Fresh blow to Tesla as cybertrucks recalled from road by regulators again over safety fears

20 March 2025, 19:05 | Updated: 20 March 2025, 19:08

US safety regulators have recalled nearly all Cybertrucks on the road, the eighth recall of the Tesla-made vehicles since deliveries to customers began just over a year ago.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) recall, which covers more than 46,000 Cybertrucks, warned that an exterior panel that runs along the left and right side of the windscreen can detach while driving, creating a hazard for other drivers, increasing the risk of a crash.

The electric car company Elon Musk has faced turbulence recently after shares collapsed, prompting one of its' earliest investors called for founder Elon Musk to step down as CEO.

He said the ‘divisive’ billionaire has ‘destroyed the company’s reputation’.

The tech billionaire has sparked widespread outrage in recent months, after performing a gesture that many likened to a Hitler salute, slashing a huge number of US government jobs, and expressing his support for the German far-right party AfD - amongst many other controversial opinions expressed online.

There have been protests outside dozens of Tesla dealerships across the world.

The stainless steel strip, called a cant rail assembly, between the windscreen and the roof on both sides, is bound to the truck's assembly with a structural adhesive, the NHTSA report said.

The remedy uses an adhesive which has not been found to be vulnerable to "environmental embrittlement", the NHTSA said, and includes additional reinforcements.

Tesla will replace the panel free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be sent out on May 19.

The recall of 46,096 Cybertrucks covers all 2024 and 2025 model years, manufactured from November 13 2023 to February 27 2025.

The NHTSA order said Tesla became aware of the problem early this year.

Videos showing people ripping the panels off Cybertrucks with their hands have gone viral on social media in recent days.

The Cybertruck, which Tesla began delivering to buyers in late 2023, has been recalled eight times in the past 15 months for safety problems, including once in November because a fault in an electric inverter could cause the drive wheels to lose power.

Last April, the futuristic-looking trucks were recalled to fix acceleration pedals that could get stuck in the interior trim.

Other recalls were related to windscreen wipers and the display screen.

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It is the latest setback for the Elon Musk-owned electric car maker which has come under attack since President Donald Trump took office and empowered Mr Musk to oversee a new Department of Government Efficiency (Doge) which is slashing government spending.

While no injuries have been reported, Tesla showrooms, charging stations and privately owned cars have been targeted.

Prosecutors in Colorado charged a woman last month in connection with attacks on Tesla dealerships, including petrol bombs thrown at vehicles and the words "Nazi cars" spray-painted on a building.

Federal agents in South Carolina last week arrested a man they say set fire to Tesla charging stations near Charleston. An agent from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives wrote in an affidavit that authorities found writings critical of the government and Doge in his bedroom and wallet.

Even before the attacks increased in recent weeks, Tesla had been struggling, facing increased competition from rival electric vehicles, particularly from China.

Though largely unaffected by Thursday's recall announcement, Tesla shares have plummeted 42% in 2025, reflecting newfound pessimism as sales crater around the globe.

Caller 'cannot wait' to return his Tesla, arguing it's the only way to go against unelected Musk

US President Donald Trump has vowed to buy a "brand new Tesla" in a show of support for his adviser, tech billionaire Elon Musk, after one of the worst one-day share price falls in the carmaker's history.

Tesla - owned by Mr Musk - has seen its shares plunge since the start of the year, plummeting by more than another 15% on Monday to its lowest level since the end of October as sales of the electric car firm comes under pressure from Chinese rivals.

The car giant has also suffered amid protests and calls for a boycott over Mr Musk's close ties with Mr Trump and far-right causes.

In a post on his Truth Social platform, Mr Trump said he would buy one of Mr Musk's cars, adding that Mr Musk was "putting it on the line" to help America.

Mr Trump claimed in the post that "Radical Left Lunatics" were attempting to "illegally and collusively boycott Tesla, one of the World's great automakers, and Elon's baby".

He added: "They tried to do it to me at the 2024 Presidential Ballot Box, but how did that work out? In any event, I'm going to buy a brand new Tesla tomorrow morning as a show of confidence and support for Elon Musk, a truly great American.

"Why should he be punished for putting his tremendous skills to work in order to help MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN???"

Tesla shares edged up around 1% soon after US markets opened on Wall Street on Tuesday.