Photo: Reddit user “godzilla19821982”
Jason and Heather purchased a brand new Tesla Cybertruck Cyberbeast model and immediately noticed something was wrong. The cargo bed was taking on water despite the bed cover being closed. So, like any true handyman who just spent at least $120,000 on an electric pickup truck, they figured they’d fix the problem themselves. However, another Cybertruck owner ran the same test and got very different results.
After noticing the water leak, the couple did a test in their driveway to see how much water was leaking into the cargo bed. Heather used a low-pressure garden hose where the cargo cover meets the cab. The low-pressure part was ideal because the water wouldn’t bounce off the car’s surface.
After looking at the footage inside the bed to see how much leakage there was, they were surprised by how much had gotten in. First, it started leaking massively in the middle section, and then the top left corner joined in on the fun. If you look closely at the footage and focus on the top middle section where the water is coming from, you’ll notice a loose strip of foam. Later in the video, Jason reveals how poorly it was supposedly glued in at the factory.
Now, in the cargo box section of the Cybertruck Owner's Manual, there's a rather large “CAUTION” notice just below the list of descriptions that says: “Although the cargo bed cover protects the contents from most water during rain, snow, etc., it does not make the cargo bed waterproof. Water ingress and/or condensation may occur. Therefore, do not store items that can be damaged by water under the cargo bed cover. Store water-sensitive items in the cab, under-bed storage, or Powered Frunk.“
Cybertruck Off-Road Guide also states that the tonneau is not waterproof, but more importantly, it does not prevent dust from entering the cargo area. The frunk is a dry area unless you submerge the vehicle.
Photo: Reddit user “godzilla19821982”
It is not uncommon for hardtop pickups to be only waterproof, but not fully waterproof. However, judging by the amount of water that got in, something was wrong. Also, you wouldn't expect a $120,000+ machine to be so flimsy in a vital area that serves its primary purpose of being a pickup.
At 2:36, Jason literally sheds light on the matter, revealing that the foam gasket was apparently the “victim” of shoddy construction work. You can clearly tell that it’s not glued down properly. It’s not even joined well at the ends, and in some places, it’s just plain loose.
“Looks like they ran out of strip, used a different one, maybe glued it together. They got another one that is literally hanging down. It's not even glued there or taped,” Jason said as he inspected the inside of the cargo box. While we didn't see how he attempted to fix it, he also plans to add weatherstripping to the gutter-like space between the sides of the cargo box and the side panels.
YouTube channel “DblCapCrimpin” is another example of a Cybetruck owner testing how waterproof his model is. Luckily for him, the results weren't even half as good as the previous case.
Now, unlike Heather, this owner used a high-pressure washer to conduct his experiment, which isn't ideal. However, he did test it twice more to compare and contrast: once driving it in pouring rain for about 40 minutes, and again leaving it in the rain.
Photo: DblCapCrimpin YT
The owner found that the water was coming in mostly from the top left and bottom right, but it was mostly coming from the top of the tonneau cover where the rubber seal is. Also, when he retracted the cover, the water on it was getting into the cargo box, so that's something to keep in mind.
Comparing the two results and judging by the huge difference, it could be that on the second Cybertruck, Tesla workers probably used a single strip of foam. Besides that, it could also be that they applied the glue correctly to make it stick and do its job properly.
“My F150 gets the same amount of water in the bed. It's hard to make a mobile cover that doesn't leak at all. I think it came out pretty good,” one user said in the comments section. Another person applauded and said, “For me it is quite waterproof.“
However, in the case of the first pickup, the Reddit comments section was merciless. After sifting through dozens of responses, I couldn’t find a single positive comment that stood out from the negative ones. People were criticizing the build quality, other parts, or the entire Cybertruck itself.
At one point in the video, at minute 0:33, when the water is entering the cargo box, you can hear a child passing by and saying: “Awesome Cybertruck!“This has also created doubts in the comments section of users, with many leaving comments like, “He corrupted his neighbor/his own children,” O “The fact that only children compliment these cars tells you everything you need to know.“
If you’re looking for such a beast (pun intended), the 600-hp all-wheel-drive Cybertruck starts at nearly $100,000, while the 845-hp Cyberbeast has a MSRP of $120,000. If you want more than the standard range, the $16,000 Range Extender will deliver an estimated 470 miles, or 756 kilometers. The extender will begin production in early 2025, but it will cost you $500 to pre-order one today.
Owner demonstrates how watertight his 1-week-old Cybertruck is
byu/godzilla19821982 inCyberStuck