A new Cybertruck recall is the umpteenth chapter in Tesla’s history of design issues

The chronicle of the polygonal failure known as the Cybertruck continues as Tesla issues a new physical recall that covers all 2024 and 2025 models built between November 13, 2023 and February 27, 2024. 

In the announcement, Elon Musk’s company says that “the stainless steel panel of the cantrail assembly may delaminate at the adhesive joint, which may cause the panel to separate from the vehicle.” The cantrail is the portion of the roof that joins the pillars that form the vehicle’s roof structure. Tesla adds that, “if the cantrail panel separates from the vehicle while in drive, it could create a road hazard for following motorists and increase the risk of injury or a collision.”

The company claims that it will replace the cantrail assembly “with one that meets durability testing requirements.” Why the one now in place doesn’t meet durability testing requirements is anyone’s guess, but Tesla is well known for using components that don’t meet durability testing, like when it implemented touchscreens in its Model S in 2012. Tesla sourced screens and electronics that were not graded for cars, so they failed. 

We also know that the Cybertruck’s design is so bad that it has affected the company’s ability to manufacture it properly, as Musk himself has admitted. But this is just shoddy craftsmanship.

The Cybertruck has been plagued with a seemingly endless litany of construction quality problems, which we have compiled here. And for those keeping tabs and watching Tesla’s stock sink into oblivion, this recall shows that Tesla has sold far fewer than Musk would like you to believe. A punch-on-the-face contrast to what Musk was selling in the company’s October 2023 investors call: “The demand is off the charts,” he gleefully told them. “We have over 1 million people who have reserved the car.”

Here is the definitive and constantly updated timeline of all Musk’s Cybermucks. Or as complete as I could make it, because I’m sure I’m missing some specific problems from some owner in the Cybertruck Owner Club forum. I’ll continue to update the list as new issues appear.

November 21, 2019

Elon Musk unveils the Cybertruck for the first time. He claims its windows are made of ‘Armor Glass’, a bulletproof material that won’t even dent when you hit it, even at close range with a steel ball.

Seconds later, two windows break in a live demonstration.

Musk claims it will reach customers in late 2021 starting at $39,900.

August 8, 2021

Tesla announces it won’t be able to get the Cybertruck out in 2021 due to production problems. The company says it will be pushing the date to early 2022.

January 31, 2022

Once again, Musk announces that Cybertruck production is delayed again to late 2022 due to various design and manufacturing challenges.

November 1, 2022

Unsurprisingly, Tesla says it won’t be able to meet its late 2022 release window, pushing the release once again to the end of 2023, with “early production” in mid-2023. “We’re in the final lap for Cybertruck,” Musk says on a financial conference call.

January 24, 2023

In an interview with Fast Company, industry experts say they doubt that the Cybertruck’s design will allow the company to produce it in any significant numbers.

Adrian Clarke—a professional car designer who now writes design critiques for The Autopian—and others in the industry believe it’s having and will have lots of problems: “As soon as we saw [the Cybertruck], everyone I know in the industry started laughing. We just thought there is no way they’re gonna be able to get that into production,” he says.

Clarke believes it’s going to be extremely hard to make “those dead straight panels.” 

July 20, 2023

The first production prototype of the Cybertruck rolls off the production line at the Giga Texas factory, and eagle-eyed auto industry experts immediately spot one major quality mishap: the front and back passenger doors don’t align.

Misalignment like this is not new to Teslas, but Elon Musk vowed to eliminate the problem back in 2021. These problems will continue in models through the entire production run.

Also, during a May 2023 shareholder meeting, Musk insisted that the Cybertruck would be built as an exoskeleton, a solid steel skin design that would act as the structure—like an arthropod have—making the car virtually indestructible. But car and manufacturing experts Cory Steuben pointed out on the famous automotive video blog Munro Live, that the Cybertruck clearly does not have an exoskeleton. According to him, the Cybertruck’s assembly line pictures clearly show a regular unibody chassis, just like the one you would find on “an old Honda Ridgeline or a Model Y,” with its flat panels just acting as your usual body.

August 24, 2023

It’s official. The Cybertrucks coming out of Tesla’s Texas factory are not good enough, according to Musk. The CEO writes a leaked internal email to Tesla employees, revealing his concerns in categorical terms: “Due to the nature of Cybertruck, which is made of bright metal with mostly straight edges, any dimensional variation shows up like a sore thumb.”

December 1, 2023

Remember the promised $39,900 starting price tag? It was wrong. The real starting point is officially announced: $60,990.

January 25, 2024

Reports of the locking differential feature being inoperational appear, displaying a “Coming Soon” message during use​ according to The Drive.

February 2, 2024

Tesla issues an over-the-air software update recall for 2.2 million vehicles, including the Cybertruck, due to the font size of the ABS, brake, and park indicators being too small, which could increase the risk of a collision.

February 22, 2024

New Cybertruck owners report rust and corrosion on the allegedly stainless-steel body of the truck, especially in vehicles exposed to rain. This was one of the biggest selling points that Musk touted when he announced the truck.

February 28, 2024

Multiple owners report seeing 25 critical system errors within a few days of using the truck, including warnings from the high-voltage system, “critical steering issue” system malfunctions​, and “loss of system redundancy” that alerted drivers that the “vehicle may suddenly lose electrical power, steering, and propulsion, and may be unable to apply the parking brake.”

There were also alerts for degraded adaptive drive control plus automatically disabled traction, lane departure avoidance, and stability controls. Some users also report door latches that don’t work.

March 12, 2024

Add another link to Elon Musk’s long chain of broken promises: He previously announced a futuristic optional camping tent that matched the polygonal shiny looks of the car but that sleek render of the future turned out to be a sad hodgepodge of flaccid fabric in real life.

March 13, 2024

The Cybertruck Owners Club forum is now flowing with multitude of reported problems. Owner “cyberstank” reports how they took delivery on March 13, “made it one mile down road, started getting steering error, flashing red screen, pulled off the side of highway. Now the truck is dead and I’m waiting for a tow truck. Dealer couldn’t do anything for me. It was great for 5 minutes. I tried everything, restarting, screen is stuck black and keeps beeping”. Their message finishes with: “Tesla really rushed these trucks out, what a nightmare.”

March 26, 2024

One owner reports problems with the Cybertruck’s autopilot system: “I encountered a truck on the other side of a two-lane highway. My Cybertruck suddenly made a hard brake stop when we both had a clear wide enough space between us. Luckily there is no vehicle at the back as it would have been a definite collision.” In the same thread, others report similar problems but, to be fair, users report this happens with other Tesla models.

April 1, 2024

Owners all over the internet show the effects of the Cyberguillotine: Tesla didn’t include anti-pinch sensors for the Cybertruck’s frunk, which could cause severe injuries or amputations if fingers get caught. The truck will slice the hell out of your fingers—or any body appendage—that gets too near to its closing front hood. (It happens with its doors too.)

April 9, 2024

Apparently, the Cybertruck’s allegedly bullet-proof and indestructible, so-called ‘Armor Glass’ can’t stand hail, as this Redditor shows. The cost for the repair, according to the owner? “Just got an estimate of $2,326.75 via app service request.”

April 15, 2024

Tesla halts all Cybertruck deliveries after owners report a problem with the accelerator pedal, which could become stuck down, due to lubricant residue causing the pedal cover to shift and become lodged in place.

April 19, 2024

Tesla physically recalls all its Cybertrucks. The recall notice states: “The accelerator pedal can become stuck, sending the truck accelerating beyond control, making it a danger to everyone on the road.”

June 25, 2024

Tesla is forced to recall its Cybertruck for the fourth time in the US due to issues with trim pieces that can come loose and front windshield wipers that can fail. The problems announced by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration affect over 11,000 trucks. 

One issue involves the windshield wiper motor controller receiving too much electrical current. This can cause wipers to fail and reduce visibility, posing a crash risk. Tesla will replace the wiper motor for free and must notify all owners by letter by August 18. 

The other recall concerns a trim piece along the truck bed that may come loose and become a hazard for other drivers. Tesla will fix this issue by replacing or reworking the trim piece and will notify owners on the same date.

March 20, 2025

Tesla issues a new physical recall that covers all 2024 and 2025 models built between November 13, 2023 and February 27, 2024: About 46,000 units, most of the Cybertrucks ever shipped. A stainless steel may fall because it doesn’t meet durability testing requirements,, causing a risk of injury or collision.