And another reminder for Tesla: 376,000 Model Y/3 this time!

An electronic bug affecting the power steering of the Tesla Model Y and Model 3 impacts nearly 380,000 vehicles worldwide.

What is happening at Tesla? Is the race for profitability generating so many design errors? For months now, the recalls mandated by the American safety authority NHTSA have exploded. And the entire range is concerned, especially the fanciful electric pickup Cybertruck.

Despite their years in production, electronic bugs have just appeared on the best-sellers Tesla Model Y and Model 3. This is due to the incessant updates that, while fixing one issue, often create others elsewhere. This is not reassuring at a time when electronics almost have the power of life or death over passengers in the event of a total failure. We remember how speed regulator problems in the early 2000s harmed the image of Renault, for example.

In the case of Tesla, thanks to effective communication, all these incidents (some fatal) are minimized, even trivialized. The latest example is this official recall mandated by the NHTSA that Tesla turns into a “remote over-the-air fix,” without even requiring the customer to visit a dealership to replace any mechanical parts.

Sudden Loss of Power Steering

The 376,241 units affected by a sudden loss of power steering assistance were all produced in 2023, which is nearly two years ago. The culprit, according to Tesla, is a printed circuit board in the power steering system that may undergo excessive stress during low-speed maneuvers.

While the vehicle continues to receive assistance while driving, this support may disappear after a complete stop, even when resuming driving. This defect, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), poses a risk to driver safety.

This approach, while practical, raises questions about quality management at Tesla. The company frequently implements fixes after the release of its vehicles, giving the impression of a high number of recalls. This trend could be linked to less thorough testing phases compared to its competitors.

A Problem Identified After More Than 3,000 Claims

In an official report, Tesla indicates that it has recorded 3,012 warranty requests and 570 field reports related to this defect as of January 10, 2025. The problem affects vehicles operating with software versions prior to 2023.38.4. According to the NHTSA, the failure occurs when the car comes to a complete stop, preventing the steering assistance from reactivating upon restart. A warning light appears if the anomaly occurs at speeds above 0 km/h, and manual steering remains available through the physical steering column.

This recall once again illustrates the limits of the “software-only” approach in the automotive industry, which seeks to eliminate mechanical steering in favor of 100% by-wire systems that are more susceptible to electronic bugs.

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