Nearly 4,000 Tesla Cybertrucks are being recalled after only five months on the market by a federal auto safety agency due to a faulty accelerator pedal that can increase the risk of accidents, the company announced Friday.
The highly anticipated release of Elon Musk’s stainless-steel-clad electric pickup started last year in November, four years after it was unveiled amid much fanfare and a botched demonstration of its shatter-resistant windows.
Tesla has agreed to fix an accelerator pad on the trucks that the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says can get stuck.
When high force is applied to the pad on the accelerator pedal, the pad may dislodge, or come lose, causing the pedal to become trapped in the interior trim, according to the traffic safety agency’s report.
Tesla was first made aware of the issue March 31.
The recall includes the pickups that were manufactured from Nov. 13, 2023, to April 2024.
Tesla will replace or rework the accelerator pedal at no charge to the customer.
As of April 15, the report states that Tesla is not aware of any collisions, injuries or deaths relating to the problem.
Just a day before, TikTok user Jose Martinez posted a video that went viral sharing his experience with his Cybertruck and demonstrating how the pedal on the vehicle became stuck. Martinez said in the video he was driving when the pedal got stuck and “held the accelerator pedal down 100%.” He said he hit the brakes and put the car in park.
This is the latest setback for Tesla. Musk recently announced Tesla would lay off more than 10% of its global workforce, two executives have departed and car sales are falling.
The Times reached out to Tesla for comment but did not receive a response before publication.
