Auto safety regulators have begun investigating Tesla’s Model Y SUVs after a pair of owners reported their steering wheels were not properly secured to the steering column and could come off.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) published a report (pdf) on Wednesday revealing the two Model Y SUVs were delivered to their owners without the retaining bolt that secures the steering wheel to the steering column. The ODI said the steering wheels were attached to the steering column with a friction fit, but that the friction fit eventually came loose while the vehicles were in use. The ODI said both recorded instances of steering wheel detachments occurred while the SUVs had low mileage.
