
[20] https://whitepapers.theregister.com/
In its preliminary evaluation [1]notice [PDF], the NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation said it was aware of two reports of "complete detachment of the steering wheel from the steering column while driving."
While only two incidents have been reported, the NHTSA said its investigation concerns some 120,000 2023 Model Y vehicles that may also suffer from the same issue.
[2]
In both instances, the NHTSA said the Model Ys were delivered to owners without the inclusion of a rather critical retaining bolt that prevented such [3]rapid unscheduled disassembly of the wheel. That left friction fitting between the wheel and column splines to hold everything together, the NHTSA said, and "when the force exerted on the steering wheel overcame the resistance of the fiction fit" at least one of the owners ended up with a wheel right in his lap.
[4]
[5]
Although details of the incidents weren't included in the Agency's PE notice, the document did contain a link to an NHTSA [6]complaint [PDF] filed on January 29. That complaint appears to have been filed by Prerak Patel, who [7]tweeted at Tesla and its CEO Elon Musk on January 29 about the incident.
Patel said in his complaint that his family received their 2023 Model Y on January 24, and just five days later Patel "was driving on highway and all the sudden steering wheel f[e]ll, was lucky enough there was no car behind," the NHTSA complaint document summarized, indicating that he was able to pull onto the divider and call police.
[8]
Photos included in Patel's post show the wheel sitting in his lap, having detached right at the top of the column.
Tesla owners: Time to bolt?
It's worth noting this isn't the first time Tesla has dealt with issues from loose or missing bolts - nor even the first time the problem has dogged late-year Model Y vehicles.
Late last month Tesla [9]recalled [PDF] 4 percent of its 2022 and 2023 Model Y fleet - around 3,470 cars - in which the bolts holding the second-row seats weren't properly screwed in. As a result, Tesla said in its recall notice, "the seat belt system may not perform as designed in a collision, which may increase the risk of an injury for occupants seated in affected second-row seating positions."
In 2018, the company also [10]recalled Model S vehicles manufactured before 2016 due to steering bolts that were made from aluminum subject to corrosion from road salt used in cold weather.
Bolts are the least of Musk Auto's concerns, though, as the NHTSA has been doing a deep dive into safety concerns around Tesla's Autopilot and full self driving software that has caused a number of accidents, including frequent collisions with roadside emergency vehicles.
[11]
That probe, which began in 2021, was [12]upgraded to a formal engineering analysis last year, leading to the software being "recalled" via an over-the-air patch to address concerns that Tesla software made the vehicles behave unsafely around intersections.
That investigation and associated recall have been back in the news lately, as yesterday NHTSA officials said they were launching a probe into a fatal February 18 Tesla accident after finding the Tesla Model S that slammed into a fire truck was likely using Autopilot software at the time.
[13]Update your Tesla now before the windows put your fingers in a pinch
[14]Ex-Tweep mocked by Musk for asking if he'd actually been fired
[15]If Tesla Investor Day was about exciting investors then boy did it fail
[16]Shareholders accuse Tesla of overegging Autopilot, Full Self-Driving capabilities
That probe will be part of the NHTSA's larger continued investigation into Autopilot and FSD safety claims, the AP [17]reported . The crash, which killed the driver and injured a passenger and four emergency responders, occurred when the Tesla slammed into a fire truck that was parked diagonally across a road to block lanes while responding to another accident.
The NHTSA [18]said last year that Autopilot was involved in 70 percent of accidents in which automated driver assist software (ADAS) was being used. Tesla drivers may want to watch out for [19]dangerous windows too. ®
Get our [20]Tech Resources
[1] https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/inv/2023/INOA-PE23003-5769.PDF
[2] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_offbeat/front&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=2&c=2ZAplFrEH3ug9hAF4ItACXgAAABY&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D2%26raptor%3Dcondor%26pos%3Dtop%26test%3D0
[3] https://www.theregister.com/2015/01/16/watch_spacexs_falcon_crash_land_on_floating_barge_after_fluidic_fail/
[4] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_offbeat/front&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44ZAplFrEH3ug9hAF4ItACXgAAABY&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[5] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_offbeat/front&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=3&c=33ZAplFrEH3ug9hAF4ItACXgAAABY&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D3%26raptor%3Deagle%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[6] https://regmedia.co.uk/2023/03/09/tesla-steering-wheel-detach-complaint-patel.pdf
[7] https://twitter.com/preneh24/status/1619889507133976580?s=48&t=-diw7ET9CNnRr31mHffyfw
[8] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_offbeat/front&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44ZAplFrEH3ug9hAF4ItACXgAAABY&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[9] https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/rcl/2023/RCLRPT-23V130-5860.PDF
[10] https://www.tesla.com/en_eu/support/model-s-steering-assist-motor-bolt-recall
[11] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_offbeat/front&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=3&c=33ZAplFrEH3ug9hAF4ItACXgAAABY&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D3%26raptor%3Deagle%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[12] https://www.theregister.com/2022/06/09/nhtsa_tesla_autopilot/
[13] https://www.theregister.com/2022/09/22/tesla_update_nhtsa_fingers/
[14] https://www.theregister.com/2023/03/07/twitter_staffer_musk/
[15] https://www.theregister.com/2023/03/02/tesla_investor_day/
[16] https://www.theregister.com/2023/02/28/tesla_securities_fraud_lawsuit/
[17] https://apnews.com/article/musk-tesla-electric-vehicle-steering-wheel-c69867f4eb15bc582d956c309aeba95b
[18] https://www.theregister.com/2022/06/15/tesla_autopilot_accounts_for_70/
[19] https://www.theregister.com/2022/09/22/tesla_update_nhtsa_fingers/
[20] https://whitepapers.theregister.com/
Re: The early bird gets the worm
Fruit and Nutcase
Makes a change - usually Tesla drivers make the news after they've been found not to have been holding the steering wheel
Re: The early bird gets the worm
Stork
- but the second mouse gets the cheese.
Elongated Muskrat
anthonyhegedus
When are people going to realise that this man is a fraud? There is only a certain amount you can do with money and a differently-wired brain. After a while you're going to have to actually make some proper fucking decisions and stop acting like a petulant brat.
They're not the only one - Nissan has the same problem
Gene Cash
Check out https://www.thedrive.com/news/2023-nissan-ariya-ev-recalled-because-the-steering-wheel-might-fall-off
"Thus far, Nissan has identified two cases where the steering wheel bolt was missing entirely. Investigation revealed that one technician was responsible for servicing both affected vehicles"
Who the hell leaves a steering wheel bolt off? Repeatedly?
I can (sort of) understand not fully torquing it down for whatever reason, but not even putting it in is a whole 'nother ball game.
Re: They're not the only one - Nissan has the same problem
Steve K
Well the most dangerous part of the car is the nut behind the steering wheel.
This was the reason for the omission.
Re: They're not the only one - Nissan has the same problem
Version 1.0
Don't keep turning left, that will cause the wheel to come off, you need to turn right every time you go left to keep the wheel tight.
Re: They're not the only one - Nissan has the same problem
M.V. Lipvig
That's almost correct politicially, and not politically correct. Rightist thinking gives you firm control over your future and your life is secure, while leftist thinking leaves you barreling down the road, with your life completely out of your control while risking taking others down with you.
Re: They're not the only one - Nissan has the same problem
Someone Else
Apparently, this guy got fired, and found a new job working for Tesla...
30s
elsergiovolador
Tesla now is like Ford in the 30s.
Owner is supporting certain unpleasant guy.
The early bird gets the worm
"Must have been holding it wrong"