A Cybertruck owner claims that only 4 hours after taking delivery of his truck, his Cybertruck accelerated on its own, driving him into a house at high speed. The video of the incident shows the Cybertruck tires screeching as the truck slams into a wall.
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Over the years, a number of incidents have been reported, alluding to the possibility of Tesla vehicles unexpectedly and unintentionally accelerating. These reports often follow accidents where drivers claim their Tesla accelerated without input.
People's claims that their Tesla caused an accident on its own are further amplified due to Tesla’s advanced driver-assist system (Autopilot), which gives Tesla vehicles the ability to accelerate and brake on their own.
Hundreds of such claims have been investigated by regulatory bodies all over the world, but not a single governmental organization has found supportive evidence suggesting any sudden or intentional acceleration issues with Tesla vehicles.
Having said that, today we’ve our first report suggesting that the Tesla Cybertruck suddenly and unintentionally accelerated to cause an accident.
Related News: Here is the Change I Made to My Cybertruck Order That Made Tesla Move My Delivery Date From September to This Week
The video shared on X shows a Tesla Cybertruck driving on a tight neighborhood road. As you can see below, the vehicle increases its speed until it unfortunately runs into the neighbor's house.
The person who goes by the username Cobra1 on X was behind the steering wheel when the Cybertruck accident occurred and shared on the platform, writing, “Waited for five years and drove for four hours.”
Unfortunately, the accident appears to have occurred only four hours after Cobra1 took delivery of his Foundation Series Cybertruck. Cobra1 says that the steering wheel and brakes were unresponsive right before the accident, and he fully pressed the brake pedal.
The owner is only now sharing the story, but he says the Cybertruck accident occurred two months ago and has been in contact with Tesla to resolve the issue.
Cobra1 shared Tesla's response, which is a little vague. However, it appears that Tesla did not take responsibility for the accident, writing, “We have reviewed logs, and due to the terrain, the accelerator may or may not disengage when the brake is depressed. As far as the back tire locking, we are reviewing.”
The Cybertruck owner stated that Tesla had informed him that the repairs would cost $30,000. However, the EV maker instructed the Cybertruck owner to take the claim to his insurance company.
This is all disappointing; however, Cobra1 also adds that Tesla has told him it will take up to a year for parts to be available to repair his vehicle fully.
Finally, Cobra1 added that the worst thing about the accident was that his daughter was in the Cybertruck during the crash. The Cybertruck owner did not share details about the injuries he and his daughter sustained, but from his posts, fortunately, it doesn’t appear that they sustained any major harm.
Our hearts go out to the Cybertruck owner. We understand it must be frustrating to wait more than four years for a vehicle and have it totaled within four hours of ownership. Cobra1 has waited more years than the hours he could enjoy his brand-new truck.
Keeping that in mind, let’s try to analyze Cobra1’s claims that his Cybertruck accelerated on its own, causing this crash.
The first thing to remember is that we do not have all the facts. Short of a third party or governmental organization with full access to the vehicle and Tesla’s vehicle logs, none of us can for sure claim that the Cybertruck indeed accelerated on its own or that this was a driver’s error.
With that established, let’s look at the facts. One issue with electric vehicles is that since there isn’t an engine that revs up when the accelerator pedal is pressed, it might be hard to tell whether you are pressing the accelerator pedal or the brake pedal.
Add to this the fact that many electric vehicles have excellent low-end torque and can accelerate quickly; you have the perfect recipe for electric vehicle drivers to accidentally press the accelerator pedal thinking they were pressing the brake.
Thousands of accidents happen in the US every year, with drivers accidentally pressing the accelerator pedal and thinking it was the brake.
In Cobra1’s case, the video clearly shows that the Cybertruck quickly accelerated, and given the small area, the acceleration appears to have been unintentional. Listening to the video, you can hear the Cybertruck tires screeching, trying to find traction.
Although it is not a smoking gun, one piece of evidence against Cobra1’s claim that his Cybertruck accelerated on its own while he was pressing the brake pedal is that the Cybertruck brake light did not go up.
Something to note here is that the Cybertruck has an unnecessarily confusing brake light. When the vehicle is in drive, the tailgate red light bar stays lit; however, when a person presses the brake light, the red light bar shrinks and brakes to three smaller and thinner lights.
The reasoning behind why Tesla designed the red brake light bar to shrink when the brake pedal is pressed is unclear. However, during Cobra1’s video, you can clearly see the rear bar light remained completely lit up, suggesting that he did not press the brake pedal.
The fact that Cobra1 has only had his Cybertruck for 4 hours can also contribute to him accidentally pressing the accelerator pedal, thinking it was the brake. Four hours isn’t enough time to get completely accustomed to a new vehicle.
Having said that, before we pass judgment, it’s important to note that, although suggestive of a driver's fault, the brake light not lighting up is no conclusive evidence that the accident was not due to a fault with the Cybertruck.
Another thing to note is that a few months back, Tesla recalled all Cybertrucks on the road for an accelerator pedal issue. In this failure mode, an aluminum cover over the Cybertruck’s accelerator pedal can come loose and wedge underneath a small opening, leaving the accelerator pedal fully pressed.
However, in this instance, Cobra1 did not claim his accelerator pedal cover was loose and did not point to this failure mode as the reason behind his accident.
Overall, despite this unfortunate accident, we are happy that Cobra1 and his daughter are still alive to tell the story. Currently, this is all the information we have regarding the Cybertruck's sudden unintentional acceleration reports.
However, we’ll be sure to keep you posted as the story unfolds, and we will let you know if we receive any response from Tesla. Until then, make sure to visit our site, torquenews.com/Tesla, regularly for the latest updates.
So, what do you think? Did the Cybertruck crash on its own, or do you think it is the driver's fault? Also, what do you make of Tesla’s response and the fact that the repairs will take $30,000 and a year for parts to be available? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below by clicking the red “Add new comment” button.
Image: Insurance Auto Auction, Inc.’s totaled Cybertruck auction
For more information, check out: I Needed to Carry Mulch and My Tesla Cybertruck Proved Why It’s the Perfect Truck to Do So
Tinsae Aregay has been following Tesla and the evolution of the EV space daily for several years. He covers everything about Tesla, from the cars to Elon Musk, the energy business, and autonomy. Follow Tinsae on Twitter at @TinsaeAregay for daily Tesla news.
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