A video shared by Whole Mars Catalog on September 8, 2026 is raising eyebrows among Cybertruck owners: the truck's powered tailgate appears to lack adequate anti-pinch detection, potentially closing with enough force to cause a serious injury. No official Tesla recall or NHTSA investigation has been announced, but the clip is making the rounds — and it's worth understanding what's on screen before your next trip to the truck bed.
What the Video Shows
The clip demonstrates the Cybertruck's powered tailgate closing without appearing to detect an obstruction in its path. The concern is a pinch hazard — the same category of issue that previously affected the Cybertruck's frunk. In early 2024, owners and reviewers documented that the frunk's anti-pinch system failed to register objects near the sides of the opening. Tesla's lead Cybertruck engineer Wes Morrill publicly acknowledged that problem at the time, and Tesla pushed an OTA fix (version 2024.14.3) that improved the frunk's obstacle detection sensitivity.
The tailgate is a different mechanism — larger, heavier, and motor-driven — and as of this writing, Tesla has not issued a statement, software update, or recall addressing this specific concern. There is no active NHTSA investigation into the Cybertruck tailgate closing system.
What Cybertruck Owners Should Do Right Now
Until Tesla confirms whether a software patch is in the pipeline, treat the powered tailgate like any heavy motorized closure: keep hands, fingers, and limbs clear of the closing path. Here's a practical checklist:
- Never reach into the tailgate opening while it's in motion. Initiate the close command from the app, the bed controls, or the tailgate button, then step back and let it complete its travel before reaching in.
- Keep children and pets away from the tailgate during operation. The powered close cycle is fast. Don't assume it will stop if something is in the way.
- Avoid resting cargo partially in the bed while closing. If an object bridges the tailgate seal and the bed floor, the gate may not register it as an obstruction. Fully load or fully unload before closing.
- Check your software version. Go to Controls → Software on your Cybertruck's touchscreen. If you're not on the latest available release, make sure Wi-Fi-triggered updates are enabled so you receive any incoming patch immediately. Navigate to Controls → Software → Software Update Preference and set it to Advanced.
- Report your experience to Tesla and NHTSA. If you've witnessed the tailgate fail to detect an obstruction, file a report at nhtsa.gov/report-a-safety-problem. Volume of owner reports is one of the primary triggers for a formal NHTSA investigation.
Context: Tesla Has Fixed This Category of Issue Before
The frunk precedent matters here. When the Cybertruck frunk pinch hazard surfaced in early 2024, Tesla's response was relatively fast — an OTA update improved detection within weeks of public acknowledgment. The same software-driven fix pathway exists for the tailgate, which means a patch is plausible without a physical recall. That said, "plausible" isn't "confirmed," and there's no public timeline from Tesla at this point.
NHTSA does not currently have specific federal standards governing anti-pinch sensors on powered tailgates — a regulatory gap that exists for frunks as well, according to previous reporting. That means the pressure for a fix will likely come from owner reports and public attention rather than a regulatory deadline.
Watch your software update notifications over the coming days. If Tesla moves quickly — as it did with the frunk — a fix could arrive before this story gets much older.
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Sources & reporting notes
The links below identify the material source records used for this report.
- @wholemars on X (2026-09-08T20:54:05.000Z) — Direct source
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