Since November 30 Last Year, Up to Two and a Half Months After India
Engineer: "Not Body Corrosion but Rusting of Metal Dust"
Some Tesla Cybertruck owners have raised complaints that the body surface of the electric pickup truck rusted just two months after delivery.
On the 19th (local time), US media outlets such as CBS News and Business Insider reported that on the 3rd, photos showing several small brown spots spreading on the body surface were posted in an online community of Cybertruck owners in the United States. The poster said, "I drove in the rain for two days," and asked, "All the photos of (Cybertrucks) I have seen show the vehicles parked outside, so do I now have to go to the service center?" He added that the spots could not be removed even after wiping with dish detergent. Another user in the community also shared similar photos showing several dark small spots on the body surface, saying they found 'corrosion' on the surface after driving the Cybertruck in the rain.
A photo posted by an owner on an online community showing rust-like spots that appeared on a Tesla Cybertruck after driving in the rain for two days. [Image source=Captured from online community]
Tesla began delivering Cybertrucks to those who pre-ordered on November 30 last year. The Cybertrucks currently on the road have been driven for up to two and a half months. In response to the complaints from Cybertruck owners, Wes Morrill, Tesla Cybertruck Senior Engineer, explained on X (formerly Twitter) that "the controversial rust marks are not corrosion of the vehicle itself." He explained, "The stainless steel (the body material of the Cybertruck) is reactive, causing iron placed on it to rust," and "It is surface contamination and can be easily wiped off." This means that the small metal dust particles stuck to the Cybertruck’s body rusted, creating spot-like marks, not that the body itself rusted. Tesla CEO Elon Musk agreed with this explanation, saying, "That’s right."
Justin DeMare, operator of the YouTube channel 'Beard Tesla Gear,' also addressed this issue in a video, saying that a Cybertruck owner found similar spot marks the day after receiving the vehicle and brought it to him. He diagnosed that this is likely 'rust dust.' He explained that such rust dust can occur even in the final polishing process at car factories, as metal particles in the air accumulate on the vehicle and rust over time.
The Cybertruck is the first car in over 40 years since the 1980s DeLorean Motor to use stainless steel as the body material. Until now, automakers have avoided stainless steel because it is difficult to shape and weld, prone to stains, and hard to restore if scratched. The Cybertruck’s price starts at $60,990 (about 81.48 million KRW), with the top trim reaching $99,990 (about 133.59 million KRW). Additionally, foreign media reported that Tesla offers an official service to apply a film to the Cybertruck for $5,000 to $6,000 (about 6.68 million to 8.02 million KRW).
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