Nearly All Cybertrucks Have Been Recalled Because Tesla Used the Wrong Glue

Tesla said Thursday it would recall nearly all the Cybertrucks it has produced to repair a stainless steel trim panel that the carmaker said could become detached from the vehicle while driving. The recall is related to a cosmetic applique on the vehicle’s exterior, which is attached to the rest of the truck by a kind of glue, according to a filing published by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the US’s road safety regulator. The filing says Tesla will repair the issue with another kind of adhesive “not prone to environmental embrittlement.” Dale Harrow, chair and director of the Intelligent Mobility Design Center at the Royal College of Art London, labels this latest glue recall for the Cybertruck as “surprising.” “Glues are used a lot more than people think in car body construction these days,” he says. I've not heard anywhere else.” There are numerous glues the auto industry uses to bond panels and parts together, Harrow says, adding that different adhesives are used depending on strength of bond needed, particular circumstances, and materials involved.