Tesla is recalling nearly 4,000 of its Cybertruck models to fix a potentially dangerous issue with the accelerator pedals. It comes just days after the company announced one-in-ten of its workers would be laid off amid falling global sales.

Austin

### Tesla Recalls Cybertruck Over Accelerator Pedal Safety Concerns

Tesla has initiated a recall for nearly 4,000 of its Cybertrucks due to a potentially dangerous issue involving the vehicle's accelerator pedals. This safety concern has prompted quick action from the electric vehicle manufacturer, aiming to mitigate any risk to drivers and the public.

The recall affects Cybertrucks that were manufactured between November 13, 2023, and April 4 of the same year, encompassing nearly the entire production of the vehicle so far. The issue came to Tesla's attention on March 13 after a vehicle owner reported an acceleration problem, leading to an investigation by the company.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has been involved, issuing a notification letter to Tesla's headquarters in California. Investigators found that the problem originated from an unapproved change in the assembly process. Workers had applied a lubricant, identified as soap, to ease the installation of a footpad onto the accelerator arm. This alteration resulted in the pedal potentially getting stuck in the interior trim, leading to unintended acceleration and an increased risk of a crash.

Tesla has responded by informing repair centers of the need for a corrective action and has committed to notifying affected owners by June. All repairs will be performed at no charge to the vehicle owners. Moreover, Tesla has taken steps to prevent further issues by equipping Cybertrucks still in production and those at delivery centers or in transit with a new accelerator pedal component.

To date, both the government and Tesla have reported no collisions, injuries, or deaths resulting from this issue. Tesla assures that the braking system will still function to stop the vehicle in the event of unintended acceleration.

The announcement of the recall follows a challenging period for Tesla, which recently informed employees of layoffs and adjustments to severance packages. The company aims to address these issues promptly as it manages the recall process.



Tesla recalls Cybertruck over safety concerns

Two cyber trucks could be seen Friday parked at the Tesla Repair Service Center in Northeast Austin. It's not known if the trucks are part of the recall. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration sent this notification letter to Tesla's California headquarters Thursday, April the 18th. The recall covers cyber trucks built between November the 13th, 2023 and April 4th of this year. The total number is noted as being 3878 trucks, nearly all that have been built. The recall was triggered March the 13th when an owner notified Tesla about an acceleration problem. That problem was traced back to the assembly line. Investigators determined a lubricant identified as soap was applied by workers to help slip a foot pad onto the accelerator arm. It noted that was an unapproved change to the assembly process and the pad can't slip off when pressed by the driver's foot. The pedal can get stuck in the interior trim causing acceleration and increasing the risk for a crash. Tesla Repair Centers were to be alerted by Friday. Notification letters to owners are to be delivered by June and repairs are to be done at no charge to the customer. NHTSA was told that as of April the 17th, cyber trucks in production were equipped with a new accelerator pedal component. Vehicles at delivery centers or in transit to those locations will be repaired before given to the new owners. According to the recall documents, as of April the 15th, the government and Tesla are not aware of any collisions, injuries or deaths related to this problem. In the report, investigators said applying the brake pedal will cut the drive torque and will bring the vehicle to a stop. The bad news though just comes in threes this week for Tesla. Just before the recall came out, employees in the Sunday layoff were notified that their severance packages had to be adjusted. In Northeast Austin, I'm Rudy Kosky, Fox 7 Austin News.

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