Tesla Cybertruck Becomes Extensively Corroded After Exposed to Magnet

Nick is a Tesla Cybertruck owner from Seatle, Washington, and says he was surprised to find his Cybertruck’s stainless steel exoskeleton rusted and corroded after he attached a magnet to it.

Nick shared his experience on the Cybertruck Owners Club forum under the title “Don’t put magnets on your Cybertruck! Corrosion?”

Here is what Nick wrote…

“I feel like an idiot. I decided to put advertising magnets on my Cybertruck. I happened to take them off to wash the truck after a month, and my heart sunk…rust and corrosion.”

Below his post, Nick provided several pictures of his Cybertruck, showing the discolored and rusted stainless steel along the lower portion of the passenger side door.

If you head over to the Cybertruck Owner Club forum, you will see that Nick’s Cybertruck is extensively stained, with white central blemishes surrounded by brownish-rusted-looking outer defects.

This is an interesting case. Ever since Tesla revealed that the Cybertruck would have an exposed unpainted stainless steel surface, there have been questions regarding rust and corrosion.

Continuing his post, Nick writes…

“I was able to clean most of it off with liquid Bar Keepers Friend, followed by Windex, but there are a couple of small white spots left that have a slightly rough texture. I am planning on using a cordless polisher with my Bar Keepers Friend to see if it will just take a little more than elbow grease to polish it off.”

After the cleaning procedure, Nick shared more pictures showing that most of the superficial blemishes are gone; however, the deeper, white corrosion with a rough surface is still intact.

Finally, Nick writes…

“Does anyone have any recommendations for removing the rest of these small spots or know what exactly is going on? I like to assume the spots are just superficial corrosion with good stainless steel underneath still…”

This is the first time I’ve heard of the Cybertruck’s stainless steel rusting after being exposed to magnets; however, other Cybertruck owners have come out and shared similar stories in the comments.

Another Cybertruck owner from San Diago who goes by the username “wh1t3rbb1t” on the Cybertruck Owners Club says…

“I had the same issue with a magnet on my Cybertruck, which is disappointing because of all the possibilities. But oh well. I wonder if we could place something between the magnet and steel that would allow it to stick but not allow corrosion.”

Since Tesla used magnetic stainless steel alloy for the Cybertruck, many owners were excited about all the unique customizations they could do to their trucks simply using magnets. 

However, it appears from these reports that leaving a magnet attached to a Cybertruck might not be a good idea.

What’s going on here?

On the surface, since rusting is a chemical process, and magnetic fields are not supposed to affect this chemical process, the whole issue of the rusted Cybertruck is a bit of a head-scratcher.

However, a couple of factors could be at play here that are causing the premature rust on the Cybertruck’s stainless.

First, and the simplest explanation, is that road debris and moisture trapped between the magnet and the stainless steel caused accelerated corrosion.

This process can be further exacerbated if a strong magnet is used. This can cause surface scratches, expose the underlying metal, and make it more susceptible to rust.

The second possibility is that while magnets do not directly affect stainless steel corrosion, the type of stainless steel, whether magnetic or non-magnetic, correlates with its corrosion resistance. Austenitic stainless steel (non-magnetic) resists corrosion better than ferritic or martensitic stainless steel (magnetic), which Tesla uses with the Cybertruck.

Overall, it’s surprising to see the Cybertruck’s surface extensively rusted after being exposed to a magnet. Please let me know what you think is going on in the comments. Share your ideas by clicking the red “Add new comment” button below. Also, visit our site, torquenews.com/Tesla, regularly for the latest updates.

Image: Courtesy of Tesla, inc.

For more information, check out: Insurance Providers in Canada are Refusing to Cover Tesla Cybertrucks, Saying “We Don’t Cover Armored Vehicles”

Tinsae Aregay has been following Tesla and the evolution of the EV space daily for several years. He covers everything about Tesla, from the cars to Elon Musk, the energy business, and autonomy. Follow Tinsae on Twitter at @TinsaeAregay for daily Tesla news.