Tesla recalls all cybertrucks amid warning they could ‘unintentionally accelerate’

Pedal can become ‘trapped’, raising risk of crash, regulators say

The first crash involving a Tesla Cybertruck was reported in Palo Alto, California, this week (AFP via Getty Images)

Tesla will recall all of the Cybertrucks it has made, amid fears they could unintentionally accelerate.

The controversial cars’ accelerators can get stuck in the trim of the car, meaning that it may get trapped accelerating. That increases the risk of crashes, the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Teslas vehicles are regularly hit by recalls from the NHTSA. But many of the problems behind them can be fixed with a software update.

In this case, owners will have to return their cars to have the pedals fixed, free of charge. Tesla advised affected drivers that they can press the brake pedal, which will bring the car to a stop.

The recall affects 3,878, all the vehicles made between November and April.

The problem came about from the use of a new lubricant in the making of the accelerator pedal, Tesla said. That meant that the pad on the accelerator pedal can come off and become stuck in the car’s trim.

It said that it was not aware of any crashes resulting from the problem.

The Cybertruck has proven controversial since it was first announced as a concept vehicle in 2019, with some concern that its sharp edges and relatively small windows could lead to crashes. Those concerns have continued ever since it was first made available in November.

The truck has only been available in limited numbers since its release, and is currently only available in the US, Canada and Mexico. The company has not announced plans to release it more broadly.