Shocking Costs: Tesla Cybertruck Repairs Lead to Totals and High Insurance Premiums

Concerns about the price of repairs have led to the appearance of a couple of Tesla Cybertrucks labeled "totaled," which means they have suffered a complete loss.

Insurance Concerns Arise Over Costly Cybertruck Repairs and High Premiums

Concerns have been raised about the Cybertruck's repair expenses because it is a novel form of transportation.

For instance, we learned that replacing the enormous windshield on the vehicle would cost $1,900. An early owner was also offered $2,800 for replacing the rear quarter panel of his Cybertruck.

The car's peculiarity —it features panels made of straight stainless steel—has caused concern among insurers. Some companies have declined to cover it, while others have charged absurdly high premiums to owners.

When it comes to brand-new automobiles, it is typically done out of an abundance of caution; nevertheless, there are situations when it is justified.

Some of the first Tesla Cybertrucks have been "totaled" by insurers and are now up for sale on the Insurance and Automobile Association (IAA) website.

One of them has been involved in a serious front-end incident, which has led to the deployment of the airbags.

There are 3,932 miles on the vehicle's odometer, now in Seattle.

Aside from the front end and the deployment of the airbags, the vehicle does not appear to be in too much of a state of disrepair; nonetheless, when an impact of this magnitude occurs, it is common for the vehicle to sustain substantial suspension damages and even body alignment concerns.

This second Cybertruck, which has been totaled and is currently up for sale, appears to be in good condition and has only 26 kilometers on the odometer.

This Cybertruck appears to have been flooded, which is the source of the problem. It is startling to see that the "flood line" is still visible underneath the cabin, as depicted in a photograph that was supplied by the IAA.

There have been numerous occasions in the past when Elon Musk has asserted that Tesla automobiles are capable of floating and temporarily functioning as boats.

Considering that Tesla's warranty has a different provision about the use of the vehicle in water, they have never been taken very seriously.

Elon Musk Promises Cybertruck's Waterproof Capabilities, Emphasizes Off-Road Use

The chief executive officer, however, strengthened his assertion by introducing the Cybertruck, which is a vehicle that is intended to be used for off-roading and hence makes more sense, as per Electrek.

Musk made the claim that the Tesla Cybertruck would be "waterproof enough" to be used as a boat and to travel across rivers in the previous year before.

The Cybertruck will be watertight enough to allow it to temporarily function as a boat, allowing it to navigate waterways such as rivers, lakes, and even seas that are not too turbulent.

There is a distance of approximately 360 meters (1,100 ft) between SpaceX's Starbase and South Padre Island in Texas, and the CEO stated that the objective is for a Cybertruck to be able to traverse this distance.

To put that into perspective, it would appear that Tesla is treating the Cybertruck in the same manner as any other vehicle with regard to the guarantee for water damage.

Through the development of a "wade mode," Tesla was able to make the truck capable of entering water. In addition to "pressurizing the battery pack," Tesla claims that this mode raises the ride height to its maximum level.

On the other hand, Tesla makes it very clear that "damage to the vehicle while off-roading is not covered under warranty" when users use the feature.

The flood line on this truck appears to be lower than the height of 2 feet and seven inches of water, which is the maximum depth that Tesla recommends going beyond. On the other hand, it also states that the wade mode and the pressurized battery pack are only capable of lasting for a quarter of an hour.

Consequently, it is possible that the truck was submerged in water for a longer period of time than that, which would explain the damages that should be considered a total loss.

Photo: TaurusEmerald, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons