Tesla cannot catch a break. Ater the vandalism reports that have been coming out for months, there is now another problem that the company has to solve in regards to their Cybertrucks. Less than two years after the release of the vehicle, Tesla has now ordered over 46,000 Cybertrucks to be recalled because of a flaw in the adhesive used to attach its body panels.
One of the main things Tesla thought about when designing the Cybertruck was the aesthetic of the panels. This meant that they were not attached to the body of the cars by rivets or any other manual fastening methods, they were just glued on. To ensure that the panels would stay attached, the company developed a special type of glue that was meant to be strong enough to withstand the forces a car is subject to while driving, the rain, the snow, the sun and all weather conditions one after another. They called it super glue because it was meant to withstand this wear and tear.
Regrettably for both the company and the new vehicle owners, the glue does not in fact withstand the test of time, and numerous reports of panels detaching have surfaced. These reports surfaced in masse after a January report was released warning drivers that some panels were attached with a type of glue that had a tendency to degrade under certain conditions.
Since this is an important hazard, especially on the road, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) looked into the issue and released their own report backing the fact that this adhesive could pose a significant road hazard and recommending it be replaced to prevent future accidents. The warning that they issued was clear “This may pose a road hazard for drivers behind you and increase the risk of injury or an accident.” Drivers would do well in considering it.
Tesla is taking the problem seriously, as, while there have been no injuries reported as of now due to panels detaching from the truck, the recall was issued to ensure that all affected vehicles would be repaired before anything happened. Some of the repairs that have been announced include removing the faulty adhesive and installing rivets internal welds, and a more reliable adhesive to reinforce the Cybertruck’s exterior structure.
As an additional announcement, the company explained that they will apply these corrections to any and all trucks that come out of their factory before they hit the streets, so new owners should have nothing to worry about in the safety department.
The host of problems that Tesla Cybertrucks have had since its release
As we have explained, this is not the first time the Cybertruck is reported to have issues, both in the mechanical and in the technical realm. One example of these issues happened last year, just under a year after the release, when the company had to recall 11,000 vehicles due to windshield problems that impaired visibility and structural integrity. The NHTSA also investigated that case and agreed with the seriousness of the issue.
Another problem that has been noted is that the vehicle’s structure and weight are complicating its mass commercialization, as the sharp angles and polygonal design that have made the Cybertruck iconic are also in direct contradiction with laws in many parts of the world, especially in Europe, where it is banned. The logic behind the an is that the truck is more dangerous because of its unfinished edges and that would make pedestrian accidents significantly more severe.
Not all news are bad, despite the initial rejection of the Cybertruck by the public, many are still interested in purchasing it, and despite all the issues that their trucks have been having (including rust in some of the panels) the company seems set in their production.