Tesla Cybertruck Is Being Recalled Again—This Time for Loose Wheel Studs

The U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has ordered a recall of Tesla Cybertruck vehicles from 2024 to 2026 because wheel studs—the metal bolts that hold wheels on—can come loose. If this happens while driving, it could make the truck harder to control and raise the risk of a crash. This is the fourth safety recall for the Cybertruck since Tesla started making it in late 2023.

Tesla has not yet said how many trucks are affected. The problem appears in vehicles across multiple model years, which means it's broader than some of the earlier recalls.

The Pattern of Early Troubles

Three recalls came before this one. Tesla told owners to replace the drive inverter (a part that manages electrical power) in trucks made between November 2023 and July 2024. Tesla also fixed a problem where the backup camera feed would stop working in early trucks, which it solved by updating the software remotely. The company has also had to replace some wiper motors and fix timing issues with the rearview camera.

When automakers build a brand-new truck design for the first time, problems like these often show up after people start using the vehicles in the real world. It takes a while for the factory to get everything running smoothly. The good news with modern trucks is that many problems can be fixed through software updates sent over the internet—you don't have to take it to a dealer. But when a metal part like a wheel stud fails, the truck has to go into a shop for a physical repair.

What's Being Fixed and When

Some of the issues were tied to specific production dates and batches of parts. For example, Tesla issued an order to replace certain wiper motors built in early 2024. Owners also received software updates to fix display problems with the rearview camera.

The wheel stud problem covers trucks made from the very beginning of production in November 2023 through at least September 2024, and now extends into 2026 model year vehicles. This longer timeframe suggests either that the problem kept happening as Tesla kept making the trucks, or that Tesla found the issue later and realized more vehicles might have it.

Why This Truck Has So Many Issues

The Cybertruck is unlike most pickup trucks on the road. It has a stainless steel body, a 48-volt electrical system (most trucks use 12 volts), and its battery pack is built into the structure itself. All of these are new ideas that required Tesla to work with suppliers and factories in different ways than they're used to. When you change that much about how a vehicle is built, it takes time to get everything right.

The fact that most of these problems happened in the first year of production is actually normal for a completely new truck design. As Tesla makes more vehicles and the factory gets better at the job, these kinds of issues typically become less common.

Looking at how this has unfolded, there are a few things worth keeping in mind. Tesla is being proactive—it found these problems and ordered recalls rather than waiting for owners to complain. The company also has the ability to fix many issues remotely through software, which is an advantage older truck makers don't have. But a wheel stud that comes loose is a serious mechanical problem that software can't fix; those trucks need to go to a service center.

The bigger question is whether these recalls will taper off as Tesla's factory processes get smoother and more refined. The expansion to 2026 model year trucks is something to watch. It could mean the problem continued longer than expected, or it could just mean Tesla is being extra cautious. Either way, anyone thinking about buying a new Cybertruck should know that service visits for repairs are likely to continue as Tesla works out the kinks in this new design.

For Tesla itself, recall activity is not ideal, but it's manageable. The company has service centers and can update software remotely, so it's not like they're caught flat-footed. The real test will be whether the factory can improve enough to reduce these kinds of problems as more trucks roll off the line.