Tesla Cybertruck 'Crash' Debut: Did Elon Musk Rush Its Release?

With early glitches plaguing Tesla Cybertruck, questions are mounting over rushed production. After floating around the rumour mill for over two years, the Cybertruck was finally announced in November last year.

Sporting a unique triangular body design, the Cybertruck was first introduced as a concept vehicle in November 2019. Tesla's battery electric medium-duty full-size pickup truck has been making headlines for the wrong reasons lately.

Tesla Owners' Club forum is teeming with tales of the stainless steel truck dying after travelling just 1 mile, unexpected hard-braking incidents, and early signs of rust. Regardless of price, a brand-new car breaking down just after delivery would be a significant cause for concern.

Unlike a game console or laptop malfunction, this is a potentially life-threatening vehicle entrusted with passenger safety. A Southern California Cybertruck owner recounted their nightmare experience in a forum thread titled "Worst delivery in my life (truck died in 5 minutes)."

After taking their new truck for a test drive on delivery day, the owner reported the vehicle malfunctioning "1 mile down the road" with a steering error, flashing red screen, and ultimately dying on the highway, requiring a tow truck.

"Dealer couldn't do anything for me. It was great for 5 minutes. I tried everything, restarting, but the screen is stuck black and keeps beeping," the user wrote in the thread, first reported by automotive news site Jalopnik.

Cybertruck may have been rushed to launch

The owner, having waited two years for delivery after the promised launch date, expressed their disappointment by stating, "Tesla really rushed these trucks out, what a nightmare," after their £63,209.60 ($80,000) Cybertruck malfunctioned after just one mile on the road.

Another user on the thread corroborated the issue by sharing a photo of their Cybertruck displaying a red alert screen with the warning: "Pull over safely. Critical steering issue detected." The user wrote, "A lot of trucks are having high-voltage issues...which makes the trucks unusable."

Another thread recounted a frightening incident where the owner's Cybertruck's autopilot allegedly malfunctioned while on the highway. According to the owner, the system failed to respond appropriately as a truck approached in the opposite lane.

"My Cybertruck suddenly made a hard brake stop when we both had a clear, wide enough space between us," the user, who goes only by Andrew, wrote. Luckily, there is no vehicle at the back, as it would have been a definite collision." Andrew concludes the post by stating, "Note: The auto-pilot is simply a glorified reactive cruise control."

Although not flawless, previous Tesla launches did not face the magnitude of issues afflicting the Cybertruck. Beyond the critical malfunctions, reports on forums and sites like Reddit reveal a concerning trend of frequent problems with the vehicle.

These issues, while only sometimes safety hazards, raise questions about the vehicle's overall quality. VoyageATX recently garnered attention with a YouTube video that critically breaks down issues encountered with their Cybertruck.

"I was missing one of the D-rings inside of the bed," says the Youtuber. "Fortunately, they were able to get that part replaced; it did take them a while." While many of them are small, they still call to light a worrying lack of quality control.

Some Cybertrucks might be operating problem-free. However, Tesla's lack of official delivery numbers makes it impossible to gauge the vehicle's actual failure rate, leaving potential concerns unaddressed.