7 recalls in 1 year: Is the Tesla Cybertruck the worst car in history?

In December 2024, Tesla is conducting its seventh recall of the Cybertruck due to yet another technical issue. What a disaster!

The Tesla Cybertruck, promoted as the vehicle of the future when it was grandly launched in 2019, continues to make headlines. The electric pickup is indeed undergoing its seventh recall in less than a year since its launch in December 2023. This time, it’s the Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS) that is at fault. A defect prevents the warning light from staying on between driving cycles, exposing drivers to increased risks in case of insufficient tire pressure. This recall involves thousands of vehicles and is only the latest crumb in a already shaky structure.

Tesla va corriger gratuitement une très grosse faille du Cybertruck

Here is a summary of previous recalls:

January 2024: Warning lights on the dashboard malfunction, making safety information difficult to read.
April 2024: Accelerator pedal defect that can stick, leading to involuntary acceleration. Tesla also took the opportunity to replace electric motors for reasons not disclosed.
June 2024: Failure of the front windshield wiper motor, reducing visibility in rain.
June 2024: Trim pieces in the trunk poorly glued, risking detachment on the road.
September 2024: Delay in the display of the rearview camera image, increasing accident risk. Reinforced chassis underbody because the battery is too exposed to shocks.
November 2024: Issue with the traction inverter, which can cause sudden loss of propulsion.

A catastrophic reliability image

Since its unveiling, the Cybertruck has accumulated production delays and controversies. Initially promised for 2021, its release has been postponed multiple times, finally arriving at the end of 2023. Its futuristic design has divided opinions with its angular lines and post-apocalyptic aesthetic. Its price, initially announced at $39,990, has since soared dramatically to $120,000, making the model inaccessible to many buyers.

Sales, however, do not live up to Tesla’s ambitions. While the electric pickup was supposed to crush established models like the Ford F-150 Lightning or the Rivian R1T, boasting around 2 million pre-orders, it struggles to convince. Reservations have turned into cancellations, and today this model is an unprecedented commercial failure. The multiple recalls this year do not help its image. Between display problems, mechanical failures, and software issues, each recall chips away at the reputation of a vehicle intended to pioneer the automotive future. And when you add the very polarizing image of Elon Musk at the center of it all, the cocktail becomes explosive.

The Cybertruck, once a symbol of Tesla’s ambitions, gradually reflects its limitations: unmet promises, a lack of rigor in development, and an inability to meet the expectations of an increasingly competitive market.