American electric car maker Tesla announced on Friday (April 19) that it is recalling 3,878 CyberTruck vehicles to repair or replace faulty accelerator pedals. According to Tesla’s voluntary recall application submitted to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the accelerator pedals in the CyberTruck may shift and get stuck behind interior trim, leading to unintended acceleration and increased crash risks.
NHTSA stated that Tesla has not received any reports of collisions, injuries, or deaths related to the accelerator issue. The problem affects 2024 model year CyberTrucks manufactured between November 2023 and April 2024. However, Tesla has not disclosed how many of these vehicles have been sold.
Tesla has announced it will provide free replacement or repair of the accelerator pedals for affected vehicles. NHTSA mentioned that Tesla will notify owners about the recall within 60 days.
At present, Tesla has not disclosed the delivery volumes of this model in its quarterly production and delivery reports. Tesla CEO Elon Musk recently mentioned the CyberTruck in a tweet earlier this week, stating, “No injuries or accidents have occurred due to this issue. We are just being very cautious.”
The CyberTruck was launched in November 2023. This recall is the latest issue faced by Tesla, the world’s most valuable car manufacturer, as it grapples with softening demand.
NHTSA reported that as of Wednesday (17th), all newly produced CyberTrucks are equipped with the new accelerator pedals. CyberTrucks at delivery centers will undergo repairs before being handed over to customers.
According to the Tesla website, the cheapest available CyberTruck model is priced at about $80,000, while the more expensive Cyberbeast version starts at around $100,000. In comparison, the cheapest Model 3 is priced at less than a third of the CyberTruck’s price.
As of the Thursday (18th) close, Tesla’s stock price has fallen by 40% this year. The company announced this week that it will cut over 10% of its global workforce. Musk’s two senior deputies also announced their departure from Tesla.
Earlier this year, Tesla issued a separate recall for 2024 CyberTrucks and other Tesla models. NHTSA noted that warning lights in the vehicles were small and difficult to read, increasing the risk of accidents. This issue can generally be resolved through software updates.
In December 2023, Tesla initiated a recall of around 2 million vehicles (almost all vehicles the company sells in the U.S.) to update the autopilot software and install new safety measures to prevent driver errors.
Following several notable accidents involving driver-assist technology, NHTSA conducted a review of Tesla’s autopilot system.