Tesla has been forced to recall all rear-wheel-drive Cybertrucks sold over the last two years due to the risk of wheels falling off.
The US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration warned that fragile stud holes could cause the wheel stud to separate from the wheel hub, increasing the risk of a crash or injury.
“On affected vehicles, higher severity road perturbations and cornering may strain the stud hole in the wheel rotor, causing cracks to form,” the NHTSA stated in its recall notice.
“If cracking propagates with continued use and strain, the wheel stud could eventually separate from the wheel hub… Wheel hub separation can cause a loss of vehicle control, increasing the risk of crash.”
Elon Musk’s company will need to replace the hubs, lug nuts and front and rear brake rotors on all affected vehicles at no cost to vehicle owners.
Poor Cybertruck sales mean that only 173 of the stainless steel pickup trucks will actually need to be recalled.
Ahead of the vehicle’s launch, Musk predicted that Tesla would be selling 250,000 Cybertrucks annually by 2025. The actual figure turned out to be just over 20,000 Cybertrucks sold last year.
Recent registration data from S&P Global Mobility revealed that Musk’s SpaceX is the largest buyer of Cybertrucks, purchasing nearly one in five of all vehicles sold in the US in the fourth quarter of 2025.
Despite SpaceX propping up Cybertruck sales, the number of registrations continues to fall in the fourth quarter.
Earlier this year, Tesla lost its position as the world’s leading electric car seller to Chinese automaker BYD.
It followed two successive years of falling sales for Musk’s firm, having seen sales rise every year for a decade before that.
The drop in sales comes amid severe production delays, including a seven year wait for the Tesla Semi – the company’s first electric truck.
Tesla’s brand reputation has also suffered as a result of Musk’s polarising political views, with the world’s richest person widely criticised for supporting far right politicians in the UK and Europe.
The company placed among the worst companies for ‘ethics’ in a ranking of America’s 100 most visible companies last year, and ranked last for ‘character’.
The Independent has reached out to Tesla for comment on the latest recall.
