back to article US officials probe Tesla's incredible detaching steering wheel

If you needed another reminder that Tesla vehicles might not have the highest of quality control standards, the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said it is investigating steering wheels falling off of two low-mileage 2023 Tesla Model Ys.  In its preliminary evaluation notice [PDF], the NHTSA's Office of …

  1. Jason Bloomberg Silver badge
    Coat

    The early bird gets the worm

    "Must have been holding it wrong"

    1. Fruit and Nutcase Silver badge
      Joke

      Re: The early bird gets the worm

      Makes a change - usually Tesla drivers make the news after they've been found not to have been holding the steering wheel

      1. Not That Andrew

        Re: The early bird gets the worm

        Well, it was in his lap, soo....

    2. Stork Silver badge

      Re: The early bird gets the worm

      - but the second mouse gets the cheese.

      1. The Oncoming Scorn Silver badge
        Coat

        Re: The early bird gets the worm

        .....& some meat to go with it.

    3. Spanners Silver badge
      Go

      Re: The early bird gets the worm

      That proves the worm got up too early.

  2. anthonyhegedus Silver badge

    Elongated Muskrat

    When are people going to realise that this man is a fraud? There is only a certain amount you can do with money and a differently-wired brain. After a while you're going to have to actually make some proper fucking decisions and stop acting like a petulant brat.

    1. Androgynous Cupboard Silver badge

      Re: Elongated Muskrat

      I just I don’t know how he finds the time to post here as well as run twitter into the ground.

  3. Gene Cash Silver badge

    They're not the only one - Nissan has the same problem

    Check out https://www.thedrive.com/news/2023-nissan-ariya-ev-recalled-because-the-steering-wheel-might-fall-off

    "Thus far, Nissan has identified two cases where the steering wheel bolt was missing entirely. Investigation revealed that one technician was responsible for servicing both affected vehicles"

    Who the hell leaves a steering wheel bolt off? Repeatedly?

    I can (sort of) understand not fully torquing it down for whatever reason, but not even putting it in is a whole 'nother ball game.

    1. Steve K

      Re: They're not the only one - Nissan has the same problem

      Well the most dangerous part of the car is the nut behind the steering wheel.

      This was the reason for the omission.

      1. Version 1.0 Silver badge
        Joke

        Re: They're not the only one - Nissan has the same problem

        Don't keep turning left, that will cause the wheel to come off, you need to turn right every time you go left to keep the wheel tight.

        1. M.V. Lipvig Silver badge

          Re: They're not the only one - Nissan has the same problem

          That's almost correct politicially, and not politically correct. Rightist thinking gives you firm control over your future and your life is secure, while leftist thinking leaves you barreling down the road, with your life completely out of your control while risking taking others down with you.

          1. The Oncoming Scorn Silver badge
            Coat

            Re: They're not the only one - Nissan has the same problem

            Are you saying righty tighty, lefty loony?

            1. Groo The Wanderer Silver badge

              Re: They're not the only one - Nissan has the same problem

              If you're referring to the overly tight underwear worn by the right wing fundamentalists, then yes! :)

    2. Someone Else Silver badge

      Re: They're not the only one - Nissan has the same problem

      Apparently, this guy got fired, and found a new job working for Tesla...

    3. abetancort

      Re: They're not the only one - Nissan has the same problem

      Doesn't Nissan make way more vehicles than Tesla? Two in how many million vehicles made by Nissan since Tesla shipped its first car? I guess odds are against Tesla vehicle owners... Be aware that Telas has a new nonoptional mode called wheel-less drive

      1. Mongrel

        Re: They're not the only one - Nissan has the same problem

        Not forgetting that Teslas are priced as a premium brand.

    4. trindflo Bronze badge

      Re: They're not the only one - Nissan has the same problem

      Who the hell leaves a steering wheel bolt off?

      I think a better question is: Who had the idea to eliminate inspections for critical parts? I'm sure that bit of disruptive thinking saved a lot of production money </sarcasm>

  4. elsergiovolador Silver badge

    30s

    Tesla now is like Ford in the 30s.

    Owner is supporting certain unpleasant guy.

    1. CowHorseFrog Silver badge

      Re: 30s

      Ford didnt just support Hitler, he wrote the Book which Hitler basically copied and soured for all his evil ideas.

      https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_International_Jew

      > Ford's International Jew was translated into German in 1922 and cited as an influence by Baldur von Schirach, one of the Nazi leaders, who stated "I read it and became anti-Semitic

      ...

      > Praising American leadership in eugenics in his book Mein Kampf,[6]: 80 Adolf Hitler considered Ford an inspiration, and noted this admiration in his book, calling him "a single great man".[7]: 241 Hitler was also known to keep copies of The International Jew as well as a large portrait of Ford in his Munich office.[6]: 80 [7]: 2

      I wonder why a photo of Hitler's office is never used in Ford advertising today ?

  5. Spanners Silver badge
    Happy

    The USA is well known for (poor) build quality.

    I heard that Tesla were likely to get a factory in Germany.

    If they do, I will be interested to see if the famous Tesla poor quality is better there.

    I have watched reviewers enthuse over the design and even the software but sniff loudly at the quality of how it is all fitted together.

    As a child, I was told that I shouldn't have preconceptions about other groups of people but I happily confess that my preconception about Germans is they build good stuff!

    1. Dan 55 Silver badge

      Re: The USA is well known for (poor) build quality.

      No, they build stuff according to spec, which may be different to good stuff.

    2. CowHorseFrog Silver badge

      Re: The USA is well known for (poor) build quality.

      Im going to guess that the robots and other machines in Germany are identical to other places why wlould the result be any different ?

      If the tolerances for producing parts is poor in other places with that equipment and setup why would it be different in Germany ? Its not like the Germans are going to rework or change the process so tolerances are improved ?

    3. dochego

      Re: The USA is well known for (poor) build quality.

      They opened their factory near Berlin last year, producing Model Ys

      https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gigafactory_Berlin-Brandenburg

  6. Winkypop Silver badge
    Devil

    Sat in your lap

    Husband: I have control.

    Wife: You have control.

    (Looks behind him)

    Husband: Kids, do you want control?

  7. Grogan Silver badge

    Bloody steering wheel is in my lap. It's driving me nuts :-)

  8. ChoHag Silver badge

    The steering wheel fell off? That's not very typical.

    1. CowHorseFrog Silver badge

      Thats ok, you can drive by pointing at things on the screen or pinching etc.

    2. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Well, the Tesla was towed outside the environment. It's perfectly safe.

  9. Neil Barnes Silver badge

    Why is the steering wheel even held on with a bolt?

    Every consumer car I've ever seen, the steering column has a shaft with splines on the end onto which the wheel fits, and a segment of threaded shaft which has a bloody great nut on it. Bolts seem to be reserved for attaching an aftermarket wheel to a boss, itself fastened using the forementioned nut.

    Of course, I learned how cars worked in the old days, when there was a direct mechanical linkage to the steering rack... perhaps things have changed recently?

    But either way, the lack of quality control implied here is... worrying.

    1. My-Handle

      Re: Why is the steering wheel even held on with a bolt?

      Mine is definitely like that.

      If I remember right:

      - One bolt to release / open a small access hatch

      - Two bolts and a lever in there to release the airbag module in the middle of the steering wheel

      - Under the airbag module, one "bloody great nut" (technical term) holding the wheel frame onto the splines.

      I think (but I'm not sure) that at least one of the aforementioned bolts docks into a hole somewhere on the steering column so that even if the nut wasn't tight, the steering wheel's travel along the splines would still be limited. 1990s Toyota engineering didn't muck about.

  10. Sceptic Tank Silver badge
    Go

    NHTSA appoints a steering committee

    Sad to hear that things are turning the wrong way at Tesla. When faced with this situation, always search for the cheapest looking car to stop against. (I was surprised that Twitter was up. "Hey Elon! The wheels are coming off."). But if this guy packed a vise grip he would have been able to continue his journey.

    1. Someone Else Silver badge
      Coat

      Re: NHTSA appoints a steering committee

      Ba-DOOM-tish!

  11. mark l 2 Silver badge

    Considering you are paying the same price as a BMW, Audi or Mercedes for many of the Tesla models you are certainly not getting the same build quality as you would from those brands. So the question is what are you paying for when you buy a Telsa?

    1. Someone Else Silver badge

      So the question is what are you paying for when you buy a Tesla?

      Stroking Elon's oversized ego....

    2. John Brown (no body) Silver badge

      "So the question is what are you paying for when you buy a Telsa?"

      The same thing as some people spending $2000 on a pair of "Ye" trainers think they are getting? Ie not much more than the "name.

      On the other hand, there really wasn't all that much choice in EVs when Tesla launched. Credit where credits due, Tesla did kick the arse of the EV market at the time the incumbents were still paying lip service to the idea of EVs and probably accelerated the market by a decade and so still have enormous brand awareness with the public.

    3. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      I dunno, BMW, Audi, and Mercedes build quality is pretty crappy these days. Are you sure it hasn't sunk to Tesla's level yet?

      (It has. It's been in the toilet for years now. I remember when Germany could build a good car, that time has ended.)

  12. major_paine

    Show me on this doll where Elon hurt you..

    I expected a tech community to at least have a minimum degree of admiration for a guy who founded a string of companies that are advancing civilisation onto the next phase through the use of technology. As a professional who lived off tech my whole life I am excited about things to come and while the guy is far from perfect (aren't we all?), I am glad he exists and has done what hes'd done. Instead I come to find the comments section filled with hateful comments that anyone could mistake for plain jealous ;-)

    So.. why so salty?

    1. Citizen of Nowhere

      Re: Show me on this doll where Elon hurt you..

      >I expected a tech community to at least have a minimum degree of admiration for a guy who founded a string of companies that are advancing civilisation onto the next phase through the use of technology.

      I'm sure we would, and probably more than a minimum. Care to name one for us?

      As a professional who has been in IT for three decades, I can do without ridiculous tech-bro worshipping nonsense, thanks.

  13. ChaosFreak

    Teslas have always had poor quality

    Tesla quality has always been terrible, and has only gotten worse. They ranked at the bottom of the JD power initial quality ratings in 2022. People have purchased these cars up until now because (1) there really aren't that many other options for all-electric vehicles, or (2) they are fanbois who are buying into an image rather than making a rational decision. Unfortunately for Elon, the image most of his Tesla fans have been buying into is at odds with his more recent behavior, and also there are now many electric vehicles available from much more reliable brands. I don't see how Tesla can survive, and it looks like the stock market agrees with me.

  14. CowHorseFrog Silver badge

    Why dont teslas have a side joystick like airbus ?

    1. VicMortimer Silver badge
      Facepalm

      Shush, you. Don't give Elmo ideas.

    2. Fonant

      With a trim system for long curved roads.

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