A camera was to blame when Tesla issued the 5th recall for the Cybertruck – one that potentially affects 27,185 of the divisive stainless steel electric pickup trucks – because it's too slow to respond when drivers shift into reverse.
Regulations require a camera like the Cybertruck's to be ready within two seconds of the reverse is selected, but the Cybertruck's camera has been managing a sluggish 6-8 seconds in some conditions, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).
The affected number is, essentially, every Cybertruck that has shipped so far.
Luckily in most cases, it can be fixed with an over-the-air software update – the issue applies to any Cybertruck running version 2024.32.5.2 or later. A free over-the-air software update to fix the problem is being issued.
This is far from the Cybertruck's first recall though.
On other occasions crashes were reported before the recall – the most famously of the previous four recalls involved a dangerous design in the accelerator pedal which could only be fixed at a dealer.
Luckily, at that point, less than 4,000 of the vehicles were out in the wild when the NHTSA noticed that the pad on the accelerator easily came off, trapping the accelerator under the trim and keeping it pushed down, which, in their mild terms, "may increase the risk of a collision."
To be fair to Tesla, the brake pedal still worked in that scenario, but if you'd just parted with $81,000 (minimum) you'd want a working vehicle. The next recalls – including faulty wipers and lose trim – won't have done much to improve your mood.
The fact backup cameras (aka reversing cameras) have become such a significant aspect of cameras isn't just because of the price of Tesla's icon, it is because the design of modern vehicles increasingly depends on cameras for rear and all-round views.
Interestingly, there were only 11,383 Cybertrucks out there in June, so the challenging design seems to be cutting through given how many more cars are being recalled this time!
Check out our guide to the best front and rear dashcams if you want to see and record what is going on behind you as you drive
