The Tesla Cybertruck started reaching its first buyers in December last year, following a period filled with intense anticipation and marketing efforts. However, it seems that the excitement has been dampened for some owners who have encountered a series of initial defects and problems that have emerged.
The majority of these complaints have surfaced on the internet, notably within a section of the Cybertruck Owners Club forum where a thread named “Issues, Repairs, Warranty, Recalls” was initiated.
In this forum, an owner shared a story about a significant malfunction that occurred just one mile after picking up an All-Wheel-Drive Cybertruck from a dealership. The user, known as ‘Cyberstank’, described how the truck displayed a steering error message, instructed the driver to stop, and then wouldn’t turn back on.
In their post, the user lamented, “Tesla really rushed these trucks out, what a nightmare.”
Following this post, other forum participants joined the conversation to offer their sympathy and share their experiences, noting that “many trucks are experiencing issues with the high voltage system due to the harness, rendering the trucks inoperable,” as stated by a user named FutureTruck.
In another high-profile Cybertruck mishap, the Daily Mail reported that one owner allegedly experienced malfunctioning brakes just weeks after purchase, which resulted into a collision with a pole. To make matters worse, the owner claimed that the airbags weren’t deployed.
Other customers have complained of rust forming on the Cybertruck’s stainless steel exterior, while Brian Reese, the CEO of T Sportline, an aftermarket parts manufacturer specializing in Tesla, took to YouTube to explain a serious design flaw in the EV maker’s aerodynamic wheel covers.
According to Reese, these plastic covers are digging into the tire sidewall and have the potential to cause early degradation of the rubber and could potentially comprise the structural integrity of the tire itself.
Again, the Cybertruck Owners Forum claims that Tesla is aware of the issue, reporting that some new Cybertrucks are being delivered without the wheel covers. Tesla has reportedly been approached to comment on a number of the issues expressed in the article, but has so far failed to respond.
Are these issues impacting resale values?
Tesla famously introduced a clause to its Cybertruck owner contracts that stated it would pursue legal action if customers decided to sell their vehicles within the first year of ownership.
Musk’s company then appeared to retract the statement, before reintroducing it in order to prevent owners “flipping” their trucks – or making a profit by exploiting the huge demand and limited supply of Cybertruck at the time.
But according to The Autopian, which analyzed used Cybetruck prices on popular US car sales channels like Bring a Trailer, Cars and Bids and CarGurus, prices of Musk’s steel behemoth have been dropping in recent months.
In February, Automotive News reported that a Florida dealership had purchased a Cybertruck for $244,000 at auction, despite the vehicle costing $102,235 when bought new from Tesla. It then put it on the forecourt with a sticker price of $289,999.
But prices are cooling, with Bring a Trailer reportedly selling one recently for $160,000, while used car sales website CarGurus has second-hand models listed for as little as $149,000.
This still represents a solid profit when compared to the retail price set by Tesla, but as production ramps up and demand cools off, you can expect used Cybertruck prices to start deflating at a rapid rate.
If Cybertruck is anything like other luxury EVs on the market, it may well hit a point where it loses up to 50 per cent of its value, much like the Porsche Taycan and Mercedes-Benz EQS models.
