With more than one million Teslas on the road globally, the news that the California-based electric car company was recalling more than 40,000 of its Model S and Model X vehicles in the U.S. seemed to come out of nowhere, but according to Consumer Reports, it’s actually been under investigation by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration since May 2016. The cause of the issue? A bolt in the steering linkage that can become loose over time and cause drivers to lose power steering when driving at low speeds or parking their cars.
According to a Nov. 1 petition with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration made public on Tuesday, Tesla is voluntarily recalling 40,168 2017–2021 Model S and Model X vehicles that may experience a loss of power steering assist.
A software update that is distributed wirelessly to the vehicles is necessary for the recall.
Some cars experienced power steering loss after a firmware update in October when navigating potholes and uneven terrain. According to the press statement, the flaw affects about 1% of the recalled cars.
As stated by the administration, “Loss or reduced power steering help does not compromise steering control, but may necessitate increased steering effort from the driver, particularly at low speeds.”
According to the carmaker, as of Nov. 1, 97% of the recalled vehicles had a new update loaded that fixes the problem, so the owners of such vehicles don’t need to take any additional action.
As of the first of the month, Tesla had found 314 vehicles with the issue, but the firm is not aware of any injuries or fatalities, according to the announcement.
The automaker’s stock fell more than 2% on Tuesday. In September, Tesla revealed that a fatal crash involving one of its Model S sedans led to an upgrade of its autopilot system.
Model 3 production has been slowed down due to assembly line problems, which could eventually lead to an increase in the company’s expenses.
