It has been a winding road for the Tesla Cybertruck.
Back in 2017, Tesla (TSLA) CEO Elon Musk sent car enthusiasts into a tizzy when he teased a picture of “a pickup truck that can carry a pickup truck.”
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The promise of a pickup truck with an electric powertrain that would exponentially increase towing capacity was enough to cause quite a buzz within the car community.
Despite his insistence that the vehicle would be available shortly, it took another six years for the Cybertruck to go into production.
In the meantime, a disastrous 2019 unveiling demonstrated that the vehicle wasn’t as indestructible as Tesla’s engineers had led Musk to believe.
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But since its launch in 2023, the vehicle has had a social media buzz, especially on Twitter, now called X, which Musk also owns.
The oddly angular, stainless steel, futuristic-looking vehicle may turn heads on the street, but issues started piling up shortly after its debut.
Cybertruck recall knocks shine off
During its relatively short time on the market, the Cybertruck has had its share of issues.
Most recently, the company recalled 46,096 units of the Cybertruck sold from November 13, 2023, to February 27, 2025, due to issues with a cosmetic applique along the exterior of the vehicle called the “cant rail. ” The company describes it as “an assembly comprised of an electro-coated steel stamping joined to a stainless steel panel with structural adhesive.”
Specifically, this part is the piece of metal that stretches from the base of the Cybertruck’s windshield, over the side mirrors, and above the windows towards the rear on each side of the car.
Despite the potentially hazardous situation, the biggest reveal from the recall was the number of Teslas out on the road. The recall seemingly affected every Cybertruck delivered since its launch, and after about 15 months, Tesla had sold fewer than 50,000 of them.
The company’s first-quarter delivery figures show that the Cybertruck isn’t the only vehicle Tesla is struggling to move. The company delivered 336,681 new cars in the first quarter, a 13% decline from the previous year and a 32% decline from the record 495,570 purchased the previous quarter.
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People who love Tesla tend to really LOVE Tesla, but a recent rule change may cause even die-hard fans to reconsider their next purchase.
Telsa puts the brakes on Cybertruck trade-ins
Cybertruck owners have reportedly been told that Tesla isn’t currently accepting the vehicles as trade-ins, according to Electrek.
The news service reports that Tesla has about $200 million worth of Cybertruck inventory in the U.S., and this inventory is growing.
Used Cybertruck prices have fallen 13% over the last 3 months and 55% year over year.
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And since Telsa isn’t taking trade-ins for its own vehicle, other used car dealers are also hesitant to buy them, according to Electrek.
But if you still really want to buy a Cybertruck, hold on because car companies often offer generous discounts to clear excess inventory.
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