While operating my 2022 tesla model y, the vehicle suffered a catastrophic hardware failure of the onboard vehicle control computer. This total computer failure resulted in an immediate, sudden loss of electronic power steering assist while the vehicle was in motion. The steering wheel became incredibly stiff and heavy, creating a severe and hazarders driving situation. the vehicle was towed to a tesla service center, where technicians confirmed the onboard computer hardware requires a complete replacement. A vital computer failing prematurely on a 2022 vehicle presents an extreme safety risk of crash or injury due to sudden loss of vehicle control.
2022 Tesla Model Y: loss of power steering
10 of the 880 complaints about the 2022 Tesla Model Y describe loss of power steering.
- owner complaints
- 10
- of this car's complaints
- 1%
- recalls
- 3
Loss of power steering by model year
What owners say
I was backing out of my residential driveway when I suddenly noticed the steering wheel required much greater effort than normal, indicating a loss of power steering. There were no prior warning messages or symptoms before this event. As I began driving, multiple warnings appeared on the display, including “Steering Assist Reduced,” “Stability Control Disabled,” “Traction Control Disabled,” and “Vehicle Hold Unavailable.” The steering immediately became extremely heavy, making the vehicle difficult to maneuver safely. Because the failure occurred without warning, I did not feel it was safe to continue driving except to move the vehicle as necessary. The vehicle was subsequently inspected by a Tesla Service Center, which confirmed that the steering rack and Front Vehicle Controller required replacement. The repair was performed by Tesla after diagnosis. I am submitting this report because a sudden loss of steering assist without any prior warning presents a significant safety risk. Although this occurred while pulling out of my driveway, the same failure could occur while a driver is traveling at higher speeds or in traffic, where maintaining control of the vehicle could be much more difficult.
Bolts for front lower lateral links in suspension backed themselves out over time, eventually causing the suspension to suffer a total collapse and trigger a complete loss of steering authority.
Front driver side lower control arm bolts came off without external forces. Both bolts fell off with no damage to the threads. Tesla service stated that they were possible not seated or missing per their inspection. Further er damage was caused by this defective part leading to the car not being operable due to no steering and no drive as well as wheel literally coming off the car.
Front driver side lower control arm bolts came off without external forces. Both bolts fell off with no damage to the threads. Tesla service stated that upon inspection of their technician it is determined that the front left lower link bolt was either not properly seated or missing which caused a defective front lower link bushing. (I included a screenshot of their finding). The damage was caused by this defective part leading to the car not being unsafe and inoperable due to no steering and no drive as well as wheel literally coming off the car while in motion. Luckily I was simply backing into my driveway when this failure happened narrowly avoiding a potential life threatening accident. I have researched that this was a known issue for my exact make and model just months before my car was purchased in march 2022. I have attached the document "Part 573 Safety Recall Report 21V‑835. Unfortunately, Tesla refuses to admit the defect when it was time to pay for the repairs despite clearly admitting it on their initial inspection, leaving me with the repair bill.
The car will continue losing power steering while driving making it very hard to steer. It has happened at all levels of speed.
Just days after taking delivery of our first Tesla (2022 Model Y, second-hand ), we experienced a dangerous incident. While Autopilot was engaged, the vehicle failed to slow down or properly navigate a curb near a roundabout. Despite our immediate manual intervention, the front wheel was damaged, resulting in loss of steering and a repair bill exceeding $7,000. After the incident, we were surprised and alarmed to learn that Tesla’s Autopilot is widely known to be unreliable and risky in urban settings. Yet, Tesla imposes no restrictions or clear warnings on its use in such areas, even where the vehicle’s software could easily identify elevated risks. Autopilot handles highways reasonably well, following lanes, making turns, and maintaining distance from other vehicles. This creates a misleading impression that it will perform just as effectively on city roads. However, city roads are far more complex, and the brief transition from Autopilot to human control is often insufficient to prevent accidents. Our experience painfully illustrates this. What concerns us most is that Tesla includes Autopilot as a standard feature but fails to adequately educate users about its limitations. There are no effective restrictions to prevent the system’s use in high-risk scenarios, nor are there built-in warnings when the system is engaged in unsuitable driving environments. This creates extremely dangerous situations for customers. Every life is valuable and deserves proper protection. In addition to the physical damage, the emotional toll after the incident has been significant. What feels especially unjust is Tesla’s response. The company has shown indifference, refusing to take responsibility or provide any compensation for an incident caused by clear system design flaws. We are submitting this report in the hope of preventing similar accidents and receiving the compensation we rightfully deserve. (The vehicle issue has been inspected and confirmed by the Tesla Service Center)
Unwanted Lane Assistance in Tesla Model Y made the car swerve to side. When I tried correcting it, the steering got hard to control and whole car swirled 360 degrees and hit shoulder rail. Brakes didn’t slow the car.
By ~10:30PM, [XXX], my TESTLA Y 2022 lost power steering at the intersection of [XXX] . I was making left turn and found my car could only slightly turn left since the power steering was basically lost, almost being hit by a red sedan. There was a yellow sign on my TESTA computer: "Steering assist reduced. Steering may require increased effort". About midnight, [XXX], I called the Roadside Assistance of TESLA, informing them what went wrong. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
I received a power steering reduced notice on the car screen and the power steering failed. Restarting the car resolved the issue. There was a technician present when this occurred and he could not discover why it happened. If I had been driving at high speeds I would have crashed.
Service bulletins that may apply
Related recalls
Steering: critical fasteners
- What is wrong
- Tesla, Inc. (Tesla) is recalling certain 2022-2023 Model Y vehicles. The steering wheel fastener may be loose.
- Risk
- A loose fastener may allow the steering wheel to disconnect from the steering column, which can cause a loss of steering control and increase the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Tesla Service will inspect and replace the fastener as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were be mailed July 28, 2023. Tesla's number for this recall is SB-23-32-001.
Recall number 23V385000 · Recall details
Steering: automated/adaptive steering
- What is wrong
- Tesla, Inc. (Tesla) is recalling certain 2016-2023 Model S, Model X, 2017-2023 Model 3, and 2020-2023 Model Y vehicles equipped with Full Self-Driving Beta (FSD Beta) software or pending installation. The FSD Beta system may allow the vehicle to act unsafe around intersections, such as traveling straight through an intersection while in a turn-only lane, entering a stop sign-controlled intersection without coming to a complete stop, or proceeding into an intersection during a steady yellow traffic signal without due caution. In addition, the system may respond insufficiently to changes in posted speed limits or not adequately account for the driver's adjustment of the vehicle's speed to exceed posted speed limits.
- Risk
- FSD Beta software that allows a vehicle to exceed speed limits or travel through intersections in an unlawful or unpredictable manner increases the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Tesla will release an over-the-air (OTA) software update, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed April 15, 2023. Owners may contact Tesla customer service at 1‑877‑798‑3752. Tesla's number for this recall is SB-23-00-001.
Recall number 23V085000 · Recall details
Steering: automated/adaptive steering
- What is wrong
- Tesla, Inc. (Tesla) is recalling certain 2016-2022 Model S and Model X, 2017-2022 Model 3, and 2020-2022 Model Y vehicles. The "rolling stop" functionality available as part of the Full Self-Driving (Beta) software may allow the vehicle to travel through an all-way stop intersection without first coming to a stop.
- Risk
- Failing to stop at a stop sign can increase the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Tesla will perform an over-the-air (OTA) software update that disables the "rolling stop" functionality, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed March 28, 2022. Owners may contact Tesla customer service at 1‑877‑798‑3752. Tesla's number for this recall is SB-22-00-001.
Recall number 22V037000 · Recall details
Questions about the 2022 Tesla Model Y power steering loss
Is loss of power steering a common problem on the 2022 Tesla Model Y?
10 of 880 owner complaints about the 2022 Tesla Model Y (1%) mention loss of power steering. The model year with the most reports is 2023.
Is there a recall or service bulletin for this on the 2022 Tesla Model Y?
There are 3 recalls and 2 service bulletins for the same area of the car. Check them below with your VIN.
Other symptoms on the 2022 Tesla Model Y
Adaptive cruise 249Phantom braking 165Collision warning 28Ball joint 20Lane assist 18Wipers 18Headlights 17Backup camera 15Jerking 15Seat belt 15Sudden acceleration 12No deployment 9Door locks 8Loss of power 7Tire blowout 7Grinding brakes 6Fire or smoke 6Screen failure 6Stalling 6Pulling 5Windshield crack 5
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