A Tesla Cybertruck Owner Says His Brakes Caught on Fire – Adds “I Parked After a 10-Mile Drive & A Guy Was Pounding on My Window Saying I’m on Fire, There Was Smoke & Orange Flame”

Dave, a Cybertruck owner from Florida, reports that his brakes caught on fire while he was driving to a store. 

Dave states that on his 10-mile trip to the store, he maintained an average speed of 50 miles per hour and saw nothing out of the ordinary along the way.

However, when he stopped in the parking lot, a guy came pounding on his window to alert him that his Cybertruck was on fire.

Dave says he jumped out of the Cybertruck and saw smoke pouring out from the left rear wheel well.

He adds that there was also an orange flame coming from the brake pads. 

Thankfully, Dave says the fire wasn’t too big, and he was able to put it out before it engulfed his Cybertruck in flames.

Dave mentions that he’s unsure if the wheel locked up at the start of his drive or if it engaged in the middle of his commute.

After the incident, Dave called a tow truck to take his vehicle back home.

Since the Cybertruck, like all modern vehicles, uses electronic brakes instead of mechanical ones, Dave is now wondering if the fire resulted from a software glitch that engaged the brakes during his drive.

The understandably concerned Cybertruck owner shares his experience on the Cybertruck Owners Club forum.

He writes…

“I had a ten-mile drive at an average of 50 mph last week.

I pulled into the store parking lot, and a guy began pounding on my window, saying I was on fire.  

I jumped out, smoke pouring from the left rear wheel well, along with a small orange flame coming from the brake pads.

Thankfully, it was small enough for me to blow out. I’m so glad the trip wasn't longer. I recall seeing semis burned to the ground from seized brake fires. I have no idea if the wheel was locked when I left the house or if it engaged en route.

I called for a flatbed to take it back home. After it cooled down somewhat, I backed it to the pickup location. The tow driver said it was turning freely. It's going to a Tesla service center in two days for a replacement rotor and pads.

Since we can't control the parking brake mechanically, like we used to with that lever under the dash, wasn’t this an electrical or software anomaly? 

There was no indication of a malfunction on the touch screen. How does the brake on one wheel decide to lock up?”

Below his post, Dave included a picture of his brake disc and caliper showing the burnt-out orange aftermath. 

This is definitely concerning; however, looking at the comments, fellow Cybertruck owners shared their belief that the issue is not with Tesla or the Cybertruck, but rather it’s Dave’s fault.

A fellow Cybertruck owner pointed out that the brake calipers on Dave’s Cybertruck appear to be painted and that a poor paint job might be the reason the brakes seized up, causing the fire.

The Cybertruck owner writes…

“Your caliper and bracket appear to be painted and/or powder coated - what was actually done? 

If you spray-painted it with a rattle can using high-temperature paint, one of the pins or pistons might have seized.

If you did it correctly and removed the bracket and caliper for powder coating – did you isolate all moving parts and bleed the brakes properly afterward?

Your answer: somewhere in between.” 

In response, Dave confirms that his calipers were indeed painted but adds that the wrap job was done more than a year ago and was professionally installed by a well-known shop.

Dave writes…

“The truck was wrapped with color-coordinated calipers by one of the big-name professional shops one year ago.

At this late date, I'm confident their work did not cause the fire. However, I'm sure the Tesla service center will attribute the fire to the paint.” 

This is certainly puzzling. Dave thinks the problem is linked to a malfunction in the Cybertruck software, whereas other Cybertruck owners believe that the painted calipers are responsible for the fire.

However, please let me know your thoughts in the comments. Share your ideas by clicking the RED “Add new comment” button below. Also, be sure to visit our site, torquenews.com/Tesla, regularly for the latest updates.

For more information, check out: A Tesla Cybertruck Owner Says a Calf Figured Out How to Control the A/C in His Truck – Adds “Cow Mode Activated”

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.