Tesla forced to recall 172 vehicles daily amid ‘durability and safety’ concerns for popular model

The recalls come after growing concerns about the vehicle's reliability under basic conditions, including reports of breakdowns in rainy weather.

Reports revealed that five separate recalls have specifically targeted the Cybertruck this year, with an additional recall potentially affecting over two million Tesla vehicles across multiple models.

Do you have a story you'd like to share? Get in touch by emailingmotoring@gbnews.uk

The first Cybertruck-specific recall was announced on April 17, addressing a safety concern where the accelerator pedal could become trapped when high force was applied.

Tesla offered free corrections for the affected vehicles, with an estimated repair time of approximately 15 minutes.

According to data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, up to 3,878 vehicles may have been impacted by this issue. The fault marked the beginning of a series of recalls that would plague the electric pickup throughout the year.

On June 19, Tesla issued two simultaneous recalls affecting the Cybertruck's front wiper and a trim piece called the sail applique. The first recall addressed potential front wiper motor malfunctions, affecting up to 11,688 vehicles. Although Tesla said this could be fixed with a free, 30-minute repair.

The second recall concerned the trim piece attachment, which posed a risk of detachment during operation. This affected a slightly larger number of 12,150 Cybertrucks.

Both issues were seen as “relatively straightforward fixes”, with Tesla estimating repair times of no more than 30 minutes for each problem.

In September, Tesla implemented its first over-the-air firmware update for the Cybertruck, affecting 27,185 vehicles. The update, announced on September 26, aimed to resolve issues with the rearview camera display experiencing delays when reversing.

The most recent recall came on November 5, targeting a problem with the drive inverter that could lead to power loss. This latest issue affected up to 2,431 Cybertrucks and required the lengthiest repair time of approximately three hours.

The recall figures have raised significant concerns about the Cybertruck's reliability, with data suggesting an alarming recall rate of nearly 200 per cent.

According to Kelly Blue Book it estimates that Tesla delivered approximately 28,250 Cybertrucks by the end of September 2024. With the maximum number of potential recalls reaching 54,901 by that date, calculations indicate that almost every pickup would have required repairs at least twice during 2024.

These figures stand in stark contrast to Tesla's original production plans of 150,000 vehicles per year. The data also suggests that only a small fraction of individuals who initially reserved the pickup proceeded with their purchase.

Despite the concerning recall figures, experts note that the actual number of affected Cybertruck's could be significantly lower than the maximum estimates reported by NHTSA.

LATEST DEVELOPMENTS:

• Rachel Reeves car tax changes could see critical vehicle type ‘phased out’ of the UK
• e-scooter legalisation could cause more UK road casualties despite being a 'sustainable transport offer'
• Labour pledges to close ‘two tier’ electric vehicle charging gap to improve uptake

Andreja Stojanovic, a co-author of the research at Finbold, explained: "Despite the recall rate potentially approaching 200 per cent, the situation might prove similar to the broader reputation of Tesla cars as spontaneous combustion engines.

“The actual number of instances in which Tesla vehicles caught fire for no apparent reason is minuscule compared to what the public perception and online representation suggest."

The all-wheel drive model of the Tesla Cybertruck has a starting list price of $99,990 (£76,232), an estimated battery range of 318 miles and can go from 0-60mph in just 4.1 seconds.