Tesla is recalling all 2024 Cybertruck electric pickups because the shiny plastic pad that sits on top of the accelerator pedal may be dislodged and get trapped in the interior trim while the throttle is applied, increasing the risk of a collision.
The recall, which was announced by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) today, comes after social media reports showing the accelerator pedal pad of the Cybertruck becoming loose. Owners of the affected trucks said that applying the brakes while the accelerator was pushed down canceled the throttle input.
The Cybertruck’s first hardware recall
Tesla is recalling the Cybertruck for a hardware issue for the first time since deliveries of the all-electric angular pickup began last November. The first recall, which was a done deal after a software update, had to do with the size of the warning messages displayed on the center screen.
NHTSA officials confirm this, saying in a defect report that “the application of the brake pedal will cut drive torque, including when both brake and accelerator pedals are pressed, and continued application of the brake pedal will bring the vehicle to a stop as quickly as if the accelerator pedal was not depressed.”
The entire Cybertruck run is included in the recall—3,878 EVs manufactured between November 13 and April 4, to be precise. After the first social media reports went online, Tesla is said to have paused production of the electric pickup to solve the issue.
The cause of the problem is soap.
This was used to make it easier to mate the pad to the accelerator pedal during the manufacturing process of the accelerator pedal assembly, but as it turns out, it was an “unapproved change” in the assembly process. Because of the soap, the pad didn’t quite stick to the pedal, making it prone to dislodgement.
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To fix the issue, Tesla will replace or rework the accelerator pedal assembly at no extra cost. Cars that were manufactured after April 17 were equipped with a new part that has a new part number. Cybertrucks that haven’t been delivered yet will get the fix before getting into the hands of their new owners.
The chronology of the recall starts on March 31, when Tesla got word from a customer who experienced a stuck accelerator. Two days later, the company reviewed the car’s data logs and confirmed that both the brake and accelerator pedals were pressed at the same time. On April 3, a second notice came in. After the automaker’s engineering team finished the assessment on April 12, Tesla decided to voluntarily recall the affected trucks.
