Tesla recalls more than 46,000 Cybertrucks because trim panel can fall off
Tesla is recalling 46,096 Cybertruck vehicles because of a cosmetic issue that could turn into a road hazard.
In a regulatory filing this week, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said the electric automaker reported that a stainless-steel exterior trim panel, otherwise known as a "cant rail," can detach and fall off the vehicle, posing a risk to other drivers.
Drivers may hear a noise inside the car before the rail panel detaches from the vehicle, or possibly see the panel "coming loose or separating from the vehicle," recall documents state.
Tesla first became aware of the issue in January "as part of routine monitoring of field repairs," according to the recall notice. It is not aware of any collisions, injuries or fatalities related to the condition.
The recall affects all 2024 and 2025 Cybertruck vehicles manufactured from Nov. 13, 2023, to Feb. 27, 2025.
To repair the problem, Tesla will replace the problematic cant rail panel for free. Owner notification letters will be mailed on May 19. Owners of affected Cybertrucks may contact Tesla customer service at 1-877-798-3752. Tesla's number for this recall is SB-25-10-001.
Cybertruck drivers may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 888-327-4236 (TTY 888-275-9171) or go to nhtsa.gov. NHTSA's number for the recall is 25V-170.
This is Tesla's third recall of 2025. It follows a major recall in December involving more than 2 million Tesla vehicles across its model lineup to fix a defective Autopilot system.
U.S. regulators in January opened an investigation into 2.6 million Teslas after reports of crashes involving use of the company's autonomous driving technology, which allows drivers to use a phone app to remotely command their vehicle to return to them or move to another location.
The Cybertruck recall highlights what has been a rough period for Tesla. CEO Elon Musk's close ties to the Trump administration in helping lead the Department of Government Efficiency has caused a backlash, including attacks on Tesla vehicles and dealerships.
Measures of Tesla's brand popularity show the automaker taking a hit, while the company's sales fell in 2024 for the first since since 2015. Tesla stock doubled in value in the weeks after Trump's election but has since shed all those gains and this year has tumbled 41%, prompting expressions of concern from Wall Street analysts.
"The violence at Tesla dealers, cars being keyed in parking lots, social movements against Musk around the globe ... have all created a massive overhang for Tesla's stock," said Wedbush Securities analyst Dan Ives in a research note.
