or S vehicles with the update could have reduced or entirely lost power steering assist due to forces imparted by the road.
If, for instance, you drive over a pothole or a bump, the vehicle could classify that as an unexpected steering assist torque and that could lead to the above-mentioned effects on the power steering system. That could, in turn, result in the driver being required to exert much more effort to operate the steering wheel, particularly at low speeds. If the vehicle loses power steering assistance, it could increase the risk of a crash, according to the NHTSA, so Tesla issuedFortunately, drivers will be warned with an audio and a visual alert in the instrument cluster if they lose power steering. Tesla is also not aware of any injuries or deaths related to this issue.
That may be because on October 19, it started releasing firmware update 2022.36.5, which reverted the calibration for the power steering system to their pre-October 11 values while engineers investigated the issue and its root causes. Tesla writes that, as of November 1, more than 97 percent of affected vehicle had installed the second firmware update and they do not need to take any further action. The remaining less than three percent can also receive the update free of charge, over the air.