Tesla has to fix another issue with the Cybertruck

By Trevor Mogg Published October 3, 2024

Tesla CEO Elon Musk behind the wheel of a Cybertruck. — Tesla CEO Elon Musk behind the wheel of a Cybertruck. Tesla

Tesla is fixing an issue with the rearview mirror on 27,000 Cybertrucks.

A recall report filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) said that affected vehicles include those manufactured between November 13, 2023, and September 14, 2024, suggesting that pretty much all of the Cybertrucks on the road require the fix.

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The notice explained that delayed availability of the rearview camera display — an image could take up to 8 seconds to appear after shifting into reverse — may affect the driver’s ability to properly see what’s happening behind the vehicle, increasing the risk of a collision. Tesla said it’s not aware of any collisions, fatalities, or injuries related to the issue.

Tesla is releasing a free, over-the-air software update to resolve the issue, but said that in the meantime, anyone experiencing the problem should perform a visual check over their shoulder and use their mirrors when reversing the vehicle.

This is the fifth recall — and the largest to date — to impact the Tesla’s Cybertruck since the futuristic-looking pickup launched in November 2023.

The first recall involved the cover on the accelerator pedal that could come loose and cause the pedal to become stuck down, making the Cybertruck suddenly accelerate.

The second one also affected certain model years of Tesla’s Model S, Model X, Model 3, and Model Y vehicles and fixed in issue with warning light text on the instrument panel that was too small. Like this latest recall, it was resolved with an over-the-air update.

The third recall affected all Cybertrucks manufactured up until June 2024 and involved a problem with an electric motor that could cause the Cybertruck’s large windshield wiper to fail.

And the fourth recall, which was issued at the same time as the third one, addressed an issue with black trim on the Cybertruck’s body, which was at risk of falling off the pickup while it was being driven.

Contributing Editor

Not so many moons ago, Trevor moved from one tea-loving island nation that drives on the left (Britain) to another (Japan)…

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Hertz is selling used Teslas for under $20K, Chevrolet Bolt EVs under $14K

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Tesla CEO Elon Musk recently nixed hopes of a regular Tesla model ever selling for $25,000.

But he was talking about new models. For car rental company Hertz, the race to sell used Teslas and other EVs at ever-lower prices is not only still on but accelerating.

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Tesla posts exaggerate self-driving capacity, safety regulators say

Beta of Tesla's FSD in a car.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is concerned that Tesla’s use of social media and its website makes false promises about the automaker’s full-self driving (FSD) software.
The warning dates back from May, but was made public in an email to Tesla released on November 8.
The NHTSA opened an investigation in October into 2.4 million Tesla vehicles equipped with the FSD software, following three reported collisions and a fatal crash. The investigation centers on FSD’s ability to perform in “relatively common” reduced visibility conditions, such as sun glare, fog, and airborne dust.
In these instances, it appears that “the driver may not be aware that he or she is responsible” to make appropriate operational selections, or “fully understand” the nuances of the system, NHTSA said.
Meanwhile, “Tesla’s X (Twitter) account has reposted or endorsed postings that exhibit disengaged driver behavior,” Gregory Magno, the NHTSA’s vehicle defects chief investigator, wrote to Tesla in an email.
The postings, which included reposted YouTube videos, may encourage viewers to see FSD-supervised as a “Robotaxi” instead of a partially automated, driver-assist system that requires “persistent attention and intermittent intervention by the driver,” Magno said.
In one of a number of Tesla posts on X, the social media platform owned by Tesla CEO Elon Musk, a driver was seen using FSD to reach a hospital while undergoing a heart attack. In another post, a driver said he had used FSD for a 50-minute ride home. Meanwhile, third-party comments on the posts promoted the advantages of using FSD while under the influence of alcohol or when tired, NHTSA said.
Tesla’s official website also promotes conflicting messaging on the capabilities of the FSD software, the regulator said.
NHTSA has requested that Tesla revisit its communications to ensure its messaging remains consistent with FSD’s approved instructions, namely that the software provides only a driver assist/support system requiring drivers to remain vigilant and maintain constant readiness to intervene in driving.
Tesla last month unveiled the Cybercab, an autonomous-driving EV with no steering wheel or pedals. The vehicle has been promoted as a robotaxi, a self-driving vehicle operated as part of a ride-paying service, such as the one already offered by Alphabet-owned Waymo.
But Tesla’s self-driving technology has remained under the scrutiny of regulators. FSD relies on multiple onboard cameras to feed machine-learning models that, in turn, help the car make decisions based on what it sees.
Meanwhile, Waymo’s technology relies on premapped roads, sensors, cameras, radar, and lidar (a laser-light radar), which might be very costly, but has met the approval of safety regulators.

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Robotaxi aside, a $25,000 EV would be pointless, Tesla CEO says

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Enthusiasts expecting to one day put their hands on the steering wheel of a $25,000 Tesla EV may feel like they’ve been taken for a ride.
CEO Elon Musk has just put a serious damper on those expectations, saying that outside of the driverless Robotaxi recently unveiled by Tesla, a regular $25,000 model would be “pointless” and “silly.”
During a conference call with investors, Musk was asked to clarify whether such a model was in the works.
"Basically, having a regular $25K model is pointless,” Musk said. “It would be silly. It would be completely at odds with what we believe." Tesla, Musk continued, has “been very clear that the future is autonomous.”
On October 10, Tesla unveiled its much-awaited robotaxi, called the Cybercab, an autonomous-driving EV with no steering wheel or pedals. The company also unveiled the Robovan, a much larger autonomous vehicle expected to carry people or goods.
The automaker said the Cybercab is expected to be produced in 2026 and cost $30,000. Musk, meanwhile, said that it would be a $25,000 car without specifying if that price tag included federal tax credits.
Tesla’s ambiguity about an affordable entry-level model has been going on for years. In 2020, Musk signaled that a $25,000 Tesla would arrive within three years. It was later reported that Tesla had ditched the idea, instead favoring the development of a robotaxi.
Language within Tesla’s latest financial report still hints that new affordable Tesla models are on the way. But Musk’s latest comments are putting a floor on just how affordable these would be. So far, Tesla’s Model 3 Rear-Wheel-Drive remains the company’s cheapest model, with a base price of $38,990.
Some rival EV makers, meanwhile, are entering the affordable space more aggressively in the U.S.
General Motors has already put out its Chevy Equinox EV at a price of $27,500, including federal tax credits. Volkswagen America says it plans to release an under-$35,000 EV in the U.S. by 2027.