NHTSA closes Tesla power steering probe after recall fixThe National Highway Traffic Safety Administration closed its engineering analysis into power steering loss affecting about 376,241 Tesla Model 3 and Model Y vehicles from the 2023 model year, the agency said Saturday.The closure follows a Tesla recall in early 2025 covering roughly 376,000 U.S. vehicles. The defect in the power steering assist feature increased steering difficulty, especially during low-speed maneuvers, and regulators said it elevated crash risk. Tesla addressed the problem with a remote software fix targeting voltage irregularities and mechanical stress on printed circuit board components that were degrading steering response.Owner complaints about unexpectedly heavy steering or loss of steering control prompted NHTSA to launch a preliminary evaluation in July 2023. By early 2024, regulators had escalated the matter to a full engineering analysis. Citing the recall, the NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation concluded its review had been resolved.AdvertisementAdvertisementWhen the recall was announced, Tesla maintained it had not been issued in response to the federal investigation, which was still ongoing at that point.Tesla has faced recurring federal safety scrutiny in recent years. The company recalled more than 218,000 vehicles earlier this year over a software defect that caused rearview camera images to lag when drivers shifted into reverse, an issue also addressed through an over-the-air fix. Tesla recalled more than 662,000 vehicles in the first three quarters of 2025, including nearly every Cybertruck. A separate NHTSA investigation involving roughly 2.6 million Tesla vehicles and centered on a remote-movement feature was wrapped up last month after regulators determined that any incidents connected to it occurred only at low speeds.NHTSA has also been scrutinizing Tesla's driver-assistance technology. The agency opened a special crash investigation into a Tesla Model 3 that struck a home in Katy, Texas, killing a woman inside. Agency records show 46 special crash investigations over the past ten years have involved Teslas operating with self-driving or driver-assistance systems, with fatalities recorded in more than a dozen of them.Tesla stock ended Friday's session at $379.71, a gain of 1.22%.
