Tesla has recalled 123,000 of its Model S electric sedans after discovering a steering fault in vehicles built before April 2016.
The pioneering automaker says it has “observed excessive corrosion in the power steering bolts,” which particularly affects drivers exposed to salt on the roads in colder areas.
Tesla says no accidents have been caused by the fault, but says the issue makes the car harder to drive.
In an email to customers, Tesla wrote: “If the bolts fail, the driver is still able to steer the car, but increased force is required due to loss or reduction of power assist.
“This primarily makes the car harder to drive at low speeds and for parallel parking, but does not materially affect control at high speed, where only small steering wheel force is needed.”
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There doesn’t appear to be a lot of urgency here. Tesla says it’s going to contact users for a repair when it’s available in their locale.
Tesla added: “At this time there is no immediate action you need to take and you may continue to drive your Model S. Tesla will contact you to schedule an appointment when parts are available in your region. The retrofit will typically take around an hour.”
The recall is the largest in the company’s history. As The Verge points out, 90,000 Model S cars were brought in to repair a seatbelt problem. In 2017 Tesla recalled 53,000 cars (Model S and Model X) because of a fault with the parking break.
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Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
