Thanks for this post! I’m glad all of you had helpful input on this–I thought I was losing my mind. Here’s my Tesla if it helps any of you, the issue is still ongoing:
- Model Y, Dual Motor
- Plant of Manufacture: Fremont, CA
- Version: 2023.6.11
- Picked up: March 23, 2023
- Mileage: 867
My pickup was strange: the car had 30 miles on it already and was put into service before pickup, but they said it was that the ‘blocks’ weren’t removed. I noticed missing clips and security nuts on the front; the car had to be supercharged on-site, they took it out of service mode before the charge ended, and the system charged me $18. Took a couple days to reverse it because they were ‘low staffed’ in Dublin, CA. Might be nothing, but driving away, the steering wheel seemed a little off-center (leaned to the right). When asked, Tesla said this was common since it was less than 1%. The car felt great otherwise, but that gave me a bit of buyer remorse. I joked if this think has no service, it’s gonna be awesome, but if I have to come back to Dublin it’ll be a nightmare.
On
April 22nd, at about 7pm, I got into the car at a Target parking lot, put my foot on the brake, and put in my driving code. The wheel jerked to the right and made a thud. The screen warned that “Steering Assist Reduced” with an error code ui_a020. Power steering was disabled. I restarted the Tesla with dual buttons and left it alone for two minutes, but power steering didn’t return. The vehicle drove but was a workout to steer. Since I was less than a mile from home, I drove it and made a service request (in hindsight, I shoulda called Roadside; they seem far easier to work with). The earliest available SC appointment was May 2nd.
At home, I restarted using the dual buttons again and left the vehicle untouched for longer. This time power steering returned (and the error cleared), but turning the wheel was funky: as if every 1/8” you feel a bump. I’ve seen some of you call it notchy, and that’s a good description. I left it alone until morning. I’ve since tried again a couple times, and once it seemed like the notchiness went away, but now it’s consistent notchiness.
The service center in Dublin, CA, said they do not have loaners available and have not answered multiple requests for rental reimbursement. I just picked up a rental on my dime cause driving my Model Y feels like it might turn into a murder machine.
On
April 28th I checked in to see if they’d be scheduling a tow, and they said no, I have to do that myself using Roadside. They asked if the car was drivable. By my definition, it’s not (a risk for greater damage), but I asked them if they think it is safe to drive. No answer.
On
April 29th, Tesla notified me they were out of the part I needed for repair: my service has been moved from May 2nd to May 25th. I assume that means they’ll swap the steering system, but when I asked them what part and how they knew without seeing the vehicle, they didn’t answer. Seems fishy that they haven’t seen the car, know the part, but then are confused if it’s drivable.
After seeing this forum post, I’m guessing I’m about to get a new steering rack and maybe a front subframe in a brand new Model Y, less than 30 days driven. Since it’ll be out of commission over 30 days, it’s close to fitting Cali’s lemon law.
