US regulators close Tesla power steering probe after recall

U.S. safety regulators closed their Tesla power-steering probe after concluding that a 2025 recall had already addressed the defect in about 376,241 Model 3 and Model Y vehicles. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration ended the engineering analysis after Tesla completed the remedy.

The investigation began as a preliminary evaluation in July 2023 after owners reported that they could not turn the steering wheel or had to use much more effort to do so. NHTSA upgraded the matter to an engineering analysis in February 2024, and its closing materials tied one crash to the defect, involving a driver who could not complete a right-hand turn at an intersection and struck another vehicle. NHTSA's closing materials show roughly one-third of complaints with a reported speed occurred at vehicle start-up or below 5 mph, where a loss of steering assist would be felt most sharply.

Tesla’s recall, campaign SB-25-00-004 and NHTSA recall 25V092000, covered certain 2023 Model 3 and Model Y vehicles operating software earlier than 2023.38.4. The defect involved an overstress condition on the printed circuit board for the electronic power steering assist, where an overvoltage breakdown could overstress motor-drive components and cause a loss of assist when the vehicle stopped and accelerated again. The fix was an over-the-air software update at no charge, and owner notification letters were mailed March 25, 2025.