2023 Tesla Model 3: steering wheel locks up

Filed Sep 4, 2024 · Driver assistance, Steering · FL · crash

Steering wheel locked up while driving, causing a collision in the highway

Filed Aug 5, 2024 · Steering · 40,000 miles · MD

The contact owns a 2023 Tesla Model 3. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the steering wheel seized, and it became difficult to steer the vehicle. The contact stated the vehicle failed to respond while the brake pedal was depressed. No warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that the vehicle shuddered and almost caused the vehicle to crash against a guard rail. The contact stated that the auto steer avoided the rail but caused the vehicle to spin out. A Police report was filed but was not available. There were no injuries sustained. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 40,000.

Filed Jul 10, 2024 · Airbags, Brakes · DE · crash

The components that failed or malfunctioned include the braking system, steering system, and the airbag deployment mechanism. These critical systems experienced sudden and unexpected failures. Yes, the vehicle and its components are available for inspection upon request. -The sudden brake failure and steering wheel lock resulted in a complete loss of control over the vehicle. The inability to stop or steer the car properly led to it veering over the curb/grass area, posing a severe risk of collision. Additionally, the failure of the airbags to deploy during the impact further compromised my safety. This incident not only endangered my life but also posed a significant threat to the safety of other road users on Highway I676. -At this time, the problem has not been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center. Further investigation and inspection are necessary to determine the root cause of these critical system failures. -There were no warning lamps, messages, or other symptoms indicating any issues with the braking system, steering system, or airbags prior to the sudden failure. The malfunction occurred without any prior warning, which exacerbates the concern regarding the vehicle’s safety systems.

Filed Dec 26, 2023 · Electrical · 1,798 miles · CT · crash · 1 injury

The contact owns a 2023 Tesla Model 3. The contact stated after leaving the dealer for a previous issue with a locked steering wheel, the contact was driving 50 mph on an entrance ramp as he accelerated to merge onto the highway, the steering wheel seized to the right in non-autopilot mode causing the contact to crash into the guardrail on the right side. The contact injured his neck and received medical attention. The emergency respondent was not called, but the contact obtained a police report. The vehicle was towed to the dealer but remains unrepaired, and needed engineers' diagnosis and legal investigation by Tesla. The contact received notification of the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 23V838000 (Electrical System). The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 1,798.

Filed Sep 15, 2023 · Steering · CA

Steering wheel froze while attempting to turn across opposing traffic into shopping center nearly resulting in an accident. Was able to forcefully turn into a parking lot and turn off the car. Steering notification came on. After ten minutes car seemed to resume back to normal. This caused insurmountable anxiety and I was unable to return to work. Car was towed to service center and estimated repair will take 2-3 days. This was a brand new car I bought for safety yet the safety of me and my children were jeopardized!

Filed Aug 23, 2023 · Steering · AZ

Steering wheel locked up while operating not allowing me to turn the wheel. Loss of power steering and control. Screen displaying error "Steering assist reduced" when in reality was completely unable to steer. Vehicle still powered and accelerated however no control over steering.

Filed Aug 17, 2023 · Steering · 4,369 miles · CO

The contact owns a 2023 Tesla Model 3. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the steering wheel seized, and excessive force was required to steer the vehicle to the left. The "Steering Assist Reduced - Steering Require Increased Effort” message was displayed on the contact's smart phone, but not on the radio home screen. The contact sent a message to Tesla through the app; however, the contact had not yet received a response. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The failure mileage was 4,369.

Filed Jul 2, 2023 · Steering · VA

I took delivery of the Tesla Performance Model 3 on June 15th, 2023. Two weeks later, the car is giving me issues. Today while driving and making a left turn, the steering wheel locked up while showing an error code UI_a020 stating steering assist is disabled. This vehicle has only been driven 575 miles. Vehicle steering gets locked, and once you get out and get back in, the car code disappears; however after driving a mile or 2 code reappears, and the steering gets very stiff, making it almost impossible to turn in either direction. Very unsafe and unreliable to drive on highways at high speeds. Please investigate this matter, as I am not the only one with this issue.