Tesla recalls Cybertruck due to accelerator pedals that could stick

Tesla recalls Cybertruck due to accelerator pedals that could stick

Tesla has been ordered to recall nearly 4,000 of its Cybertrucks because of an accelerator pedal that can stick in place when pressed.

The cause, according to regulators: soap.

“The unapproved change introduced a lubricant (soap) to aid in the installation of the pad component on the accelerator pedal. Residual lubricant reduces pad retention on the pedal,” NHTSA wrote in the recall document.

Tesla has yet to detail how many of the futuristic-looking Cybertruck it has produced. But it has said it will slowly ramp up production of the vehicle, which made its first deliveries in late November.

NHTSA said the recall affects “all Model Year (‘MY’) 2024 Cybertruck vehicles manufactured from November 13, 2023, through April 4, 2024.”

That means the 3,878 recalled trucks are likely to be many, if not all, of the trucks currently on US roads.

A document from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration regarding the recall says that “when high force is applied to the pad on the accelerator pedal, the pad may become detached, which could cause the pedal to become trapped in the interior trim above the pedal.”

Safety regulators say workers assembling trucks at a Tesla factory near Austin, Texas, improperly used soap to aid in the installation of pad components on the accelerator pedal.

The issue of accelerator sticking was first raised in social media and online discussion group posts.

On Monday, NHTSA told CNN that it had contacted Tesla to request more information on the issue.

Telsa did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The company this month told workers it would lay off about 10% of its global workforce.

Unlike most Tesla recalls, this one can’t be fixed with a simple over-the-air software update. Tesla should ask owners to respond to the letter and take the Cybertrucks to its service center for repairs at no charge.