Tesla announced on Thursday that it will be recalling nearly all the Cybertruck vehicles sold in the United States to address a potential issue with the exterior panels coming off while driving.
The recall, as indicated in documents submitted to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) by Tesla, covers over 46,000 Cybertrucks produced from November 2023 to February of this year.
The company disclosed that the recall is due to the risk of the stainless steel exterior decorative panels detaching, posing a hazard for road accidents while driving and increasing the likelihood of collisions.
Tesla did not disclose specific sales and delivery figures for the Cybertruck being recalled, but analysts speculate that the recalled vehicles represent a majority of the Cybertrucks already on the road.
According to recall management company BizzyCar, Tesla recalled a total of 5.1 million vehicles in 2024; however, the majority of Tesla’s issues can typically be addressed through wireless software updates.
Regarding this recall, Tesla stated that their service department will replace the panel assemblies with new components that meet durability testing requirements.
On February 21st, the NHTSA notified Tesla that some vehicle owners had reported panels coming off.
Tesla advised Cybertruck owners to be alert for noticeable noise inside the car, or observe loose or detached panels, which could indicate potential detachment.
Tesla revealed that there have been 151 warranty claims potentially related to the recall issue, but no collisions or injuries have been reported.
Morningstar analyst Seth Goldstein stated that the recall is not expected to have a significant impact on Tesla’s performance in the March quarter, as the sales volume of the Cybertruck is relatively smaller compared to the Model 3 and Model Y.
(Reference: The report by Reuters)