Tesla Cybertrucks and Ford F-150s Recalled Over Safety Issues

Tesla and Ford have recently issued recalls affecting their vehicles in the United States. Tesla’s recalls cover over 11,000 Cybertrucks due to issues with malfunctioning windshield wipers and improperly attached trunk bed trim, potentially posing safety hazards on the road, as reported by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Meanwhile, Ford’s recall involves approximately 550,000 F-150 pickup trucks, particularly those manufactured in 2014, which may unexpectedly downshift into first gear, potentially leading to loss of vehicle control and increasing crash risks.

Ford reported incidents involving two injuries and one crash related to the F-150 defect. In contrast, Tesla did not disclose any injuries linked to its recalls. Both automakers have committed to resolving these issues at no cost to consumers through their dealership networks.

This latest round of recalls adds to a significant tally for both companies this year. Together, Ford and Tesla have recalled a combined 6 million vehicles across various safety issues. Ford has conducted the most recalls of any automaker in the U.S. this year, recalling 3.6 million vehicles in 30 separate actions, while Tesla follows with 2.5 million vehicles recalled. Notably, Tesla’s recalls have largely been due to software-related issues, including updates for warning lights affecting 2 million cars.

Despite Tesla’s smaller market share of car sales in 2023 (4.2%), the company has accounted for 29% of all U.S. car recalls this year. Ford, with a larger market share (12.7%), ranks behind General Motors and Toyota in sales volume.

Tesla has faced previous recalls for Cybertrucks, including one earlier this year affecting nearly 4,000 trucks due to accelerator pad concerns. This issue led to delays in vehicle deliveries and was linked to at least one reported collision. The NHTSA has been investigating downshifting problems in Ford F-150 trucks since 2017, culminating in a recall of 1.5 million trucks in 2019. Additionally, Ford issued another recall in 2019 affecting 107,000 F-150 vehicles related to a remedy issue for the downshifting defect.