NHTSA Complaint #11519678 — 2023 TESLA MODEL Y

April 22, 2023, at 7:00 pm: I stepped into the car at a local store parking lot and pushed my foot on the brake to unlock the vehicle. The wheel jerked hard right and made a thud. The screen warned that “Steering Assist Reduced” with an error code ui_a020. Power steering was disabled. I restarted the Tesla with dual buttons and left it alone for two minutes, but power steering did not return. The vehicle drove but was difficult to steer without power steering. We were less than a mile away and made it home with steering difficulties. I made a service request online to Tesla immediately. At home, I restarted using the dual buttons again and left the vehicle alone for longer. This time power steering felt like it partially returned, but when turning the wheel, it was clunky: every 1/8”, a bump in the steering was felt. I’ve now discovered other Model Ys in online forums with the same issue, and they describe a similar experience that the steering feels ‘notchy.’ The vehicle is available for inspection. I have attempted to drive it a little on my block, and it feels unsafe to steer. Tesla has moved my service visit from May 2 to May 25 due to a backlog of parts. They confirmed this is a recently known issue and noted the steering rack might be replaced entirely. No one has yet inspected the vehicle; it is sitting untouched in my driveway. Aside from the screen warnings of “Steering Assist Reduced” with an error code ui_a020, no other warnings were received. The error happened on a vehicle less than 30 days old: * Model Y * Dual Motor * Plant of Manufacture: Fremont, CA * Software Version: 2023.6.11 * Delivery: March 23, 2023 * Mileage: 800