Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2014 Tesla Model S owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
The contact owned a 2014 Tesla Model S. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed on the highway, the vehicle exited into a tunnel. The contact stated that his hands were on the steering wheel and that the steering wheel did not move; however, the vehicle inadvertently made a sharp left turn, and the passenger-side headlight struck the tunnel wall. The vehicle spun rapidly, and the contact's head snapped to the right. The air bags did not deploy. The contact received medical attention for whiplash. Police were made aware of the crash but did not arrive on the scene. There was no police report filed. The contact pulled over on the shoulder of the road and then restarted the vehicle. The vehicle had driven for a mile when the tire pressure dropped to zero. …
Please note that this complaint is about a fatal crash involving a 2014 Tesla Model S but because I do not know the VIN I have used the VIN of a wrecked car in a junkyard. Please also note that I have supplied my full name and contact details in this submission but I have used a dummy USA address to satisfy your website requirements. I have been informed that is OK for a non-Tesla owner and a non-US resident to file a complaint particularly when it is regarding a defect that is a danger to the public. There has been a quadruple fatality crash today in which a Tesla veered into the front of an oncoming semi. …
This is a follow up report on the issue of sudden swerves by Teslas that have often proved fatal. Please note that I have used a random VIN since the VIN of the car in the crash is unknown. Also please not that as a non US resident I have had to use a dummy US address to enable the report. My true contact details are supplied. Here is a video taken by dashcam showing a Tesla ( actual year and model unknown) making a sudden violent swerve to the left and then back to the right and colliding with other vehicles. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XTk_T4olbws Sudden suspension breakages are happening to all years and models of Telsas. The quality of parts is not good and Tesla does not follow up on the causes of these failures. I beg of you to take action before more tragic crashes occur. They are crashes, not accidents. …
This is a follow up to my last two complaints of sudden swerves that are probably causd by suspension failure. It is in my opinion highly probable that the suspension is likely to snap when brakes are suddenly slammed on hard at speed. This is known as Tesla "Phantom Braking" and you have hundreds of complaints about this on file. This situation is extremely dangerous. Not only might a Tesla that Phantom Brakes be run over by a following truck but if the suspension snaps it can cause the Tesla to veer into the oncoming lane with fatal results. As a precautionary measure I believe you should immediately ban Tesla adaptive cruise control and autopilot because these are the reason that phantom braking occurs. People are getting killed almost daily. Please stop this deadly experiment. Here is a near miss event. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XTk_T4olbws&lc=UgyIL5XI31XvUg7cg_F4AaABAg
The contact owns a 2014 Tesla Model- S. The contact stated while driving at 60 MPH another vehicle was merging into the left lane where she was driving, and she made an immediate turn into the right lane. The contact stated she felt the vehicle pulled strongly into the right lane and then pulled back strongly into the left lane, and it happen several times until the vehicle started to operate normally. The dealer was contacted and was not able to set an appointment. The failure mileage was 48,000.
The rear motor (drive unit) has gone out on this car twice in the last four years. I purchased it after it was last repaired. It most recently went out on 08/04/2023. When it went out two days ago it had less than 30,000 miles on it. This car has a motor on both the front and rear axles, so while the vehichle was still moving forward, if it slowed down at all that would engage the regenerative braking. Once regenerative breaking was engaged, the rear drive unit would normal perform that function, but since it was out, it simply knocked the vehicle out of drive and made the transmission flash red. During this part, steering was affected in that the power steering was out, and the ability to move forward was diminished because the vehicle came out of gear. …
My car developed a handling problem. I took it to Tesla service and they told me it was a bent tie rod. The part was ordered and I took the car back in to have it installed around a month later. However, they then decided it wasn't a bent tie rod and instead was an alignment issue. They did an alignment and told me the car was fixed. The car was not fixed. I have taken the vehicle in several more times and test driven with multiple mechanics/technicians. They all agreed that there is a handling issue but it doesn't seem that bad and they've seen much worse from other Teslas (implying it is an issue with other cars as well). At this point I am told there is nothing they can do to the car despite it being somewhat dangerous. The car pulls extremely hard to the left under acceleration and pulls to the right under deceleration. …
I had a hard braking event to avoid a collision with a vehicle that ran a red light in front of me and immediately lost power steering and was notified park assist was also unavailable. Error codes EPAS_w001, EPAS_w002, and a GTW code I can't remember. After leaving the vehicle on a charger overnight, the error codes disappeared and power steering returned.
While driving the car at regular freeway speeds (50-65 MPH) on a sunny spring day, the vehicle displayed a warning message that "Power steering was reduced." This made steering the vehicle more difficult and dangerous in curves or during unexpected lane adjustments to accommodate traffic changes. The car's warning message did not go away and continued to warn that "Power steering was reduced." After bringing the vehicle to the Tesla Service Center, the staff confirmed that the steering rack and the harnesses attached to the steering motor had corroded and needed to be replaced. This Tesla model and year had another voluntary recall due to the bolts on the steering bolt corroding but the Tesla Service staff said this new issue was not related to the bolts but rather than steering rack and harnesses connected to the steering motor. …
Here is another Tesla in the junkyard. Https://m.iaai.com/vehicledetenc.aspx?auctionid=0&itemid=24154272&rowid=37&pagesource=vehicleresults the suspension has collapsed on all four wheels. The front rh tire is gouged and completely peeled off the rim. It is near impossiblr for this to have occurred post collision. There have been so many similar incidents that it points to a design/construction weakness. Please start an urgent investigation. These cars are large heavy and high powered and present a danger to all road users. Please note that I am not the owner, the date of incident and other details are based on my analysis of the photographs. You have the opportunity to inspect the car and investigate the circumstances of the crash.
Related recalls
Steering › Electric power assist system
Tesla, Inc. (Tesla) is recalling certain 2012-2016 Tesla Model S vehicles equipped with Bosch steering racks. The aluminum bolts that attach the power steering gear assist motor to the gear housing may corrode and fracture causing a reduction or complete loss of power steering assist.
Remedy: Tesla will notify owners, and Tesla Service Centers will replace the steering gear mounting bolts and add a corrosion-preventative sealer, free of charge. The recall began May 7, 2019.
Steering complaints in other Model S years
Frequently asked questions
How common are steering problems on the 2014 Tesla Model S?
NHTSA has 27 complaints about the steering of the 2014 Tesla Model S, 7% of the model year's 366 complaints.
Is there a recall for 2014 Tesla Model S steering problems?
Yes — NHTSA recall 18V-204 (electric power assist system, Mar 29, 2018). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.
At what mileage do 2014 Tesla Model S steering problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 50,000 miles, and 33% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 5 crashes, 0 fires and 1 injury and 4 deaths to steering problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.