Which Tesla Model Y years have the most steering problems?

The 2023 model year has the most steering complaints, 171, followed by 2021 and 2022. By rate per vehicles sold, 2020 is highest, with 2021 and 2023 close behind. The 2024 and 2025 years have few complaints, but they have had less time to collect them.

Is it safe to drive a Model Y with steering problems?

No. Owners report the wheel locking, stiffening, or the car veering without warning, including at highway speed, and many of those events ended in crashes. If a steering assist reduced alert appears or steering feels heavy, get the car inspected before driving it further.

Is there a recall for Model Y steering?

Yes, three. 23V385000 covers a possibly loose steering wheel fastener on 2022-2023 cars. 25V092000 covers loss of power steering assist on certain 2023 cars, fixed with a free software update. 23V085000 covers FSD Beta behavior around intersections on 2020-2023 cars. Check your VIN for which apply.

How much does a Model Y steering repair cost?

Owner reports vary. One owner just past warranty paid $387 for a diagnosis, and another was quoted $2,500 for a possible steering rack replacement. Recall repairs are free. Some owners say service declined a repair because no fault code was stored.

Do Model Y steering problems only happen with Autopilot or Full Self-Driving?

No. Many owners say the wheel locked or the car veered with those features off. Others report sharp unprompted turns while Autopilot or FSD was engaged. Wear on front links and control arms is a separate pattern that shows up as clicking when turning.

Last updated: 2026-10-10

Tesla Model Y Steering Problems

Tesla Model Y steering complaints center on the wheel locking, stiffening, or the car veering without warning, and many reports end in crashes.

Owner complaints: 333
Share of all complaints: 10%
Crash / fire / injury reports: 60 / 4 / 40
Related recalls: 3

Model Y steering complaints by model year

The 2023 model year has by far the most steering complaints, 171, followed by 2021 with 72 and 2022 with 45. Measured against sales, 2020 has the highest rate, with 2021 and 2023 close behind. The 2024 and 2025 model years show only 16 and 4 complaints. That mostly reflects less time on the road, so it does not make them safer picks. Even so, 7 of the 16 reports for 2024 involve a crash.

2020
25 · 6.2/10k sold
2021
72 · 4.5/10k sold
2022
45 · 2/10k sold
2023
171 · 4.4/10k sold
2024
16 · 0.5/10k sold
2025
4 · 0.2/10k sold

Owner complaints filed with NHTSA under steering. Newer model years have had less time to collect complaints.

What goes wrong

The steering wheel locking, going stiff, or the car veering on its own is the most common complaint in this area. Some drivers see a "Steering assist reduced" alert while it happens. Many say nothing warned them first. It happens in slow turns on residential streets and at highway speed. A second group blames Autosteer or Full Self-Driving for sudden turns toward walls, curbs, trees, or traffic. A quieter group reports clicking and creaking from worn front links and control arms.

This is a safety problem, not a nuisance. Crash reports appear in every model year with complaints, and 2023 alone has 24 crash reports and 16 injuries. Several drivers say the brakes felt ineffective while the wheel would not turn. One 2022 report describes a fire after a crash. Others describe cars that were towed after losing assist or steering response. Drivers who could not steer back in time hit guardrails, medians, poles, and parked cars.

Symptoms owners report

Wheel locks or stiffens suddenly

The wheel stops turning or resists input, sometimes with a steering assist reduced alert and sometimes with no warning at all. Owners describe it on parking garage ramps, in low-speed turns, and at highway speed. Some turn the car off and on to get normal steering back.

Car veers on its own

The car swerves left or right without driver input, and turning the wheel back does not work. Owners report hitting medians, guardrails, parked cars, and trees. A few say the brakes also felt ineffective during the event.

Autosteer and FSD steering errors

Under Autopilot or Full Self-Driving, owners report sharp turns into curbs, lane departures, and steering toward passing traffic. Some say the wheel would not respond after they took over, and one 2024 owner describes this at low speed.

Sudden loss of power assist

Steering turns extremely heavy after a steering assist reduced warning. One 2025 report gives code GTW_w075 within weeks of delivery, and the car had to be towed. Several owners in other years ended up with a replaced steering rack.

Clicking from front links and arms

Creaking, clicking, or rattling when turning points to worn front links, bushings, or control arms. Owners say repairs sometimes repeat. This is a wear problem, but it still affects the steering and suspension.

When the problems start

Wear complaints give the clearest mileage. Clicking from worn front links shows up at roughly 37,876 to 39,000 miles, and one 2022 owner reports it at 38,000. Hardware failures vary: a tie rod separated at 24,000 miles, and both control arms failed near 52,000. Lock-up and veering events are not tied to a mileage. One crash came at 19,877 miles, and a 2025 car lost assist within weeks of delivery.

Repairs and recalls

Owners report steering rack replacements, damaged front control arms, and replaced links. One 2024 owner reports three rack replacements, and another lost all assist right after an alignment. One owner just past warranty paid $387 for a diagnosis, and another was quoted $2,500 for a possible rack. Service sometimes declines a repair when no fault code is stored. Federal recall records list three steering-related recalls. 23V385000 covers a possibly loose steering wheel fastener on 2022-2023 cars, with a free inspection and replacement. 25V092000 covers loss of power assist on 2023 cars, fixed with a free over-the-air update. 23V085000 covers FSD Beta behavior around intersections on 2020-2023 cars, also fixed over the air.

Model years	Campaign	Problem
2023	25V092000	Tesla, Inc. (Tesla) is recalling certain 2023 Model 3 and Model Y vehicles operating software prior to 2023.38.4. The printed circuit board for the electronic power steering assist may experience an overstress…
2022, 2023	23V385000	Tesla, Inc. (Tesla) is recalling certain 2022-2023 Model Y vehicles. The steering wheel fastener may be loose.
2020, 2021, 2022, 2023	23V085000	Tesla, Inc. (Tesla) is recalling certain 2016-2023 Model S, Model X, 2017-2023 Model 3, and 2020-2023 Model Y vehicles equipped with Full Self-Driving Beta (FSD Beta) software or pending installation. The FSD Beta…

Checking a used Model Y for steering problems

Run the VIN through the NHTSA recall lookup and confirm recalls 23V385000 and 25V092000 show as completed on 2022 and 2023 cars.
Ask for service records showing any steering rack, control arm, link, or tie rod work, and how many times it was repeated.
Turn the wheel lock to lock in a parking lot and listen for clicking, creaking, or rattling. Note any stiffness or uneven effort.
Ask the seller whether a steering assist reduced alert has ever appeared, and whether the car was ever towed for steering trouble.
Find out how much warranty remains, since owners past warranty paid for diagnosis and were quoted thousands for a rack.
Ask whether the car has been in a crash and check for fresh front suspension or steering repairs.

3 steering recalls cover the Tesla Model Y. A VIN check shows whether the car you're looking at had its recall work done, plus accident and title history.

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