The US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has ordered Tesla to recall nearly 4,000 of its Cybertrucks due to an accelerator pedal that can become stuck when pressed down. According to the regulator, the cause of this issue is soap, which was introduced as a lubricant during the assembly of the pad onto the accelerator pedal at Tesla’s factory near Austin, Texas. This resulted in reduced retention of the pad to the pedal, causing it to dislodge and get trapped in the interior trim when high force is applied.

Tesla has not disclosed how many Cybertrucks it has produced, but it has stated that production would be slow. The first deliveries of the Cybertruck took place in late November. This recall affects all Model Year 2024 Cybertruck vehicles manufactured between November 13, 2023 and April 4, 2024, totaling around 3,878 trucks that are likely to be on US roads.

Documents from NHTSA show that when high force is applied to the pad on the accelerator pedal, it may dislodge and get trapped in the interior trim. The problem was discovered through social media and online groups before being officially reported by NHTSA. Tesla has yet to respond to NHTSA’s request for comment on this issue. Unlike previous recalls that could be fixed with over-the-air software updates, this one requires owners to bring their Cybertrucks to service centers for a repair at no cost.

Tesla recently announced layoffs of about 10% of its workforce globally amid concerns over production delays and rising costs. However, CEO Elon Musk remains optimistic about Tesla’s future and believes that demand for electric vehicles will continue to grow in coming years.