The Tesla Cybertruck has only been available to customers for a few months and it’s already facing big scrutiny. One of the most recent and glaring concerns is that of surface rust or spots popping up on the slab-sided pickup. Now, the lead engineer on the Cybertruck has piped up to put the rust debate to bed.
Several owners were complaining about apparent rust on the surface of their six-figure Cybertrucks. Photos from those owners appeared to show countless specs of rust forming on various panels of a truck supposed to hang its hat on being tough.
Wes Morrill, the Cybertruck’s lead engineer, posted on X to praise the work of one YouTuber working to tackle the problem. That YouTuber found the issue is actually contaminants that fall from the environment onto the body panels and then make the panel appear as though it’s rusting. In reality, it’s the particulates that are rusting, not the panel, and the use of simple kitchen products like Barkeeper’s Friend or Windex can remove them.
Morrill also said another product, Citrisurf 77, also works well, and a non-scratch Scotch Brite pad can help too. While all of that might do the job, there’s still a problem. If these spots develop after only a day or two of exposure to the natural environment, this same type of cleaning is going to have to be a weekly part of surface maintenance on the Cybertruck for most owners.
On top of that, those who use cutting agents are actually taking a microscopic bit of the stainless off every time they use such agents. Will that be enough to be harmful over time? Will cleaning some panels that get contaminated more often leave different shades on different panels over time? Only time will tell.
It might turn out that cleaning a Cybertruck and then almost immediately wrapping it is the only way to own it and care for the exterior as one would with a normal car.
