Pre-emptive recall for Tesla Model S

For Tesla Model S owners, Tesla is recalling all vehicles manufactured prior to April 2016. No danger is present, but they have noticed excessive corrosion in the power steering bolts for cars used in cold climates where calcium or magnesium salts are used on the roads (instead of table salt). Tesla will contact those owners and setup a hour-long service appointment for replacement of the bolts. No deaths have been associated with this recall, it a pre-emptive call to prevent future problems.

-Wilson H.

The text of the message (which applies to me):

In order to ensure your safety, Tesla will proactively retrofit a power steering component in all Model S vehicles built before April 2016. (No other Tesla vehicles are affected.) There have been no injuries or accidents due to this component, despite accumulating more than a billion miles of driving.

To be clear, this recall does not apply to any Model X or Model 3 vehicles, only to Model S vehicles built before April 2016.

We have observed excessive corrosion in the power steering bolts, though only in very cold climates, particularly those that frequently use calcium or magnesium road salts, rather than sodium chloride (table salt). Nonetheless, Tesla plans to replace all early Model S power steering bolts in all climates worldwide to account for the possibility that the vehicle may later be used in a highly corrosive environment.

If the bolts fail, the driver is still able to steer the car, but increased force is required due to loss or reduction of power assist. This primarily makes the car harder to drive at low speeds and for parallel parking, but does not materially affect control at high speed, where only small steering wheel force is needed.

Our records show that you own a Model S affected by this voluntary recall. At this time there is no immediate action you need to take and you may continue to drive your Model S. Tesla will contact you to schedule an appointment when parts are available in your region. The retrofit will typically take around an hour.

Thank you for being a Tesla customer, and we apologize for this inconvenience. If you have any questions, please contact us by phone at (877) 798‑3752 or by email at ServiceHelpNA@tesla.com.