Only Six Months After Delivery! Tesla Recalls Tens of Thousands of Cybertruck

It was previously reported that Tesla had widespread issues with windshield wiper motors. The company has now confirmed this and announced a recall of 11,688 Cybertrucks due to potential wiper motor failure caused by excessive current. Additionally, 11,383 Cybertrucks are being recalled due to loose trim in the truck bed. These issues cannot be fixed through OTA updates, so owners will need to take their vehicles to a dealership for inspection and repair.

Reason for Recall: Front Windshield Wiper Failure

On June 25, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) disclosed a recall notice indicating that Tesla will recall 11,688 Cybertruck electric trucks. This recall covers all Cybertruck electric trucks produced between November 13, 2023, and June 6, 2024. According to the documents, the recall is due to a potential defect in the single-arm windshield wipers, where excessive current may cause the wiper motor controller to fail, resulting in wipers not functioning properly. This issue can reduce visibility and increase the risk of a crash, posing a safety hazard, especially in rainy conditions.

Tesla stated that only 2% of the affected vehicles have this defect. It is understood that Tesla discovered the issue as early as February this year when repair personnel found wiper motor failures in some Cybertruck trucks. Tesla engineers then spent several months analyzing 20 recovered motors to identify the root cause. The investigation revealed that excessive current was applied to the components during functional testing by a secondary supplier, damaging the motor circuit board and causing the windshield wiper motor controller to fail.

Tesla stated that, so far, no reports of crashes, injuries, or deaths related to this issue have been received. Before this recall, Tesla had already paused customer deliveries of this model. To address the defect, Tesla will replace the wiper motors free of charge for the owners.

Reason for Recall: Improperly Adhered Trunk Bed Trim

In addition to the wiper motor issue, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) disclosed another recall concerning the side trim panels of the Cybertruck's bed. These panels may have installation issues, potentially becoming loose or detached during driving. This recall involves 11,383 vehicles produced between November 13, 2023, and May 26, 2024. For this defect, Tesla will replace or repair the side trim panels of the affected vehicles to ensure their stability.

The Cybertruck is Tesla's first electric pickup truck, unveiled at the Los Angeles headquarters on November 22, 2019. This electric pickup truck has revolutionized the market's perception of pickup trucks, which traditionally emphasize functionality over aesthetics and technological innovation compared to sedans and SUVs. However, the Cybertruck's debut still managed to astonish the market. In December 2023, Tesla officially delivered the first batch of Cybertruck electric pickups to customers in the U.S. and announced the prices for three models: the rear-wheel-drive version at $60,990, the all-wheel-drive version at $79,990, and the "Beast" version at $99,990. The all-wheel-drive and "Beast" versions will be available in 2024, while the rear-wheel-drive version will be available in 2025.

Since its delivery, the Cybertruck electric pickup has encountered numerous issues, leading to four recalls in total. In April this year, documents from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) revealed that Tesla recalled 3,878 Cybertrucks due to a potential issue where the plastic trim on top of the accelerator pedal could detach and cause unintended acceleration, increasing the risk of a collision. This recall affected models produced between November 13, 2023, and April 4, 2024. Earlier, the Cybertruck had also been recalled because the font size of the brake, parking, and ABS warning lights on the dashboard did not meet regulatory requirements.

From the recall notices, it appears that nearly all delivered Cybertrucks have been recalled, providing an early indication of the truck's initial sales volume. According to a previous recall document, Tesla delivered 1,163 Cybertrucks in December 2023. Simple calculations suggest that Tesla delivered a total of 10,525 Cybertrucks in 2024, averaging 1,754 units per month.

This number clearly contrasts with Elon Musk's recent promise at the Tesla shareholders meeting two weeks ago. At that time, Musk revealed that Tesla had achieved a production rate of 1,300 Cybertrucks per week (approximately 5,200 per month) and set a target production rate of 2,500 per week (around 10,000 per month) by the end of 2024.

The difficulties in mass delivering the Cybertruck primarily stem from its unique design and production challenges. The Cybertruck features a self-developed 30X cold-rolled stainless steel unibody, which is significantly harder than conventional aluminum alloys. This material's extreme hardness necessitated a wedge-shaped design for the vehicle, making mass production considerably more challenging than for other models. Additionally, Tesla's self-developed 4680 battery cells have a yield rate of only around 80%, and while Tesla is seeking external suppliers, global production capacity for this new technology remains quite limited. As a result, despite the Cybertruck being in mass production and delivery, Tesla faces numerous challenges.

Thus, it will be difficult for Tesla to achieve growth through the Cybertruck electric pickup. Frequent recalls may also cause consumer hesitation about purchasing this electric truck. Musk confirmed at the recent shareholders meeting that the industry is experiencing a transitional period, and short-term demand and sales will face difficulties. He also mentioned that competitors are cutting investments and production of electric vehicles. Tesla is expected to announce its second-quarter delivery figures next week, with market forecasts anticipating 441,000 units, higher than the 386,800 units in the first quarter but lower than the 466,100 units in the same period last year.