Model Y steering locked up while driving [Power steering went out]

[ecsmudge]

We got our Model Y 5 days ago. Today I was driving home and as I was turning left at an intersection the steering locked up and I could not turn the wheel at all. Very scary. I stopped the car basically blocking a lane of traffic. Had to get out of the car, lock it and then get in and start it up again. It worked and I was able to drive home. It happened to my husband yesterday but luckily in our driveway.

We called Tesla support and they told us to ‘reset’ the car; they said this issue happens “every now and then”. We have a service appointment next week.

To be honest now I’m scared to drive the car, or to let my sons drive it. I feel like just turning it in.

I’ve seen this has happened to a couple of other people on here, but I’m not clear on what the fix is/was. Can anyone tell me if they had this issue and if/how it was fixed?

 

[zoomer0056]

I feel like just turning it in.

I dont think you can just turn the car in, its yours now. I have not had steering lock up but my Feb 2022 MSLR stopped. I had just a few seconds after seeing the message "Pull Over safely, car shutting down". The car's ass was still in the lane but people were able to get around. Long story short, I shut the car down then restarted and drove off. Took it to service with your same feelings of not wanting to drive it. Service took it in, checked connections, wire harnesses and drove it 100 miles. They could not find the cause and could not repeat the problem. I took it back after 12 days. I was leary about driving and drove puckered for about 1,000 miles. It happened at 3,000 miles. It now has 11,000 miles and no problems at all. It's a dream to drive.

 

[ecsmudge]

Thanks - I hope I’ll feel better once the service center has looked it over.

 

[Sai Ko]

Damn that's scary. So now we need to check steering lock to lock after starting like checking neutral in manual cars

 

[Sai Ko]

Thanks - I hope I’ll feel better once the service center has looked it over.

Tweet this and report it to NHTSA. That's super scary someone could have rear ended you or you could have run into opposite traffic

 

[Pianewman]

ecsmudge: "We called Tesla support and they told us to ‘reset’ the car; they said this issue happens “every now and then”. We have a service appointment next week."

TOTALLY unacceptable, and this comment needs to be addressed by the most senior manager at your Service Center.

There's NO WAY any manufacturer would accept "this issue happens every now and then."

 

[nate704]

Locked Steering Wheel at 55 on a Curve!!!

Today I crashed into a concrete wall after my steering wheel locked up on me. I was 40 miles into my 50 mile commute home. I was driving 50-55mph on a curve with concrete walls to separate multiple on-ramps. As I was midway through the curve and beginning to correct steering my wheel locked up...

www.insightcentral.net

Steering wheel locked up while driving

Bimmerforums is the preferred online BMW Forum and community for BMW owners. At Bimmerforums, you will find technical how-to information maintenance specifics audio advice wheel and tire combinations and model specific details not found anywhere else. Our professionals are here to help make...

www.bimmerforums.com

Steering Wheel locked up while driving - MBWorld.org Forums

E-Class (W211) - Steering Wheel locked up while driving - Has anyone else had this happen? Happened to my wife yesterday. The Service Advisor didn't even blink when we described the problem, seems like it was not uncommon. Bascially as she was turning into our driveway the steering wheel Locked...

mbworld.org

Steering Wheel Locked Up While Driving Toyota: Reason and Solution

Do you know what to do if the steering wheel locked up while driving Toyota? Don't worry, as we're here. Let's see why Toyota steering locks up and how to fix it.

www.themotorpros.com

steering wheel locked up and car shut off while driving, ...

Q: This morning I was driving to work and my car's steering wheel started to lock up where it was hard to turn the wheel and the car shut off while I was driving. I was able to put the car in park and turn if off and then...

www.yourmechanic.com

Steering Wheel Lock Up While Driving

Hello Patriot Family, It's been some time since I've posted, but I've been enjoying my Patriot and had 0 issues until now. Last night, exiting a sonic drive through, my steering wheel locked up on me while moving, and I had to put the car in park, and restart to unlock it. Events leading up...

www.jeeppatriot.com

Steering wheel locks while driving/turning

I just got a 1996 Toyota Camry Le with 4 cyl and automatic transmission. While driving/turning my steering wheel locked up on me and i went onto the side walk,i quickly stopped and couldn't get the steering wheel to unlock so i put it in park applied the brake and tried again,still nothing. I...

www.toyotanation.com

Car stalled, steering wheel locked while turning!

Today when I was trying to make a left turn into a parking lot off a street, the car stalled, and steering wheel locked up so i almost run up the curb. Lucky nobody was on the opposite of the road, otherwise I'd run straight into them. The car stalled out a week ago too at a stop light. Last...

www.8thcivic.com

 

[Sai Ko]

Omg! I am very concerned now as my wife would be driving model Y. I still prefer my ND2 Miata to drive longer distances

 

[Gauss Guzzler]

Tesla is unlike most cars in that there's no way for the steering to "lock" as there simply is no locking mechanism. However, there is still the possibility of an intermittent failure with the power assist which would cause the steering to require much more effort. It is not normal, not acceptable, not something that "just happens every now and then" and can not be fixed with a reboot.

Fortunately, Teslas are really good at logging errors and there's even a good chance that you can view the error log yourself by checking "service alerts" from Service Mode. If you find steering related codes in there and relay them to your service center it will surely get their attention.

The people you called are just phone center operators and the only thing they can do to help people is to suggest a reboot. Assuming you put in a service request thru the app, someone should text you back tomorrow-ish and should acknowledge the severity of the situation as well as the fact that you just took delivery. If not, send them another text to remind them that the car isn't safe to drive and ask them to bring out a loaner.

 

[ecsmudge]

Thank you for everyone for all your input. I will update here with info we get at the Service Center - appointment is Thursday morning.

 

[Steve802401]

I had a similar issue posted here on my MYLR May 2023 Austin build. Visited the service center two weeks ago, but apparently no mechanical issues. I did report it to NHTSA after the service visit just in case. Luckily I wasn't driving when it happened.

 

[ecsmudge]

I had a similar issue posted here on my MYLR May 2023 Austin build. Visited the service center two weeks ago, but apparently no mechanical issues. I did report it to NHTSA after the service visit just in case. Luckily I wasn't driving when it happened.

So you’ve been driving it since then? How are you feeling about it?

 

[fiehlsport]

Did your steering actually *lock* up, or did the power steering go out, so it required higher effort to turn the wheel?

Like another poster said, there's no steering column lock on these cars.

 

[yojose88]

Damn that's scary. So now we need to check steering lock to lock after starting like checking neutral in manual cars

Maaaaan, I sold my Nissan 370z years ago because of this and now it's come back to haunt me. lmao

 

[DRS247]

We got our Model Y 5 days ago. Today I was driving home and as I was turning left at an intersection the steering locked up and I could not turn the wheel at all. Very scary. I stopped the car basically blocking a lane of traffic. Had to get out of the car, lock it and then get in and start it up again. It worked and I was able to drive home. It happened to my husband yesterday but luckily in our driveway.

We called Tesla support and they told us to ‘reset’ the car; they said this issue happens “every now and then”. We have a service appointment next week.

To be honest now I’m scared to drive the car, or to let my sons drive it. I feel like just turning it in.

I’ve seen this has happened to a couple of other people on here, but I’m not clear on what the fix is/was. Can anyone tell me if they had this issue and if/how it was fixed?

Scary.
And welcome to the world of Tesla Customer Care. They’re as bad as the car is good.
I know that’s not very reassuring but I just don’t want you to have very high hopes. It’s likely that :
1. They keep telling you generic *sugar* like “This kind of stuff happens from time to time, reset the car and it should be fine”. You reset the car and things might seem to be ok for an afternoon and then it’ll just come back. When you contact to them about it again, it’ll be the same generic response.

2. If you persist, they’ll probably tell you that it’ll be fixed in the next software update. If you ask when is that likely to happen (a rough estimate of which update that’ll bring the correction), you’ll again get some generic crap.

If your car is really new and if you can exchange it/give it back you should do it (I read somewhere here that you’ve 7 days after purchase to give it back). And hope that the next one works better.

Else (and I hope I am wrong) you might be in this for a VERY long while.

Saying all this from experience. Didn’t have the same issue as yours but have had other issues since the day I got the car.

Let us know how it goes. Good luck.

 

[jjrandorin]

There is no 7 day return policy, that ended a LOOOONGGGGG time ago.

 

[ecsmudge]

Did your steering actually *lock* up, or did the power steering go out, so it required higher effort to turn the wheel?

Like another poster said, there's no steering column lock on these cars.

I think the power steering went out (i think that was the error message) but there was NO way to move the wheel, that car is SUPER heavy. The support guy on the phone said “I could maybe have turned the wheel but I’m a big dude”. Seriously.

 

[jjrandorin]

I think the power steering went out (i think that was the error message) but there was NO way to move the wheel, that car is SUPER heavy. The support guy on the phone said “I could maybe have turned the wheel but I’m a big dude”. Seriously.

(moderator note)

I added this detail to the thread title, because there is a difference in "Locked up" and "power steering went out". Im not goiing to debate whether or not you or anyone else could have turned the wheel without power steering, but these two statements are pretty substantially different claims, so the thread title should reflect that.

 

[fiehlsport]

Good call. Locked is a lot scarier than no power steering. With a rolling car, it can definitely be steered. Stopped, I understand it would probably be a bear to turn the wheel with such a fast ratio. But on cars with no power steering, that's the trick - you get moving a tiny bit and the steering starts to accept input again. Even on my friend's 2000lb '91 Honda CR-X, you really don't turn the wheel while it's stopped, it's difficult.

 

[Steve802401]

So you’ve been driving it since then? How are you feeling about it?

Ambivalent I guess? It didn’t happen while driving, and without a known cause (service bulletin?) I’m not sure what else can/should be done about it. Hence the NHSTA report and I’ll certainly be talking to my local service center when it opens later this summer.