The problem is no longer only design.
Austin, May 2026. Tesla is facing another safety setback with the Cybertruck after a recall affecting 173 rear-wheel-drive Long Range units over a defect that could allow wheels to detach unexpectedly. The issue is linked to incorrect grease and loose wheel nuts that may cause cracks around brake rotor holes under stress from potholes, vibration or abrupt maneuvers.
The scale of the recall is limited, but the symbolic damage is larger. Cybertruck was marketed as a radical, nearly indestructible vehicle, a machine built to challenge conventional automotive design. Each new defect weakens that mythology and turns futuristic aesthetics into a question about manufacturing discipline.
According to technical reports, the affected vehicles may require replacement of brake rotors, wheel hubs and wheel nuts at no cost to owners. Tesla is expected to notify affected customers and carry out repairs through its service network. The company’s response will matter because safety recalls are not only mechanical events; they are trust events.
Cybertruck has already faced multiple recalls since entering the market, involving issues ranging from trim components to software and mechanical systems. That pattern does not necessarily mean every unit is unsafe, but it does reveal the difficulty of converting a provocative prototype into a reliable mass-market vehicle. Radical design has little value if basic durability becomes uncertain.
For Tesla, the challenge extends beyond one model. The company built its brand on acceleration, disruption and confidence in engineering superiority. But in the automotive industry, prestige is ultimately tested through boring things: bolts, rotors, tolerances, supply chains and quality control.
The Cybertruck remains a cultural object as much as a vehicle. That is precisely why every failure becomes amplified. When a truck sold as the future struggles with the fundamentals of the wheel, the debate stops being about innovation and becomes about credibility.
Hechos que no se doblan. / Facts that do not bend.