Tesla recalls Cybertruck over ‘trapped pedal’ issue seen in owner’s viral TikTok video

Tesla has issued a voluntary recall of 3,878 Cybertrucks to fix a “stuck pedal” issue that had been depicted in a viral TikTok video posted last week by owner Jose Martinez.

A pad on top of the Cybertruck’s accelerator pedal could come loose and get trapped in the interior trim causing unintended acceleration, a Tesla filing with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration acknowledged.

Tesla’s service department plans to replace or repair the accelerator pedal assembly, free of charge for owners.

In a defect notice, Tesla revealed that an “unapproved change introduced lubricant (soap) to aid in the component assembly of the pad onto the accelerator pedal. Residual lubricant reduced the retention of the pad to the pedal.”

Tesla first became aware of this issue on March 31, 2024, according to the filing. After assessing the problem, Tesla on April 12 decided to issue a voluntary recall of the Cybertrucks, the filing says.

Deliveries of the Cybertruck have been low, with under 4,000 units shipped since CEO Elon Musk kicked off deliveries at an unveiling event on Nov. 30, 2023, the filings said.

The company reported disappointing first-quarter vehicle deliveries for 2024, totaling 386,810 cars. That represented a drop of 8.5% from the same quarter last year. Tesla reports first-quarter earnings on Tuesday.

CNBC asked the NHTSA about the trapped pedal issue on the Cybertruck on April 14, after Martinez’s video raised public awareness of the defect and unintended acceleration.

A representative for the NHTSA said on Monday that the agency had received three vehicle owner complaints about the Cybertruck and that the agency was aware of the video. The NHTSA said it “uses many data sources in its enforcement processes, including social media and vehicle owner and other related forums.”

Correction: This article has been updated to reflect the correct date of the Cybertruck unveiling event in 2023.