suddenly cannot turn steering wheel while driving
Would you risk the lives of your family to drive a car whose steering wheel could suddenly locked? I wouldn't.
On 4th, June, 2017, I was driving this 2-month-old Tesla Model X. While I was making a turn at one of the downward passage, the steering wheel could not move all of a sudden, and a warning popped up saying Car Need Service/Steering Assist Reduced. Then a while later the steering wheel could move again allow me to finish the turn, but then stopped working again leaving me stuck in the car park.
Their technician replied that this had happened to a number of Model X cars but only while parked and not during driving.
After inspection, the technician replied that the power wire for the assist steering wheel has had bad electrical contact. This was due to a loosen screw which fix the position of that power wire. The cause could be that the screw is not tight BEFORE delivery, or due to VIBRATION when driving on the road. Then they told us the screw is now tightened and the car is ready for pickup.
I think this is a very serious life-threatening problem. Imagine if you drive on a highway and the wheel suddenly stop when you make a turn!
We told them that this car model is unsafe and could cause danger to the general public, what if this problem cause any accident. They only replied the car is under warranty. And they offer
NO REFUND
NO EXCHANGE
Moreover, given this is a new car, there should be not any wear out problem. However, there was a metal bar under the car seat which was rusted (file in a separate complain). Their technician replied that it is due to the humidity. Could that happen to other metal parts of the car, such as screw?
Does their company really live up to their commitment on safety? I don't think so.
Update from Jul 22, 2017: According to other car technicians, other vehicles do not have such weakness (requiring a screw for powering the steering wheel). Could that be a design problem?
Update from Sep 2, 2017: The problem should now have fixed. Perhaps it's individual event and they showed that the nut could not come off again by itself.
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
suddenly cannot turn steering wheel while driving Would you risk the lives of your family to drive a car whose steering wheel could suddenly locked? I wouldn't.
On 4th, June, 2017, I was driving this 2-month-old Tesla Model X. While I was making a turn at one of the downward passage, the steering wheel could not move all of a sudden, and a warning popped up saying Car Need Service/Steering Assist Reduced. Then a while later the steering wheel could move again allow me to finish the turn, but then stopped working again leaving me stuck in the car park.
Their technician replied that this had happened to a number of Model X cars but only while parked and not during driving.
After inspection, the technician replied that the power wire for the assist steering wheel has had bad electrical contact. This was due to a loosen screw which fix the position of that power wire. The cause could be that the screw is not tight BEFORE delivery, or due to VIBRATION when driving on the road. Then they told us the screw is now tightened and the car is ready for pickup.
I think this is a very serious life-threatening problem. Imagine if you drive on a highway and the wheel suddenly stop when you make a turn!
We told them that this car model is unsafe and could cause danger to the general public, what if this problem cause any accident. They only replied the car is under warranty. And they offer
NO REFUND
NO EXCHANGE
Moreover, given this is a new car, there should be not any wear out problem. However, there was a metal bar under the car seat which was rusted (file in a separate complain). Their technician replied that it is due to the humidity. Could that happen to other metal parts of the car, such as screw?
Does their company really live up to their commitment on safety? I don't think so.
Update from Jul 22, 2017: According to other car technicians, other vehicles do not have such weakness (requiring a screw for powering the steering wheel). Could that be a design problem?
Update from Sep 2, 2017: The problem should now have fixed. Perhaps it's individual event and they showed that the nut could not come off again by itself.
- bwong, Hong Kong, Hong Kong