A few times the steering control has shut off while I am driving. Steering failure lasts a few seconds and then returns to normal function. The car makes a VERY loud alarm sound when the steering is inoperable. I have not seen any failure messages on the screen or in the Service menu. I took the car to Tesla for service yesterday. They did some sort of remote scan of the fault codes and told me that there is nothing wrong. They told me to continue to drive the car and record when the steering stops working again. This sounds like ridiculously bad advice to me. While the steering control has always returned in just a few seconds, that does not mean that it will in any future failure. I am concerned about driving this car. Tesla wants $275 an hour to investigate the problem, which also seems ridiculous to me. I have seen that there has been a recall for similar problems in newer Tesla Model S vehicles. It seems logical to me that these problems may be related and deserve additional investigation ... at Tesla's expense.
2015 Tesla Model S steering problems
51 complaints (8% of all complaints for this car). Typical mileage when it fails: 10,000. 3 crashes reported.
- owner complaints
- 51
- of this car's complaints
- 8%
- typical mileage
- 10,000
- crashes
- 3
- recalls
- 1
Which part fails
Owners did not name a specific part.
At what mileage
Complaints by mileage at the time of the problem.
Tesla Model S steering problems in other years
Specific symptoms reported on the 2015 Tesla Model S steering
Phrases found in the owners' own descriptions, so one complaint can mention several symptoms.
Related recalls
Steering: electric power assist system
- What is wrong
- Tesla, Inc. (Tesla) is recalling certain 2012-2016 Tesla Model S vehicles equipped with Bosch steering racks. The aluminum bolts that attach the power steering gear assist motor to the gear housing may corrode and fracture causing a reduction or complete loss of power steering assist.
- Risk
- Loss of power steering assist would require a higher steering effort, especially at lower speeds, which may increase the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Tesla will notify owners, and Tesla Service Centers will replace the steering gear mounting bolts and add a corrosion-preventative sealer, free of charge. The recall began May 7, 2019. Owners may contact Tesla customer service at 1‑877‑798‑3752. Tesla's number for this recall is SB-18-32-002.
Recall number 18V204000 · Recall details
What 2015 Tesla Model S owners say
Most recent owner complaints, unedited.
Steering: While driving today (7/5/2025), all of a sudden and without warning, "driver assist" (power steering) became disabled. Steering wheel immediately became heavy in the sense that it was extremely difficult to turn. Motor: Also, on 02/22/2024, while driving on the freeway at freeway speed, all of a sudden and without warning, the rear LDU (large drive unit) failed and the car became inoperable. At that time, the car had approximately 45k miles on it.
Electric power steering stopped working unexpectedly and making it very difficult to steer and drive safely.
While driving and mid-turn, 2 alerts were announced (park assist not available; steer assist reduced) and I immediately lost the ability to turn the steering wheel (it was 100% stiff) mid turn and was almost t-boned by a vehicle in on-coming traffic. I was able to make the turn widely and pull car to the side while blocking the only lane of traffic. I had ZERO warning and ZERO ability to turn the wheel even into a simple driveway. There was a parking lot near and I couldn't turn the wheel just to turn into it. This almost caused a huge accident which I could have been killed in. Luckily my children were not in the car. If the car can just stop working with no warning, it is not safe to drive in my opinion.
The universal joint that connects the steering to the wheels is exposed to the elements and causes the steering to be difficult and/or stop working.
This is the 3rd time a control arm on the car has cracked. I see tons of people online complaining about the same issue with the fault aluminum control arms. I have no damage and no rust and it just cracked on its on as i was backing out of a parking spot. I could have been seriously injured or my daughter had this happened on the highway. My dad is an issurance adjuster for 30 years and has never heard of any cars control arms cracking on their own. Please help as this is a huge safety issue and it seems Tesla has been putting the blame on the drivers. There was a grinding noise in reverse and the wheel was tilted inward. Multiple control arms have cracked in the car. A car that has no damage or accidents. This car is less than 10 years old and this doesn't happen with any other cars. It's a fault control arm part made out of cheap aluminum.
My car has intermittently given me the alert “steering assist decreased.” When this occurs, the wheel is a little stiff at street speed but drivable, but at very low speed, to park, for example, the wheel becomes nearly impossible to turn. It usually occurs when the car is already in motion. When the alert is not on, the steering is fine. It does seem to be happening more frequently since it first started about a month and a half ago. A Tesla technician looked at it today and stated the steering rack would have to be replaced as the power steering is what is impacted. I understand you already have an investigation ongoing into this problem.
The contact owns a 2015 Tesla Model S. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the limited steering warning light illuminated, and the power steering was inoperable. The contact was able to take the next exit to find a safe location on the side of the roadway. The contact reset the computer and the power steering became operable. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and the vehicle was being inspected. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 160,000.
the steering is hard to steer. I had to replace the i-shaft. It is dangerous to drive when it happens to you, I live in Wyoming and something needs to be done to stop these from going out, this is the second one I have had done since 11/11/21. I-SHAFT STEERING LINK - NON ISOLATOR - LOWER(1030622-00-A)
I have replaced the steering knuckle two separate times I-SHAFT STEERING LINK - NON ISOLATOR - LOWER(1030622-00-A) this makes is hard to steer and is dangerous. Tesla does not have an updated part for this. I have asked
Questions about the 2015 Tesla Model S steering
Does the 2015 Tesla Model S have steering problems?
Owners have filed 51 complaints about the steering of the 2015 Tesla Model S, 8% of all its complaints.
At what mileage do 2015 Tesla Model S steering problems start?
The typical (median) mileage in owner complaints is 10,000 miles.
Was there a recall on the 2015 Tesla Model S steering?
Yes, 1 recall: 18V204000. Check your VIN to see if your car still needs the free repair.
What year does the Tesla Model S have bad steering?
The Tesla Model S model years with the most steering complaints are 2016 (87 complaints), 2015 (51 complaints) and 2017 (49 complaints).
Other 2015 Tesla Model S problems
Electrical 269Suspension 150Driver assistance 71Lights 46Acceleration 40Visibility 39Fuel system 32Body 30Transmission 29Airbags 22Brakes 21Engine 17Wheels 13Locks 8Seat belts 3Seats 2
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