The Cybertruck, Tesla’s electric truck that was supposed to compete with Ford’s best pickups, has only given Elon Musk headaches since its presentation. Endless delays, extremely high costs and now construction flaws that can be deadly.
Less than five months after delivering the first Cybertrucks to customers, Tesla has had to recall the electric truck to fix an accelerator problem.
In a notice issued on Friday, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) said that the recall affects Cybertruck vehicles manufactured between November 13, 2023, and April 4, 2024.
A fix that affects thousands of Teslas and is fixed in 35 seconds
The NHTSA said in its recall notice that the pedal pad “may detach and cause the pedal to become trapped by the interior trim”, adding that “a stuck accelerator pedal can cause the vehicle to unintentionally accelerate, increasing the risk of an accident”.
Cybertruck owners can take their vehicle to their nearest dealership to have it fixed, which, according to several reports, involves drilling a hole and installing a rivet to secure the pedal cover.
A video shared on social media shows an engineer carrying out the procedure, which starts with a drilling template placed over the pedal to ensure that the rivet is placed in the center.
It is not clear whether this solution will also be part of the manufacturing process of the Cybertruck in the future, or if Tesla will develop a different design for the trucks that have not yet left the production line.
The security issue received extensive media coverage last week – before the recall was announced – after a Cybertruck owner posted a video on TikTok showing how the accelerator pedal cover of his vehicle slid forward and got stuck under a part of the interior, causing the pedal to jam and accelerate.
The driver said he was able to cancel the accelerator by braking, but added that the Cybertruck would accelerate again every time he lifted his foot off the brake. In the end, he was able to release the pedal to come to a stop safely.
