Topline
Tesla has recalled more than 40,000 Cybertrucks over an exterior panel that may detach while driving, increasing the risk of a crash, according to a regulatory filing Thursday, the eighth notice issued for Tesla’s pickup truck while the company and CEO Elon Musk face growing protests and stock woes.
Elon Musk’s automaker has recalled its trucks for issues with accelerator panels, defective driver … [+] inverters and more.
Key Facts
The recall affects Cybertrucks manufactured between Nov. 13, 2023, and Feb. 27, 2025, according to a National Highway Traffic Safety Administration filing.
Tesla notified regulators that the Cybertrucks are equipped with cant rails—a stainless-steel exterior trim panel—that can detach from the vehicle while in motion, the NHTSA said.
Affected Cybertrucks have cant rails that may separate at the point where they connect to the vehicle, which may cause them to detach from the vehicle entirely, regulators said, noting drivers may be able to hear a sound or see the panel as it becomes loose.
Tesla said it launched an investigation into the defect on Jan. 13 after receiving a complaint on Jan. 7, and the automaker has received 151 warranty claims that may be related to the defect as of March 14, though Tesla is not aware of any related collisions or injuries.
Drivers with the affected vehicles will be notified by May 19, according to Tesla, who said they will replace the cant rail assembly for free.
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Big Number
5.1 million. That’s how many vehicles Tesla recalled in the U.S. in 2024, the most of any automaker, according to NHTSA data, though most of these recalls were addressed through over-the-air software updates. Tesla was responsible for roughly 21% of the vehicles recalled in the U.S. last year, while its market share of cars sold was about 4.2% in 2023, according to industry analysts at Cox Automotive.
Tangent
Tesla’s latest recall follows a wave of protests and vandalism at several Tesla dealerships in the U.S. in recent months. Graffiti was sprayed on a wall of the Loveland, Colorado, dealership, while shots were fired, Molotov cocktails were thrown and Tesla vehicles have been vandalized or damaged at dealerships in several states. Some peaceful protests have taken place and are linked to “Tesla Takedown,” a group that urges car owners to “sell your Teslas, dump your stock, join the picket lines.” Musk told Fox News he believes there are “larger forces at work” that are “funding” and “coordinating” the Tesla protests, after previously claiming, without evidence, that billionaires and Democratic-affiliated organizations were responsible. Attorney General Pam Bondi has said the acts of vandalism are “nothing short of domestic terrorism,” though there is no federal charge for domestic terrorism. Bondi has said she opened an investigation into the protests and to find anyone who may be funding them. Shares of Tesla are down more than 40% year-to-date, the worst loss of any company on the S&P 500 as of Tuesday.
Key Background
Tesla filed seven notices for its Cybertrucks in 2024, after years of delays amid production issues and battery supply restrictions that pushed back the vehicle’s first deliveries to late 2023. An initial recall was issued in January 2024 for warning lights with a font size that may make critical safety information difficult to read. Nearly 3,900 Cybertrucks were recalled in April 2024 over gas pedals that could get stuck, causing the vehicles to unintentionally accelerate. Two more notices were issued in June 2024, after Tesla and regulators found Cybertrucks with malfunctioning windshield wipers and improperly attached trunk bed trims. Other recalls have been issued for rearview camera issues and defective drive inverters, among others.
Further Reading
Tesla Issues Sixth Recall For Cybertrucks This Year (Forbes)
