WHEN YOU’RE HOT, you’re hot. And when you’re not, you’re not (with apologies to Holden Torana from way back when). Tesla’s woes with the Cybertruck continue.
Tesla announced two separate Cybertruck recalls, adding to its recall history. The first issue, which resulted in the recalling of 11,688 Cybertrucks from the 2024 model year, is caused by a faulty windshield wiper motor controller, while the second new issue resulting in 11,383 Cybertrucks recalled is due to trunk bed trim coming loose.
The windshield wiper motor issue is caused by electrical overstress, according to recall reports. Non-functioning windshield wipers in unfavourable weather could affect the driver’s visibility and increase the risk of a crash. Tesla blames the issue on the wiper motor’s gate driver component, which is reportedly manufactured by a supplier.
Failures of the wiper motor shouldn’t come as a surprise. This is the largest individual wiper ever used on a light duty vehicle with a 4-foot-long (1.22 meter) blade. That exceptional long lever arm puts a lot of stress on the motor and there have been a lot of anecdotal reports popping up since early in production of failures. And with Tesla’s reputation for “quite poor” build quality, it has an air of inevitability about it.
During its investigation earlier this year in February, Tesla recovered 20 wiper motors to inspect, verifying the issue to come up with a resolution. The company says it will replace the wiper motor of the affected recalled Cybertrucks.
Regarding the 11,383 Cybertrucks recalled for improperly attached trim, the issue occurs along the truck’s bed. According to the NHTSA’s recall notice, “On affected vehicles, the sail applique or adhesion may not have been installed according to specification, which may cause the sail applique to become loose or separate from the vehicle.”
Tesla reportedly first became aware of the faulty trim piece when an undelivered Cybertruck arrived at a Tesla centre with that piece already missing in December of 2023. A second instance was found the following May, when Tesla found that the trim had delaminated from the adhesion pad.
Earlier this year, Tesla recalled every Cybertruck for a more serious safety issue involving an accelerator pedal cover that could separate and become trapped, thereby applying force to the pedal. The Cybertruck’s first recall involved 2.2 million Tesla vehicles built between 2012 and 2024, including every Cybertruck, because the car’s dashboard warning were too small, but the issue was fixed over-the-air.