Elon Musk duped his fans into thinking they were getting an “apocalypse-proof” tank with the Cybertruck, when the reality is that they’re soon-to-be rustbuckets held together by a combination of glue and the driver’s powerful siege mentality against a world gone woke. And nearly two years on since it first released, the heterodox pickup’s woes still haven’t ended.
On Thursday, Tesla admitted it was recalling nearly 6,200 Cybertrucks because their “off road” lightbar attachment could fly off and hit other motorists. That’s nearly 10 percent of all Cybertrucks ever sold, Electrek noted, as well as the tenth recall the vehicle has faced to date. The ninth recall, mind you, was last week, because of a software patch that made its headlights blindingly bright.
The problematic lightbar, incredibly, was attached solely with glue. According to a National Highway Traffic Safety Administration filing, the recall was issued after Tesla discovered that its service technicians may have used the wrong combination of adhesives when installing the lightbar attachment.
Updating its service manual with added glue guidance didn’t seem to work. In all, Tesla racked up over 600 warranty claims and one field report related to the issue, though it says it isn’t aware of any related crashes or injuries.
Incredibly, this isn’t even the Cybertruck’s first glue-related gaffe. In March, Tesla was forced to recall nearly every single Cybertruck to ever drive off a dealership lot because its stainless steel body panels could fly off while driving. These parts were attached to the car with only the help of yet more glue, which was found to be “susceptible to environmental embrittlement.”
Tales of such crummy quality, along with Musk being one of the most hated men in America, is why sales of the expensive truck have been cratering. In the third quarter of 2025, Tesla sold just 5,385 Cybertrucks, which is a staggering 63 percent drop from the same period last year. (Musk has reportedly been selling Cybertrucks to his own companies to juice these still dismal sales numbers.)
Though Musk has bragged about the truck’s off-roading capabilities, it’s hard to imagine a world where the Cybertruck is even a reliable grocery getter. Other recalls include its accelerator pedal getting stuck in the down position or losing power while driving, while there have been countless anecdotal accounts of the vehicles breaking down in embarrassingly mundane situations, like after going through a car wash.
Seemingly the only “apocalypse” the Cybertruck can endure is the one inflicted on the driver’s personal reputation, with tinted windows to block out the teenagers flipping you off — and plenty of nice, sharp angles for mowing down pesky pedestrians.
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