Tesla Cybertruck owners complain of quality control issues as material choice causes rust

When Tesla Cybertruck test units started rolling out, the electric pickup truck was often criticised for misaligned and discoloured body panels. However, Tesla and its fanbase were quick to point out that these were pre-production units, and that the issues with oxidation and panel misalignment would be resolved by the time deliveries begun to reach customers.

As Notebookcheck recently reported, the issues with oxidation have continued to be an issue, with additional posts on sites like Reddit appearing to show signs of surface rust on customers' Cybertrucks. Further, it appears that the quality control issues Tesla is infamous for have made their way into the Cybertruck.

One poster, u/vertigo3pc, uploaded images to r/Cybertruck of what looks like surface rust on the stainless steel body panels of the Cybertruck, which appeared after just 381 miles (ca. 613 km) of use. Upon taking the Cybertruck back to Tesla to have the issue resolved, they were informed that it was indeed surface corrosion, and Tesla says that it is investigating the issue, but the service technicians don't have the correct tools to fix the problem yet.

In the Throttle House review of the Cybertruck, the presenters point out the wavy seams, warped steel panels, and inconsistent panel gaps around the bed of the pickup truck, commenting that it “looks like a joke.” In another post on r/Cybertruck on Reddit, u/RedfieldStandard presents a laundry list of issues they claim to have had when they took delivery of their Cybertruck.

"It looks like someone took a hammer to my white interior panels. There are a couple of deep indentions and lots of little divets. One of the panels wasn't even fully installed. The led strip in one of the doors wasn't working. There was a nickel sized deep gouge in the interior trim. The whole truck smells like some sort of solvent. It's been stinking up my garage for days. The rear bumper has deep scratches. There were still dirty footprints and some sort of oily stuff in the storage locker." – u/RedfieldStandard on Reddit

To Tesla's credit, the company has scheduled a mobile service appointment with the poster, during which it promises to resolve the issues found at delivery.

When quality control issues like these presented themselves during the launch of the Tesla Model 3 and Model X, they were eventually mostly resolved, but it's unclear if Tesla will be able to resolve these flaws that seem so integral to the design of the pickup truck.

Adding insult to injury for Cybertruck owners is the incomplete software and feature package offered by Tesla in the early deliveries. Recent off-road tests have also shown how the lack of the brake-based limited-slip differential hurts performance in adverse conditions, while Tesla still hasn't enabled Autopilot or Full Self Driving in the Tesla Cybertruck, despite having the hardware for the AI-powered features.

Buy a Cybertruck 1/24 die-cast metal toy car on Amazon, or read about the Cybertruck's development in Walter Isaacson's biography of Elon Musk.