Loss of Steering Latest Tesla Model S, X Recalls

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Tesla is recalling more than 40,000 2017-2021 Model S and Model X vehicles because the electronic power assist steering (EPAS) system may experience a loss of power steering assist when driving on rough roads or after hitting a pothole.

The latest recall was made public in a filing with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration made public today. Teslas built in Fremont CA and in use in North America, Europe, Australia, Hong Kong, South Korea, Taiwan, Macau and New Zealand are covered by this safety defect.

The problem is caused by “Firmware release 2022.36 includes calibration values that may result in reduced or lost power steering assist due to forces from external road dynamics (i.e. pot holes or bumps) being inadvertently classified as unexpected steering assist torque. Firmware release 2022.36.5 reverts the calibration values for the EPAS to pre-2022.36 values,” Tesla told NHTSA.

Tesla has released an over-the-air (OTA) software update to recalibrate the EPAS system, free of charge as required by federal safety regulations. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed 31 December 31 2022. Owners may contact Tesla customer service at 1-877-798-3752. Tesla’s number for this recall is SB-22-00-014. Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.nhtsa.gov.

Tesla Recall Timeline

• Beginning on October 18, 2022, Tesla identified an increasing rate of alerts related to the updated EPAS calibration values on certain 2017-2021 Model S and Model X vehicles.
• On October 19, 2022, Tesla began deploying firmware release 2022.36.5 to the vehicle fleet, which reverted the calibration values for the EPAS to pre-2022.36 values, while Engineering assessed potential root causes and evaluated the safety defect.
• From October 19, 2022, through October 24, 2022, Tesla investigated the alert occurrences and completed a risk assessment of the condition based on severity and rate of occurrence.
• On October 25, 2022, based on the risk assessment, Tesla decided to voluntarily recall the affected vehicles.
• As of November 1, 2022, Tesla identified 314 vehicle alerts for this condition among U.S. vehicles (received between October 11, 2022, and November 1, 2022) that are related to or may be related to this condition. Tesla is not aware of any injuries or deaths related to this safety defect.