Tesla has issued a safety recall for every Cybertruck it has delivered to customers so far over a faulty accelerator pedal. In the process, the American electric vehicle giant disclosed it had delivered nearly 4,000 units.
Defect description
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) stated Wednesday that putting high pressure on the accelerator pedal may cause the pad to slip. It can potentially result in the pedal becoming entangled in the interior trim above the accelerator pedal.
“If the pad on the accelerator pedal becomes trapped in the interior trim above the pedal, the performance and operation of the pedal will be affected, which may increase the risk of a collision.”
Safety Recall Report
The issue is apparently due to an “unapproved change” that used a “lubricant (soap)” during the accelerator pedals’ production, which diminished the pad retention.
Coverage
The safety recall affects all 2024 Tesla Cybertruck units produced between November 13, 2023, and April 4, 2024, totaling 3,878 units. The estimated percentage of units with the defect stands at 100%.
This figure represents essentially every Cybertruck Tesla has delivered to customers since its launch in November last year.
The safety recall is no longer surprising, considering the recent complaints of Cybertruck owners about the pickup truck’s accelerator pedal.
Tesla’s solution
Tesla plans to fix or replace the accelerator pedal of the affected Cybertruck units for free to guarantee “sufficient retention force between the pad and accelerator pedal to prevent the pad from dislodging.”
Tesla has also started equipping the Cybertruck with a new accelerator pedal component and part number since April 17, 2024. Meanwhile, units sitting and in transit at delivery centers will get the fix before customer deliveries.
Tesla will notify all Tesla stores and service hubs on or around April 19,
2024. Unfortunately, unlike most Tesla safety recalls, this accelerator pedal issue cannot be solved with a mere over-the-air (OTA) software update. Owners must bring their Cybertrucks into Tesla service centers to get the free repair.
