U.S. safety regulators have upgraded their probe into Tesla (NASDAQ:TSLA) and are looking more closely into power steering issues in the company’s vehicles, taking the next step toward a potential recall.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) announced an investigation covering around 334,000 Model 3 and Model Y vehicles from the 2023 model year. Tesla has yet to comment on the issue.
The NHTSA initially looked into steering control problems in 280,000 Tesla Model 3 and Y vehicles in July. They found 2,388 total complaints, with some drivers unable to turn the steering wheel, and others experiencing increased effort. In December, reports surfaced concerning widespread suspension and steering part failures among Tesla owners over seven years, based on thousands of Tesla documents.
The NHTSA is aware of over 50 vehicles allegedly towed due to the identified steering condition.
"A portion of drivers described their steering begin to feel 'notchy' or 'clicky' either prior to or just after the incident," NHTSA said.
On the same day, Tesla announced the recall of 2.2 million electric vehicles, which includes nearly all its units in the U.S. The recall is attributed to incorrect font sizes on warning lights, posing a risk of increased accidents.
Shares of TSLA are down 2.04% in pre-market trading Friday morning.