- Tesla agreed to officially inform owners it would recall all 46,100 Cybertruck pickups. According to U.S. traffic safety administration NHTSA, the glue fixing the exterior sheet metal in place could become brittle and fail, risking an accident should it detach and fall while driving.
Tesla’s Cybertruck, initially touted for its advanced design, is facing unexpected issues related to its durability in cold weather conditions. The vehicle’s exterior panels, which are secured with adhesive, have been found to delaminate in colder climates, where the bonding agent can become brittle and fail.
This development has prompted the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to oversee a recall of the 46,100 Cybertrucks delivered to customers.
The recall aims to replace the bonding agent used in the vehicle’s construction.
Despite its robust features, such as the ability to withstand low-velocity bullets, the Cybertruck’s vulnerability to cold weather underscores the importance of rigorous testing across diverse environmental scenarios.
“The remedy component uses a different structural adhesive not prone to environmental embrittlement,” NHTSA said in a filing posted to its website on Tuesday.
It explains why Tesla halted all outbound deliveries of its electric pickup truck last week. According to NHTSA that was necessary since there had not been a solution found yet to correct the problem.
“Tesla anticipates that vehicles in production will begin receiving the remedy on or around March 21,” it continued, adding all vehicles produced prior to the fix but not yet shipped to the customer will be retrofitted using the new adhesive prior to delivery.
It’s the latest embarrassment for Elon Musk, who has spread himself too thin over his various companies while serving additionally in the White House as one of President Trump’s closest advisors.
Tesla did not respond to a request from Fortune for comment.
Owners already spread word of the problem on social media
The recall, which affects all models built between November 2023 through February 2025 and already out in the field, is linked to an owner’s complaint filed to NHTSA specifically regarding a “cant rail” lining the lateral side of the roof where the metal panelling had come loose.
After being notified late in February, Tesla investigated the claim and determined the wisest course of action was to initiate a recall. The company will now fix the problem at no cost to owners.
“If the cant rail stainless steel panels separates from the vehicle while in drive, it could create a road hazard for following motorist and increase their risk of injury or a collision,” NHTSA continued.
marco.foste @MarcoFoster schrieb
— iWashtaging Suzimiya (@Suzimiya) March 15, 2025
'YouTuber “WhistlinDiesel” shows how poorly made the Tesla Cybertruck is by tearing one apart with his bare hands 👇🏻 pic.twitter.com/OWuaZNt3aC
The owner complaint submitted to NHTSA was limited to the cant rail, but Tesla will no doubt have seen the numerous posts on social media regarding other at-risk areas where the glue fails and likely use the opportunity to replace the adhesive used elsewhere before any further complaints land on its desk.
Cybertruck’s continued problems
It’s the latest embarrassment for a truck that arguably marks the first time Musk’s keen instincts for products have gone wrong, resulting in a bonafide flop.
The Cybertruck has proven a nightmare for Tesla, delayed several times and still somehow managed to come in over price and under-spec compared to the promises made during the original 2019 concept.
It’s also been dogged by recalls to fix both software and hardware.
So far, cumulative deliveries since launch have been well below 50,000 out of an installed capacity of more than 125,000 trucks annually.
Tesla fans will point out that it still outsells its rivals, like the Ford F-150 Lightning and the Rivian R1T, two pickups from companies worth a combined $50 billion.
Tesla’s is more than 14 times as valuable, however, precisely because investors expect every new product to be a smash hit that blows all other competition out of the water.
Since engineers had to work furiously to complete the design of the Cybertruck, they had fewer man hours and resources to devote to developing a strategically far more important $25,000 entry car first teased by Musk in 2020. It remains uncertain whether such a Model 2 will, in fact, ever be launched.
