Tesla is issuing a recall for round 46,000 Cybertrucks offered so far due to an exterior metal trim panel on the facet of the windshield that may peel off.
The Nationwide Freeway Site visitors Security Administration (NHTSA) mentioned in a filing that the piece can come off whereas in movement, which might create a hazard for the motive force and different folks on the highway. The submitting states that Tesla turned conscious of the issue in early January and has recognized 151 guarantee claims associated to this panel coming off since then. The corporate isn’t conscious of any ensuing crashes or accidents, in response to the submitting.
The issue with the panel happens as a result of the “structural adhesive” that holds it in place on the car is “vulnerable to environmental embrittlement,” in response to the submitting. Tesla will repair Cybertrucks lined by the recall without charge to homeowners through the use of a “completely different structural adhesive not vulnerable to environmental embrittlement.” It can additionally use a nut to “clamp” the metal panel to the car construction.
The brand new recall is the eighth for Tesla’s Cybertruck — a car which is outselling different electrical vehicles however has underperformed Tesla CEO Elon Musk’s hopes for its success. Lots of its previous issues have been mounted utilizing an over-the-air software program replace, however some have required homeowners to carry their EVs in for service.
Two of the recollects that required service have been associated to items of the Cybertruck coming free. The primary, in April 2024, occurred when homeowners observed the quilt of the throttle pedal was coming free and sliding up, probably inflicting a scenario the place it might get caught at full throttle. The second, in June 2024, needed to do with a trim piece on the truck’s mattress that was vulnerable to coming free due to inadequate adhesive.
That historical past with adhesive failures didn’t appear to lift a ton of crimson flags at Tesla this time round, although, in response to the submitting. After Tesla was alerted to the primary grievance concerning the windshield panel, it started an “engineering examine” to research the issue. On February 6, the corporate closed the examine after an “inspection and pull check” discovered “no detections of separation.”
It was solely after NHTSA reached out to Tesla on February 21 with a buyer grievance about the issue that Tesla dug deeper into social media posts and repair data, in response to the submitting. It agreed to the recall the Cybertrucks on March 11.