Tesla is voluntarily recalling almost 4,000 Cybertrucks over a fault with their accelerators, the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said.
The recall covers all Cybertruck vehicles made between November 13, 2023, and April 4, 2024. NHTSA said that this included an estimated 3,878 vehicles, all of which it said would have the defect.
“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,” NHTSA said in the recall report, noting that this could increase the risk of a collision.
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NHTSA said that the fault had occurred because of an “unapproved change” to the vehicle’s production, in which soap had been added to the component assembly. “Residual lubricant reduced the retention of the pad to the pedal,” it said.
NHTSA said in the recall report that Tesla received its first alert from a customer about the fault on March 31, and got a second alert just days later. After conducting an assessment, Tesla decided on April 12 to voluntarily recall the vehicle, NHTSA said.
Tesla will fix or replace the accelerator pedal assembly on the recalled Cybertrucks at no charge, NHTSA said. Owners will be notified mid-June, it said. Cybertrucks at delivery centres will also be fixed or have their parts replaced.
As of April 15, Tesla said it was not aware of any collisions, injuries, or deaths related to the fault. “We are just being very cautious,” CEO Elon Musk posted on X on Wednesday.
Earlier this month, the owner of a Cybertruck said in a viral TikTok video that part of his accelerator pedal came loose while he was driving and got stuck on “full throttle.”
The first Cybertrucks were delivered to customers in November after a series of delays. The electric pickup truck has a base price of US$60,990 for the rear-wheel drive model, though this model is yet to be released to the public.
