Tesla Breaks Silence on Potential Power Steering Flaw, Recalls Over 40,000 Cars

Andi C., Tech Times 08 November 2022, 02:11 pm

Tesla, Inc. addresses the Power Steering flaw in certain Tesla car models, causing them to recall the electric vehicles.

According to a safety recall report filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) on Nov. 1, Tesla voluntarily recalled a number of 40,168 Tesla cars, particularly the Model S and Model X vehicles, from years 2017 to 2021 due to the risk of losing its power steering assist.

The power steering issue comes after an Oct. 11 firmware release that recalibrated "values for the electronic power assist steering (EPAS) system to better detect unexpected steering assist torque", according to Yahoo. However, an issue following the update caused some vehicles to lose its power steering while driving over bumpy roads.

Tesla Addresses Power Steeling Flaw

Following the issued recall of 40,168 Model S and Model X Tesla vehicles, Tesla broke their silence in a publicly released safety recall report filed to the NHTSA.

"In rare cases on certain 2017-2021 Model S and Model X vehicles, the updated calibration values may result in reduced or lost power steering assist due to forces from external road dynamics," Tesla described in the Safety Recall report. "Reduced or lost power steering assist does not affect steering control, but could require greater steering effort from the driver, particularly at low speeds."

Tesla revealed that a total of 314 vehicles were identified with the issue. Fortunately, Tesla disclosed that there are currently no reported injuries or deaths due to the vehicle flaw. The vehicle recall requires a software update to fix the power steering issue to eliminate the risk. As of Nov. 1, at least 97% of the recalled vehicles installed an update that addresses the power steering issue, with no further action necessary from the Tesla car owners.

Alarmingly, Not the First Tesla Recall

The latest power steering flaw marks the company's 17th vehicle recall that Tesla has issued this year.

In September, the company was the subject of controversial headlines following the recall of almost 1.1 million Tesla cars in the U.S. over faulty power window functionality. Additionally, Tesla car owners have reported issues with seat belt chimes, overheating infotainment systems, and a Full Self Driving bug that let vehicles pass through stop signs this year.

Additionally, Tesla had to recall over 578,000 cars after the company was called out to fix its Boombox feature over safety concerns, violating a federal safety rule that requires a clear audible sound when vehicles are moving at speeds below 18.6 Miles per hour to promote drivers' environment awareness.

Alarmingly, the power steering flaw caused Tesla's stock value to drop sharply in recent weeks, according to Engadget. As of now, no representatives of Tesla CEO Elon Musk have given any comment about the dropping trust in the vehicle company.

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Written by: Andi C.