- The glue holding the pickup truck’s stainless steel exterior in place is failing for many Tesla customers, causing its sides to protrude. It’s the latest of numerous instances of build quality issues with the Cybertruck, a once-promising vehicle now beset by problems.
In the the latest sign the Tesla Cybertruck risks becoming Elon Musk’s first full-blown flop, sales of the pickup have been halted amid growing cases of metal panelling falling off.
On Thursday, EV enthusiast site Electrek reported Tesla delivery agents as saying all outbound vehicles have been stopped amid concerns that the glue holding the exterior stainless steel panelling in place is failing.
The issue isn’t new but it has remained unaddressed. Owners living in cold weather conditions in particular have been warning about it for weeks, posting images of sharp-edged metal trim protruding from their vehicles and flapping in the wind while driving. Some have even taken to reporting the problem to the federal traffic safety authority NHTSA, Road & Track reported last month.
But an image circulated recently showing the entire front bumper dangling loosely from the body may have tipped the scale.
Tesla did not respond to Fortune‘s request for comment.
The Cybertruck has been dogged with issues ever since it came out, with multiple recalls to fix not just software but actual build problems, including an accelerator pedal that caused accidents when it stuck in place or plastic trim around the bed flying off.
But the first truly vivid display of the questionable quality came from Cody Detwiler, a YouTuber who goes by the name WhistlinDiesel. He first gave Tesla owners a glimpse of just how easy it was to damage the vehicle after putting the Cybertruck through the paces in a durability test that went viral.
‘I know more about manufacturing than anyone currently alive’
Early adopters who have been buying Teslas over the past decade knows this risk comes with the territory when an all-new model first rolls out, especially one with such unique engineering.
Fortune interviewed one of these customers last year, who remained loyal to the brand and a fan of the truck throughout his otherwise hellish experience with the vehicle.
But concerns continue to grow. Just this week Tesla was criticized for ditching durable steel in favor of lighter aluminum for the truck’s casted frame. This subjects it to stress over time, raising the possibility of catastrophic failure when towing loads within specification.
This risks the truck not living up to the standards of the demanding Musk, who has called his factories the “hottest Tesla product” and elevated manufacturing to a brand differentiator.
“At this point I think I know more about manufacturing than anyone currently alive on earth,” the Tesla CEO told a TED Talk three years ago, when the truck was being engineered.
Demand ‘so far off the hook, you can’t even see the hook’
According to Cox Automotive, sales failed to top 39,000 last year despite having installed capacity to build over 125,000. Now Tesla’s offering low financing rates of 2% to move metal and buffing off the badges on Foundation Series vehicles that failed to find a buyer at launch.
While it is still outselling any other EV pickup truck, the Cybertruck can be considered a flop already given its lofty expectations. Shortly before the truck launched, Musk said demand was “so far off the hook you can’t even see the hook” and reservations were taken for almost 2 million trucks.
Despite its numerous problems, the Cybertruck could receive a sales boost in the coming weeks and months. For one, the $80,000 all-wheel drive version is expected to qualify for the $7,500 federal EV tax credit before it expires.
President Trump is also coming to Tesla’s aid, publicly encouraging Americans to buy Musk’s cars and trucks as a show of support for his administration.
