- Tesla has recalled the Cybertruck following reports of an issue with a trapped accelerator pedal leading to unintended acceleration.
- The recall covers 3878 vehicles, with an estimated 100 percent of the recall population affected by the issue.
- According to a report by the Wall Street Journal that predates the recall, Tesla has temporarily halted Cybertruck deliveries. Car and Driver has reached out to Tesla for comment on the issue.
Tesla issued a recall for the 2024 Cybertruck following reports of an issue with the vehicle’s accelerator pedal becoming trapped, potentially leading to unintended acceleration. According to documents filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the recall covers 3878 vehicles. An estimated 100 percent of the recall population is said to be affected by the issue, and since production of the trucks started last fall, the fact that the recall includes “all 2024 Cybertruck vehicles manufactured from November 13, 2023, to April 4, 2024,” it appears to be all or nearly all of the Cybertrucks built to date.
According to NHTSA documents, when high force is applied to the pad covering the accelerator pedal, the pad can unlatch and may become stuck in the interior trim of the driver’s footwell. If the pad becomes stuck, the accelerator pedal will remain depressed and the vehicle will continue accelerating. It is important to note that, in the event the accelerator pedal gets stuck, depressing the brake pedal immediately cuts drive torque to the wheels, including when both pedals are pressed. According to NHTSA, with both pedals pressed, the vehicle will slow down as quickly as it normally would if only the brake were applied.
Tesla was first notified of the issue through a customer complaint on March 31, 2024. On April 2, the automaker confirmed that the vehicle’s brake system worked correctly during the incident and that with both pedals pressed, the vehicle was brought to a stop. NHTSA documents state that following internal testing, Tesla issued a voluntary recall of the Cybertruck on April 12. As of April 15, the manufacturer said it was unaware of any accidents or injuries related to the issue.
To remedy the issue, Tesla will replace or rework the accelerator pedal assembly and cover to prevent the pad from becoming dislodged in the future. According to documents filed with NHTSA, a change was made to the Cybertruck’s production by April 17 to equip a new accelerator pedal.
NHTSA documents also show that vehicles at delivery centers and in transit to customers will receive the fix before being delivered to customers. That information lines up with a recent report from the Wall Street Journal that Tesla temporarily halted deliveries for the Cybertruck. It is unclear exactly how long deliveries have been delayed. Car and Driver reached out to Tesla for comment on both the issue surrounding the recall and the halt in deliveries, but we have not heard back at the time of publishing.
Prior to the official recall announcement, news of the issue spread on social media after one Cybertruck owner posted a video on a TikTok account demonstrating the dislodged pedal cover.
Jack Fitzgerald’s love for cars stems from his as yet unshakable addiction to Formula 1.
After a brief stint as a detailer for a local dealership group in college, he knew he needed a more permanent way to drive all the new cars he couldn’t afford and decided to pursue a career in auto writing. By hounding his college professors at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, he was able to travel Wisconsin seeking out stories in the auto world before landing his dream job at Car and Driver. His new goal is to delay the inevitable demise of his 2010 Volkswagen Golf.