NHTSA Complaint #11041439 — 2014 TESLA MODEL S

HERE IS A TESLA DISCUSSION THREAD IN WHICH A TESLA OWNER REPORTS THAT HIS POWER STEERING HAS FALLEN APART: HTTPS://TESLAMOTORSCLUB.COM/TMC/THREADS/POWER-STEERING-FALLING-APART.100951/ **SNIP - YESTERDAY, ALL OF A SUDDEN, MY STEERING STARTED MAKING SOME BAD NOISES - CLUNKS AND SCREECHES. TODAY I REMOVED THE TUB AND FOUND 2 OF THE 3 BOLTS THAT MOUNT THE ELECTRIC STEERING ASSIST TO THE RACK HAD SHEARED OFF. ANOTHER 2 BOLTS, ALONG WITH THOSE 3, HOLD TWO PARTS OF THE RACK TOGETHER. ONE OF THOSE IS ALSO BROKEN. IT CAN'T ESCAPE BECAUSE IT'S TOO LONG TO COME OUT ALL THE WAY WHERE IT'S SITUATED. ODDLY ENOUGH, THERE ARE 3 MORE THREADED HOLES (EXACTLY ADJACENT TO THE 3 USED IN ASSEMBLY) IN THE ELECTRIC ASSIST; SO I DIDN'T HAVE TO DRILL THE BROKEN ONES OUT. I FILED THEM DOWN TO FLUSH AND PUT 3 NEW BOLTS IN. (THE LAST ONE WAS BENT.) I'M PRETTY SURE THE ORIGINALS ARE ALUMINUM, BUT BEING SUNDAY I JUST WENT TO THE LOCAL HARDWARE STORE AND BOUGHT WHAT THEY HAD. BTW THEY ARE 8MM X 1.25, 65MM LONG.** I AM CERTAIN THAT BOSCH THE MAKER OF THE STEERING RACK WOULD HAVE HAD THOSE BOLTS SECURELY LOCKED TO PREVENT THEM FROM FALLING OUT. TESLA MOTORS HAVE AN UNUSUAL HABIT OF USING FELT TIP "WITNESS MARKS" TO MONITOR MOVEMENT OF MANY BOLTS ON THE CARS. GREEN MARKS ON SOME BOLTS CAN BE SEEN ON THE PHOTOGRAPH OF THE STEERING BOX. THIS SUGGESTS THAT THEY ARE NOT CONFIDENT THE BOLTS ARE SECURELY FASTENED. OTHER CAR MANUFACTURERS ENSURE THAT ALL OF THEIR TECHNICIANS ARE PROPERLY TRAINED IN THE IMPORTANCE OF SECURING FASTENERS CORRECTLY SO THAT THEY WILL NOT LOOSEN UNDER VIBRATION. THIS LOOSE STEERING ASSEMBLY COULD EASILY HAVE CAUSED A FATAL CRASH. IT IS EVEN MORE DANGEROUS IN THE CASE OF CARS FITTED WITH SO CALLED AUTOPILOT. PLEASE INVESTIGATE. CONCERNED CITIZEN.