The Tesla Cybertruck is allegedly bulletproof, but glue is the cause of its latest malady.
The 46,096 Cybertrucks manufactured between November 2023 and this February—nearly the entire production run of the stainless-steel electric truck—are being recalled to fix an adhesive issue that's causing pieces of the metal trim to fly off during driving.
In a recall notice filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Tesla said it became aware of the issue in early January amid a raft of customer complaints. While Tesla claims that only 1% of Cybertrucks in this production run may be affected by this issue, it is fixing all of them. Production and deliveries had been halted in recent days as these reports surfaced.
"The Cybertruck is equipped with a cosmetic applique along the exterior of the vehicle, known as the cant rail, which is an assembly comprised of an electro-coated steel stamping joined to a stainless steel panel with structural adhesive," the automaker said. "The cant rail assembly is affixed to the vehicle with fasteners. On affected vehicles, the cant rail stainless steel panel may delaminate at the adhesive joint, which may cause the panel to separate from the vehicle."
The result of that has been widespread recent reports of steel body pieces going airborne while driving, which Tesla said "could create a road hazard for following motorists and increase their risk of injury or a collision."
While many Tesla models have had "recall" fixes through over-the-air software updates, this is one that cannot be done digitally. Owners will get a notice in the mail about this recall, and then they'll need to schedule a visit to their local service center for a repair.
Tesla also noted that at the time of the recall's filing, "the condition has not been corrected in production" but that is expected to happen in the coming days. Thus, any Cybertrucks sold by late March should not have this issue.
This is not the first time the Cybertruck has been recalled for body panel issues. Last summer, more than 11,000 Cybertrucks were recalled for a similar problem with adhesive materials that caused other trim pieces to fly off while driving.
The Cybertruck has had eight recalls since its launch in late 2023.
Contact the author: patrick.george@insideevs.com
