Does the Tesla Cybertruck rust in the rain? Engineer says no, despite customer complaints

An engineer from Tesla has stepped in to try and calm a social media storm in which Cybertruck owners were claiming that their new electric pickup trucks were rusting in the rain.

The Tesla Cybertruck has certainly made headlines and split opinions with its cold-rolled stainless steel sheet bodywork which gives the car a futuristic design and, according to the brand owned by billionaire Elon Musk, provides “ultimate durability and passenger protection”.

Yet, despite other claims that the Cybertruck’s steel body makes it resistant to corrosion, many images and forum posts have surfaced online with disgruntled owners claiming that their models have already developed rust spots after being exposed to rain. 

These claims have now been refuted, however, by one of Tesla’s many engineers. Wes Morrill who, according to his social media profile, has worked at the American EV giant for over 13 years, chimed in on ‘X’ saying: “Stainless is reactive and free iron that sits on it will rust.

“It's surface contamination only and can be cleaned off easily.” This rebuttal was also affirmed by Musk himself, who simply replied: “Yeah”.

Morril’s post also shared a YouTube video by user ‘Bearded Tesla Guy’, which showcases how the speckles of ‘rust’ in question can quickly be taken care of with run-of-the-mill kitchen stainless steel cleaner.

The Tesla Cybertruck was revealed all the way back in 2019, with first deliveries only reaching customers in the U.S in late 2023. It’s fair to say Tesla’s electric pick-up was met with a broad, yet sceptical reception at launch, with Elon Musk famously smashing the Cybertruck’s supposedly shatter-proof windows with a metal ball during the big unveiling event.

Still, by the end of November last year, the Cybertruck attracted a total of 2 million reservations worldwide; production is currently sold out all the way until 2027. It’s unknown whether it will be sold here in the UK, though. At the time of writing, there is only one electric pickup truck on sale – the Maxus T90EV – with the Cybertruck’s main rivals such as the Rivian R1T and Ford F-150 Lighting being confined to the North American market.