Tesla secretly replaces the batteries in the first Cybertrucks

There is no official recall campaign, but many owners speak of mysterious interventions by service centres.

By: Francesco Barontini

Dec 31, 2024 at 6:06am ET

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Tesla seems to be having problems with the Cybertruck's batteries. Apparently, for at least the last two months, the company has been recalling a number of examples of the famous electric pick-up in order to replace the faulty batteries.

The first traces of this operation date back to 24 September. Matt Albers, owner of a Cybertruck, said: "I took my Cybertruck, one of the first 2,000 built, to the service department following a recall to fix some minor problems. I thought they'd keep it one day, but instead it's been broken for a fortnight."

Batteries contain faulty components

The case ended with the battery being replaced because of dented cells that could have generated short circuits. Since then, there has been a steady stream of reports.

Message from Matt Albers on Facebook

Photo : Facebook

The curious thing is that Cybertrucks sometimes end up in the after-sales service for the most varied of reasons, and once there, the battery is replaced. This is what happened to a user who had broken a rear-view mirror and received a brand new battery 'as a precaution'. The reason is always the same: there are no apparent defects, but some cells may be dented and affect the operation of the whole pack.

According to user reports on forums and social media, the Cybertrucks affected are those delivered between February and July. So these are the very first ones. But the question is: why isn't Tesla launching an official recall campaign?

Tesla Cybertruck platform with battery

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Too much caution?

There are two reasons for this. On the one hand, Tesla's silence on the subject could stem from the fact that the problem is in fact minor and that they prefer to proceed one unit at a time without alarming customers.

On the other hand, it could also be a way of not shining a spotlight on a fault that could scare drivers and have a negative impact on the company's sales, which are already in sharper decline than in the past.