Woman Is On Her Drive Home. Then She Receives An Urgent Warning From Her Cybertruck: ‘On A Dark Road... Full DEFCON 1'

A Cybertruck owner recorded a scary warning notification that took up the entirety of her EV’s infotainment screen, and it looks like something straight out of "2001: A Space Odyssey."

The driver, who posted the video on her wellness center’s social media account (@dupagemedicalwellness), recorded the alarming incident as it occurred in real time. Her post is yet another ding against the oft-maligned electrified pickup.

In the clip’s caption, she writes: “Driving home on a dark road with no streetlights when my Cybertruck suddenly went full DEFCON 1.” Moreover, she illustrated the shocking situation in great detail: “Alarms banging. Flashing red warnings.”

The Cybertruck owner says that a message popped up on her car’s display that read: “Critical issue detected.” And the ominous dialog was followed with worrying implications: “Then my mph started dropping, 18 miles. 17. 16. Until it hit zero,” she wrote on the Dupage Medical Wellness account.

What’s more is that she said the error message had her worried she’d be left without an operational ride, and she’d have to walk home. “I was alone, in high heels, and genuinely thought I was about to be stranded in the middle of nowhere, scared af. Has this happened to anyone else?” she wrote to her followers.

'Pull Over Safely. Critical Issue Detected'

In her clip, she showed off a massive wall of text that appeared on her car’s screen while she was driving, which was accompanied by a consistent beeping warning chime. She wrote in a text overlay, “POV: You're driving home, and your Cybertruck starts giving iRobot vibes.”

Judging from the messaging on her Cybertruck’s screen, it appears that her problem was rooted in either a steering or electrical error. Consequently, her Tesla informed her that it would enter “a controlled shutdown process,” which would give her time to park her car in a secure area. Other verbiage in the notice indicated that the problem may have been rooted in her ride’s “multiple redundant sensors and actuators designed to make sure the steer-by-wire system always remains available while driving.”

As for what protocol she should follow, the warning message details two very different scenarios. The first: Her Cybertruck may need to be towed, hence why she was required to pull over in a secure location. Second, that the disclaimer was entirely erroneous and would simply be cleared by “exiting and re-entering [her] vehicle.” The statement even goes on to say that such basic protocol may allow her to continue to drive her car without issue. However, it also states that it may reappear in future commutes.

Cybertruck Steering Warning: A Common Complication?

Unfortunately, there have been other Cybertruck owners who’ve reported nearly identical incidents with their own EVs. One driver on this Cybertruck Owners Club forum post claimed that their car was “broken at delivery.” And just like Dupage Wellness’s TikTok, they too receive a “critical steering issue detected” announcement on their display.

To add insult to injury, the driver received their Cybertruck on March 1, 2024, and was hit with the alert on March 5 of the same year, meaning they only had four days of problem-free driving before their ride had to be taken to Tesla.

A user in a separate post also wrote that they were accosted by the exact same message on August 3, 2024. Moreover, someone else on the forum in this May 14 post said that their Cybertruck also blasted this foreboding siren while being driven.

Steer-By-Wire Hate

Others have derided Tesla’s decision to utilize steer-by-wire technology in its cars instead of mechanical actuation. For instance, this Autopian write-up discussed how a Cybertruck buyer put his ride into beast mode, mashed on the accelerator, and was instantly met with the admonition. “The screen spewed up paragraphs of instructions too small to read while driving. It’s like something out of a cartoon.” Moreover, the outlet called the “steering warning … one of the more concerning errors you can get on a Cybertruck.”

Even when the Cybertruck’s steer-by-wire system is functioning properly, it’s been criticized. Futurism penned an article evaluating the ride quality of the vehicle, stating that its “steering has a significant lag,” which led the outlet to darkly quip, "Imagine crashing because of your steering ping.”

The driver had complaints about the Cybertruck’s driving dynamics as well, simply stating its “steering broke [their] brain.” But there were others who felt differently. Alanis King of Motor1 called the Cybertruck’s steer-by-wire system its “greatest feature, to the point that every time [she’s] in another truck [she] miss[es] it.”

What Causes Steer-By-Wire Failure?

Others have detailed nightmare scenarios that occurred when their Tesla pickup’s steering system decided not to work properly. A writer for Torque News said that the car’s “steer-by-wire system … failed at 85mph on the highway.” This caused the vehicle to lose “all power,” which rendered their ability to steer “almost gone.” Not exactly the kind of issue one would want to deal with while they’re behind the wheel, especially at such high speeds.

Tesla writes in the Cybertruck’s owner’s manual, “There is no mechanical connection between the steering wheel and the wheels. Instead, sensors in the steering column communicate electronically with the steering racks.” As Motor1 penned, Tesla says that because of this technology, “steering the Cybertruck feels more responsive and requires less effort from the driver.” This, paired with “four-wheel steering,” helps to give the car “a tighter turning radius.”

Because of this lack of mechanical input to steer the Cybertruck, there are a slew of problems that could cause the steer-by-wire system to fail. Others have complained that electrical and low-voltage faults cause this Critical Issue pop-up, as laid out in the error message presented in Dupage Wellness’s social media video. Others have said that sensor and software errors can mess with the Cybertruck’s steer-by-wire system. And there are those who speculated that the car’s 48-volt system losing power also leads to its steering system going kaput.

Motor1 has reached out to Tesla via email and Dupage Wellness via TikTok direct message for further comment. We will update this story if either responds.