2024 Tesla Cybertruck: What to check before buying
Owners have filed 104 complaints with NHTSA about this car, most about the body and structure, wipers and visibility, and electrical. The 9 checks below target those problems, in the order you would do them at the car.
2024- Owner complaints
- 104
- Recalls
- 10
- Crashes reported
- 16
- 16 injuries
Your inspection sheet
Tick items off on your phone at the car, or print it. Ticks stay on this device.
0/9 checked
2024 Tesla Cybertruck: inspection sheet
Paperwork and questions
Before you go, or before you touch the car0/3
Walk-around and cabin
Engine off, key in hand0/5
Test drive
At least 20 minutes, with some highway0/1
These checks are specific to this model year. For tires, body panels, fluids, and the other basics every used car needs, use the general inspection guide.
Why these checks: what owners reported
NHTSA complaints for the 2024 Tesla Cybertruck, grouped by the part owners named. Open a row to read what goes wrong.
Body and structure281 crash
Stainless steel trim above the doors and on the rear quarters comes loose and can fly off at highway speeds. Reports describe a glued piece peeling off its bolted base, sometimes in cold weather. Other complaints describe a door that swings open while driving, doors that do not latch fully, misaligned doors with sharp edges, and a driver's door that visibly flexes at 70 to 80 mph. In one crash the truck caught fire, and rear passengers could not get out after the electronic door buttons failed. Several filings are about long waits for cant rail repair parts.
Wipers and visibility12No crashes
The single windshield wiper stops working without warning, sometimes in the rain, and some blades and arms come off. Owners say replacement wiper motors installed at service are also faulty. Many complaints describe poor cleaning: weak blade contact and too little washer fluid leave streaks and smears, especially with road salt or dried grime, and the passenger side can stay dirty. The automatic wipers dry-wipe clear glass and ignore real rain. Other reports cover a rear camera blinded by raindrops and windshield adhesive separating from the glass.
Electrical102 crashes
Charging stops completely, at home and at Superchargers alike, when the power conversion system fails. There is no warning beforehand, and the truck is stranded. Another report describes a critical error that locks the truck in park, so it has to be dragged onto a tow truck. Several complaints link Full Self-Driving to sudden disengagement and abrupt acceleration, and in one injury crash the air bags did not deploy. In a crash with fire, the rear doors lost power and trapped the occupants. The wireless charger also overheats phones.
Steering102 crashes
Critical steering warnings appear while driving, often along with overheating or "loss of system redundancy" messages. Afterward the truck may refuse to shift out of park or need a tow. One owner got the warning on delivery day. Strong whole-vehicle vibration at 65 to 75 mph makes it hard to stay in the lane. Several reports describe Full Self-Driving leaving the lane or the road, including one injury crash in which the driver could not take back control. The overhead gear selector and hazard switch also come loose from the headliner.
Exterior lights8No crashes
Snow and ice pack into the recessed headlights above the front bumper, so the beams fade until night driving becomes nearly impossible. Owners say the LED headlights do not give off enough heat to melt the buildup. Others call the overall lighting dim, even in rain or on dark roads. On trucks with a light bar on the windshield, the bar can break loose at freeway speed and smash into the glass roof and windshield, and one owner cut their hands. Two complaints argue the rear light bar lacks a proper center high-mounted stop lamp.
Automatic emergency braking53 crashes
Crashes happen with Autopilot or Full Self-Driving engaged. The truck accelerates into a tree, follows an unsafe path the driver cannot override, or clips its mirror on a parked car it fails to detect. Three of the five complaints involve a crash, with rib and back injuries reported, and in one the air bags did not deploy. Another report describes every driver aid shutting off at once, including emergency braking, lane departure warning, cruise control, and blind spot monitoring, while the headlights default to high beams.
Acceleration and cruise control32 crashes
The truck speeds up on its own or stops responding to the accelerator and brakes. Two complaints are flagged as crashes. In one, the truck surged and rear-ended another vehicle, injuring one person. In the other, Full Self-Driving struck traffic cones in a marked construction zone without any evasive action. A third report describes the truck taking over on a freeway exit, mounting the sidewalk, bursting its tires, and cracking the windshield before it stopped. Owners say they got little explanation from Tesla afterward.
Wheels and tires21 crash
A loud bang at highway speed sends the truck veering left with no warning light, and the steering does not respond to correction. That crash involved another vehicle and a median wall, injured three people, and left a rear rim fractured. The truck was on Pirelli Scorpion ATR tires in size 285/65R20. The second complaint lists only a tire size and describes no failure, so the data shows no broader tire pattern beyond that serious incident.
In owners' own words
Excerpts from complaints Cybertruck owners filed with NHTSA, as written. Listen for the same symptoms on your test drive.
Driving at Approximately 70miles an hour on a divided highway and the top right plastic trim between the back window and the steel side came loose and flew off into traffic behind me creating a road hazard for other motorists. I drove back and picked up the shattered pieces off the highway, no incident was filed with the authorities since there was no accident. I’ve scheduled a service appointment to replace the trim.
Filed with NHTSA, July 2024
Brand new car. No accident. The Front and rear passenger doors noted to be misaligned from beginning (with sharp edges). It’s a hazard. Tesla says nothing they can do about it. Unacceptable.
Filed with NHTSA, August 2024
The windshield wiper was replaced under recall with a faulty wiper that is actually more dangerous than the original and Tesla is known about this issue for months and haven't corrected it or stopped replacing working units with faulty ones. Please HELP with this issue before someone gets injured or killed by their negligence. I have made multiple attempts with Tesla service and tried all their contacts and am getting zero resolutions. Thanks
Filed with NHTSA, September 2024
Contacted Tesla on June 25th for their June 19th recall (24V-456 and 24V-457) and they responded that my truck isn't (yet) on their list of recalled cars even though it's been 6 days since the voluntary recall happened. As Tesla has been the one to initiate the recall, I would have assumed my truck would instantly in the list. Appointments are booked out weeks in advance, and Tesla won't allow me to create an appointment now.
Filed with NHTSA, June 2024
The PCS2 threw an alert that the Cybertruck could no longer charge with AC, but I was unable to do DC charging either. The truck is now a brick. Had I been out of town this would have been a serious safety issue. Think of it as an ICE car not being able to be filled at a gas station.
Filed with NHTSA, February 2026
My wireless phone charger is causing my cell phone to heat up. When I pickup the cell phone after being charged is very warm to the touch. I’m concerned that cell phone battery (lithium) is being damaged because based on this charging condition.
Filed with NHTSA, August 2025
While driving vehicle a prompt flashed on the screen saying “power reduced, steering performance reduced due to overheating”. Then the next screen said “critical steering issue detected pull over”. Then I got a loss of system redundancy detected. This has happened twice in one week and I’ve towed it to Tesla twice.
Filed with NHTSA, April 2024
When the vehicle achieves highway speeds of 65-75 mph, there is a tremendous vibration all over the vehicle. It feels like the tires are coming off and it is difficult to stear and maintain lanes, or control of the vehicle.
Filed with NHTSA, March 2025
How the 2024 compares with other Cybertruck years
Complaints for this year next to the average for the other model years, area by area.
The 2024 has the most owner complaints of the 3 Cybertruck years we cover, about 14.9 times the average of the others. Newer years have had less time to collect complaints, so compare like with like.
- Body and structure281
- Wipers and visibility120
- Electrical101
- Steering101
- Exterior lights80
- Automatic emergency braking50
Recalls to confirm (10)
Recall repairs are free at any Tesla dealer, but the seller may never have had them done. Check each campaign number against the VIN.
25V735000Exterior lightsOct 2025
Tesla, Inc. (Tesla) is recalling certain 2024 Cybertruck vehicles equipped with a service-installed off-road light bar accessory. An incorrect surface primer may have been used to attach the lightbar to the windshield, causing the light bar to loosen and detach.
Risk: A detached light bar may fall, creating a road hazard for other vehicles and increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Tesla Service will inspect the light bar and install an additional mechanical attachment or replace the light bar using tape to adhere the light bar to the windshield as well as an additional mechanical attachment as necessary, free of charge. Interim owner notification letters explaining the safety risk were mailed December 26, 2025. Another notice will be sent once the remedy becomes available. Owners may contact Tesla customer service at 1-877-798-3752. Tesla's number for this recall is SB-25-90-001.
25V699000Exterior lightsOct 2025
Tesla, Inc. (Tesla) is recalling certain 2024-2026 Cybertruck vehicles operating software prior to 2025.38.3. The vehicle controller software may cause the front parking lights to be too bright and exceed the maximum light output, adversely affecting the vision of other drivers. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 108, "Lamps, Reflective Devices, and Associated Equipment.".
Risk: Parking lights that are too bright can reduce visibility of oncoming drivers, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Tesla released an over-the-air (OTA) software update, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed December 12, 2025. Owners may contact Tesla customer service at 1-877-798-3752. Tesla's number for this recall is SB-25-00-008.
25V170000Body and structureMar 2025
Tesla, Inc. (Tesla) is recalling certain 2024-2025 Cybertruck vehicles. The light bar can delaminate and detach from the vehicle.
Risk: A detached light bar can become a road hazard, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Tesla service will replace the cant rail assembly, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed September 19, 2025. Owners may contact Tesla customer service at 1-877-798-3752. Tesla's number for this recall is SB-25-10-001.
24V935000Wheels and tiresDec 2024
Tesla, Inc. (Tesla) is recalling certain 2024 Cybertruck, 2017-2025 Model 3, and 2020-2025 Model Y vehicles. The tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS) warning light may not remain illuminated between drive cycles, failing to warn the driver of low tire pressure. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 138, "Tire Pressure Monitoring Systems.".
Risk: Driving with improperly inflated tires increases the risk of a crash.
Fix: Tesla released an over-the-air (OTA) software update, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed February 15, 2025. Owners may contact Tesla customer service at 1-877-798-3752. Tesla's number for this recall is SB-24-00-018.
24V832000ElectricalNov 2024
Tesla, Inc. (Tesla) is recalling certain 2024 Cybertruck vehicles. A fault in the drive inverter may cause a loss of drive power to the wheels.
Risk: A loss of drive power can increase the risk of a crash.
Fix: Tesla service will replace the drive inverter, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed January 4, 2025. Owners may contact Tesla customer service at 1-877-798-3752. Tesla's number for this recall is SB-24-40-009.
24V718000Backup cameraSep 2024
Tesla, Inc. (Tesla) is recalling certain 2024 Cybertruck vehicles. The rearview camera image may be delayed after shifting into reverse. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 111, "Rear Visibility.".
Risk: A delayed rearview image reduces the driver's view of what is behind the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Tesla released an over-the-air (OTA) software update, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed November 25, 2024. Owners may contact Tesla customer service at 1-877-798-3752. Tesla's number for this recall is SB-24-00-016.
24V456000Wipers and visibilityJun 2024
Tesla, Inc. (Tesla) is recalling certain 2024 Cybertruck vehicles. Excessive electrical current can cause the front windshield wiper motor controller to fail.
Risk: Windshield wiper failure can reduce visibility, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Tesla service will replace the wiper motor, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed October 1, 2024. Owners may contact Tesla customer service at 1-877-798-3752. Tesla's number for this recall is SB-24-17-006.
24V457000Body and structureJun 2024
Tesla, Inc. (Tesla) is recalling certain 2024 Cybertruck vehicles. The trunk bed trim sail applique could have been improperly adhered and can loosen.
Risk: A loose applique can detach from the vehicle, creating a road hazard for following motorists and increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Tesla service will apply adhesion promoter and pressure sensitive tape or replace missing applique as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed August 18, 2024. Owners may contact Tesla customer service at 1-877-798-3752. Tesla's number for this recall is SB-24-12-006.
24V276000Acceleration and cruise controlApr 2024
Tesla, Inc. (Tesla) is recalling certain 2024 Cybertruck vehicles. The accelerator pedal pad may dislodge and cause the pedal to become trapped by the interior trim.
Risk: A trapped accelerator pedal can cause the vehicle to accelerate unintentionally, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Tesla service will replace or repair the accelerator pedal assembly, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed June 18, 2024. Owners may contact Tesla customer service at 1-877-798-3752. Tesla's number for this recall is SB-24-33-003.
24V051000ElectricalJan 2024
Tesla, Inc. (Tesla) is recalling certain 2012-2023 Model S, 2016-2024 Model X, 2017-2023 Model 3, 2019-2024 Model Y, and 2024 Cybertruck vehicles. An incorrect font size is displayed on the instrument panel for the Brake, Park, and Antilock Brake System (ABS) warning lights. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 105, "Hydraulic and Electric Brake Systems" and 135, "Light Vehicle Brake Systems.".
Risk: Warning lights with a smaller font size can make critical safety information on the instrument panel difficult to read, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Tesla began releasing an over-the-air (OTA) software update, free of charge. Owners may contact Tesla customer service at 1-877-798-3752. Tesla's number for this recall is SB-24-00-003.
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