Austin, Texas - Tesla, the electric vehicle company owned by Elon Musk, was recently forced to recall nearly all of its popular Cybertruck model due to a serious safety issue.

In a recent filing, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reports that a stainless-steel exterior trim panel, known as the "cant rail," can detach from the vehicle and "become a road hazard, increasing the risk of a crash."

Tesla then issued a recall of 46,096 Cybertrucks built from November 2023 through February 2025. Cybertruck owners will be able to get the panel replaced by Tesla Service "free of charge."

The recall, which is the company's third this year, comes as Tesla stock has dropped by nearly half in recent weeks due to various factors, such as rising competition.

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Many critics have also attributed the drop to Musk's role as the head of President Donald Trump's made-up Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), where he has overseen the dismantling of several federal departments and firing of thousands of federal workers.

Musk's falling popularity has sparked protests against the company, as well as acts of vandalism and destruction against their vehicles.

Last week, Trump and Musk turned the White House into a Tesla showroom during a press conference, with the president promising to buy a Cybertruck himself and bring "hell" to anti-Tesla protesters.