--- title: "Tesla’s Futuristic Steering Yokes Are Already Falling Apart, Drivers Say" description: "Some Tesla Model S owners are complaining that at just ten to 20,000 miles on their vehicles, their steering yokes have started to, uh... disintegrate." date: "2022-08-26" modified: "2022-08-26" authors: - name: "Maggie Harrison Dupré" job_title: "Senior Staff Writer" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/mharrison" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/teslas-steering-yokes-falling-apart" categories: - "Advanced Transport" - "Tesla" tags: - "elon musk" - "tesla" - "tesla model s" - "the digest" --- # Tesla’s Futuristic Steering Yokes Are Already Falling Apart, Drivers Say ![Some Tesla Model S owners are complaining that at just ten to 20,000 miles on their vehicles, their steering yokes have started to, uh... disintegrate.]() *\Image: @therealjfokay\* ## Runny Yoke Tesla's attempt to reinvent the wheel — well, the [steering wheel](), that is — appears to have gone awry. A number of Tesla Model S owners have [taken to Twitter]() to complain that after clocking just ten to 20,000 miles on their vehicles, their futuristic steering yokes have infuriatingly started to, uh... shed? According to the [photos and testimonies]() shared on social media by frustrated Tesla drivers, the vegan leather that coats the yokes has, in many cases, been falling off in chunks. While that's not a life-threatening issue, that's a bad look for cars that go for over $100,000 new. And cost aside, a car with 20,000 miles or under has, really, [barely been used](). Can the richest man in the world not do better than this? https://twitter.com/therealjfokay/status/1562116123981668352?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1562116853782220801%7Ctwgr%5E2c50aadfa5319e366fee1750392cb2e66cc35566%7Ctwcon%5Es2_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.autoevolution.com%2Fnews%2Ftesla-steering-yokes-are-already-peeling-off-196790.html ## Rush Job It's not necessarily uncommon for steering wheels to degrade over time, but timing is key. Renderings of the yokes — which, as it's worth noting, CEO Elon Musk [really had to fight for]() — were first debuted just last March, and thus the Model S vehicles that actually have them really haven't even been available for very long. To that note: this sort of problem can likely be chalked up to insufficient testing, which in turn is probably the result of a rush to market. But given some [recent Musk comments]() about Tesla's alleged money issues, it's not terribly surprising that he'd push something out too early — to him, wasted time is money lost, and revenue, apparently, has been very much on his mind this summer. Of course, this isn't the first time that the billionaire's vehicles have faced quality concerns. The automaker's still-unavailable Cybertruck has been widely mocked for being [horrendously janky](), and by some accounts, brand-spankin' new Teslas have been known to arrive to eager new owners in [shockingly atrocious condition](). To any Model S owners with crumbling yokes: we feel for you. These vehicles are expensive. As for Musk? At this point, material issues might just come with the territory. While steering wheels apparently change, Elon Musk, it seems, doesn't. **More on (bad) Tesla quality:** *[Tesla Fan Appalled at Wretched Condition of Tesla He Just Bought]()* ## Author At Futurism, I've reported extensively on the rise of AI as a cultural and business force shaping the media industry, and more broadly how those dynamics are changing how we all consume and share information and relate to one another. I'm also fascinated by public health policy and ethics, the role of emerging tech in politics and governance — and the powerful people and forces at those intersections — climate change, and the environment. My investigation on Sports Illustrated's use of AI-generated authors with fictional biographies won a 2024 Mirror Award for "Best Story on Media Coverage of Artificial Intelligence in Journalism and the Media" from Syracuse University's SI Newhouse School, I contributed to Niemen Lab's 2025 Predictions for Journalism series, and I've discussed my work for Futurism during appearances on NPR, CNN, the BBC, the CBC, and more. I grew up in rural Pennsylvania and attended the University of Massachusetts Amherst, where I played Division I field hockey for the Minutewomen as a midfielder. Since then, I've lived in New Orleans, Louisiana and Manhattan, New York. I spend my free time running, reading, perusing archival fashion, and searching for the world’s best negroni. I also have a debonair tuxedo cat, Westley, who's named after "The Princess Bride." ### Author social links [Bluesky]()