U.S. regulators have opened a safety probe into Tesla’s Model Y SUV after complaints from two customers that their steering wheels fell off while on the road. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration announced the investigation, covering some 120,000 Model Ys from 2023, in documents posted on its website. It said that in both cases the cars were delivered to customers missing a retaining bolt so the wheel was only attached to the steering wheel by a “friction fit” which came loose under driving pressure. The Associated Press said it had left messages seeking a comment from Tesla, which, it noted, “has disbanded its media relations department.”
