When it comes to testing high-profile vehicles, things sometimes go very wrong, and in the case of the Tesla Cybertruck purchased by Edmunds, “wrong” is an understatement. In July 2024, the publication spent $101,985 on the electric Cybertruck Foundation Series to add it to its fleet for annual road tests. By December 11, the vehicle was struck by a compact sedan while parked, pushing the 6,600-pound electric vehicle onto the sidewalk. The damage was so severe that the car was declared a total loss.
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The exterior of the car, particularly the wheel, tire, stainless steel panel, and bumper, suffered the most from the impact. However, things were much worse inside, as, in addition to the suspension, the rear electric motor, rear steering mechanism, and numerous other parts were damaged. The car was undoubtedly in a pitiful state, but even before the accident, things weren’t perfect.
Initial Issues: A Parade of Red Flags
In fact, problems began shortly after Edmunds received their vehicle, including critical control failures, the electric car shutting down or completely turning off, various error messages on the screen, air conditioning failures on hot days, and the inability to shift the transmission into “Park”… You get the idea. This hardly inspires confidence in a $100,000 truck, no matter how well it was marketed. There were so many issues that the team couldn’t conduct their usual instrumental tests or even take it out of town.
The Great Repair Odyssey
However, what sealed its fate was the aforementioned accident and attempts to repair it. Body shops were reluctant to touch the Cybertruck, leaving Tesla’s service network as the only option. The main problem: they expected Los Angeles, the city with the most Cybertrucks in the world, to have plenty of service centers, but only two certified Tesla centers within a 50-mile radius were authorized to repair the electric vehicle’s steel bumpers.
The first one, in Huntington Beach, offered a one-month wait just to prepare a repair estimate. But that wasn’t all; they had to wait another six months for the car to be repaired, meaning it had to be towed multiple times—first for the estimate, then stored somewhere, and finally towed back for repairs. Understandably, Edmunds declined this offer.
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Things were much better at the second certified service center in Ontario. They still waited a month for the estimate but started work immediately afterward. At this point, everything seemed fine—until Tesla called a few days before the scheduled date and postponed it by a month due to workshop overcrowding.
Cybertruck Repair Costs
- Trim and moldings: $619
- Motors and components: $4,191 (including $3,000 for the electric drive)
- Motor brackets: $77
- Wheels and parts: $1,758
- Steering: $2,040
- Rear suspension: $9,149 (including $2,500 for a new suspension cross member)
- Cabin and components: $3,800 (including $3,240 for the high-strength steel structure)
- Body: $8,762.79 (including $1,595 for the outer panel, $4,280 for the aluminum rear section, and $1,055 for the underbody)
- Tailgate: $2,495
- Rear bumper: $2,417.73
- Rear cabin, lamps, and floor plan: $1,668.50 (including $800 for the inner rear lamp)
- Other parts: $357.22
- Additional parts: $5
- Paint and materials: $610
- Parts and materials tax: $3,320.65
- Labor: $16,584
- Subcontracted repairs: $25
- Total: $57,879.89
This time, they decided to wait, and two months after the accident, they received an estimate: it cost $1,128 to disassemble the car and determine what needed replacement or repair. However, the estimate was a grim surprise; the total cost came to exactly $57,879.89.
The repair list was extensive, with the most expensive item being the rear suspension at $9,149. Since their car, after this accident (which occurred in their own parking space), was worth significantly less than before the damage, it made no economic sense to restore it and was declared a total loss.
The Final Blow
Finally, the publication sold its Cybertruck to Copart for… $8,000! The only positive in this situation was that the vehicle received praise for its performance, ride comfort, and design—which, though polarizing, at least (or perhaps because of it) drew a lot of attention. Additionally, the car not only failed to participate in the Annual Road Tests but also became Edmunds’ biggest loss in its history, a title previously held by the Fisker Ocean.