Elon Musk has proven that the Cybertruck’s stainless steel exterior is bulletproof, but new owners of the electric vehicle discovered that it may not be weatherproof.
Several customers who recently purchased the $79,900 vehicle reported that the exterior shell was covered in rust after driving it for “two days in the rain.”
An owner named Will shared his experience on a Cybertruck forum, stating that he purchased his Tesla truck on February 1 and noticed corrosion forming on the metal after 11 days of use, traveling just 381 miles.
The Cybertruck was taken to a facility, but the staff told him that they did not have the proper tools to repair the exterior and that it would take approximately a month to receive them.
Musk mentioned last year that owners will soon have the option to purchase a tungsten carbide coating that helps protect against corrosion, but for an unknown additional cost.
An owner named Will shared his experience on a Cybertruck forum, stating that he purchased his Tesla truck on February 1 and noticed corrosion forming on the metal after 11 days of use, traveling just 381 miles.
Will shared images online of his new Cybertruck, revealing small marks on the exterior that persisted even after a wash.
“The Cybertruck has 381 miles on it and has spent much of the 11 days in my custody parked in front of my house,” he shared on the Cybertruck Owners Club.
‘Later, with cold weather, rain and some direct sunlight, I attached some photos of the corrosion spots and a video.
“It seems like it’s much more prominent on the top metal that rises above the bed of the truck more than anywhere else, but the stains are definitely everywhere on the metal.”
Will noted that the problems arose after driving in the rain, while another owner posting on the same forum experienced the problem “after short periods of exposure to condensation.”
The other user, named Raxar, said he had also picked up his Cybertruck on February 1 and was told by an advisor that the vehicle “develops orange rust marks in the rain and that required the vehicle to be polished.”
Will shared images online of his new Cybertruck, revealing small marks on the exterior that persisted even after a wash.
The other user, named Raxar, said he had also picked up his Cybertruck on February 1 and was told by an advisor that the vehicle “develops orange rust marks in the rain and that required the vehicle to be polished.”
“I know I heard the story that you never took your Delorean out in the rain, but I never read anything about rust and Cybertrucks,” they shared.
A comment below the post reads: “If it ‘rusts’, it’s not stainless steel.”
However, stainless steel is rust resistant, but not immune to corrosion.
According to Mead Metals, stainless steel “will rust from exposure to harmful chemicals, saline, grease, or prolonged exposure to heat.”
However, owners who shared images of their corroded Cybertrucks claimed to have exposed them to the elements for only a few days.
“The simplest condition under which rust can occur on stainless steel is when a piece of carbon or low-alloy steel rubs against the surface of an otherwise corrosion-resistant piece of stainless steel,” he explains. a report from Sperko Engineering Services.
“The iron in ordinary steel will stick to the surface of stainless steel forming a film of unalloyed steel, and after being exposed to moisture in the atmosphere for a few days, that film of unalloyed steel will form an ugly rust.”
Musk mentioned last year that owners have the option of a tungsten carbide coating that helps protect against corrosion, but for an unknown additional cost.
But stainless steel shouldn’t rust in normal rain, and theories have emerged online about what could cause the discoloration on various Cybertrucks.
One user posted on the forum suggesting that the rust flecks are environmental consequences or could be rail dust that was produced during shipping.
When cars are transported by train from the factory, the metal wheels of the cars running on metal rails create small metal particles that fly through the air and land on the horizontal surfaces of the car.
The user, who goes by the name Daryoon, said they used a clay bar on their Cybertruck and removed the iron flecks: “all traces of rust (disappeared).”
“(For) some of the other stains I found, I used a car polish and it cleaned the rust stain, but it didn’t remove the warm tone that is the patina of stainless steel,” they posted.
Others pointed out that the flecks could not rust because they are black, while iron oxide is reddish brown.