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According to Carsdirect.com



One of the more standout qualities of the Tesla Cybertruck is its bare stainless-steel body. The stainless-steel body gives the Cybertruck a unique design, but also brings unique problems. While some people believe that stainless steel can’t rust, the truth of the matter is that stainless steel can and will rust, which is something Cybertruck owners are quickly learning.


Last month, an X user called Beer Muncher took to the social media platform to share a screenshot of Tesla’s cleaning requirements found in the owner’s manual for the electric pickup. In the screenshot, Tesla claims that owners have to “immediately remove corrosive substances (such as grease, oil, bird droppings, tree resin, dead insects, tar spots, road salt, industrial fallout, etc.).” Additionally, the owners’ manual urgers Cybertruck owners not to wait until the truck needs a complete wash, but to use “denatured alcohol to remove tar spots and stubborn grease stains, then immediately wash the area with water and a mild, non-detergent soap to remove the alcohol.”



Some people may wonder what the big deal is. Normal cars need to be washed and cleaned regularly. But, what makes the Cybertruck more unique than other vehicles on the road is that its body doesn’t have a clear coat. That means that any corrosive substances that come in contact with the body have to be cleaned immediately or they’ll heavily damage the stainless steel body.

If you’re still saying that this isn’t a big deal because corrosive substances will ruin a regular car’s paint job, posts on the Cybertruck Owners Club forum reveal the extent of rust spots and corrosion on the automaker’s electric trucks. One of the trending new topics on the forum is “Rust Spots/Corrosion is the Norm.”




In that section of the forum, owners have shared images of rust spots on their Cybertrucks. One user named Raxar shares images with small rust spots, claiming that they appeared after a dish soap wash and driving the truck in two days of rain. Another user called OnTheSnap posted pictures of a Cybertruck with numerous rust spots on the hood but claims that “a pass of Barkeepers Friend and Windex” cleaned up the surface.




The largest issue with the Cybertruck is that its stainless steel body doesn’t have a clear coat, so there’s nothing to protect the body from dents, dings, scratches, and corrosive substances from immediately coming into contact with the body. If things like rain, car washes, bugs, and pine tar need to be cleaned off immediately and regularly, road salt, rocks, and debris from off-roading will surely wreak havoc on the truck’s body.






There’s no way to say how long it will take for the Cybertruck’s stainless steel body to become heavily affected by rust and corrosion. Every driver is different and different climates will certainly play a role in the stainless steel body’s wear. The Cybertruck is certainly far more delicate than its rugged design lets on, though, and will require a lot of daily cleaning from owners with specific cleaning material.
One way to keep the Cybertruck’s stainless steel body from rust and damage is to get it wrapped. Interestingly enough, while Tesla saved some money by not clear coating the truck’s body, the automaker offers a “Satin Clear Paint Film” and a “Color Paint Film” for the Cybertruck that costs $5,000 and $6,000. The “self-healing, urethane-based film” protects the truck from scratches and corrosive substances. After hearing about the issues that current owners are having with rust and corrosion on their trucks, we’d consider the film to be a must-have for Cybertruck owners.

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I think DMC DeLorean customer will be having the same problem for many years as it is also built with Stainless-Steel body and had manufacturing issue also.

I think SS304 will rust more when compared to SS316. SS316 contains a minimum 2.0% molybdenum which makes it much more corrosion resistant than SS304. I don't know the grade of the Stainless-Steel used in the Tesla Cybertruck.

Below is the quote from Wikipedia:

The body design of the DeLorean was a product of Giorgetto Giugiaro of Italdesign. To create the car, Giugiaro drew on one of his previous works, the Porsche Tapiro, a concept car from 1970.[4] The body is paneled in brushed SS304 austenitic stainless steel,[35] and except for three cars plated in 24-karat gold, all DeLoreans left the factory uncovered by paint or clearcoat. Painted DeLoreans do exist, although these were all painted after the cars were purchased from the factory.[36]
The stainless-steel panels are fixed to a fiberglass underbody. The underbody is affixed to a steel backbone chassis with Y-frames at either end, derived from the Lotus Esprit platform.[25] The chassis was coated with epoxy, a material to protect steel against corrosion.[37