The United States Department Of Transportation Is Investigating Tesla After Two Vehicles' Steering Wheels Detach

Tesla has been investigated by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration after it received two complaints that steering wheels detached while driving 2023 Model Y vehicles.

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There are more than 120,000 vehicles included in the preliminary evaluation, according to a filing by the agency. 

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During mid-morning trading on Wednesday, Tesla's shares were down about 3% from their opening prices.

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The incidents occurred when the vehicles had low mileage.

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“In both cases, the steering wheel bolt that attaches the steering wheel to the steering column was missing from both vehicles when they were delivered to their owners,” the NHTSA said.

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As part of the investigation, the agency will assess the "scope, frequency, and manufacturing processes associated with this condition."

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Requests for comment were not immediately responded to by Tesla.

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The NHTSA received one complaint from a driver who told the agency he bought his Model Y on Jan. 24, and that on Jan. 29, while he was driving it with his family in Woodbridge, New Jersey, on Jan. 29, the steering wheel fell off.

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Apparently, he thought he was "lucky" that there wasn't a car behind him, and he was also able to pull onto the divider as he was able to pull onto the divider according to a tweet he included in the complaint.

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In a follow-up tweet, the driver said he had lost trust in Tesla and did not feel safe driving home. Later on, the driver said that the Tesla dealership called him and apologized, and he also shared a picture of a new Model Y that he received on Feb. 23 which he said was a replacement car.

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NHTSA is investigating Tesla as a first step before they may request a recall of the vehicles in question.