While it’s true that no car is perfect, it does seem like Tesla’s Model S has been scrutinized more so than just about any other vehicle lately. Not that big of a surprise with all the tech it’s packing, especially the semi-autonomous Autopilot.
In this case, we’re looking at a steering problem, seemingly unrelated to the car’s ability to drive autonomously. According to Marques Brownlee, the owner, there were two separate incidents involving a loss of steering.
Before we get into that, we have to mention that his car, nicknamed “Apollo” was one of the first P100D facelifted models to roll off the assembly line, which may or may not be relevant to the problem.
What we know right now is that both incidents happened while the car was turning, as the driver had to apply more force in order to complete the turn – more like a loss of powersteer than anything else. The Model S did display two notifications: Car Needs Service (Steering Assist Reduced) and Park Assist Unavailable.
After the car was serviced, Tesla replaced the steering rack, but the issue persisted. Hopefully the EV-maker will come up with a proper diagnosis and a permanent fix.