Jammed accelerator pedals lead to Tesla Cybertruck recall

Just days after news broke about layoffs affecting 14,000 workers, electric vehicle giant Tesla issued a recall for almost 4,000 of its new, stainless steel-skinned Cybertruck model, citing issues that can cause the accelerator pedal to become stuck during operation.

In a recall notice posted Wednesday , Tesla said 100% of the 2024 model year Cybertrucks manufactured between Nov. 13, 2023, and April 4, 2024, totaling 3,878 vehicles, are impacted by the problem.

“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,” the recall notice states.

The automaker also said the issue could increase the risk of collision, but noted that applying the brake pedal in the vehicles also serves to disengage the accelerator function.

“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 recall notice reads. “Note that application of the brake pedal will cut drive torque, including when both brake and accelerator pedals are pressed, and continued application of the brake pedal will bring the vehicle to a stop as quickly as if the accelerator pedal was not pressed.”

Tesla explained that an “unapproved” assembly process change led to the use of soap to attach the cover pad to the accelerator pedal which has led, in some cases, to residual lubricant reducing the retention of the pad to the pedal.

The problems have been highlighted in social media posts from Cybertruck owners, including a TikTok clip from user el.chepito1985 who described an incident in which the metal and rubber cover on the accelerator pedal slipped off while he was driving his Cybertruck and held the pedal down at full acceleration. The poster said he was able to slow the truck down and eventually pull off the road and put it in park to address the issue but worried that other drivers may “panic” if faced with a similar failure.

As of Monday, Tesla was not aware of any collisions, injuries or deaths related to the issue, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration told The Associated Press . Cybertrucks in production had been outfitted with a new accelerator pedal component by Wednesday of this week, according to the NHTSA.

Tesla, which is headed by billionaire Elon Musk, said that it will replace or repair the accelerator pedal assembly for free. Owners may contact Tesla customer service at 1-877-798-3752. Tesla’s number for the recall is SB-24-33-003.

How many workers did Tesla lay off?

Earlier this week, Musk announced Tesla had plans in place to reduce its workforce of around 140,000 workers by 10%, about 14,000 employees, due to slowing growth and more competition in the electric vehicle market.

In a Monday memo from Musk to Tesla employees, he cited the need to find savings and achieve his goal of making Tesla more “lean, innovative and hungry for the next growth phase cycle.”

“As we prepare the company for our next phase of growth, it is extremely important to look at every aspect of the company for cost reductions and increasing productivity,” Musk wrote in an email obtained by EV news website Electrek .

While overall electric vehicle sales in the U.S. are continuing to grow, the rate of that growth has “slowed notably,” according to a recent report from Cox Automotive .

Tesla remains the dominant EV player but has seen its share of new vehicle sales slip recently in a market with a growing number of manufacturers and vehicle options.

Tesla sales dropped 13% in the first quarter of 2024 compared to the same time last year, according to The New York Times , and the EV maker’s overall market share dropped from 62% to 51%.