Tesla bulletin SB23-32-003
What it saysOn some Model 3 and Model Y vehicles, the steering wheel cover material may separate from the steering wheel at the 3 o'clock and 9 o'clock position (Figures 1 and 2). NHTSA’s full summary ↓
Tesla filed this with NHTSA as a service bulletin dated Oct 11, 2023, received Dec 18, 2023, about the steering. It names 8 model years (2020–2023). A service bulletin is not a safety recall: it is the manufacturer telling its dealers how to diagnose or repair a condition, and whether the work is paid for depends on the warranty in force. Quoting the number at a service desk can save a diagnosis.
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What the bulletin says
Source: NHTSA's summary of the manufacturer's communicationOn some Model 3 and Model Y vehicles, the steering wheel cover material may separate from the steering wheel at the 3 o'clock and 9 o'clock position (Figures 1 and 2). NOTE: The material separation of the steering wheel cover is cosmetic only and does not affect the performance or function of the steering wheel.
Document filed under this number
| Document | Kind | Dated | NHTSA id | At NHTSA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SB23-32-003 | Service bulletin | Oct 11, 2023 | 10247387 | not found |
The summary is NHTSA’s abstract of the document, as filed under 49 CFR 579.5. One communication is usually filed as several documents — the bulletin, a dealer notice, an owner letter — and the number on any of them finds this page. A PDF link is shown only once NHTSA’s own server has been seen to serve that document; the rest are checked over the following nights. Quote the number at a service desk; it is what the dealer’s system is keyed on.
Model years it names
Source: as the manufacturer filed themA vehicle page’s bulletin list shows the newest few communications filed against that model year; the count there is every one.
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What owners reported
Source: NHTSA complaint databaseOwners of the 8 model years this bulletin names have filed 5,779 complaints with NHTSA since 2015. 356 of them name Steering — the same broad component group this bulletin is filed under. NHTSA groups complaints coarsely, so that means the same area of the vehicle, not necessarily the same fault.
On the 2020 Tesla Model 3, the 14 owners who gave an odometer reading for Steering reported it at a median of 3,000 miles. That figure is one model year’s, not the whole range this bulletin covers — medians from different model years are not averaged.
NHTSA is conducting investigations into Tesla suspension breakages. Here is further evidence that the breakages are not restricted to certain models and certain years but are generic to all teslas and caused by low quality suspension and steering components. Iaai.
2020 Tesla Model Y · Steering · filed with NHTSA Nov 28, 2020 · ODI 11376867
Model 3 makes a very high pitch noise when turning the steering wheel left or right. It does happen when you put the vehicle in drive and stand still on hold. It doesn't happen while driving nor while in park
2020 Tesla Model 3 · Steering · filed with NHTSA Oct 7, 2020 · ODI 11363279
In depth: 2023 Tesla Model 3 steering problems → · 2023 Tesla Model Y steering problems → · 2022 Tesla Model Y steering problems → · 2021 Tesla Model Y steering problems →
A complaint is one owner’s account, not a defect finding, and a bulletin is not a recall. Nothing here says this bulletin was issued because of these complaints, or that the repair it describes fixed them. Complaint files on this site begin in 2015.
More bulletins about the steering
Source: same model, same component group1 other manufacturer communication filed against these Tesla models under the same component group (steering), newest first.
| Number | Kind | Dated | NHTSA’s summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| SB-23-32-003 | Service bulletin | Oct 11, 2023 | On some Model 3 and Model Y vehicles, the steering wheel cover material may separate from the steering wheel at the 3 o'clock and 9 o'clock… |
Quote the number at the service desk. It is what the dealer’s system is keyed on.
Every manufacturer communication NHTSA holds for Tesla, by the number printed on the letter.
Common questions
Source: NHTSA, 49 CFR 579.5Is Tesla SB23-32-003 a recall?
No. A service bulletin is a manufacturer communication filed with NHTSA under 49 CFR 579.5; a safety recall carries an NHTSA campaign number (two digits, a letter, six digits) and a federal duty to repair for free. Check the vehicle’s recalls by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls, or on its page here.
Is the SB23-32-003 repair free?
Not automatically. A service bulletin describes how to diagnose or repair a condition; who pays depends on the warranty in force, any extension, and the dealer. Quoting the number can save a diagnosis either way.
Which vehicles does SB23-32-003 cover?
The manufacturer filed it against 8 model years: 2023 Tesla Model 3, 2022 Tesla Model 3, 2021 Tesla Model 3, 2020 Tesla Model 3, 2023 Tesla Model Y, 2022 Tesla Model Y and more. Whether one particular vehicle is affected is a matter of its VIN and its build, not its model year alone.