2014 Tesla Model S steering problems

Filed Feb 12, 2026 · Steering · 180,000 miles · WA · crash · 1 injury

The contact owned a 2014 Tesla Model S. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed on the highway, the vehicle exited into a tunnel. The contact stated that his hands were on the steering wheel and that the steering wheel did not move; however, the vehicle inadvertently made a sharp left turn, and the passenger-side headlight struck the tunnel wall. The vehicle spun rapidly, and the contact's head snapped to the right. The air bags did not deploy. The contact received medical attention for whiplash. Police were made aware of the crash but did not arrive on the scene. There was no police report filed. The contact pulled over on the shoulder of the road and then restarted the vehicle. The vehicle had driven for a mile when the tire pressure dropped to zero. The vehicle was towed to the residence and then to a tow yard, where it was deemed totaled by the insurance company. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 180,000.

Filed Jul 10, 2024 · Steering · MA

The steering assist failed while driving. Causing near collision and very difficult to drive.

Filed Dec 10, 2023 · Steering · WA

I had a hard braking event to avoid a collision with a vehicle that ran a red light in front of me and immediately lost power steering and was notified park assist was also unavailable. Error codes EPAS_w001, EPAS_w002, and a GTW code I can’t remember. After leaving the vehicle on a charger overnight, the error codes disappeared and power steering returned.

Filed Aug 24, 2023 · Steering · CA

My car developed a handling problem. I took it to Tesla service and they told me it was a bent tie rod. The part was ordered and I took the car back in to have it installed around a month later. However, they then decided it wasn't a bent tie rod and instead was an alignment issue. They did an alignment and told me the car was fixed. The car was not fixed. I have taken the vehicle in several more times and test driven with multiple mechanics/technicians. They all agreed that there is a handling issue but it doesn't seem that bad and they've seen much worse from other Teslas (implying it is an issue with other cars as well). At this point I am told there is nothing they can do to the car despite it being somewhat dangerous. The car pulls extremely hard to the left under acceleration and pulls to the right under deceleration. However, I have had an alignment done multiple times, I've put new factory spec tires and rims on the car and replaced all of the front suspension including bushings and control arms. At freeway speeds, if you accelerate to pass, the car will veer aggressively to the left towards possible oncoming traffic. Imperfections in the road cause the car to jump around in an unpredictable manner. Not only is my car dangerous but the technicians telling me they have seen this behavior in other cars is a huge cause for concern.

Filed Aug 6, 2023 · Acceleration, Engine · MO

The rear motor (drive unit) has gone out on this car twice in the last four years. I purchased it after it was last repaired. It most recently went out on 08/04/2023. When it went out two days ago it had less than 30,000 miles on it. This car has a motor on both the front and rear axles, so while the vehichle was still moving forward, if it slowed down at all that would engage the regenerative braking. Once regenerative breaking was engaged, the rear drive unit would normal perform that function, but since it was out, it simply knocked the vehicle out of drive and made the transmission flash red. During this part, steering was affected in that the power steering was out, and the ability to move forward was diminished because the vehicle came out of gear. I was able to put my foot briefly on the brake and then tap the car back into drive, but anytime the car slowed down and engaged regenerative braking, this process would repeat. Looking at the forums, this is a known problem. As already stated, this is the second time in less than four years that this motor has needed replacement. Additionally, Tesla is saying that this motor is did not have a warranty on it, despite the fact that it was replaced only a few years ago. In my opinion, this is a clear safety issue. Reviewing the forums, it seems as though this issue is an endemic problem associated with the Tesla Model S from a range of years between 2012-2015. It is more probable than not that the company is aware of this deficit and has chosen to do nothing about it.

Filed Aug 20, 2022 · Brakes, Steering · CA · crash

This is a follow up to my last two complaints of sudden swerves that are probably causd by suspension failure. It is in my opinion highly probable that the suspension is likely to snap when brakes are suddenly slammed on hard at speed. This is known as Tesla "Phantom Braking" and you have hundreds of complaints about this on file. This situation is extremely dangerous. Not only might a Tesla that Phantom Brakes be run over by a following truck but if the suspension snaps it can cause the Tesla to veer into the oncoming lane with fatal results. As a precautionary measure I believe you should immediately ban Tesla adaptive cruise control and autopilot because these are the reason that phantom braking occurs. People are getting killed almost daily. Please stop this deadly experiment. Here is a near miss event. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XTk_T4olbws&lc=UgyIL5XI31XvUg7cg_F4AaABAg

Filed Aug 19, 2022 · Steering, Suspension · CA · crash

This is a follow up report on the issue of sudden swerves by Teslas that have often proved fatal. Please note that I have used a random VIN since the VIN of the car in the crash is unknown. Also please not that as a non US resident I have had to use a dummy US address to enable the report. My true contact details are supplied. Here is a video taken by dashcam showing a Tesla ( actual year and model unknown) making a sudden violent swerve to the left and then back to the right and colliding with other vehicles. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XTk_T4olbws Sudden suspension breakages are happening to all years and models of Telsas. The quality of parts is not good and Tesla does not follow up on the causes of these failures. I beg of you to take action before more tragic crashes occur. They are crashes, not accidents. There is nothing accidental about weak suspensions snapping on the highway.

Filed Aug 16, 2022 · Steering, Suspension · CA · crash

Please note that this complaint is about a fatal crash involving a 2014 Tesla Model S but because I do not know the VIN I have used the VIN of a wrecked car in a junkyard. Please also note that I have supplied my full name and contact details in this submission but I have used a dummy USA address to satisfy your website requirements. I have been informed that is OK for a non-Tesla owner and a non-US resident to file a complaint particularly when it is regarding a defect that is a danger to the public. There has been a quadruple fatality crash today in which a Tesla veered into the front of an oncoming semi. https://www.mercurynews.com/2022/08/15/four-killed-when-tesla-and-big-rig-collide-near-hollister/ The 2014 Tesla predates Autopilot so it is almost certain that this sudden swerve into the truck was caused by a mechanical failure, Teslas have been suddenly swerving since the Tesla was first released. There is sufficient evidence from the actual owners complaints that are listed on the federal safety agency database. Additionally my Flickr Album shows multiple examples of broken suspensions and also a report from an employee of a cast alloy suspension part supplier who reports that proper quality procedures were not followed. https://www.flickr.com/photos/136377865@N05/albums/72157658490111523

Filed Aug 15, 2022 · Steering · 48,000 miles · CA

The contact owns a 2014 Tesla Model- S. The contact stated while driving at 60 MPH another vehicle was merging into the left lane where she was driving, and she made an immediate turn into the right lane. The contact stated she felt the vehicle pulled strongly into the right lane and then pulled back strongly into the left lane, and it happen several times until the vehicle started to operate normally. The dealer was contacted and was not able to set an appointment. The failure mileage was 48,000.

Filed Jun 15, 2022 · Steering · WA

While driving the car at regular freeway speeds (50-65 MPH) on a sunny spring day, the vehicle displayed a warning message that "Power steering was reduced." This made steering the vehicle more difficult and dangerous in curves or during unexpected lane adjustments to accommodate traffic changes. The car's warning message did not go away and continued to warn that "Power steering was reduced." After bringing the vehicle to the Tesla Service Center, the staff confirmed that the steering rack and the harnesses attached to the steering motor had corroded and needed to be replaced. This Tesla model and year had another voluntary recall due to the bolts on the steering bolt corroding but the Tesla Service staff said this new issue was not related to the bolts but rather than steering rack and harnesses connected to the steering motor. When I asked what causes the steering rack and harnesses to fail, the technician said that exposure to the elements light water and snow causes corrosion. I asked if there was any way to prevent this from happening again and they said no. He mentioned that Tesla's newer Model S models now have a protective gear around the steering rack to prevent water corrosion but that the older Model S models did not have this protection and thus caused them to corrode and eventually fail. This issue is not normal wear and tear. This steering rack and harness failure has to do with exposure to the elements, the same reason that led Tesla to do a voluntary recall on the steering motor bolts. This steering rack issue is caused by the same issue affecting the steering motor bolts and therefore, Tesla should do a recall and replace the rack and harnesses at no cost to the customer.