After TikTok video

Recall: Tesla could accelerate unintentionally

(Bild: AP/Richard Vogel)

Problems with the accelerator pedal have resulted in the recall of all Tesla Cybertrucks produced to date, almost 4000 of them. The company's new flagship could accelerate unintentionally due to a production error - the problem is likely to have a bizarre cause.

The problem with the accelerator pedal has been circulating on social media in recent days - a Cybertruck user had discovered that his vehicle was accelerating by itself because the accelerator pedal was stuck to the floor after a plastic cover had come loose.

According to a report by US television station CNBC, a TikTok video by Cybertruck owner Jose Martinez about the problem was shared more than 42,000 times and viewed more than six million times on X.

No known accidents so far
To be precise, 3878 vehicles are affected by the recall. The accelerator pedal could come loose and get caught in the interior trim, the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) announced on Friday.

This could cause the vehicle to accelerate unintentionally. Tesla will repair or replace the accelerator pedal - but the manufacturer is not yet aware of any accidents in this context.

Apparently bizarre cause
The pedal problem apparently has a bizarre cause: soap. "During an unauthorized modification, lubricant (soap) was used to support the assembly of the cover on the accelerator pedal," writes the NHTSA in its recall report.

Now, lubricant residue reduced the hold of the cover on the pedal. Local Tesla buyers are not affected by the problem: The Cybertruck is not even on the market in Europe.

Problems can usually be solved with a software update
The Cybertruck electric pick-up has only been delivered since the end of last year - with a two-year delay due to production problems and battery shortages. According to the website BizzyCar, Tesla has already had to recall a total of 2.4 million vehicles in the first quarter of 2024. The problems can usually be rectified with a software update.

In recent months, Tesla has had to recall hundreds of thousands of other vehicles. The company's sales are falling; Tesla has announced that it will lay off around a tenth of its workforce.