April 19 (UPI) — Tesla has recalled almost 4,000 of its Cybertrucks due to a faulty accelerator pedal.
According to a National Highway Traffic Safety Administration notice issued Wednesday, the recall affects 3,878 Cybertruck vehicles manufactured between Nov. 13 and April 4, essentially every Cybertruck delivered to customers since its launch event last year.
On the affected vehicles, the pad covering the accelerator pedal can become dislodged due to application of “high force” and cause the pedal to become stuck in the trim of the vehicle, according to the report.
The fault was caused by an “unapproved” use of lubricant soap to aid in the assembly of the accelerator pedal and pad, which reduces the retention of the pad and can cause it to slide off, according to the report.
Cybertruck owner Joes Martinez earlier this week posted a TikTok video illustrating to the pedal problem. The video has been shared more than 42,000 times and viewed more than 6 million times on X.
According to the NHTSA report, Tesla was first notified of the issue on on March 31, followed by a second report on April 3. The company completed an internal assessment to find the cause on April 12 and then issued a voluntary recall.
Tesla has reported no known “collisions, injuries, or deaths” due to the defect.
Wednesday’s recall is the latest in a string of bad press for Tesla. The futuristic-looking Cybertruck in particular has gained infamy over its reported safety and quality issues, including doors with sharp edges and rust easily forming on the stainless steel body.
Tesla in February recalled over 2 million vehicles after reports that warning lights on the dashboards of certain models appeared too small to comply with safety standards. The defect was present in multiple Tesla models, including the Cybertruck.
Prior to that, Tesla spent last holiday season issuing numerous recalls. The company in December recalled more than 2 million Tesla models over a crash risk related to its Autosteer controls.
Weeks later, Tesla recalled 1.6 million Model S vehicles in China for a similar issue. Later in January, 200,000 vehicles were recalled over a rearview camera glitch.
In those instances, Tesla has been able to remedy the issue with an over-the-air software update. But the Cybertruck’s sticky accelerator problem uniquely demonstrates an issue with the manufacturing.
The NHTSA said Tesla already has begun addressing the issue on vehicles in production and at delivery centers.
