Tesla recalls nearly 140 Model Y EVs over serious safety issue

San Francisco, June 6 (IANS) Elon Musk-run Tesla has recalled 137 Model Y electric vehicles (EVs) in the US in response to an issue with the fastener for the steering wheel.

According to the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s (NHTSA) safety recall report, 137 2022-2023 Tesla Model Y may possibly have a “loose” fastener that could cause disconnection of the steering wheel from its column.

Tesla manufactured the recalled cars between June 23, 2022, and May 1, 2023, the report mentioned.

According to the recall report, the driver “may lose steering control” if the fastener “allows the steering wheel to disconnect”, which could increase the chances of a crash.

Tesla received four warranty claims and one field report potentially related to the problem. Between mid-November and late April, the company received those in a 5.5-month period, the report said.

However, there have been no reports of crashes, injuries, or fatalities to date.

The company is also “not aware of any instances of the steering wheel completely detaching from the steering column due to this condition,” as per the report.

Tesla intends to replace any fasteners found to be loose during service inspections in recalled vehicles.

According to the NHTSA notice, this will be done at no cost to the impacted customers.

In May, Tesla recalled over 1.1 million electric vehicles (EVs), or nearly all the vehicles it has sold in China, in response to a braking problem.