Cybertruck motor swap promises better reliability and efficiency in apparent front motor recall

When Tesla launched the Cybertruck, CEO, Elon Musk said that it was “insanely difficult” to build, mostly due to the stainless steel body making things difficult to put together and finish, but the problems seem to extend beyond that. According to a recent post by Electrek, early Cybertruck owners are being informed by Tesla via text that one of the motors in their Cybertrucks will be replaced the next time the EV visits a service centre. 

Tesla is conducting a study on the drive units in early Cybertruck vehicles, and your vehicle has been selected to participate. At your next Service visit, and at no cost to you, Tesla will replace one of your current drive units with the latest production pedigree which is intended to improve efficiency and reliability. Note that this is not a cause for concern and that your vehicle is safe to continue driving in the meantime. (via Brian Basson on X)

The text messages received by Cybertruck owners regarding the replacement drive unit don't indicate which motor will be replaced or which models are affected, however, one Dual Motor Cybertruck owner on Reddit contacted Tesla to ask about the motor replacement and was told that they already have the new drive units in their newer Cybertruck, and Kyle Connor over on X says Tesla contacted him to replace a single motor from his trimotor Cybertruck.

There are previous complaints from both Connor and other Cybertruck owners suggest that the Cybertruck's front motor can be loud at certain speeds and under specific braking conditions. This, and the fact that replacing one motor in the rear with a more efficient version would likely result in an symmetrical configuration, suggests it is the front motor being replaced.

As is shown in the above quoted text, Tesla claims that these drive unit motor replacements are simply to improve efficiency, and that it is doing a study on early production units, but a replacement program like this seems somewhat like a pre-emptive soft recall for drive motors that may be undergoing undue wear or were rushed out during early production, resulting in complaints down the line.

It's also entirely possible that Tesla is conducting the investigation to determine whether a full recall is in order, but it remains to be seen how things play out. 

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