Tesla has recently come under fire in the United States after the a federal safety regulator launched an investigation into multiple reports of its vehicles’ steering wheels falling off.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) was called to attention after owners of two model year 2023 Model Ys reported their steering wheels had detached from the car’s steering column while driving.
According to official documentation, both vehicles had been delivered to the customers without a retaining bolt which secures the wheel to the column.
The only thing holding them on was friction until the steering wheels detached.
NHTSA states that the issue applies to approximately 120,000 vehicles which will no doubt trigger a recall in the US.
One of the owners of the affected vehicles posted a tweet regarding the issue, stating that he was charged $US103.96 ($NZ170.37) to repair the problem even though it was a manufacturing defect. However, Tesla soon refunded the money.
The owner received a replacement Tesla Model Y shortly after the ordeal too.
NHTSA are still looking into the issue which it began investigating on March 4, 2023.
It was just last month when Tesla recalled over 360,000 vehicles after it was discovered its Full Self-Driving Beta (FSD) feature did not adequately adhere to road rules.
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