Owners of certain Tesla Cybertrucks will have to visit the repair shop after Tesla issued a recall affecting 2,400 of the electric vehicles over possible sudden loss of power to the wheels.
At issue is a transistor in some trucks built between Nov. 6, 2023 and July 30. Failure of the component could lead to a non-responsive accelerator pedal and “loss of propulsion, which may increase the risk of a collision,” the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s recall report said.
The propulsion loss could occur without warning, the report said, adding that if it does happen, drivers will receive an alert on the vehicle screen telling them to “safely pull over the vehicle to the side of the road.”
The problem came to light after a customer complained about a 2024 Cybertruck’s sudden loss of propulsion in late July, and the company has identified five warranty claims that may be related to the defect, the traffic safety administration said. Tesla was not aware of any collisions, fatalities or injuries resulting from the problem, the agency said.
Tesla, according to the agency, will replace, for free, the drive inverter containing the transistor. Affected owners are to be notified by mail in early January.
It’s the sixth recall for the electric pickup truck, a super-speedy, eye-catching stainless-steel behemoth first delivered to customers in November. While many updates to Tesla vehicles are fixed via software updates not requiring a visit to a repair shop, the transistor issue, like three of the other recalls, requires an on-site fix.
Tesla did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the Cybertruck recalls.
In January, the Cybertruck was subject to a recall affecting millions of Tesla vehicles over small type on instrument-panel warning displays that the safety agency said could increase risk of a crash. That issue was to be solved via software update.
In April, Tesla recalled about 4,000 Cybertrucks with accelerator pedal pads that could dislodge and trap the pedal against interior trim without a trip to the service shop.
In June, nearly 12,000 of the vehicles were recalled because surging electrical current could kill the front windshield wiper motor’s controller, another hardware problem requiring on-site repair.
The same day in June, the company recalled more than 12,000 Cybertrucks with trim in the bed that could come unfastened, requiring repair at a shop.
In September, Tesla recalled more than 27,000 of the pickups because their rearview camera image may have been delayed. That recall was fixed via software update.
Tesla has not publicly disclosed sales numbers for the Cybertruck. Kelley Blue Book has estimated that the company, led by CEO Elon Musk, sold 28,250 Cybertrucks this year.
