Cybertruck warranty claims over weak stainless steel panel glue prompt mass recall for fear of airborne pieces
Tesla has been supplied a type of adhesive that deteriorates too fast when exposed to the elements to attach stainless steel body pieces to the Cybertruck.
This has resulted in 151 warranty claims over detaching Cybertruck body panels, prompting a mass recall by the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). In the recall, Tesla says that it will bring nearly all Cybertrucks it has delivered prior to this month - 46,096 units - to its service centers for repair.
Apart from better adhesive, the solution includes bolting the stainless steel canting rail culprit to the Cybertruck body, but Tesla will only start applying those to Cybertrucks produced "on or after March 21."
Until then, it has stopped new Cybertruck deliveries, and will only resume shipments when it is ready with the following engineering changes.
The recalled component uses only a structural adhesive to join the assembly. This structural adhesive has been found to be susceptible to environmental embrittlement. The remedy component uses a different structural adhesive not prone to environmental embrittlement to join the assembly, which is reinforced with a stud welded to the stainless panel with a nut clamping the steel panel to the vehicle structure.
Back when Tesla launched the Cybertruck, it had a similar issue with accelerator pedal parts falling off, and a similar solution was applied, or simply bolting the rogue component.
Tesla explains the reasons for the mass Cybertruck recall with the warning that "if the cant rail stainless steel panel separates from the vehicle while in drive, it could create a road hazard for following motorists and increase their risk of injury or a collision."
This is the seventh Cybertruck recall, and last June Tesla had a similar problem with trunk bed pieces that could come loose and fly off.
"Vehicles produced before the factory clean point but still in Tesla’s possession will be retrofitted before delivery to customers with the remedy component described above," clarified Tesla.
Get the 80A Tesla Gen 2 Wall Connector with 24' cable on Amazon
