40,000 Tesla Model S and X EVs Recalled over Power Steering Loss

Tesla has issued a recall of 40,168 Model S and Model X vehicles from 2017-2021 model years over a possible loss of electronic power steering. The recall was reported with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) this week, and owners will be notified in December. The company has released an over-the-air update to update and recalibrate the electronic power assist steering (EPAS).

Tesla is issuing a recall of just over 40,000 of its Model S and Model X vehicles from 2017 through 2021 model years. The recall relates to a fault in the electronic power assist steering system, which could result in a loss of power steering. Affected vehicles may lose power when driving on rough roads, or after hitting a pothole, Tesla’s filings with NHTSA said.

As of November 1, the company said it was not aware of any injuries or deaths related to the issue, though it has identified 314 vehicle alerts that it believes are related to the issue.

In filings with NHTSA, Tesla said it discovered the issue through vehicle manufacturing, service, and firmware deployment records. It described that the issue stemmed from an earlier firmware update, which changed the steering system’s calibration values so that the system might incorrectly classify external road conditions such as potholes as “unexpected steering assist torque.” The result would be loss of power steering assist. Tesla’s filing said drivers experiencing ths problem would have received audio and visual alerts.

Tesla has since released a newer version of the firmware, which it claims more than 97 percent of affected vehicles have already received. Owners who have updated their vehicles firmware to the 2022.36.5 firmware or later do not need to take any other actions, the automaker said.