Featured Image Credit: Brandon Bell/Getty Images / CHANDAN KHANNA/AFP via Getty Images
Topics: Cars, Elon Musk, Tesla, Technology
Ella Scott
Topics: Cars, Elon Musk, Tesla, Technology
Tesla has been forced to recall more than 3,000 of its Cybertrucks due to reports of a serious fault.
Car enthusiasts will already be familiar with the mega Tesla Cybertruck - a 4-door durable pick-up truck made from stainless steel.
The idea for the vehicle was first conceived by CEO Elon Musk back in 2012.
At the time, the 52-year-old envisioned the vehicle as a ‘supertruck with crazy torque and dynamic air suspension’.
Fast forward 12 years and the Cybertruck is now a reality - with 3,878 being sent out to customers. However, despite the waitlist stretching to 2027, Tesla has recently suffered a major setback.
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This week, a complaint has been lodged by the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) due to reports of models featuring a ‘trapped accelerator pedal’.
According to the filing, all automobiles produced within a certain period feature: “A trapped accelerator pedal [which] can cause the vehicle to accelerate unintentionally, increasing the risk of a crash.”
The safety recall report further states: “On affected vehicles when high force is applied to the pad on the accelerator pedal, the pad may dislodge, which may cause the pedal to become trapped in the interior trim above the pedal.”
Due to the claim, Tesla has now decided to voluntarily recall all Model Year (MY) 2024 Cybertrucks.
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The company has said it will work to ‘replace or rework the accelerator pedal assembly’ on all cars manufactured from November 13, 2023, to April 4, 2024, free of charge.
This will ensure sufficient retention force to prevent the pad from dislodging.
Tesla also reassured waiting customers that newer models will not feature the same safety risk.
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The company wrote: “By April 17, 2024, Cybertruck vehicles in production were equipped with a new accelerator pedal component and part number.
“Cybertruck vehicles at delivery centers and in transit to delivery centers will receive the remedy described above prior to delivery to customers.”
As of April 15, Tesla is ‘not aware’ of any collisions, injuries or deaths relating to the faulty pedal.
The decision to recall the Cybertruck comes after one disgruntled vehicle owner took to social media and warned others about the pedal cover.
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TikTok user @el.chepito1985 complained that he’d recently experienced his pedal sliding off the accelerator. He alleged that the pedal had snagged on the carpet and locked in place at full throttle.
In a quick clip, Elai warned other Cybertruck owners that the pedal cover can easily get stuck ‘all the way to the floor’.
After posting the viral video, viewers came out in their droves to debate the situation.
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One TikTok user wrote: “What an absolute nightmare of a vehicle. I’ve never seen more videos of a brand new car that died on the first day lmao.”
A second typed: “Hopefully the crew at Tesla can hone in on these stop gaps and fix the problem. Don't know why/how it could come off, given it is metal.”
UNILAD has contacted Tesla for comment following the recall process.