Tesla has recalled thousands of Cybertrucks after US regulators found that the new vehicle’s pedals could get stuck and lead the car to accelerate unintentionally.
The US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) said Tesla had recalled the 3,878 Cybertrucks the company has sold to date and that it would fix the pedals free of charge.
A fault with the pedal’s footpad meant it was at risk of becoming dislodged from the pedal itself, leading the pedal to get stuck and causing the car to accelerate and potentially crash.
It said the problem occurred because Tesla workers had started using soap when assembling the pedal.
“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,” it said.
The recall caps a punishing week for Tesla. It cut thousands of jobs in response to a slowdown in electric vehicle sales, while shares fell to their lowest level for more than a year.
Tesla started selling its Cybertruck - an unconventional stainless steel pickup and the company’s first new car in almost four years - in December.
The vehicle costs at least $79,900 (£64,000) and is designed to take on American favourites such as the Ford F-150.
However, early models have been plagued by complaints that its accelerator pedal is prone to getting stuck, and the company has reportedly delayed deliveries to new customers as it fixes the problem.
The NHTSA said pedals were prone to becoming stuck when “high force” was applied to them.
Elon Musk, Tesla’s chief executive, said on Thursday that the company was being “very cautious” over the matter and that there had not been any injuries or accidents related to it.
The company has been forced to issue multiple recalls in recent months, several related to its Full Self Driving and Autopilot driver assistance systems.
Earlier this week, Mr Musk asked Tesla shareholders to re-approve a pay package worth up to $56bn after a judge had rejected the award.
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