Tesla Cybertruck breaks down after going through car wash amid concerns it's a 'deathtrap'

A Tesla Cybertruck driver has claimed that his almost brand new Cybertruck broke down, after he took it to a car wash.

The vehicle's owner said that he had a problem with the $80,000 truck just a couple of months after buying it, and with only around 3,400 miles on the clock.

TikToker @captain.ad posted a video online of his broken down Cybertruck.

He claimed that it had stopped working after he washed sand off it following a trip to the beach and ran it through a car wash.

He added that despite attempts to reset the vehicle, it would not work - and that while it looked like he could drive it, without a working display or speedometer it wasn't exactly roadworthy.

The TikToker explained that when he contacted Tesla, they explained that this was a 'known issue'.

Luckily for him, by the morning his expensive set of wheels were working as usual, but he was baffled when Tesla - who he does admit responded promptly to his predicament - explained what had happened.

He said: “What [Tesla] said was, ‘It is a known issue in the Cybertruck that when you do a screen reset, instead of resetting in the standard two minutes, it takes five hours.

“Hopefully it gets addressed in a future software patch.”

He quipped: "All I wanna know is where do I get that computer so I can take it to work.

"Sorry boss, I'm resetting my computer, I'll get to that in a little bit."

People had a lot of thoughts over the fact that the car had stopped working over something as simple as being washed.

One posted: "There is a 1999 Toyota Corolla out there that will outlive every single Cybertruck on the road."

Another observed: "I have yet to see a Cybertruck video where the owner isn’t complaining about something being dangerous or not working."

A third joked: "Did you try putting it in rice??"

It turns out that issues with washing is something which is acknowledged in the user manual for the vehicle.

The manual says: ”Failure to put Cybertruck in Car Wash Mode may result in damage (for example, to the charge port or windshield wipers).

“Damage caused by car washes is not covered by the warranty.”

But issues with the Cybertruck have not been confined to keeping it clean.

The US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) issued a recall notice for almost 4,0000 Cybertrucks which were built between November 13 2023 and April 4 2024.

This was due to an unrelated issue with the accelerator pedal.

The recall report said: “When high force is applied to the pad on the accelerator pedal, the pad may dislodge, which may cause the pedal to become trapped in the interior trim above the pedal.

“If the pad on the accelerator pedal becomes trapped in the interior trim above the pedal, the performance and operation of the pedal will be affected, which may increase the risk of a collision.”

Many have been horrified by the fault, with some claiming it turns the vehicle into a 'deathtrap'.

UNILAD has contacted Tesla for a comment.