The Ultimate Tesla Cybertruck: A Record-Breaking Bargain or a Costly Mistake?

In July 2024, renowned automotive review and ranking website Edmunds purchased a brand new Tesla Cybertruck Foundation Series for $101,985, intending to include it in their One-Year Road Test program. However, on December 11, 2024, the three-ton electric pickup truck was involved in an accident while parked. It was hit by a small sedan, causing it to jump the curb and sustain significant damage. The Cybertruck was deemed a total loss and beyond repair.

Prior to the accident, the Cybertruck had been plagued with issues: steering system faults, the vehicle automatically switching to speed limit mode or shutting down entirely, persistent error messages, non-functional air conditioning on hot days, and an inability to engage the transmission in Park mode. These problems prevented Edmunds from conducting standard tests or the intended off-road trials.

Due to its unique steel body construction, no external workshops were willing to take on the repair of the Cybertruck. Edmunds was forced to turn to Tesla’s authorized service network. However, within an 80-km radius of Los Angeles, the city with the highest concentration of Cybertrucks in the world, there were only two certified repair centers.

At the first center in Huntington Beach, Edmunds had to wait a month just to receive a quote, and if they agreed to the repairs, they would have to wait another six months for their turn. Unwilling to endure such a long delay, Edmunds turned to the second center in Ontario, which offered a slightly better timeline: a one-month wait for a quote and immediate repairs thereafter. However, just before the appointment, Tesla notified them of a further one-month delay due to overload.

After nearly two months of waiting, Edmunds received the official estimate: just disassembling the vehicle for inspection would cost $1,128. The total repair cost amounted to a staggering $57,879.89.

The major repair items included:

Rear suspension: $9,149
Truck bed: $8,763
Labor costs: $16,584
Other components such as electric motor, wheels, steering wheel, steel body, rear bumper, etc.

Given the exorbitant repair costs and the Cybertruck’s market value of approximately $86,160 at the time, continuing with the repairs made no financial sense. Edmunds was forced to accept a significant loss.

Ultimately, Edmunds decided to sell the damaged Cybertruck to Copart, a company specializing in auctioning off wrecked vehicles, for a mere $8,000.

Although the Cybertruck couldn’t be a part of the planned One-Year Road Test, Edmunds acknowledged its smooth ride, impressive acceleration, and attention-grabbing design. Nevertheless, the failed experiment with the Cybertruck marked the most substantial financial loss in Edmunds’ history, surpassing even the previous record set by the Fisker Ocean.

PV (Tuoitrethudo)