VEHICLE SAFETY DEFECT COMPLAINT Manufacturer: Tesla, Inc. Vehicle: Tesla Cybertruck Premium All-Wheel Drive Incident date: XXX Location: [XXX] VIN: [Insert VIN] Nature of complaint: Unexpected vehicle movements during Full Self-Driving operation and an extremely loud metallic grinding noise while driving. Description of incident On XXX, at approximately 8 PM Central Time, I experienced a potentially serious safety malfunction while driving my recently purchased Tesla Cybertruck. While Full Self-Driving (Supervised) was engaged, the vehicle began making unexpected and erratic driving movements. During the same drive, I heard an extremely loud noise resembling thunder or heavy metal components grinding against one another. I became concerned that a critical mechanical component could be failing while the vehicle was in motion. I was able to return home safely and have stopped operating the vehicle pending a professional inspection. This incident follows an earlier major malfunction in which the windshield-wiper system failed. Tesla service personnel subsequently informed me that the wiper motor had come apart and that associated damage required brake-system repairs. I believe the combination of unpredictable driving behavior, the severe mechanical noise, and the vehicle’s recent repair history warrants investigation for possible safety-related defects. I recorded a short video during the incident and preserved available Dashcam footage. I request that the federal safety agency review this incident and determine whether further investigation is warranted, including whether similar complaints have been reported involving Cybertruck Full Self-Driving behavior, braking, steering, or drivetrain components. I am willing to provide the recordings, prior repair documentation, and any additional information necessary for an investigation. Reported by: [XXX] Location: [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Tesla Cybertruck wipers problems
15 of the 216 owner complaints about the Tesla Cybertruck describe windshield wiper failure, most of them for the 2024 model year.
- owner complaints
- 15
- worst model year
- 2024
By model year
- 20261
- 20251
- 202413
Often reported together
What owners say
My vehicle's windshield wipers were completely inoperable for an extended period. I drove this vehicle across multiple states without functional windshield wipers — confirmed on a recorded Tesla corporate support call dated May 21, 2026. This is also covered under the federal safety agency Recall 24V456000 (Windshield Wiper Motor failure), which Tesla Pensacola failed to identify or perform. Tesla Council Bluffs, IA identified this recall as requiring urgent attention. Safety risk: Operating a vehicle at highway speed without functional windshield wipers in any precipitation is extremely dangerous. I drove cross-country in this condition. Manufacturer response: Tesla Pensacola stated the vehicle had "nothing wrong." Tesla Council Bluffs identified the recall. Recall has still not been performed.
The new tesla update forces me to interact with the touch screen in order to operate my vehicle after self driving is disabled. There is no way to dismiss or disable this screen in the new update and no way for me to roll my vehicle back to the old software. After disengaging self driving a forced selector box forces you to make one of 4 choices in order to see your screen/navigation and perform other features in the car such as adjusting the windshield wipers. There is no way to disable this screen, it pops up every single time Full Self Driving is disengaged and there is no way to disable it. I believe this actively violates california law by requiring me to interact with the touch screen while actively controlling the vehicle on manual mode. I tried clicking elsewhere on the screen but yuo are forced to select one of the four options presented
The Power Conversion System (PCS) in the Tesla Cybertruck is experiencing a high rate of hardware-level failure (specifically the PCS2 module) that poses three distinct safety risks beyond the loss of AC charging. Loss of Steer-by-Wire Integrity: The Cybertruck utilizes a full steer-by-wire system and a 48V low-voltage architecture. The PCS is responsible for managing the 48V bus and charging the LV battery. A hardware failure in the PCS (common alerts: PCS2_a094, PCS2_a137) threatens the stability of the 48V system. Any sudden collapse of the 48V bus while in motion could result in a total loss of steering control and vehicle maneuverability, creating an immediate risk of a high-speed collision. Loss of Propulsion and Stranding: PCS failure frequently leads to "limp mode" or a "no-start" condition where the vehicle cannot engage Drive or Reverse. Experiencing a loss of propulsion while in active traffic or being stranded on a highway shoulder without the ability to move the vehicle creates a severe life-safety hazard for occupants and other motorists. Failure of Visibility Systems: Critical safety components, including the primary windshield wiper and exterior lighting, are powered via the 48V system managed by the PCS. Hardware instability has led to reports of these systems failing during inclement weather, severely compromising driver visibility. Tesla has implemented software bypasses (OTA updates) to allow DC Supercharging when the AC hardware fails, but this is a "band-aid" that does not address the underlying hardware defect—likely MOSFET degradation. With replacement parts on backorder for 8+ weeks, owners are forced to operate vehicles with compromised electrical architectures. I am reporting this as a systemic hardware defect that requires an official safety recall.
The contact leased a 2024 Tesla Cybertruck. The contact stated while driving 25 MPH, the windshield wipers turned off. The contact stated that the indicator was inoperable. While depressing the left turn signal, the blinker was slow to respond. While driving on a narrow street, the vehicle swerved to the right. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact received a recall letter related to the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 25V170000 (Structure). The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who referred the contact to the dealer. The contact called an unknown dealer in Las Vegas, NV, but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was called, but there was no response for two hours. The contact eventually spoke to a representative who suggested that a service appointment should be scheduled using the App. The failure mileage was approximately 5,000.
In a rain situation the wind shield wiper is not operating when it’s pouring rain outside or even a drizzle. The wiper never goes off. It has to be manually turned on for the windshield wiper to actually work. Also, the lighting on the vehicle is very dim because the vehicle pretty much only operates off of two tiny fog lights, and in a low visibility area there’s not enough lighting to actually see the road and bicycle is biking on the roadways even in a dark situations, it’s the same thing not enough lighting to actually see anything on the road.
The wiper on the vehicle can not be controlled and set off manually. The auto wipe system repeatedly turns on and dry wipes the glass which reduces visibility for both the driver as well as the camera based safety systems. This is a software bug that has gone unfixed and unacknoledged by Tesla for over 6 months. This happens on every drive multiple times every day regardless of weather conditions.
Windshield wiper fell off, Tesla was unable to get me an appointment to repair for a month and stating it was wear and tear that made it fall off.
On [XXX], while driving highways for over 2 hours, the windshield became very dirty with dried debris from the road. I activated the window cleaning function on the steering wheel ( for the first time) and could not clear the dirt from the passenger side. I tried many times, but no result. The drivers side did clean acceptably. But not the passenger side! I could see arcs on the windshield where the wiper attempted to drop fluid. There were 8 or 9 such arcs left after the wiper withdrew. I did see cleaning solvent near the outside of the windshield. But I could not see out of the windshield. Reported same to Teslas customer svc and a service visit was scheduled for Jan. 8, 2025. By this time I had manually cleaned the window and verified the solvent well was full. Svc agent said, no one else complaining and system is operating 100% as designed. Experienced same situation again on [XXX]. Customer svc again scheduled an on site svc call for Feb 7 2025. I then saw on facebook, over 50 other people complaining of exactly the same problem. Most had tried svc and heard the same informational as I. Some included photos of the problem, some had their wiper or pump replaced, other e told that Tesla was planning an OTA update to cure the problem. I did a walk-in to svc on Jan 27,2025, and was told there is no guidance from corporate on this matter and that as far as they knew, corporate was not aware of the problem. I'll keep my appointment on Fri and hopefully I'll have some relief. I hate not seeing things coming from my right side! INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
The wiper will not clear the windshield it only smears and leaves streaks causing visibility issues. The automated wiping feature also does not operate properly and it will wildly wipe at high speed with nothing on the window and then do nothing when it is covered in water and road dirt. It will also dry wipe for no reason and smear what ever is on the window causing a visibility issue and then with the unfortunate combination of poor washer fluid output and poor blade contact it cannot clean the windshield properly. To be clear, it does not just take awhile to clean, it cannot clean the window regardless of how long you use the wiper wash function. It is a complete failure and I cannot get Tesla to address it. I made an appointment Dec. 6th for Jan. 31st (first available) and it was pushed, with no reason, to Feb 27th. After my current business trip, I will be discontinuing driving the vehicle if there is any chance of bad weather, it is that bad of an visibility issue and would be as unsafe as me driving without my glasses, looking through streaks and haze obscure important details I feel I cannot see the roadway good enough to operate the Cybertruck safely.
Related recalls
Visibility: windshield wiper/washer: motor
- What is wrong
- Tesla, Inc. (Tesla) is recalling certain 2024 Cybertruck vehicles. Excessive electrical current can cause the front windshield wiper motor controller to fail.
- Risk
- Windshield wiper failure can reduce visibility, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Tesla service will replace the wiper motor, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed October 1, 2024. Owners may contact Tesla customer service at 1‑877‑798‑3752. Tesla's number for this recall is SB-24-17-006.
Recall number 24V456000 · Recall details
Questions about the Tesla Cybertruck wipers
Which Tesla Cybertruck years have windshield wiper failure problems?
The model years with the most reports are 2024 (13 complaints), 2025 (1 complaints) and 2026 (1 complaints).
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