Tesla was forced to issue a recall for the futuristic Cybertruck last week after it emerged that the accelerator pedal could come loose and jam the car on full power. Not good for a truck that’s meant to be so rugged it can survive the apocalypse. Now, Tesla has revealed the fix for the issue is a very futuristic rivet forced through a hole in the pedal.
All 3,878 Cybertrucks were recalled last week due to the gas pedal issue, which it turns out was caused by soap being used on the production line of the near-$100,000 truck. Each of the 7,000-pound trucks are now being returned to service centers for a quick fix, reports the Verge.
Quick is the operative word in this instance, as the Verge reports that the solution to the slippery pedals problem is a 35-second job that sees engineers drill a hole in the pedal and install a rivet. As the site reports:
With [a drilling jig] on the pedal, Tesla’s workers drill a hole as specified and install a rivet to secure the pedal pad so it won’t come off due to the “unapproved change” during manufacturing that made it slipperier than intended.
The Service Bulletin posted by Tesla reveals the process has a few other required steps, including measuring “the distance between the bottom of the aluminum accelerator pedal pad and the bottom of the pedal backing” before the work begins. If the bottom of the pad is 5mm or further from the bottom of the pedal, then they’re supposed to replace the entire pedal assembly.
The final step in the repair process is to inspect the near-six-figure truck for debris from the drilling and check that the loose accelerator pedal can no longer move anywhere. After that, the proud owner of the truck that can be damaged by soap and car washes is free to head out on the road again, safe in the knowledge that their safety is ensured by a single rivet at their feet. Nice.
