Tesla Model Y Steering Problems
Owners have filed 477 complaints with NHTSA about steering problems on the Tesla Model Y across 7 model years. The 2023 model year has the most (215). The words owners use most often: “service center” (13% of reports).
- 477steering complaints
- —median miles at failure
- 90mention a crash
- 40mention an injury
- 5related recalls
- 33%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.
- Service center: mentioned in 62 of 477 complaints (13%)
- Assist reduced: mentioned in 46 of 477 complaints (10%)
- Full self: mentioned in 41 of 477 complaints (9%)
- Steering rack: mentioned in 33 of 477 complaints (7%)
At what mileage do steering problems happen?
Based on 40 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 477 complaints, 90 mention a crash, 5 a fire, 40 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 (5)
Steering:electric power assist system
Model years: 2023
Problem: Tesla, Inc. (Tesla) is recalling certain 2023 Model 3 and Model Y vehicles operating software prior to 2023.38.4. The printed circuit board for the electronic power steering assist may experience an overstress condition, causing a loss of power steering assist when the vehicle reaches a stop and then accelerates again.
Risk: A loss of power steering assist can require greater steering effort, especially at low speeds, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Tesla has released an over-the-air (OTA) software update, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed March 25, 2025. Owners may contact Tesla customer service at 1-877-798-3752. Tesla's number for this recall is SB-25-00-004.
Steering:critical fasteners; steering: steering wheel/handle bar
Model years: 2022, 2023
Problem: 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.
Fix: 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.
Steering:automated/adaptive steering
Model years: 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023
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
Model years: 2021
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
Model years: 2020, 2021, 2022
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.
After making a left turn I got 2 alerts on my screen "steering assist reduced" and "lane departure disabled", I tried to reset the vehicle few times, but it didn't work, I drove it to Tesla repair center and they issued steering rack damage diagnosis, Tesla is removing and replacing the steering…
On 09/24/2026 at approximately 4:41 PM, my 2023 Tesla Model Y drifted toward the center divider. When I attempted to steer right, away from the divider, the steering felt locked and unresponsive, and the vehicle struck the divider at approximately 24 mph. Airbags did not deploy; no injuries…
The contact owns a 2022 Tesla Model Y. The contact stated that the steering wheel covering delaminated and detached from the steering wheel structure. The contact indicated that while turning the steering wheel, additional effort was required to grip the wheel. Both the dealer and manufacturer were…
On October 13, 2026, at approximately 1:30 PM, my 2023 Tesla Model Y was operating with Full Self-Driving (Supervised) engaged on I-595 in Davie, Florida. While approaching a closed Express Lane entrance, the vehicle steered toward the end of a swing gate barrier marked "DO NOT ENTER" and collided…
On XXX, I was driving my 2025 Tesla Model Y with Full Self-Driving (Supervised) engaged. While merging onto [XXX] in [XXX], the vehicle veered and crashed into the guardrail. I was not controlling the vehicle at the time â FSD (Supervised) was in control. Both of my child passengers were injured…
Frequently asked questions
Do all Tesla Model Ys have steering problems?
No. NHTSA has 477 owner complaints about steering for the Tesla Model Y. Complaint data shows that the problem is reported, not how many of all cars sold are affected.
Was there a recall on the Tesla Model Y steering?
Yes: 5 safety recalls list steering. Check your VIN on NHTSA.gov to see whether the fix was done on your car.
What do owners say about steering problems on the Tesla Model Y?
The most frequent phrase is “service center”, in 62 of 477 complaints, followed by “assist reduced” (46).
Other Tesla Model Y problems
See all Tesla Model Y problems.