Warning! Do Not Expose Cybertrucks to Common Magnets

Alright, what *can* you do with these things?

Stainful Steel

The Cybertruck appears to be a magnet for just about every automotive embarrassment imaginable — literally.

As Jalopnik reports, owners of the Tesla pickup are complaining that slapping cosmetic magnets onto the vehicle's shiny surface is damaging its stainless steel body. Maybe making a car out of the same kind of stuff as kitchen utensils was a bad idea after all.

The complaints originate from a thread on the Cybertruck Owners Club forum started by a user named "cybertooth," who shared photos of extremely noticeable stains on his vehicle.

"I feel like an idiot..." the unfortunate Tesla owner wrote. "Decided to put advertising magnets on my CT. Happened to take them off to wash the truck after a month and my heart sunk... rust and corrosion."

Opposites Detract

The good news for the Tesla owner was that he was able to clean off most of the damage — but not all.

"There are a couple of small white spots left that have a slight rough texture to them," cybertooth wrote. And remember, the oldest of these cars have only been on the road for about a year.

His case doesn't appear to be a one-off. Several other owners chimed in to say they had the same issue as well.

In the thread, the owners speculate that the damage is being caused through the contact of different metal surfaces — like steel and copper, for example. If there's moisture present, this can facilitate electrolysis, the same chemical reaction that takes place in batteries, causing corrosion. Probably not good, huh?

It could also be the case that the magnet trapped water, grime, and dust underneath it, distressing the metal over time.

Dull Decision

Whatever the mechanism, it seems that the Cybertruck's stainless steel construction is at fault here.

The vehicle has a track record of easily losing its luster. Just months after Tesla first started delivering the trucks last November, for example, owners were reporting that their body panels were already showing signs of rust.

Others learned the hard way that putting a vinyl wrap on their Cybertruck could also damage the exterior.

Stainless steel, as it turns out, takes a lot of work to maintain. And if the point of the vehicle is to look obnoxiously shiny, any blemish on its surface will be that much more noticeable.

And so, our guess is that this won't be the last time that the perenially-recalled Cybertruck will attract negative attention.

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