Tesla Cybertruck Owner Says It’s An Expensive Brick After Washing His Truck, “I’m Only Two Months In With 3,400 Miles, My Screen Is Blank and Won’t Reset"

I washed my Cybertruck, and now it's dead.

That's what new Tesla Cybertruck owner @captain.ad on TikTok says. The video now has over 5 million views as the owner explains what happened to his truck with less than 4,000 miles on it. 

Interestingly, the Cybertruck has a "Car Wash Mode." The owner's manual reads, "Failure to put Cybertruck in Car Wash Mode may result in damage. Damage caused by car washes is not covered by the warranty." More on this later, but first, here is what this Cybertruck owner said after a fun day at the beach with his dogs. 

He says, "The Cybertruck does not work anymore. I'm about two and a half months in and 3400 miles (3374 miles shows on the screen), and it's not working right now." 

The owner is perplexed and wonders if there is water damage from the car wash. 

"So when I go in and open the door, you see one problem. The screen is not coming on. The manual recommends resetting the screen. You have to hold these two buttons for 30 seconds, and then the screen will reset and display a Tesla logo." 

The owner holds the two buttons in as instructed, but nothing happens, except he hears a strange sound. 

"Listen to the noise this thing makes when I hold the buttons in. Alright, I'll be quiet now." 

He's quiet as he continues pressing the buttons on the touchscreen. 

"It has a weird popping sound; the AC goes off;" he holds the buttons for 20 more seconds; "You can hear some noise up here," as he points to the dash. "We're supposed to do another 30 seconds before it displays a Tesla logo and resets."

The screen remains blank, and the frustration in his voice is evident. 

He continues, "So, what did I do differently? Today, I went to the beach, took the dogs, went home, and then took it through the car wash to make sure all the sand was off and vacuum the inside."

"I noticed there was some sand in the truck bed. So I put the tunnel cover up and hosed off the sand in there, and it was in the little slots.  That's the only thing I've done differently. Then I pulled it in the garage, and now there is nothing."

He goes back to the display, and it's still blank.

"We are a couple of minutes in and should have had a little T up here by now (he taps the screen) and a new display…nothing." 

"The AC is running, the windshield wiper works, and if I press the brake, the lights come on, and it looks like I can drive it, but what good is driving it if you don't know your speed, your review mirror, any info, you're driving this thing blind?" 

"Maybe it will dry out, but I don't know. I put a service ticket in, and I'm not driving it without any info; it's unsafe." 

He is left in a state of confusion, unsure of what to do next. He plugs in his Cybertruck, feeling like he's tried everything. 

"I forgot to mention the truck was about 60% charged when I got back, so there's no reason the battery should be out, but I'll plug it in just in case."

The story doesn't end there. There's a surprise to the dead Tesla Cybertruck story.

The next day, he made a followup video. 

The following day, he says, "Here is a quick update on the Cybertruck or, as so many of you call it, the 'Tesla Paperweight.' So thank you for all the comments; they're hilarious, even the hateful ones; they're fine; they're funny, too."

"Last night, after posting the video, I went into the app and opened a ticket. That's how you get service in a Tesla. I filled out the ticket and described the problem." 

There's a surprise when he opens up his truck.

"This morning, I went to the truck to grab stuff like my key card and keys for work, and the truck was working. So I took the truck to work. If it's going to break, let it break; I've got a ticket open." 

The Cybertruck reset takes five hours, not two minutes. 

"Good news for Tesla service: they called me at 8:30 to check on me, so that's great service on their part. They said it is a known issue in the Cybertruck that when you do a screen reset, it takes five hours instead of resetting in the standard two minutes."

"So, Tesla will go ahead and log it as another complaint. He's seen it before, and hopefully, it will be addressed in future software patches." 

The owner can't believe it takes five hours for his Cybertruck to reset the dead screen. 

"But five hours to reset a computer? And this is new hardware, hardware 4. All I wanna know is, where do I get that computer to take it to work? 'Sorry, boss, I'm resetting my computer. I'll get to that in a bit,'" he says jokingly.

What is the Tesla Cybertruck Car Wash Mode? 

Here is what the Cybertruck owner's manual says:

"If taking Cybertruck to an automatic car wash is necessary, Car Wash Mode closes all the windows, looks at the charge port, disables windshield wipers, Sentry Mode, and locks walk-away doors. To enable, touch Controls > Car Wash. Your vehicle must be stationary and not actively charging."

"If using an automatic car wash, Enable Free Roll keeps your vehicle in Neutral and activates free roll for the duration of the wash while preventing Cybertruck from applying the Parking brake if you leave the driver's seat. Press the brake pedal to enable it, and touch Enable Free Roll or shift into Neutral."

The manual also says, "Car Wash Mode disables if the vehicle's speed exceeds 9 mph or by touching Exit on the touchscreen." 

"CAUTION: Failure to put Cybertruck in Car Wash Mode may result in damage (for example, to the charge port or windshield wipers). Damage caused by car washes is not covered by the warranty."

Conclusion:

You can take the Tesla Cybertruck through an automatic car wash, but make sure it's in "Car Wash Mode. If you power wash the truck, there may be a glitch in the truck's software. Just know it will take five hours for the touchscreen to reset if it goes dark. 

What is your experience with the Cybertruck?

Have you had any issues with your Cybertruck after going through a car wash? If so, click the red Add New Comment link below and let us know.

Check out this interesting interview in my report here with the chief engineer who designed the Cybertruck - Chief Tesla Cybertruck Engineer Interview Is Revealing, “I Never Wanted To Be the Next Elon Musk or Whatever.”

I am Denis Flierl, a Senior Torque News Reporter since 2012. My 30+ year tenure in the automotive industry, initially in a consulting role with every major car brand and later as a freelance journalist test-driving new vehicles, has equipped me with a wealth of knowledge. I specialize in reporting the latest automotive news and providing expert analysis on Subaru, which you'll find here, ensuring that you, as a reader, are always well-informed and up-to-date. Follow me on my X SubaruReport, All Subaru, WRXSTI, @DenisFlierl, Facebook, and Instagram.

Photo credit: Denis Flierl via @captain.ad