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My dad worked as a mechanic and gave me some straightforward car-buying advice: ā€œNever bet on the first year of a new vehicle.ā€

Even as a teenager, the advice sounded dated to me. I always figured that automakers keep getting better at what they do and first model year examples should be as good as anything else you can buy. Then I became an automotive journalist. I found out firsthand just how many recalls the first model year of most cars and trucks suffer from.

For all Teslaā€™s talk of disruption, the California startup is not that different from everyone in Detroit. So when early Cybertruck owners started reporting issues, it honestly didnā€™t shock me. I hope Tesla, like other automakers, backs up its promises by doing warranty and recall work for free. And I also hope it fixes any common Cybertruck issues ahead of the next model year.

Tesla Cybertruck electric vehicle parked in a city plaza.
Tesla Cybertruck | Roman Tiraspolsky

One of the most comprehensive lists of Cybertruck issues comes from the first high-mileage example. An early owner reported to the Cybertruck Owners Club forum that theirs already has over 10,000 miles.

One downside of the truck is its vault is not waterproof, as advertised. The worst leaks are while driving through the rain, in which case the bed definitely gets wet inside, even with the cover closed. Vault build quality was bad enough that a piece of plastic trim protecting it actually fell off. So is this a design issue or a build quality issue? Weā€™ll just have to wait for more owners to weigh in.

They also reported that because of seams in the bed, the Cybertruck would not be good for hauling dirt or gravel. I am not sure if they mean the ridges in the bed-liner, or actual seams where dirt would fall through the bed.

They also had trouble with the main infotainment screen blacking out. And because so many systems are run from the screen, that was a problem that required a tow to a Tesla service center to fix.

The two main issues the owner of this high-mileage Cybertruck reported were not malfunctions. Firstly, they found the truck can take two hours to charge on a V2 Tesla Supercharger. Thatā€™s a long break in the middle of a roadtrip! And the second problem was the range: around 200 miles when fully charged.

Tesla's new electric Cybertruck EV parked in a plaza
Tesla Cybertruck | Roman Tiraspolsky

The report wasnā€™t all bad. This Cybertruck owner reports that they found the sound system ā€œbeyond greatā€ and loved the tight turning radius enabled by the steer-by-wire and rear-wheel-steer systems. Handling characteristics and acceleration were also high spots. Overall it was ā€œa dream to drive.ā€ Pluses that donā€™t make it into most reviews were the cooled seats and excellent passenger visibility.

So there you have it. At least one Cybertruck owner is reporting that they very much enjoy driving the truck (though disappointed by range and charging times), but that Tesla has some build quality issues to sort out.

Read how Tesla warns youā€™ll have to wipe any dead bugs or bird poop off your Cybertruck ASAP to avoid corrosion, or see Out of Spec Reviewsā€™ full Cybertruck tour in the video below: