Roughly 27,000 Cybertrucks required another recall after the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) determined some of their rearview camera displays could potentially fail their one job. According to the filing, some drivers reported staring down a blank dashboard display screen for as long as 8 seconds after putting their vehicle in reverse, requiring an over-the-air software update. Current US safety laws cap vehicle camera delays to just 2 seconds.
Although the Cybertruck lacks any physical rearview mirror, the NHTSA did note that drivers could hypothetically still drive in reverse by “performing a shoulder check and using their [side] mirrors.” NHTSA filing also stated Tesla isn’t currently aware of any accidents or fatalities related to the rearview camera delays.
[Related: $8,000 ‘Full Self-Driving Mode’ is finally in select Cybertrucks.]
Tesla CEO Elon Musk originally wanted his “favorite car” to release without physical mirrors of any kind, but conceded in 2021 that the features were “required by law.” That said, he also stipulated its side mirrors were “designed to be easy to remove by owners.” Multiple video tutorials indicate it only takes about two minutes to make a mirrorless, 6,660 lbs Cybertruck. Most states still legally require vehicles to possess sideview mirrors.
Before the software update, the rearview mirror glitch could occur in any Cybertruck manufactured between November 13, 2023 and September 24, 2024. The latest recall is the Cybertruck’s fifth overall since its repeatedly delayed release in November 2023. Previous problems involved the EV’s giant, single windshield wiper, faulty plastic trim, and an accelerator pedal that stuck after being pressed. In January, the Cybertruck was included in a wider Tesla over-the-air software recall for 2.2 million vehicles that addressed a warning light font that was too small.
Despite averaging a recall notice every two months, the Cybertruck has become one of the most popular electric pickup trucks in the US. While Tesla does not make its vehicle sales numbers public, the NHTSA’s time-frame of potentially affected vehicles encompasses almost all Cybertrucks currently on the road, meaning the company has sold under 30,000 units so far—over double the total Cybertrucks sold at the time of its last recall.