Tesla has issued a recall for more than 63,000 Cybertruck vehicles due to front parking lights that shine brighter than federal safety standards allow. The issue, caused by software, could impair visibility for oncoming drivers and lead to accidents. The company plans to fix it with an over-the-air software update.
Tesla Inc. filed documents with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration announcing a voluntary recall affecting approximately 63,619 Cybertruck vehicles from the 2024 and 2025 model years. These units, produced since the vehicle's launch in late 2023 at the Gigafactory in Austin, Texas, have front parking lights that exceed the brightness limits set by Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 108 due to a software defect. The excessive light intensity risks dazzling other motorists and potentially causing crashes, though Tesla discovered the problem through internal testing with no reported incidents.
The recall covers virtually the entire Cybertruck fleet to date, providing a rare public figure on production totals. Tesla does not separately report Cybertruck sales in its quarterly earnings, but this disclosure indicates output has lagged behind initial expectations, including CEO Elon Musk's hype of hundreds of thousands of pre-orders. Some reports vary on the exact number affected, with one suggesting over 46,000 units, but official filings confirm the higher figure.
Tesla will address the issue remotely via an over-the-air software update to version 2025.38.3, which adjusts light intensity for compliance. Owners will receive email notifications, and the update will roll out automatically without needing service center visits. This method aligns with Tesla's strategy of using digital solutions for hardware problems, though it has faced criticism for possibly overlooking initial engineering validations.
This marks another recall for the Cybertruck, following earlier fixes for accelerator pedal covers that could dislodge and rearview camera display issues. In the competitive electric truck market, rivals like Ford's F-150 Lightning and Rivian's R1T have encountered their own recalls, but Tesla's prominence draws added attention. The financial impact appears minimal, with little reaction in Tesla's stock price, yet repeated issues highlight challenges in scaling production amid supply chain hurdles and the vehicle's unconventional design, including its stainless-steel exoskeleton and angular lighting.