The contact owns a 2018 Tesla Model 3. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 35 MPH, the steering disengaged. The vehicle was difficult to steer. The driver was able to veer off the road. The driver steering assist disengaged message was displayed. The local dealer was contacted and scheduled an appointment. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 23,505. The contact stated Tesla accepted no responsibility for the failure and charged close to $3000 to replace the unit.
2018 Tesla Model 3 steering complaints
Page 3 of 4: complaints 41 to 70 of 85, newest first, as owners wrote them.
Lost power steering. It started working again, but the dealership recommended a replacement due to corrosion which amounted to around 4k. Comprehensive insurance would not cover since the damage was gradual and not immediate.
Power steering went out in August 2023. It would go back on temporarily intermittently after turning the vehicle off and then on, but ultimately went out for good.
I am writing to report urgent safety concerns with my 2018 tesla model 3, software version 2023.44.30.5.1, after the federal safety agency recall on autopilot functionality. I have owned my vehicle for over 4 years and have never had concerns with the adas / auto-pilot / auto-steering functionality until the federal safety agency required changes in december 2024. While driving on I-405 in garden grove, ca, my vehicle while in adas / auto-steering / autopilot made repeated and unusually persistent attempts to change from lane 4 to lane 3. I had to manually cancel each attempt, despite my speed being set to match traffic flow. This issue never arose before the software update for the federal safety agency recall. Moreover, the vehicle consistently signaled for driver attention, despite my full attention to the road, a concerning new behavior post-update. The need to frequently override these undesired maneuvers forced me to disable the adas autopilot/auto-steering. This puts me and my vehicle occupants at risk, as I believe the adas system, functioning correctly pre-recall update, safely maintained distance from vehicles ahead and did not make unintended maneuvers to change lanes. These issues suggest the recall modifications adversely affect autopilot functionality, creating safety hazards. This is especially alarming given the potential for serious accidents due to unexpected lane changes and false driver attention alerts. I urge the federal safety agency to reconsider the recall modifications to tesla's auto-steer/autopilot adas features. It's crucial that recall adjustments do not jeopardize vehicle and vehicle occupants safety. A comprehensive review of the recall's impact is needed, potentially leading to an amendment or reversal, to ensure the safety of tesla users and other road users.
During the middle of a low speed turn i heard a loud thump and a metallic sound like a coin hitting the pavement. After completing the turn another strange noise followed by a dramatic change to steering of the vehicle - i would steel center but the car wanted to go left into oncoming traffic. I was able to steer hard right into the shoulder before any cars caused a collision and stop the vehicle. Upon inspection it was clear there was a major failure - the lower control arm for the left front wheel was on the asphalt and one of the bolts was missing, the other completely detached from the vehicle but still in the arm. The wheel had shifted considerably from its normal spot. If this had been at any higher speed or on a freeway this could have been a critical issue causing a life threatening accident and at this time my 5 year old daughter was in the car with me. I took photos and had the vehicle towed to the Tesla (maker) service center in Austin for evaluation. I noted later that there was a recall for this exact issue and this model year however they did not apply it to this vin, only a few hundred cars. I suspect there are many other vehicles with the same issue as the tow truck driver stated that he sees this problem all the time, several in the past few weeks which was troubling. I strongly urge a deeper look into this issue that causes the unexpected and sudden failure of the steering system and loss of control of the vehicle.
The front suspension lateral link fasteners on the driver side wheel came loose and fell off the car in my driveway when I was backing up the car. There is an active recall for this issue - 23V235000, but my VIN wasn't included in that recall.
First Occurrence (5 Oct 2023): On 5 Oct 2023, as I was backing my 2018 Tesla Model 3 into a parking spot, I heard a loud metallic sound as I turned the wheels. I stopped the car to investigate and found a large bolt (about four inches long) under the front end of the car. Further inspection revealed that a similar bolt was partially backed out of the steering linkage. I also noticed the left front wheel was no longer aligned with the right front wheel. I determined the car was not drivable and I had it flat-bedded to the nearest Tesla Service Center. The service center diagnosed that the bolt had fallen out of the left lateral link and the other bolt had partially backed out. Inspection of the bolt that was recovered under the car showed no sign of wear and tear with the threads being in good condition. After the repair was completed, I asked for this bolt back for the record, but the Service Center said they no longer had the bolt. Before the repair was performed, I asked the Tesla service manager to try to determine why this bolt may have fallen out and the other bolt partially backing out. He inspected the car as well as investigating past Tesla service history and there was no evidence of damage or a repair that would have caused this issue. Second Occurrence (20 Oct 2023): On 20 Oct 2023, just 9 days after the repaired car was returned, I heard the same loud mechanical sound and scrapping noises while parking the car. I looked under the car and found the bolts on the right lateral link had started to back out. I returned the car to the service center on 21 Oct 2023 for a second repair. I voiced concern that this was a continued safety issue as bolts on critical steering and alignment components should not just back out. Fortunately, the bolts fell or backed out in a parking lot and not while travelling at 70 mph ---- potentially resulting in a serious accident and injury. the federal safety agency Recall 23V‑235 should be expanded to more VINs.
"Self-Driving System" turned into a one-way road, going the wrong way when the road was well labeled. I have had similar problems every time I have activated self-driving over the past 6 years. It is easy to reproduce the issue at any time.
The steering wheel assistance reduced. Couldn’t turn steering wheel while driving. Happened two times. Last time happened today 11/18/2023 at about 1:30pm
I lose all steering assist while driving, have no power assist
I was turning into a parking spot when I heard a loud clanging sound, and I was unable to complete the turn. When I came out to look, the front driver's side wheel was slanted, as if in a turn, the passenger side wheel was straight. I had returned the steering wheel to center before I came out. I found a bolt behind the car, and through visual inspection saw that the front driver's side wheel was no longer attached to the steering shaft. The tow truck driver found another bolt under the car. Neither nut was recovered despite searching. Tesla support told me to tow it to their service center, where they repaired it for me for free, despite the fact that I was no longer under warranty. 1) Component that failed: Front Driver's Side control assembly 2) Safety at risk: the car was unsteerable at that point, at a higher speed, it would have cause d a crash 3) Confirmed by dealer, repaired by dealer. Invoice attached. 4) Has not been inspected by anyone other than the dealer, and superficially by the tow truck driver. 5) no warnings or symptoms observed before the incident. Attached: a) picture of the steering arm on the ground, disconnected from the steering shaft. b) picture of one of the recovered bolts. c) repair invoice from Tesla.
When driving couple of days back an alert "UI_a020 stating steering assist disabled" appeared on screen and the steering became stiff. Luckily I was on local road; so I slowed down and pulled over. This could cause a big safety issue if I am on a highway and unable to steer easily at high speed. I contacted Tesla; they suggested getting the steering rack replaced for ~$3000. This is a basic safety issue; fixing it should be covered by Tesla.
Power steering assist failed. I drove to work just fine but after briefly putting the car in park and then back into drive, an error message appeared on the screen (UI_a020 Steering assist reduced) and I could no longer steer the vehicle. I was fortunately able to drive straight ahead into a parking spot and turn it off. I tried waiting a few minutes but was unable to regain any ability to steer the car. He error message only showed after the condition occurred. There were no other warning signals ahead of the failure. Had this happened at speed the outcome could have been catastrophic. This just happened and I have not yet had the car inspected.
Steering well locked up after parking . Unable to turn wheel. Error code power steering failure . UI a020. Forced reset and then had to power down car. Waited 10 minutes. Then steering resumed. Drove to repair shop.
On 9/25/23 I was driving the Tesla Model 3 and had entered a parking garage when the steering suddenly locked and would not work while I was in drive mode. The Tesla screen gave a warning that additional force may be required to manouver. It was with a lot of difficulty that I was able to safely park the car in the garage and called Tesla support. I was instructed to power off the car and reboot. It was a situation that could have potentially put my life in danger and led to an accident had there been other vehicles nearby. I have owned the Tesla since April 2018 and have 39,000 miles.
The front suspension started making a lot of loud noises, the service center acknowledged that it's a control arm issue potentially however my VIN is not listed in a recall that was conducted for this manufacturer and they're doing more recalls on it but the manufacturer says that I have to pay for the repair despite it being a safety issue for the control arm not being tightened to the frame and suspension and potentially dislodge.
Steering column locked up in a left hand turn, braking system is the only thing that kept the car from going off a cliff. Steering column was just replaced, but I was told this wasn't a manufacturing default and was asked to pay. I was told the part is available if requested. Under 40K miles on the car. No accident occurred, no police or insurance companies have inspected anything because of this. I did not ask for the part and just picked up the car today, please let me know if I should request it.
Only when driving on HWY speeds 65 mph and above the steering pulls, while correcting to drive safely the car jerks and is very unsafe during hwy speeds as if i'm fighting to keep straight on the road. Tesla confirmed it was the lower lateral links which was replaced but did not fix the issue. the vehicle continues to have the same issue and now Telsa is saying the steering rack may need to be replaced. seems this is a common issue with this car!
I hit a medium sized pothole on a freeway in 2019 and cracked 2 rims. After replacing the rims and tires, I still had vibration. Now, over about 100-1000 miles, my alignment goes out and my suspension and steering begins to loosen (or feel that way), leading to steering instability, bounciness and vibration through the steering wheel. There are no warnings to identify this, but the car's own "applied offset diagnosis" will show this problem. I've been to Tesla over 10 times to attempt to repair this and they say the car is working as designed after redoing the alignment and torqueing suspension. On about 3-4 of these visits, Tesla has reproduced the problem on a test drive. In 8 of 10 of the visits, the alignment printout afterward shows the front left toe is out. Because they say this is how it is designed, I believe this is a design issue that could put myself and others at risk. I've replaced so many parts, I can only assume through process of elimination that it's the steering rack or something in the subframe being loose that's causing this. Maybe all the bolts in Teslas just get loose too easily. Overall my issue is that Tesla is unwilling to correctly diagnose or repair the problem, not necessarily that this happened in the first place. There could be thousands of other customers driving vehicles and Tesla deems as safe, but really are not.
This is on recal sb-20-31-006 r3. The ball joint of my tesla model 3. Squeaks/creaking, when I turn the steering wheel, when I drive slow, drive fast, hit any bump, turn. The noise has gotten louder. I was told by tesla taht my car does not qualify under the recal due to my VIN#. Requesting assistance to get this fixed.
I received a message on the cars screen Steering alignment service recommended On the drivers side 2 bolts fell out at low speed which we picked up behind the vehicle. Using a jack one of the bolts was reinstalled to allow it to be driven onto a tow truck. I researched and found you had a recall on 2018 model 3 for bolts coming loose. It appears my vin was not part of this recall . I feel it should have been obviously as they must have worked themselves loose to fall out. I discussed this with Tesla service and they are quoting me $2500 for repairs because my vin was not included in the recall.
I purchased this car used 12/05/2022. The seatbelt /driverside, doesn't catch on sudden stops, lurching me forward. I've almost hit the steering wheel with my face and head. Tesla says they are not responsible for replacing seatbelt. I have to pay for it. I don't know previous owners knew about this issue prior to selling it , but according to tesla, this issue doesn't fall with in their purview. Also the sealed control arm bushings on steering are squealing & after squeaking 10,000 miles of my driving this car and purchase. That too isn't covered.
I drive a 2018 Tesla, Model 3 mid range rear wheel drive vehicle. On Saturday, April 22, at approximately 5:10 pm, while driving on east bound on interstate 264 in Norfolk, Virginia, my car suddendly began swerving wildly from left to right. It nearly missed the median on the left and then swerved into the lane next to me on the right. It repeated this about 6 times before it allowed me to regain control of my car. I attempted with my best efforts to counter turn the steering wheel to no avail. During this time, I tried to control the vehicle, although the car's software was in control. It was frightening. If I had been on a two lane road, this could have resulted in a fatal head on collision. If there had been a pedestrian / bicyclist on the road the car that decided to drive itself could have struck a vulnerable person fatally. When I called Tesla service to report the incident, they did a quick review of the cars data and said there was some issues reported from the cars cameras. I asked for the root cause and for some reassurance that this would not happen again. I was told that sometimes the auto pilot cameras have issues and I may need to reboot the system to correct it. I was told that I should restart the software periodically as a preventive measure. I checked the owners manual, and found no mention of restarting the software regularly as preventive maintenance. Regardless of a reboot issue, a fatality could have occurred in a split moment, this dangerous event should never happen, amd a system should be in place to prevent this type of vehicle terror to never happen again. Thanks again!
I was driving the car about 35-40 MPH when I heard a popping sound. The steering immediately locked up and the car was undrivable and unsteerable. I looked around car and the body of the car was resting on top of the front right passenger side tire. A bolt was found underneath the car. There were no vehicle system warnings, I did not hit anything, nor has the car been in any accidents. The car could not even be put into neutral or moved out of the 4 lane road. I contacted police and tow truck who said swing arm had failed. I had four children in the car who could have been seriously or fatally injured. Tesla has been contacted but said it isnt their problem or a manufacturing problem although there is lots of reports on internet and they have issued a recall for this very problem on other models. I am very concerned about this safety issue that needs to be addressed since it is potentially very dangerous.
Car was steering properly when parked Dec 4th. Car sat for 5 days from Dec 5 until Dec 10 while we were out of town. Car was plugged in as recommended by Tesla during that time. On Dec 11 the screen information indicated the following "Steering Assist Reduced". No steering assist was available. Armstrong Steering was required to deliver to the service center. Any senior person with less than adequate strength requiring power steering would have difficulty safely driving the car. I noticed a recall or Model S and X for similar complaint.
Lateral and Comp Links Failed and Upper Control Arms Failed causing steering issues. Car has barely been driven and shouldn’t require repairs to these parts so early in its life.
Vehicle developed a loud squeak coming from driver’s side front wheel well that sounded like a something vibrating or rubbing a spring at ~54300 miles. Reported issue to Tesla via the Tesla app. Tesla’s recommended solution is to replace both the right and left Upper Control Arm. Further research found that this is a widespread problem reported by Tesla owners on the web. Indeed when I was at the Tesla Service Center the women in line in front of me was bring in her vehicle for the same problem. The upper control arms include a ball joint that needs to be lubricated. This vehicle’s upper control arms DO NOT have a built in means to lubricate that joint like a Zerk fitting. The vehicle is available for inspection. The safety issue here is a defective and/or poorly designed part which if left un-lubricated would likely experience water intrusion, corrosion and possible catastrophic failure – maybe breaking at speed. Our vehicle has lost lubricant at the ball joint given the noise and is likely susceptible to/experiencing water intrusion. Also found “SB-20-31-006 Service Bulletin Reseal Front Upper Control Arm Ball Joints”, but this curiously does not include our vehicles VIN. My suspicion is our Upper Control Arm has a different part number than the Upper Control Arm in SB-20-31-006 but is likely a very similar part. My concern is part number whack-a-mole is taking place. Tesla did not even have to inspect the car to know what the problem was. No other parties have inspected the part and no warnings, alerts, messages or other symptoms have occurred except for the horrible noise.
Hello. I am writing this report to describe a dramatic decrease in steering responsiveness and vehicle front-end control over my ownership of this car from new. Over about the last year, I have noticed that the steering and handling of the vehicle is not nearly as composed as it was when new. Today, the car has difficulty staying centered in the lane. This unsteadiness is especially evident at Interstate speeds (60-75mph) while the car enters a curve and experiences suspension loading. It feels loose and floaty, almost like the toe is changing while mid-corner. This results in "hunting" or back-and-forth steering inputs just to stay on center. Furthermore, any type of road imperfection causes dramatic bump steer. This culminates into white-knuckled grip driving, since the car will sharply pull out of its driving line. Performance driving, long road trips, or higher-speed cruising are no longer possible with this uncertain steering. Safety is somewhat impacted and the driving and ownership experience is dramatically diminished. For example, a new driver has difficulty with this car due to the ambiguous steering. Over the year this issue has continued, the car has been inspected exactly one dozen times, nine visits to various area Tesla Service Centers and three to reputable and performance-oriented suspension shops. They have confirmed some type of pulling but have yet to adequately resolve the issue. Across all service visits, I have requested and completed replacements of many front-end parts: solid lower control arm bushings, upper control arms, and wheel hubs. Also, a dozen alignments, few balances, and new tires. I have attempted to make an appointment with Tesla for a rack-and-pinion replacement, but they continue to serve alignment estimates and show a lack of willingness to truly troubleshoot my issue. The vehicle has not been inspected by police or insurance. There have been no warning messages related to steering hardware, computer, or control systems.
Started hearing noises in left wheel well and notifications of stability control disabled and alignment issues. We scheduled an appointment, but were told it was safe to drive. As I was picking up my son, the left wheel locked up and the car had to be towed to Tesla Service Center. Problem is exactly as the recall issues for the 2019 Model 3 and Y recall.
I own a 2018 Tesla Model 3. On December 1st, 2021 I heard a clunk in the front left wheel area while backing up. I stopped and found a 3 inch long 1/2 inch diameter bolt on the ground. I had my vehicle towed to the Tesla service center. They claimed that this was not associated to the recall for similar failure on 2019 and 2020 vehicles, but they extended the warranty and replaced the entire front end suspension system. Specifically, they claimed that this is not a safety issue, but they did me a "favor" by servicing this under warranty. The repair was exactly the same as the recall on the 2019 and 2020 Tesla model 3 cars. Then on January 14, 2022 I was driving over a very low speed bump and the entire right front end dropped. After inspection, it was visible that the same bolt that had dropped out of the left front tie rod had dropped out of the right front tie rod, but this time more catastrophically. Luckily, I was in a parking lot and driving slowly, but if I had hit a pothole on the highway 5 minutes earlier, it almost certainly would have cost me my life or severe injury. The tow truck driver noted that the bolt was only screwed in for less than 1/2 inch and there was no locktite on the bolt. I had the vehicle towed to the closest Tesla service center. I gave them the dropped bolt. I have not yet heard the resolution from Tesla. My biggest fear is that this is also a systemic issue on the 2018 Tesla Model 3 and it is not being addressed by Tesla. At this point in time, I am in fear of driving my vehicle whether they repair it successfully or not. Please advise me on how to protect myself on this issue. I am afraid that the repair technicians do not properly know how to repair this "clear" safety issue.
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