- 6,197 Cybertrucks recalled over faulty adhesive causing light bars to detach.
- 619 warranty claims filed so far, with no reported injuries or crashes.
- Tesla will replace or retrofit parts using secure mechanical attachments
Structural adhesive is incredibly powerful, but using it correctly requires very specific steps. When those steps aren’t followed, the adhesive can turn out to be practically useless, as Cybertruck owners are finding out the hard way.
In fact, as of this writing, Tesla knows of at least 600 of them who have had their glued-on light bar come loose. As a result, it is recalling almost 6,200 trucks.
More: Tesla Just Realized Its Cybertruck Might Be Blinding Other Drivers
According to a new filing with the NHTSA, the optional LED light bar affixed to some Cybertrucks could be problematic.
We’ve covered how technicians install these things in the past, and it’s not with nuts, bolts, or screws, but an adhesive that requires a primer to go on before the light bar. If this job gets done wrong, the light bar could fly off in traffic.
Over 600 Warranty Claims
Tesla told regulators that it knows of 619 warranty claims surrounding this issue. It also knows of one field report where this primer and adhesive situation might be to blame. Thankfully, as far as it knows, it hasn’t led to any accidents or injuries.
The automaker says it comes down to technicians inadvertently swapping between two adhesive primers, BetaSeal and BetaPrime, during installation. Despite multiple service bulletins and manual updates, the mix-ups kept happening.
The remedy sounds as if Tesla is going to keep things simple. Service centers will inspect the light bar and either retrofit or replace it with one secured by a “positive mechanical attachment” along with adhesive tape.
Based on that, it sounds like they’re going back to real nuts and bolts to help ensure this won’t be a problem again. We couldn’t find any diagrams of the remedy, but that’s not too surprising given how fresh this recall is.
Owner notifications won’t even go out until the day after Christmas, according to Tesla. Between now and then, it seems wise to check your light bar if you happen to have a Cybertruck with one.
