NHTSA Complaint #11538099 — 2023 TESLA MODEL Y

Steering wheel locked up while driving under normal conditions at 45 MPH. I was exiting the highway at this time and was luckily able to come to a complete stop. The car had to be towed to the Tesla service center. This is a brand new 2023 Tesla Y purchased a month ago. The steering wheel has been locking up from time to time; and the steering of the vehicle sometimes feels unwieldy, uncontrollable, and simply undrivable. The issue is very dangerous. I Googled the issue and came across Reddit posts and other Tesla forums where other Tesla drivers have reported the same issue. There are also YouTube videos that discuss the same issue. This seems to be a common enough problem that warrants a total recall. The Tesla service agent acknowledged that the problem seems routine and pervasive, but downplayed the issue. There have been tragic accidents involving Teslas in the news recently (including a mother/daughter who crashed into a tree and both died en route to a doctor’s appointment—and this crash is still under investigation in California). But having experienced this steering issue with my own car, it makes me wonder whether the cause of these accidents is this steering issue. And I wonder if Tesla is covering up some of their data regarding these fatal accidents. This is an urgent issue and should be addressed and investigated thoroughly.