The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has ordered a recall of nearly 4,000 Tesla Cybertrucks due to an issue with the accelerator pedal sticking in place when pressed down. The cause of the issue was identified as soap being improperly used during the assembly of the pedal pad, which led to reduced retention of the pad on the pedal. This potentially dangerous situation could result in the pedal becoming trapped in the interior trim above it when high force is applied.
The recall affects all Model Year 2024 Cybertruck vehicles manufactured between November 13, 2023, and April 4, 2024. This means that the 3,878 trucks being recalled are likely all the trucks currently on US roads. The issue was first raised in social media and online discussion groups, prompting the NHTSA to request more information from Tesla. The company has not yet responded to the request for comment.
Unlike previous Tesla recalls that could be addressed with over-the-air software updates, this issue will require affected owners to bring their Cybertrucks into service centers for a repair at no charge. Tesla has not provided details on how many Cybertrucks have been produced to date, but it has indicated plans to slowly ramp up production of the vehicle, which had its first deliveries late last year. The company also recently announced layoffs affecting roughly 10% of its global workforce amid this recall situation.
The safety regulator identified the improper use of soap during assembly at Tesla’s factory near Austin, Texas, as the root cause of the accelerator sticking issue. The use of soap as a lubricant during component assembly led to the pad not being properly retained, potentially causing the pedal to become trapped. Despite the futuristic design of the Cybertruck, this issue highlights a manufacturing flaw that requires physical repairs rather than a simple software fix.
Overall, the recall of nearly 4,000 Tesla Cybertrucks highlights the potential dangers of accelerator pedal sticking due to improper assembly practices. The use of soap as a lubricant during the assembly process led to reduced retention of the pedal pad, posing a risk of the pedal becoming trapped in the interior trim above it. Tesla will need to have affected owners bring their vehicles in for physical repairs at service centers with no cost to the owner, as the issue cannot be fixed remotely.
