Tesla’s Cybertruck is facing yet another recall. And it’s not some minor software update: a glaring flaw meant that its wheels could come flying off while driving, in a comically literal symbol of the disastrous vehicle’s seemingly endless woes.
The recall, issued late last month and spotted this week by MotorTrend, affects the rear-wheel drive Cybertruck model, which Tesla sold as a cheaper option — with a humble price tag of just $70,000 — last year amid still–cratering sales. These came with 18-inch steel wheels, and as it turned out, problematic brake rotors.
In a recall notice filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Tesla says that “higher severity road perturbations and cornering” can strain the stud holes that the brake rotors are attached with. With wear and tear over time, they can crack and “allow the stud to separate from the wheel.”
Such a scenario, to put it mildly, would be very bad.
“Wheel stud separation can cause a loss of vehicle control, increasing the risk of crash,” the notice explains.
The recall is the latest example of reality conspiring to undermine Elon Musk’s promise that the electric pickup would be an “apocalypse-proof” tank — which was always absurd even before its terrible track record, given its dependence on a functioning electrical grid somehow surviving the end of civilization.
Alarm bells started ringing when a customer brought in their Cybertruck complaining about “braking pulsations,” according to the filing. When technicians inspected the car, they found cracks on the brake rotor faces.
This is the eleventh recall the Cybertruck has faced since it first started being sold in late 2023, which speaks for itself. Previous recall issues include its accelerator pedal getting stuck in the down position, and losing power while driving.
And its wheels weren’t the only parts that threatened to suddenly detach: it was also recalled because its stainless steel body panels could fly off, along with its lightbar attachment. Both were because of the shoddy glue Tesla chose. “Bulletproof” is the slang used to describe reliable cars, and Musk focused too much on making its doors literally stop live rounds — because it’s “apocalypse-proof,” remember? — while neglecting everything else about it.
There was another embarrassing detail to come out of the recall notice. It affects all of the rear wheel drive Cybertrucks Tesla ever sold: a grand total of 173. It’s little wonder that Tesla discontinued the model just months after launching it last April. It replaced it this February with a $60,000 all wheel drive model that came with two motors, which is one motor less than than the $99,990 “Cyberbeast” model.
So far, Tesla says it’s identified three warranty claims that may be related to the wheel issue. It estimates that five percent of the recalled vehicles may have the defect.
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