Tesla recalls 40,000 vehicles over potential loss of power steering assist

The failure can require greater steering effort, especially at low speeds, increasing the risk of a crash

A Tesla Model S electric vehicle for sale outside a dealership in Ohio. Tesla is recalling tens of thousands of 2017-2021 Model S and Model X vehicles. Bloomberg

Tesla is recalling 40,000 2017-2021 Model S and Model X vehicles that may experience a loss of power steering assist when driving on rough roads or after hitting a pothole.

The Texas-based electric vehicle manufacturer has released an over-the-air software update to recalibrate the system after it began rolling out an update on October 11 to better detect unexpected steering assist torque.

America's National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said a loss of power steering assist can require greater steering effort, especially at low speeds, increasing crash risks.

Tesla said it had identified 314 alerts for this condition among US vehicles that may be related to the recall but said it is unaware of any injuries or deaths related to this condition.

As of November 1, more than 97 per cent of the recalled vehicles have installed an update that has already addressed the recall issue, the electric car maker said.

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Tesla field engineers heat test vehicles in Dubai - in pictures

Tesla field quality engineers have been in Dubai at the hottest time of the year, analysing the electric cars for their durability and performance in extreme temperatures. All photos: Tesla

Tesla posted about the tests on Instagram, saying the cars had experienced temperatures greater than 50°C.

The line-up of cars tested includes the Model Y, the refreshed Model X and the Model 3.

The engineers took on sand, mountain roads and gravel-strewn tracks.

Testing a car for durability requires it to be pushed to the limit.

The company does its cold weather testing in Alaska, the US.

The engineers may also have looked at the performance of the new heat pump, which was introduced into the Model Y last year.

Hitting the dunes.

Tesla field quality engineers will study the data to help improve the performance of the electric vehicles.

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Separately, Tesla is recalling 53 2021 Model S exterior side rear-view mirrors that were built for the European market that do not comply with US "rear visibility" requirements. The mirrors were installed during US service visits.

Tesla has issued 17 recall campaigns in 2022 covering 3.4 million vehicles.

In September, the company issued a recall for nearly 1.1 million vehicles covering all four of its models because the windows can pinch a person's fingers when rolled up, US safety regulators said in a filing at the time.

Tesla is under criminal investigation in the US over claims that the company's electric vehicles can drive themselves, sources told Reuters last month.

The US Department of Justice launched the previously undisclosed investigation last year following more than a dozen crashes, some of them fatal, involving Tesla’s driver assistance system Autopilot, which was activated during the accidents, they said.