The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has ordered Tesla to recall nearly 4,000 of its Cybertrucks due to a faulty accelerator pedal. The issue is caused by soap, which was improperly used during the assembly of the pad onto the pedal at Tesla’s factory near Austin, Texas. This resulted in reduced retention of the pad to the pedal, causing it to become stuck when high force is applied.
Tesla has not disclosed the exact number of Cybertrucks it has produced, but it mentioned that production would be slow. The first deliveries took place in late November. The recall affects all Model Year 2024 Cybertruck vehicles manufactured from November 13, 2023, to April 4, 2024, totaling 3,878 trucks that are likely to be on US roads.
Documents from NHTSA indicate that when high force is applied to the pad on the accelerator pedal, it may dislodge and get trapped in the interior trim. This problem was brought up by social media and online groups and has been confirmed by NHTSA after an investigation into the issue. Tesla has not yet responded to NHTSA’s request for comment on this matter. Unlike previous Tesla recalls that could be fixed with over-the-air software updates, this one requires owners to bring their Cybertrucks to service centers for a repair at no charge.
In recent news, Tesla announced layoffs of about 10% of its workforce globally. This recall adds another challenge for the company as it tries to keep up with demand for its electric trucks while also addressing safety concerns related to defective parts. It remains to be seen how this recall will affect Tesla’s reputation and sales in the long term.