Faulty accelerator prompts recall of every Cybertruck sold so far

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Tesla’s Cybertruck had a rocky start, with multiple delays before the first trucks rolled off the line. Now, it’s back on pause with a full recall to fix an issue with the accelerator pedal.

The recall covers roughly 4,000 Cybertruck vehicles, every single one delivered to customers since deliveries started in November 2023.

In a notice posted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) last week, the reason for the recall was the cover on the accelerator pedal, which “may dislodge and cause the pedal to become trapped by the interior trim.”

That’s worrying, especially if the cover comes off or gets stuck while the vehicle is in motion.

The brake pedal immediately cuts torque when applied, but Tesla drivers often practice one-pedal driving to take full advantage of the regenerative braking. That means there could be a lag between them noticing the issue and applying the brake.

The fix is in (for those pesky Cybertruck pedals)

Tesla fan and owner of abettertheater.com, Aaron Cash, posted a video from the Cyber Takeover event that shows how Tesla is fixing the accelerator issue.

Here is the @cybertruck 35 second recall fix at the Cyber takeover event pic.twitter.com/XGsINAEFHQ

— Aaron Cash (@aaronjcash) April 20, 2024

The decidedly low-tech solution? Drilling through the accelerator pedal cover and the pedal, then adding a rivet to keep it in place.

Putting a protruding rivet on the pedal is an ugly solution for a vehicle designed to have its featureless surfaces be the star. Perhaps this is just a band-aid approach, and the pedal will be redesigned for future production models.

Indeed, from the NHTSA notice, the manufacturing process seems at fault, with “an unapproved change introduced lubricant (soap) to aid in the component assembly of the pad onto the accelerator pedal.”

Now, reading between the lines here, two things are at play. The accelerator pad is seemingly friction-fit to the pedal, and that tolerances are such that the line workers needed a lubricant to slip them on.

Tesla Cybertruck owners can contact the nearest dealer to get the fix, which we recommend they do as soon as possible.

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Joe Rice-Jones

Maker, meme-r, and unabashed geek with nearly half a decade of blogging experience at KnowTechie, SlashGear and XDA Developers. If it runs on electricity (or even if it doesn't), Joe probably has one around his office somewhere, with particular focus in gadgetry and handheld gaming. Shoot him an email at joe@knowtechie.com.