Tesla recalls Cybertruck to fix faulty windshield wipers, loose trim

Tesla
has
issued
two
more
recalls
for
its
Cybertruck
pickups
in
the
U.S.,
as
the
automaker
continues
to
face
challenges
with
its
newest
electric
vehicle
about
six
months
after
beginning
deliveries.

The
latest
recalls
—
the
third
and
fourth
for
the
Cybertruck
—
involve
physical
repairs
that
would
typically
require
booking
an
appointment
with
Tesla
service.
One
is
to
fix
problems
with
trim
pieces,
which
can
loosen
and
fall
off
the
trunk,
and
the
other
is
to
address
faulty
motor
controllers
in
the
front
windshield
wipers.

A

recall
report
dated
June
19,
and
posted
on
the
website
for
the
National
Highway
Traffic
Safety
Administration,
says
that
if
a
trim
piece
“separates
from
the
vehicle
while
in
drive,
it
could
create
a
road
hazard
for
following
motorists
and
increase
their
risk
of
injury
or
a
collision.”
Tesla
plans
to
“replace
or
rework”
that
trim
piece,
to
ensure
“sufficient
adhesion,”
the
report
said.

According
to
a
second
safety

recall
report
on
the
NHTSA
site,
on
some
vehicles,
“the
front
windshield
wiper
motor
controller
may
stop
functioning
due
to
electrical
overstress
to
the
gate
driver
component.”
The
report
said
a
“non-functioning
windshield
wiper
may
reduce
visibility
in
certain
operating
conditions,
which
may
increase
the
risk
of
a
collision.”
Tesla
plans
to
replace
the
motor
controller
in
the
Cybertruck
windshield
wipers
for
customers.

The
electric
vehicle
maker
didn’t
immediately
respond
to
a
request
for
comment.

Four
years
after
CEO

Elon
Musk
first

unveiled
the
Cybertruck
and
two
years
after
production
was
supposed
to
begin,
the
vehicle
hit
the
market
—
with
limited
deliveries
—
in
November
at
a

launch
event
in
Austin,
Texas.

Musk
described
it
at
the
time
as
a
“better
truck
than
a
truck,
while
also
being
a
better
sports
car
than
a
sports
car
in
the
same
package.”
He
frequently
touts
the
truck
as
a
vehicle
that
“looks
like
the
future.”

An
earlier
Cybertruck
recall
was
issued
to
repair
an
accelerator
pedal
issue.
The
pedal
could
come
loose
and
get
trapped
in
the
interior
trim
of
the
vehicle,
causing
“unintended
acceleration,”
a
problem
seen
in
a
viral
TikTok
video
made
by
a

Cybertruck
owner.

The
recall
disclosures
for
the
windshield
wiper
issue
said
that
from
Nov.
13,
2023,
to
June
6,
2024,
there
was
a
“vehicle
population”
of
11,688
Cybertrucks.
The
number
suggests
an
initially
slow
start
for
the
Cybertruck,
Tesla’s
first
entry
in
the
U.S.
pickup
market,
where
it’s
going
up
against
the


Ford
F-150
Lightning
and


Rivian
R1T.

In
its
first-quarter
shareholder
update,
Tesla
said
Cybertruck
production
capacity
exceeded
125,000
per
year.
At
Tesla’s
annual
shareholder
meeting
earlier
this
month,
Musk
said
the
company
hit
a
record
of
1,300
Cybertruck
shipments
in
a
week.

Beyond
the
Cybertruck
troubles,
it’s
been
a
tough
first
half
of
the
year
for
Tesla.
The
stock
price
is
down
25%
year
to
date,
and sales
have
been
declining due
to
an
aging
lineup,
increased
competition
in
China
and
brand
deterioration
that
a recent
survey attributed
partly
to
Musk’s
“antics”
and
“political
rants.”
The
company
is
undergoing
a
broad
restructuring
that’s
included

cutting
headcount
by
at
least
14%.

Tesla
is
expected
to
report
second-quarter
vehicle
production
and
delivery
numbers
as
soon
as
early
July.