This may still come as a surprise to a lot of you, but the Tesla Cybertruck sucks. Not only is it bad at being a truck, it’s also a bad vehicle in general. I mean, you can’t seriously tell me you’d rather buy a truck that can be bricked by a simple car wash instead of a Rivian R1T? Really? I don’t remember any Rivian owners complaining about body panels flying off their trucks while driving, but that’s absolutely a thing with Cybertrucks. In fact, body panels flying off has become enough of an issue that Tesla has paused Cybertruck deliveries for now, Electrek reports.
According to members of the Cybertruck Owners Club fan forum, as well as in posts across several other social media sites, Tesla delivery specialists are telling them their Cybertrucks are under a containment hold, which automakers typically use when they need to fix something that went wrong without issuing a recall. And if one screenshot shared by Electrek is correct, the hold has something to do with the giant boomerang-shaped piece of metal that trims the roofline. Coincidentally, that piece of trim was also what fell off the Cybertrucks in multiple videos, as Road & Track first reported on. Hmmm…
We’ve seen it before
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Stainless steel body panels or trim flying off while you’re driving is bad, but it’s arguably even worse this time because in addition to the trim piece in question being large and pointy, it also isn’t the first time the Cybertruck has had a similar issue. Not only did early Cybertrucks have problems with pieces of bed trim coming off, but Tesla was forced to issue an official recall to fix it. You’d think the electric automaker would have checked to make sure the rest of the body panels and trim pieces wouldn’t run into the same issue, but come on. It’s Tesla. Of course, they weren’t going to bother with that.
It’s also not clear how long the new incEl Camino deliveries have been delayed. That’s fine. The longer their deliveries are held up, the longer the rest of the public gets to go without seeing these oligarch-enabling monstrosities on the road. And while it would be nice if huge pieces of metal didn’t fly off any new vehicles, if that has to happen, it’s definitely better to make sure it stops happening than to cross your fingers and pray it stops on its own. So that’s nice. At least for now. Tesla CEO Elon Musk is currently in Washington doing his best to get rid of all regulators and regulations, and you better believe NHTSA is included in that. If he succeeds, who knows what’s going to happen to recalls or road safety.
Tesla Cybertrucks Are Rusting Despite Being Made Of Stainless Steel
Owners say they are noticing orange stains on the stainless steel panels of their new Cybertrucks.
It seems the stainless steel panels of the Tesla Cybertruck are not really stain “less,” and are turning out to be no less susceptible to stains than stainless kitchen appliances, which easily develop grease and water stains. Some Tesla Cybertruck owners are reporting persistent orange stains on the exterior of their EVs, which could be early signs of rust and corrosion, according to Futurism.
Despite the recent release of these Tesla EVs — and the little road time they’ve been subjected to — Cybertrucks are already developing imperfections on their body panels, leading owners to debate what’s causing the early signs of rust on forums. From Futurism:
One Cybertruck Owners Club forum member says they started noticing small orange flecks appearing on his truck after driving it in the rain for just two days.
“Just picked up my Cybertruck today,” they wrote. “The advisor specifically mentioned the cybertrucks develop orange rust marks in the rain and that required the vehicle to be buffed out.”
The Cybertruck owner posted followup photos after washing the vehicle down with soap, and they didn’t inspire much confidence, showing body panels already pockmarked with small orange spots.
Another user noticed similar orange specks on his truck after driving it through rain in Los Angeles.
“They documented the corrosion, and told me they’ll give me a call next month when the tools have arrived and they can perform the service/repair,” the user wrote after taking their vehicle to their local service center. “The Cybertruck has 381 miles on it, and has spent much of the 11 days in my custody parked in front of my house.”
Debate raged in response to the threads, with some arguing that the discoloration could be due to carbon dust, stray filings, or other contaminants.
The stainless steel construction of the Cybertruck has proven to be a headache not only for Elon Musk and Tesla assembly lines, but for early adopters as well. Owners say the EVs are not actually stain proof, and even the Tesla Cybertruck manual confirms the steel panels are susceptible to such corrosive substances as grease, oil, tree resin, dead insects, etc., which should be washed off quickly to prevent corrosion.
The forum thread from the Cybertruck Owners Club even declares that rust spots and corrosion are “the norm,” which doesn’t inspire confidence in the long-term prospects of the boxy EV touted as bulletproof by Musk. Despite its name and what it implies, stainless steel is susceptible to staining and marring. It’s not exactly stain- and rust-proof, but is merely resistant to these, as the German tech experts at Notebook Check explain:
Refining steel does not automatically mean making it stainless. Depending on the proportion of chromium, titanium, nickel, nitrogen and other additives, this results in very different properties. These range from better formability and a maximum degree of hardness to permanent rust resistance, even against acids.
The choice of additives and the subsequent shaping of the components with a particular type of steel is, of course, always a question of cost. And Tesla may have made the wrong decision here with the Cybertruck.
Tesla’s cleaning recommendations for the Cybertruck also confirm the impression that the steel grade is one of the less resistant variants.
In particular, oil and acidic soiling, such as tar or bird droppings, should be cleaned immediately with an alcohol-based solvent. Immediately afterwards, rinsing with clear water or a pH-adjusted soap is recommended. This type of cleaning should be necessary after every longer ride.
Some Cybertruck owners say their fellow Cybertruckers are blowing things out of proportion, and one said it’s a good idea to not “…drive it in the rain, or get it wet.” Others expressed anger that Tesla’s options for protecting the steel panels cost thousands of dollars. The Cybertruck’s price upon its release was already more than originally advertised, so dishing out more money for a Tesla wrap is hardly ideal. Others are in favor of their Cybertrucks developing orange stains, saying that they’re looking forward to the patina the stainless steel may develop.
