(Credit: Jimin Kim/SOPA Images/Shutterstock.com)
UPDATE: A Cybertruck owner posted this video over the weekend of his accelerator pedal being repaired at a "Cyber takeover event."
Original Story:
Tesla is recalling nearly 4,000 Cybertrucks because the pads on their accelerator pedals can get stuck in the electric vehicle's interior trim, making slowing or stopping the EV a precarious task.
According to a letter the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) sent to Tesla on Thursday, the Elon Musk-led EV company will replace or fix the pedals for free.
Cybertruck owners won't receive letters about the recall until June, but they can call Tesla's customer service phone number or the NHTSA with any questions or concerns. Until the issue is fixed, it's probably best to avoid driving or riding in a Cybertruck—and drive with extra caution if you see one on the road.
Reports that Tesla's Cybertruck rollout may have been rushed have been circulating in online forums in recent weeks, from owners claiming the truck broke down within minutes of receiving it to reports that the Cybertruck rusts quickly in the rain and can't handle a car wash. Another owner reported issues with the brakes and steering.
A TikTok video describing the accelerator issue, meanwhile, was first shared over the weekend. In the clip, a Cybertruck owner shows how the vehicle's accelerator pedal's cover slid off and became trapped in a crack inside the vehicle.
"It held the accelerator down 100%, full-throttle," the owner said, who managed to stop the Cybertruck since the brake pedal overrides the accelerator. But removing brake pressure would return the truck to full acceleration, so the owner had to put the Cybertruck into "park" to keep the truck from moving again. (The 845hp Cyberbeast jets from 0-60mph in 2.6 seconds, and the 600hp trim we tested takes just 4.1 seconds.)
After that video made the rounds, Cybertruck buyers reported that their deliveries had been canceled or delayed. On X, Musk wrote: "There were no injuries or accidents because of this. We are just being very cautious."
Tesla issued a recall earlier this year because the warning light font sizes for its, park, anti-lock brake, and brake controls were too small—an issue that also impacted the Cybertruck. Back in December, it recalled 2 million cars due to Autopilot's safety alerts, but some drivers told the NHTSA that Tesla's software update addressing the issue actually made things worse.