2021 Tesla Model Y Steering Problems
Owners have filed 94 complaints with NHTSA about steering problems on the 2021 Tesla Model Y, 9% of all complaints for this model year. Half of the reports with a mileage happened before 2,500 miles. The words owners use most often: “steering assist reduced” (13% of reports).
- 94steering complaints
- 2,500median miles at failure
- 10mention a crash
- 6mention an injury
- 3related recalls
- 40%of reports with a speed happened at 50+ mph
What owners describe
Phrases that appear unusually often in these complaints compared with complaints about other cars.
- Steering assist reduced: mentioned in 12 of 94 complaints (13%)
- Control arms: mentioned in 8 of 94 complaints (9%)
- Lateral link: mentioned in 6 of 94 complaints (6%)
- Unable turn: mentioned in 6 of 94 complaints (6%)
At what mileage do steering problems happen?
Based on 14 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 94 complaints, 10 mention a crash, 1 a fire, 6 an injury.
Tesla Model Y steering complaints by model year
| Model year | Steering complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 Model Y | 49 | 12% | 405 |
| 2025 Model Y | 9 | 8% | — |
| 2024 Model Y | 24 | 7% | 1,775 |
| 2023 Model Y | 215 | 18% | 10,500 |
| 2022 Model Y | 60 | 7% | 55,000 |
| 2021 Model Y | 94 | 9% | 2,500 |
| 2020 Model Y | 26 | 9% | 1,000 |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (3)
Steering:automated/adaptive steering
Problem: 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.
Fix: 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.
Forward collision avoidance: automatic emergency braking; electrical system:adas:driver monitoring:camera/sensor; lane departure: lane keep: automatic steering
Problem: Tesla, Inc. (Tesla) is recalling certain 2020-2021 Model 3 and 2021 Model Y vehicles. The fisheye and narrow camera cable terminals were incorrectly installed in the cable harness connector, resulting in swapped camera views.
Risk: Swapped camera views can prevent the vehicle's cameras from detecting crossing objects and high-curvature lane lines, impairing the Autosteer and Automatic Emergency Braking (AEB) performance, and increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Tesla Service will correct the swapped terminals and recalibrate the cameras, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed July 8, 2022. Owners may contact Tesla customer service at 1-877-798-3752. Tesla's number for this recall is SB-22-17-007.
Steering:automated/adaptive steering
Problem: 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.
Fix: 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.
What owners report
Short excerpts of recent complaints, with personal details removed. Full reports are on NHTSA.gov.
On XXX my 2021 Tesla Model Y, VIN [XXX], was taken to Tesla Service in West Covina, California, at 69,097 miles. While turning, a front suspension bolt fell out and the car knocked. Tesla estimate 3000-009-[redacted], service SV02F26AB8, dated XXX, quotes replacement of both front lower lateral…
My vehicle falls within the 2021â2023 Model Y population identified in NHTSA Preliminary Evaluation PE26-006. The vehicle is a 2021 Model Y and current mileage is 73,350 miles. I am experiencing progressively worsening front suspension squeaking/creaking when turning the steering wheel in either…
My 2021 Tesla Model Y developed a steering system/EPAS fault identified in Tesla Service Mode as EPAS3P_a072_motFeedFwdError, along with UI_a020 Steering Assist Reduced. Tesla diagnosed the vehicle as requiring replacement of the steering rack/EPAS assembly. Tesla informed me in writing that the…
Frequently asked questions
Do all 2021 Tesla Model Ys have steering problems?
No. NHTSA has 94 owner complaints about steering for the 2021 Tesla Model Y (9% of the 1,089 complaints for this model year). Complaint data shows that the problem is reported, not how many of all cars sold are affected.
Was there a recall on the 2021 Tesla Model Y steering?
Yes: 3 safety recalls list steering. Check your VIN on NHTSA.gov to see whether the fix was done on your car.
At what mileage do steering problems start?
The median reported mileage is 2,500 miles: half of the reports with a mileage came before that.
What do owners say about steering problems on the 2021 Tesla Model Y?
The most frequent phrase is “steering assist reduced”, in 12 of 94 complaints, followed by “control arms” (8).
Other 2021 Tesla Model Y problems
See all 2021 Tesla Model Y problems or steering problems across all Model Y years.