Tesla recalls Model Y because its steering wheel might fall off

Tesla has launched a small recall campaign after receiving a notification from NHTSA about an assembly defect 137 Model Y SUVs shipped with that could cause the steering wheel to detach from the column while driving. Carscoops points out that the automaker had refused to initiate the recall without third-party investigation results at hand.

All 137 affected cars will be recalled, but the company believes only between 13 and 15 may actually have any wheel fixation issues. In its report submitted to NHTSA, Tesla pointed that a maintenance specialist accidentally found the wheel improperly secured in just one Model Y.

The National Highway Transport Safety Administration has launched an investigation into two more cases believed to be linked to this case. Aggravating the situation is that Tesla car owners have been reporting similar issues for years with no action on the manufacturer’s part. For instance, a Model 3 driver barely escaped injury in 2020 when the steering wheel of his car simply fell off during driving.