Tesla Cybertrucks Recalled for Accelerator Defect

Tesla is recalling thousands of new Cybertrucks, citing a defect that poses real safety risks for anyone in the vehicles or sharing the road with them.

The cars’ accelerator pedals could get trapped by the interior trim, Tesla recently told federal vehicle safety regulators in the U.S. That increases the possibility of crashes, the company acknowledged.

“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,” Tesla said in a defect notice. “If the pad on the accelerator pedal becomes trapped in the interior trim above the pedal, the performance and operation of the pedal will be affected, which may increase the risk of a collision.”

The company said it received at least two complaints about the issue but was not aware of any accidents or injuries related to it.

The recall covers nearly 4,000 Cybertrucks from model year 2024. The vehicles were built between November 2023 and April 2024.

Tesla plans to notify owners of recalled Cybertrucks by June 18, the company said in the report, which was filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Cybertruck owners can in the meantime check NHTSA’s website to see if their cars are part of the recall.

Tesla will ask owners of recalled vehicles to bring them to authorized service providers for inspection and repair. The company “will replace or rework the accelerator pedal  assembly such that the assembly meets specifications and ensures sufficient retention force between the pad and accelerator pedal to prevent the pad from dislodging.”

This is the latest in a string of recalls for the high-end electric vehiclemaker. 

NHTSA is already investigating Tesla’s recent recall of the Autopilot driver-assist system available in its vehicles. That recall, covering 2 million cars in the U.S. alone, came after hundreds of crashes involving Teslas in Autopilot mode and the more advanced “Full Self-Driving” mode. NHTSA is focusing on whether the company has done enough to ensure that drivers remain attentive while using the technology.

But the company is not alone. 

The world’s largest automakers call back millions of vehicles every single year, citing a wide range of defects that pose serious safety threats. Even when cars are recalled, automakers do not always effectively address the problems.

Know Your California Lemon Law Rights

Car owners and lessors in California have some valuable rights and protections under the state’s lemon law.

The lemon law forces car manufacturers to perform various repairs on vehicles while they are under warranty. It also requires those companies to buy back vehicles that they cannot or simply refuse to fix. That includes covering the purchase price, financing fees and other related expenses.

The law permits automakers to instead offer to replace the vehicle. It is up to the owner, however, to decide whether to accept or reject this alternative arrangement.

Talk with a California Lemon Law Attorney

If you have been stuck with a defective or malfunctioning vehicle, a California lemon law attorney at Bickel Sannipoli APC can help you fight back.  

Call us at (888) 800-1983 or contact us online to speak with a California lemon law attorney.