The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration announced the Tesla Cybertruck’s fifth official recall, this time to address a rearview camera image that may be delayed after shifting into reverse. A delayed rearview camera feed may not sound like a serious issue, but it causes the Cybertruck to no longer comply with federal safety standards. Aside from non-compliance with a federal regulation, the nearly 7,000-pound Cybertruck’s… unique… design effectively requires the use of the rearview camera to safely maneuver. The truck has massive blind spots with the standard tonneau cover retracted, and when the tonneau cover is closed, it entirely blocks the view out the rear window.
Fortunately, the fix for the latest Cybertruck recall will be rolled out via an over-the-air update. Federal standards require rearview cameras to display an image within two seconds of placing the vehicle in reverse to minimize risk of collision. Affected Cybertrucks can take up to eight seconds after being shifted into reverse to display the rearview camera feed, or four times too long according to the recall. Cybertrucks produced on or after September 18, 2024 are not included in this recall, and no action is necessary from owners with software release 2024.32.5.2 or later. Tesla stores and service centers should already be aware of the recall, and owners can expect to receive notification letters in the mail by November 25. Click here to read the safety recall report.
Prior to this recall, the Cybertruck has been hit with four other NHTSA recalls since January of 2024. The first recall issued in January was to increase the font size on the instrument panel warning lights which were not federally compliant. The second Cybertruck recall issued in April addressed the incredibly dangerous potential for unintended acceleration due to a poorly secured trim piece on the accelerator pedal that would trap the pedal against the floor. The third recall came in June and addressed the failure of the Cybertruck’s gigantic single windshield wiper motor, and the fourth NHTSA recall addressed a piece of bed trim that would peel away from the truck while driving. J.D. Power’s 2024 U.S. Vehicle Dependability Study found that Teslas experience an average of 252 problems per 100 vehicles. Only four other manufacturers scored worse than Tesla.
