This issue never should have happened and yet it did. The owner of a brand new Tesla Model Y made a startling and very troubling discovery not long ago that could have resulted in fatal consequences. A member of the Tesla Motors Club forum claims they noticed something kind of odd about their new Model Y late last month.

The front right tire was pointing inward more than it should have been. It's a good thing it was parked at this time because upon closer inspection the cause was revealed: the tie rod was sideways and nothing was holding it in place. Under normal circumstances, a tie rod has a castle nut and cotter pin to keep things nice and secure. No one wants a wheel to come flying off while driving. That would be bad, to say the least.

But in the case of this particular Model Y, none of those components were there. Only the end of the tire rod. It's a good thing this owner knows a thing or two about basic vehicle construction because they immediately understand the Tesla was not safe to drive. Fortunately, they contacted a Tesla Service Center located nearby in their home state of Florida. The Model Y was quickly towed away to get fixed under warranty. But what's also equally troubling is that the owner had already driven it more than 2,000 miles on family road trips. It's a miracle nothing bad happened prior to this discovery.

Clearly this is a manufacturing defect that originated at the Tesla factory in Fremont, California. Were the castle nut and cotter pin installed in the first place? More than likely they were, but done so incorrectly so as to come off while driving.

This isn't advanced automotive construction; on the contrary, it's actually pretty basic. And yet, Tesla failed at this. The owner is obviously breathing a huge sigh of relief but is still justifiably angry this happened on a $60,000+ vehicle. It shouldn't have happened on any new vehicle, regardless of price.

There have been some past reports regarding some Tesla factory quality issues, but they were mainly cosmetic. Paint issues aren't likely to cause a serious accident.

So if you recently purchased a Model Y, it probably wouldn't hurt to take a few minutes and take a look at the front tires and make sure neither is pointing inward. If they are, stop driving the vehicle immediately and get it seen to.