Tesla Is Recalling Cybertrucks Again • Hacker News Board

Re: Tesla Is Recalling Cybertrucks Again

#71

Post by jandrese » Thu, Nov 13, 2025, 5:18 PM UTC

potato3732842 wrote: post #16

ilamont wrote: post #3

The issue stems from the primer applied before gluing the optional light bar to the windshield (no fasteners are used in the attachment of the light bar). Is that typical in the industry, parts or components being glued onto an exterior surface instead of fastened?

>Is that typical in the industry, parts or components being glued onto an exterior surface instead of fastened? Yes. If automotive OEMs can glue it they will. It's just that other OEMs don't build uninterrupted 5ft light bars so glueing is a much less suitable (think about how much glue contact patch per amount of light bar there is and how little leverage it's mass has over the glue, contrast with normal light) solu…

Not to mention that the lightbar is directly in the airstream as you drive. It only has to start lifting a little and getting air underneath. Once that happens any glue joint is doomed.

I think if you did the glue joint perfectly then it would probably be fine, but impeccable QC is not a hallmark of Tesla.

Re: Tesla Is Recalling Cybertrucks Again

#72

Post by chrisco255 » Thu, Nov 13, 2025, 5:18 PM UTC

ProllyInfamous wrote: post #2

Even presuming pieces weren't falling off , every time I see one of these my first thought is how did this pass safety standards (e.g. the sharp corners/blades/edges; pedestrian-strike setups). Now add on flying corners/blades/edges ... even less enthused. ---- I finally drove in a Rivian — and while I prefer the hybrid drivetrains — it was exceptionally nice. As an American, I can't wait for BYD to offer test drives…

BYDs are never coming to the American market.

Re: Tesla Is Recalling Cybertrucks Again

#73

Post by guywithahat » Thu, Nov 13, 2025, 5:18 PM UTC

vel0city wrote: post #21

addaon wrote: post #4

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Depends on the industry. For car companies, no. But as Tesla reminds us constantly, they're not a car company, they're a robotics / AI company. Those generally focus less on how to build cars.

Tons of cars made by companies other than Tesla have some parts attached by adhesives. Lots of decorative trim pieces and reflectors may be attached with adhesives instead of screws. Its not like there are a lot of screws involved in attaching windshields. There have been other companies with recalls related to adhesive failures, but it seems Tesla has adhesive failures far more frequently than others and seems to us…

You shouldn't be getting downvoted, you're right. Adhesives can be incredibly strong, and it's common for even larger panels to be glued on. For whatever reason a lot of British cars in particular (range rover, jaguar, etc) use bonded and riveted frames instead of welding for their aluminum framed vehicles, with lots of components just being glued on.

Re: Tesla Is Recalling Cybertrucks Again

#74

Post by emptybits » Thu, Nov 13, 2025, 5:19 PM UTC

I dodged a bullet. I bought into the original heavy stainless steel exoskeleton concept, which they never delivered on. So they had my deposit. Then it took me a year and a half (!!) to get my deposit back from time of request, a dozen documented follow-ups on phone, email, and in-person at the stealership.

Tesla’s excuse: While they were happy to take a Canadian’s money with fully refundable deposit terms, they had not contemplated actually ever refunding a Canadian. The deposit was made by credit card. The only option offered for refund was a deposit to an American bank account.

It seems like no aspect of the Cybertruck project was done well.

Re: Tesla Is Recalling Cybertrucks Again

#75

Post by mingus88 » Thu, Nov 13, 2025, 5:19 PM UTC

gbhdrew wrote: post #68

The least of its problems IMO, when the Cybertruck looks like it was designed to inflict maximum harm to pedestrians in a crash. The fact that such an obviously destructive design is legal on public roads should be setting off alarm bells at the USDOT and NHTSA.

Good luck with that. This is the CEOs pet project, who spent 3mo openly and directly dismantling regulatory groups in the U.S. while at the same time threatening to pull out of key defense and aerospace initiatives if the poor guy didn’t get his way

Re: Tesla Is Recalling Cybertrucks Again

#76

Post by wrigby » Thu, Nov 13, 2025, 5:19 PM UTC

chrisco255 wrote: post #69

hamdingers wrote: post #6

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> how did this pass safety standards In the US, the safety standards consider only the occupants of the car. The safety of pedestrians, cyclists, and occupants of other cars are not considered. This was looking like it would change but with the current administration I doubt it. The Cybertruck is not legal in Europe and anywhere else with actual safety standards.

[flagged]

What about if you’re hit at 10mph? Of course any crash at 55 is fatal for a cyclist, but most impacts with cyclists don’t occur at highway speeds.

Re: Tesla Is Recalling Cybertrucks Again

#77

Post by buildsjets » Thu, Nov 13, 2025, 5:19 PM UTC

ilamont wrote: post #3

The issue stems from the primer applied before gluing the optional light bar to the windshield (no fasteners are used in the attachment of the light bar). Is that typical in the industry, parts or components being glued onto an exterior surface instead of fastened?

The windshield itself is only glued in place in the vast majority of modern production cars.

Re: Tesla Is Recalling Cybertrucks Again

#78

Post by LoganDark » Thu, Nov 13, 2025, 5:20 PM UTC

chrisco255 wrote: post #69

hamdingers wrote: post #6

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> how did this pass safety standards In the US, the safety standards consider only the occupants of the car. The safety of pedestrians, cyclists, and occupants of other cars are not considered. This was looking like it would change but with the current administration I doubt it. The Cybertruck is not legal in Europe and anywhere else with actual safety standards.

[flagged]

The Cybertruck also bursts into flames, has body panels that fall off, and has an accelerator pedal that can spontaneously disassemble itself into getting jammed in the floored position. (I think they eventually fixed the accelerator pedal thing. Still a super bad look.)

Also, if you get hit by a Cybertruck at 55mph, the sharp angles are going to cut you far deeper than a Mini Cooper would. You're not going to walk away from it either way, but you're probably more likely to perish from the Cybertruck.

(That doesn't stop me from wanting a Cybertruck but that's just because it's cool in other ways. I don't know if I'd want one to be my daily driver, but it is very cool.)

Re: Tesla Is Recalling Cybertrucks Again

#79

Post by DanHulton » Thu, Nov 13, 2025, 5:20 PM UTC

chrisco255 wrote: post #69

hamdingers wrote: post #6

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> how did this pass safety standards In the US, the safety standards consider only the occupants of the car. The safety of pedestrians, cyclists, and occupants of other cars are not considered. This was looking like it would change but with the current administration I doubt it. The Cybertruck is not legal in Europe and anywhere else with actual safety standards.

[flagged]

There are more situations than just "a 55mph head-on crash" that need to be considered. What about getting clipped at 5mph when the driver is turning, and on a Cybertruck you've now got a brutal gash dug into you. And a camera that covers a full 360 isn't really all that useful when you're making a normal turn and not looking at the camera, but have your normal vision heavily obscured by the massive frame.

It's not perfectly safe. If it were, it would be legal everywhere and it's not.

Re: Tesla Is Recalling Cybertrucks Again

#80

Post by dymk » Thu, Nov 13, 2025, 5:21 PM UTC

vardump wrote: post #70

gbhdrew wrote: post #68

The least of its problems IMO, when the Cybertruck looks like it was designed to inflict maximum harm to pedestrians in a crash. The fact that such an obviously destructive design is legal on public roads should be setting off alarm bells at the USDOT and NHTSA.

Not only Cybertruck. Also other trucks like Ford F150 etc.

Trucks in general are awful for pedestrians and other motorists, but the Cybertruck is made specifically of sharp angles that will rip and tear more than a big flat vertical wall running into you.