Tesla is recalling almost 4,000 of its flagship Cybertrucks to fix a potentially dangerous fault with their accelerators' pedals.
A safety recall report from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said that 3,878 of the vehicles would be recalled for repair — including all those manufactured between Nov. 13, 2023, and April 4.
"On affected vehicles, when high force is applied to the pad on the accelerator pedal, the pad may dislodge, which may cause the pedal to become trapped in the interior trim above the pedal," the report said.
The recall adds to a run of bad news for Tesla. On Monday, the company laid off 10% of its workforce after disappointing company earnings showed a decline in the number of cars it delivered in the first three months of the year. Its stock price has fallen nearly 40% this year, and Tesla has reportedly stopped development of a cheaper vehicle option so it can focus on self-driving robotaxis —a move that has made some analysts more pessimistic about the company.
The Cybertruck has done little to change that narrative. The futuristic-looking vehicle has generated plenty of buzz but also scrutiny over everything from its safety and reliability to its sharp edges and reports of rust spots on its stainless steel body.
The pedal problem was raised on social media this week by one driver who found that the vehicle was accelerating on its own after the accelerator became stuck to the floor when a rubber cover came loose.
A TikTok video of Cybertruck owner Jose Martinez illustrating the problem has been shared more than 42,000 times and viewed more than 6 million times on X, the social network which, like Tesla, is owned by billionaire Elon Musk.
The NHTSA said in its recall report that the fault was caused by "residual lubricant (soap)" which had been used to apply the rubber pad during the manufacturing process. It said "Tesla will replace or rework the accelerator pedal assembly" at no extra charge.
The NHTSA said Tesla first received notice of a customer complaint about the accelerators on March 31, followed by a second on April 3. The report said that Tesla made the determination to voluntarily recall the vehicles on April 12.
It also said Tesla has already begun to address the issue on vehicles in production or at delivery centers.
