The Cybertruck Maintains Tesla Tradition With Yet Another Recall

Despite having a single CEO since 2008, Tesla’s journey has been a rollercoaster, and it’s the same story with its ingenious but incomplete Cybertruck. One week, there’s good news about some nifty new accessory, another week, the cheapest model is removed from sale. This week, (some) Cybertrucks got access to semi-autonomous FSD features, but now there’s a new recall that affects visibility out of the rear of the wedge-shaped truck, specifically 27,000 examples thereof. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the rearview display in the Tesla Cybertruck may remain blank for up to 8 seconds after the vehicle is shifted into reverse.

The Fifth Recall Since Sales Started

Federal safety standards allow up to 2 seconds of delay from the rearview camera display, and given how impatient many people are these days, there’s a good chance that some owners may not wait, which could have dire consequences if they don’t perform the recommended shoulder checks and use their mirrors. As usual, the recall will be addressed at no cost to affected owners, and since this is a digital issue, Tesla can resolve the issue with its usual over-the-air software patch.

This marks the fifth official recall since the Cybertruck went on sale last year, past recalls involving the single windshield wiper, a piece of plastic trim running along the edge of the bed that could come loose, a potentially sticky accelerator pedal, and letters on warning lights that were too small to easily read. While no injuries have been reported as a result of any of these issues, this is a recurring trend for the automaker’s vehicles.

New Cars Always Face Issues

Tesla’s fans will argue that these issues are minor, but for a car once touted as nearly indestructible, it’s not a particularly good look, particularly at these prices. It’s expected that a new car will have some issues in its first year of production – even the mighty Toyota is not immune – but when it comes to fundamental safety issues, there can be no room for error, even when that error can be quickly fixed through a simple software update.

A sticky accelerator pedal and a malfunctioning backup display in a car that weighs this much and moves this quickly are not things we want to dwell on, but their severity cannot be overlooked. For a company that intends to allow its cars to drive themselves, the issue is all the more critical.

Source:
NHTSA