The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has ordered Tesla to recall 6,197 Cybertrucks in the United States after identifying a fault that could cause the vehicle’s off-road light bar to detach.
The recall, confirmed in an NHTSA notice on Wednesday, affects Cybertrucks manufactured between late 2023 and September 2025. The regulator said the defect poses a risk that the upper light bar “may detach and fall, creating a road hazard for other vehicles.” Tesla will install an additional mechanical fastener or replace the entire light bar assembly at no cost to owners.
According to the notice, Tesla began investigating customer reports earlier this month and voluntarily agreed to the recall. The company has not publicly disclosed how many Cybertrucks have been delivered to date, but analysts suggest the figure now exceeds 60,000 units. Based on that estimate, the recall affects roughly one in ten vehicles currently on US roads.
In a statement accompanying the filing, the agency said: “A detached light bar could fall and pose a road hazard to other vehicles, increasing the risk of a crash.” Tesla did not issue a separate public comment, but confirmed that owner notifications will begin in early November.
The recall follows a series of quality-related actions involving the stainless-steel pickup since its launch last year. In May, Tesla recalled more than 46,000 Cybertrucks because a trim panel could loosen at speed. Another recall, issued in August, covered 63,000 units due to overly bright front parking lights that failed to comply with US standards.
Each episode has prompted questions about Tesla’s manufacturing processes for its first all-electric truck, which features a non-painted exoskeleton and bespoke lighting configuration. Industry analysts note that as the Cybertruck combines off-road capability with passenger-vehicle styling, its design has presented novel regulatory challenges.
For Tesla, the timing is sensitive. The company has sought to stabilise output at its Texas Gigafactory and to reassure investors after recent delivery slowdowns and price adjustments across its range. Although the number of affected Cybertrucks is small in comparison with Tesla’s global fleet, analysts say repeated recalls could weigh on customer perception of build quality in its most distinctive model.
Regulators, meanwhile, are paying closer attention to hardware integrity in electric vehicles as manufacturers push design boundaries. NHTSA’s recall summary cited the risk of detachment “during normal driving,” underscoring that even auxiliary features such as lighting systems fall under safety-critical oversight.
The action applies only to vehicles in the US market. The Cybertruck has not yet been approved for sale in the UK or Europe, though Tesla has indicated it is exploring a right-hand-drive variant. Industry observers suggest that ongoing US recalls may delay any international rollout.
For owners, Tesla will contact affected customers directly and schedule service appointments for inspection and repair. The fix is expected to take less than an hour. The company said it is not aware of any accidents or injuries linked to the issue.
While modest in scale, the recall underscores Tesla’s continued scrutiny from US regulators — and the growing operational challenge of maintaining quality as production ramps up for new vehicle types.
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