Tesla Recalls Nearly 4,000 Cybertrucks

In recent Cybertruck news and fashion, there are reports of a major recall for nearly 4,000 models in the United States. This comes shortly after the Cybertruck’s release late last year, only five months following its entrance to the EV market. For years, we’ve seen and heard rumors about the Cybertruck, with it becoming somewhat of a pop culture phenomenon.

Most pickup truck drivers can’t imagine themselves inside one, electric car shoppers typically choose something like Model 3 or Model Y, and the general population just says WOW. Polarizing or not, this recall is not going to help shift the needle in the nameplate’s favor for those who may have been debating it. Recalls of any kind tend to put a damper on the party, regardless of brand or vehicle, so we’ll have to see how Tesla and its execs handle this blow.

Of course, the details surrounding this mix-up make it even more interesting, with many people raising their eyebrows (and voices) on social media platforms like Reddit, Twitter, TikTok, etc. News tends to travel fast for anything Elon Musk or Tesla-related, so this is a wildfire we aren’t sure the brand will be able to contain. Even if they’d like to. Stick around as we dive deeper into what went wrong with Cybertruck this early in its production run and what we think the company can do moving forward.

In order to give you the most up-to-date and accurate information possible, the data used to compile this article was sourced from Tesla and other authoritative sources, including Reddit, Twitter (X), and reliable news outlets.

How Soap Just Caused A Major Problem At Tesla HQ

For those just tuning in, Tesla announced a recall for Cybertruck today, totaling around 4,000 vehicles. The reason? Soapy accelerator pads. Yes, you read that perfectly fine. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s report, certain Cybertruck models created between November 13th, 2023, and April 2024 had soap come in contact with the accelerator pad inside, leading to it getting stuck with drivers behind the wheel.

This makes for a dangerous potential outcome for those currently operating or owning Cybertruck nameplates, and the company (Tesla) says that all Cybertruck owners should come in and have their accelerator pads replaced by the company ASAP. This is not a gentle suggestion but rather a safety requirement for all Tesla Cybertruck owners. During production, the soap was being used to clean/polish the Cybertruck and somehow made its way onto the pedal and called it home. We’ve reported on the Cybertruck’s amphibious capabilities before, but this is not what we meant.

Tesla has put a STOP-SALE on all new Cybertrucks. This goes into effect today, April 19th, and will last for the foreseeable future. The brand has made it a priority to repair and replace all defective accelerator pads free of charge.

“Recalls tend to create more fear than actual damage. Like any carmaker, Tesla will need to address this quickly, but it’s the kind of early production mistake that can happen in this industry. When a new model comes out, I always tell people to wait at least one model year so the carmaker fixes initial glitches. Even if it means soapy pedals.”

– William Clavey, TopSpeed EV Journalist And Expert

There Have Not Been Accidents Reported *Yet*

On the bright side, there have not been any reported accidents from Cybertruck drivers due to this accelerator pad x soap debacle. However, the company and NHTSA are strongly recommending that all current Cybertruck owners head to their nearest Tesla service station to have the pad swapped out with a non-sudsy one. Listen, if there’s anyone who loves a clean car, it’s us. Just not when that soap could potentially cause your truck to go top speed (sorry) without being able to be controlled or stopped. Jokes aside, the Cybertruck has a stop-sale in order on all new trucks, effective immediately.

Cybertruck has two current recalls per the National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration. This more recent recall concerns the accelerator pad on 3,878 vehicles made between November 2023 and April this year AND components like charging, steering, and speed control from earlier in March. You can always check the NHTSA’s website for up-to-date recall announcements and protocols.

Although we never like to see anything unsafe happen with vehicles, no matter their brand or size, social media does become one of the best places during turmoil. As of this morning, when the recall news broke, we saw instant trends on Elon Musk’s previously-named Twitter platform, X, which is certainly a full-circle moment for us and him.

Cybertruck forums and communities have also been poking fun about the whole thing, and many owners are showing their distaste for how this was allowed to happen after so many years in the making. Whatever the case, Cybertruck is going to need a miracle in the PR department following this news. If anyone can pull out of a rut, however, we’d bet on this EV company and its very capable employees/leadership. Here are some quotes and comments from social media users as of this morning and afternoon:

What Twitter (X) Is Saying

Much of Twitter (X)’s sentiment on the Cybertruck recall has been non-drivers rejoicing in the nameplate’s failure. Since its launch, the Cybertruck has been the butt of the joke for many EV and non-EV drivers, with any slip-up being the perfect time for those who dislike it to tune in. We have one user, @JayBrandstetter, tweeting:

“The cybertruck recall making them finally reveal the sales figures is so good, it sold half as much as the DeLorean lmao”

and that racking up 12,000+ likes as of our posting. More users go on to add things like:

Again, we hate to see this take off in a bad direction. We truly do, but it’s hard not to smirk. One Twitter (X) user even went on to say the Simpsons predicted this, followed by an SUV exploding in one of its episodes. It’s not spot-on, but the Simpsons tend to have a foreshadowing power we’d like to adapt.

What Reddit/Forums Are Saying

Moving onto Reddit and Cybertruck forums, the sentiment regarding this soapy accelerator pad is not much better for Tesla. On the official r/cybertruck forum on Reddit, you have the news break under this post, with commenters immediately wondering what this means for the nameplate’s future prospects.

One user added this very good point:

heh. i remember seeing a viral tiktok by a cybertruck owner pointing out this (very scary) issue, but people were screaming that he was a liar and a fraud.

Here is that video from a couple of days prior:

Moreover, we had another Redditor point this out:

This. I had a Ford that had a major head gasket issue, and Ford took years to recall the vehicle. Granted that’s a much deeper recall, the fact that Tesla is doing this so soon is a good sign for their integrity

There was also a rumbling about why Cybertruck had only produced <4,000 models. It has been slowly ramping things up, but with this news, we’re glad they went slow. Again, there’s always a good and bad aspect to these types of stories. It’s great that Tesla has been so considerate and proactive in repairing any soapy/sudsy pedals. Kudos.

Here’s what one of our journalists, who has driven the Cybertruck, had to say about this recall:

An inadvertent Cybertruck at full throttle will strike fear in the hearts of owners; however, most new car buyers – especially buyers who want to be first-movers in the car world, have had experience with recalls at some point. Recalls c
an
be handled as easily as a service visit to the dealership. That being said, the Cybertruck issue was recognized quickly and is already being dealt with. If you want to be the first one on the block with the newest, baddest ride, then that’s just how life in the fast lane goes.

– Jody Only, TopSpeed Journalist

How Tesla Cybertruck Comes Out Of This

Listen, if there’s one thing we’ve seen with Cybertruck, it’s that this nameplate can take a punch. Although this accelerator failure is a big deal, Tesla’s fast response and willingness to accept the mistake and repair any defective is a great step forward. This only affects less than 4,000 vehicles, and all future Cybertrucks *should* come off production lines soap and sud-free.

Of course, we do not have a crystal ball, but this is a pivotal point in crisis management on Tesla’s end. Let’s see how well the brand can handle this type of PR five months into its release schedule. After all, it’s not like we’re witnessing exploding batteries or something along the lines of severe electrical failure, although the Cybertruck is not perfect by any means.

Perhaps series two, if there is one, will flatten out these wrinkles.