Tesla seems to do this thing where it promises something very, very massive. The fanboys wait years, defending CEO Elon Musk: “He didn’t say it would happen immediately, so it isn’t a lie.” Then, the thing finally happens and it’s a really weak sauce version of what was promised. Then, it’s gone.
That notoriously happened with Full Self-Driving mode. Since 2016, Musk has claimed that HW3 would enable fully autonomous driving. The Tesla fanboys: “He meant it would in the future.” A decade went by. Musk admitted on an earnings call that HW3 will never be capable of autonomous driving. Now we’re getting some V14 thing that will also not be autonomous.
The second-generation Roadster was available to pre-order in 2018. It never came out. Musk kept delaying the reveal, most likely because he promised it would “fly” with SpaceX technology. I’d rather just have a cool electric sports car, but whatever. The reveal in April 2026 was delayed. Of course.
Then, Musk promised some pretty cheap pricing for the Cybertruck. In 2019, he said a single-motor version would only be $39,900. The tri-motor was still just $77,000. When the Cybertruck was released a few years later, it was well over $100,000. The cheaper models were delayed. For years. When Musk finally revealed the cheaper Cybertruck, it was rear-wheel drive and a lot worse. For $70,000, you got a Cybertruck that had a significantly reduced 0-60 time of 6.2 seconds, lowered towing capacity, no air suspension, and a simplified interior.
Nobody wanted it. It was discontinued five to six months after it launched.
You’re laughing. The Cybertruck’s wheels are falling off and you’re laughing
Tesla doesn’t release its full sales numbers, so it was unclear how many Cybertruck sold in general, let alone the RWD reject. Tesla would put it with the Model S and Model X in its quarterly reports, calling it “Other Models.”
However, a recent recall has given us some insight into the RWD Cybertruck’s terrible sales. The recall involves all Cybertruck RWDs with 18-inch wheels, totaling just 173. The truck was available with 20-inch wheels, which isn’t part of the recall. So maybe a handful more sold. Just trying to be fair to Tesla.
But the reality is, the RWD Cybertruck sold terribly.
While it’s funny, the recall is pretty serious. It’s a serious safety issue that could cause the Cybertruck’s wheels to fall off due to brake rotor problems. The holes for the wheel studs in the rotor can crack if under enough stress while cornering. If you don’t notice the cracking, it could result in total failure, causing the wheel studs to separate from the hub. This would cause the wheel to come off.
Even worse, those who did notice cracking and get the rotors replaced are not safe. Many repaired trucks received the same rotors, so the replacement rotors could have the same issue.
Now, Tesla is offering a redesigned rotor and wheel hubs that will reduce the stress that caused the original rotors to crack. These replacement parts are not yet in stock, but owners were notified back on April 24th. The repair will be done for free. Which is nice, but if I owned a Cybertruck, I’d be so sick of all the build quality issues. When does it end? Isn’t it bad enough you got a cheapo version without air suspension?
