- Cybertruck rusts after rain
- Owners report corrosion issues
- Stainless steel rust debated
Elon Musk has proven the Cybertruck stainless steel exterior impervious to bullets, yet new owners found it may not be weatherproof.
After “two days in the rain,” several buyers of the $79,900 vehicle noticed rust on its outer shell.
Will, a Tesla truck owner with 381 miles on the odometer, shared his experience on a Cybertruck forum. He bought the vehicle on February 1 and saw rust forming on the metal after 11 days.
The Cybertruck was sent to a facility, where staff said the tools to fix the exterior were not available and that delivery would take about a month.
Elon Musk hinted last year that, for an extra cost, owners could soon get a tungsten carbide coating for corrosion protection.
Will posted photos of his Cybertruck online, showing light marks on its surface that survived cleaning.
“The Cybertruck has covered 381 miles and has been parked outside my house for most of the 11 days I’ve had it,” he posted on the Cybertruck Owners Club.
“After some direct sunlight, cold weather, and rain, I’ve attached a video and some photos of the rust spots.”
Though the spots are most visible on the metal over the vehicle bed, they’re clearly all over the metal.
Will noted the issues arose after driving in bad weather, while another owner in the same forum thread found the problem “after brief periods of condensation exposure.”
The second user, Raxar, said they received their Cybertruck on February 1. An advisor then warned them about orange rust stains from rain, requiring buffing.
One comment on the post stated, “Stainless steel is not rust-proof.”
Despite its resistance, stainless steel can corrode when exposed to chemicals, salt, grease, or prolonged moisture, according to Mead Metals.
However, the owners who posted photos of their rusty Cybertrucks said they were only exposed to the elements for a few days.
Sperko Engineering Services explains rust on stainless steel can happen if ordinary steel rubs against it, leaving an unalloyed steel film that rusts after exposure to moisture.
Yet, normal rain shouldn’t cause stainless steel to rust. Speculation online has pondered the cause of discoloration on several Cybertrucks.
A forum user speculated the rust might come from environmental debris or rail dust during transport.
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Cars are shipped by train, where tiny metal particles from the train cars’ wheels stick to the car surfaces.
The user, Daryoon, said they removed iron specks from their Cybertruck with a clay bar; “all rust traces [were] gone.”
“For some other spots, I used car polish; it removed the rust but left the stainless steel’s warm patina intact,” they added.
Others noted that the particles’ black color makes them resistant to corrosion, unlike iron oxide’s reddish-brown.
