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This Tesla Cybertruck Looks Like it Spent the Last 5 Years at the Bottom of a Lake – Novel Wrap Brings Cybertruck Premature Rusting Concerns to the Forefront

Much has been said about Cybertruck's premature rusting issues. However, this Cybertruck owner embraces rust concerns with a novel wrap that makes the truck look dated. Here is Tesla’s response to fears of prematurely rusting Cybertrucks.
Tesla Cybertruck

The Cybertruck is the first mass-market vehicle to come from the factory with an unpainted, exposed stainless steel exterior.

Both the choice of material—stainless steel and the unpainted exposed stainless steel finish have raised some unique concerns regarding the Cybertruck.

Most vehicles on the road have either an aluminum exterior that doesn’t rust and/or a steel exterior covered with anti-corrosive coating.

Cybertruck rust concerns were further amplified when a few early Cybertruck owners posted an image of their brand-new trucks with several rust spots.

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When reports of the first Cybertruck rust spots came out, Tesla detractors had a field day with the news stating that Cybertrucks were prematurely rusting.

Some even took these reports too far, stating that Tesla would need to recall all Cybertrucks and that the vehicle was a failure.

However, after those initial reports, Tesla came out with detailed information explaining the issue with the premature rust spots seen on some Cybertrucks.

The first thing to keep in mind is that despite its name, “stainless” steel is not actually rustproof but rather “rust-resistant.” Stainless steel, like any iron-containing metal, will eventually rust.

However, Tesla has gone above and beyond what anyone expects from an EV maker to mitigate this issue. In conjunction with Elon Musk’s space venture, SpaceX, Tesla developed a new stainless steel alloy with superior anti-corrosive properties.

The shared advanced materials team between Tesla and SpaceX has created a new stainless steel alloy, which is also used on SpaceX’s starship rocket in addition to the Cybertruck.

The question now is, if Tesla created a brand new stainless steel alloy that’s supposed to be highly corrosion resistant, why are Cybertrucks in customers’ hands starting to rust?

Tesla says the rust spots seen on some Cybertrucks are not caused by the truck's stainless steel prematurely rusting but rather iron-containing debris picked up from the environment.

In other words, when driving your Cybertruck, the truck picks up iron-containing road debris, which gets stuck on the stainless steel. This iron-containing material then rusts while still stuck on the Cybertruck.

Tesla has provided detailed 7-step instructions on how to clean rusting iron-containing debris from your Cybertruck to maintain its shiny surface.

Most people will take this advice and try to keep their Cybertruck pristine. However, what if you want to go the exact opposite direction and make your Cybertruck look completely rusted?

That’s exactly one Cybertruck owner has done to his brand-new truck. The owner of this Cybertruck asked WhipAddict to put on a custom wrap that makes his Cybertruck look completely rusted.

Video of the wrap job shows the Cybertruck transform from a shiny and pristine truck to one with a completely rusted exterior.

After the wrap, the Cybertruck looks like it has spent the past decade at the bottom of a lake or bathed in salt.

For any other vehicle, rust and the following blotched-up patchy brown look will be off-putting; however, with the Cybertruck, the rusted look surprisingly makes the Cybertruck look even better.

From an artistic perspective, the Cybertruck rust wrap is fascinating, and hats off to WhipAddicts for this incredible work. However, what if you want to keep your Cybertruck looking new and shiny for a long time?

How to protect your Cybertruck from rust?

As mentioned above, although the Cybertruck’s stainless steel is not rust-proof, Tesla, in partnership with SpaceX, has created a new stainless steel alloy that’s extremely rust-resistant and fitted to the truck.

This means despite the misinformation you might hear about Cybertruck premature rust issues; you should rest assured your truck is highly unlikely to rust.

However, several options are available if you want to take that extra precaution. Currently, Tesla is offering an in-house Cybertruck wrap in select geographic locations.

To shield your Cybertruck from the environment, you can choose from various colored paint protection film options or a clear PPF wrap.

However, if you don’t want to go the Tesla route, you can also take your Cybertruck to a number of third-party detailing shops that will put a wrap over your truck.

Additionally, you can follow Tesla’s 7-step cleaning instructions to remove any rust spots and the iron-containing debris that cause them from your Cybertruck.

This is all well and good; however, what if you are less concerned about rust and rather how to keep your Cybertruck clean on a day to day basis?

How to clean your Cybertruck?

In addition to the 7-step cleaning procedure used to remove rust spots from your Cybertruck, Tesla also gives detailed instructions on how to keep your truck clean on a day-to-day basis.

The Cybertruck Owner’s Manual lists several methods to clean your Cybertruck properly. The instructions are divided into sections dealing with how to clean your Cybertruck’s exterior and interior.

Tesla further subdivides exterior cleaning procedures into sections dealing with specific exterior contaminations, including how to clean mud from the Cybertruck exterior, remove dents and scratches, and properly clean the Cybertruck’s windows.

Tesla has also posted a section on cleaning the Cybertruck’s interior. This section includes detailed instructions on properly cleaning the Cybertruck’s seats, dashboard and plastic surfaces, carpets, front and rear touch screens, and interior metal surfaces.

You can find detailed instructions on properly maintaining your Cybertruck inside the official Tesla Cybertruck Owner’s Manual posted online. However, while discussing Cybertruck's proper maintenance, another important point is the recent Cybertruck and car wash issue.

Is the Cybertruck safe to take through a car wash?

A few weeks back, a viral post showed a Cybertruck owner experiencing issues with his truck following a car wash. The owner said that the truck’s center touch screen stopped working following the car wash, barring him from accessing critical information such as vehicle speed.

Following this unfortunate incident, Tesla detractors pounced on the news and declared the Cybertruck a flimsy vehicle that couldn’t even handle a car wash, let alone the great outdoors.

This criticism stems from erroneous reports suggesting Tesla voids your Cybertruck warranty if you take the vehicle through an automatic car wash.

However, here is the truth. Tesla allows you to take your Cybertruck to an automatic car wash, and doing so does not void your warranty.

However, since the Cybertruck, similar to other Tesla vehicles, comes with advanced features designed to set off in response to changes in the environment automatically, Tesla recommends that you put your Cybertruck in “Car Wash” mode before you take your Cybertruck through an automatic car wash.

Tesla states…

If taking Cybertruck to an automatic car wash is necessary, Car Wash Mode closes all windows, locks the charge port, and disables windshield wipers, Sentry Mode, and walk-away door locking. 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. To enable, press on the brake pedal and touch Enable Free Roll; or shift into Neutral.

Car Wash Mode disables if the vehicle's speed exceeds 9 mph (15 km/h) or by touching Exit on the touchscreen.

Tesla says, “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.”

While going through an automatic car wash, the windshield wiper might get deployed, or the charge port might get pressed and opened, causing these parts to be damaged by the automatic car wash mechanism.

This is why Tesla says if you don’t put your Cybertruck in Car Wash mode, damage caused by car washes is not covered by warranty. However, rest assured that your Cybertruck can safely go through a car wash and tackle significantly more challenging environments.

Overall, reports suggesting Cybertruck premature rusting issues and car wash concerns have been blown way out of proportion; however, it’s still nice to see Cybertruck owners embracing the rust fears. 

This is all the information we have currently; however, we’ll be sure to keep you posted as more Cybertruck modifications hit the streets. Until then, visit our site, torquenews.com/Tesla, regularly for the latest updates.

So, what do you think? Do you like the rusted Cybertruck wrap? Also, what do you make of untruthful reports suggesting Cybertrucks are rusting? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below by clicking the red “Add new comment” button.

Image: Screenshot from WhipAddict YouTube channel

For more information,  check out: Elon Musk’s 2nd in Command & Tesla’s SVP of Automotive, Tom Zhu, Resigns North America & Europe Duties Amid Ongoing Restructuring – Hints Further Deprioritization of Giga Mexico

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.

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