Still in its early ramp-up phase, the Tesla Cybertruck has faced a series of problems since its official launch last November. The latest signs of trouble? Two new safety recalls — including windshield wiper failures — that can’t be fixed with updated software.
Problems with faulty wipers and pieces of trim becoming airborne are two of the newest recalls on the Tesla Cybertruck
Tesla has announced two new recalls covering its controversial Cybertruck, bringing to four the number of safety-related service actions since the first of the all-electric pickups was officially delivered to a retail customer last November.
Unlike a number of recent recalls covering Tesla products, including not only Cybertruck but the Models S, 3, X, and Y the two new defects can’t be fixed by simply downloading new software. They’ll require pickup owners to either bring their vehicles to Tesla showrooms or have the automaker’s mobile service units meet them at some other location.
Faulty wipers
Cybertruck’s massive windows have created windshield wiper problems since the project was first conceived.
The first issue started to show up about a month ago as Cybertruck owners posted reports on various Tesla forums that their windshield wipers were failing. The wipers have been an issue for Tesla since the first prototypes were built due to the massive windshield on the truck but the automaker had indicated it had a solution ahead of the vehicle’s official launch.
“I picked up (a new Cybertruck on Tuesday in Florida and left and made it 20 miles and it started pouring raining,” wrote an owner using the pseudonym Cnod. “Had to sit in a Dunkin Donuts for 3.5 hours and call Tesla roadside assistance because i couldn’t see. They took it to the SC (Ed: service center) and said it would be a few weeks before the wiper motor could be replaced. Once the rain passed, i took the CT and added some Rainx for now. But it was super dangerous…had to open my window and hang out the window to see until i could get to a safe place with the wiper not working.”
Other owners and customers waiting for delivery reported they had been advised that Tesla was temporarily halting Cybertruck deliveries due to the wiper issue. Attempts to verify that with Tesla went unanswered, the automaker having eliminated its media relations department.
Now, however, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has made it official, a formal recall announcement posted on the agency’s website.
Flying trim parts and other defects
Tesla once claimed that the Cybertruck was capable of resisting small arms fire but loose pieces of trim flying out of the truck’s bed suggest it’s not as durable as it seems and prompted a second recall.
It turns out Tesla has another problem with Cybertruck which caused the NHTSA to announce a second recall on the wedge-shaped pickup. In this case, a trim piece along the truck’s bed can come loose and fly off. At highway speeds, this can pose a potential hazard for other motorists, the agency reported.
Each of the new recalls covers about 11,000 vehicles, essentially every Cybertruck produced to date. Together, they double the number of service actions the pickup has faced in just the last seven months. The most serious problem until now involved Cybertruck’s accelerator pedal which could come loose and get stuck, potentially making it difficult for a driver to maintain control or stop.
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What now?
Tesla will be notifying owners about both recalls but it remains to be seen what kind of repairs will be done to fix both issues.
Tesla will formally notify Cybertruck owners about the wiper recall, a letter set to go out on August 18. A separate notice will be sent covering the trim piece issue the same day.
Repairs will be made at no cost to owners.
Headlight.News has again reached out to Tesla for more details on the planned repairs. It is also seeking to clarify whether the automaker is now producing and delivering more Cybertrucks and, if so, what has it done to address the two issues, especially the wiper problem.
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