For one of YouTube’s most authoritative tech voices, finally getting hands-on time with Tesla’s hugely hyped Cybertruck electric pickup must have felt like being handed the keys to an ultracar. In many ways, Marques Brownlee’s (MKBHD) newly published in-depth review (check out the video) portrays the angular electric brute as exactly that – an extreme showcase of brilliant innovation and eye-popping performance.
The stainless steel exoskeleton styling alone “generates an insane amount of attention” according to MKBHD, more than any other vehicle he’s driven. The minimalist interior’s impressive sound system ranks among the best he’s ever experienced. And the rear suspension delivers a “high quality ride” that’s downright limo-esque for a truck.
Brilliant Engineering Muddied by Shoddy Manufacturing
But for all those tantalizing glimpses of Cybertruck’s boundary-pushing genius, the glaring issue MKBHD can’t unsee are the wedge-shaped elephant’s worth of panel gap and basic assembly gremlins plaguing his review unit.
“Really bad panel gaps, especially on the driver’s side door – completely unacceptable” is his blunt assessment of a flaw so egregious that it makes you question whether this particular Cybertruck rolled out of a tent village rather than a trillion-dollar automaker’s factory.
Elon’s Explanation: Production Inconsistencies Being Ironed Out
The searing criticism clearly struck a nerve, as Elon Musk himself jumped on X/Twitter to address the issue, claiming Brownlee’s truck was one of just 15 early units impacted by an “insufficient torque” problem that loosened door strikers and created misalignments.
According to Musk, it’s a quick 5-minute fix that’s “been addressed in production” – with the distinct implication that MKBHD simply got stuck with one of those unlucky early lemons before manufacturing processes matured.
Still, you have to wonder – is it really excusable for a $60,000+ truck from a company like Tesla to ship with flaws this glaring to begin with? Especially on a marquee “halo” product with astronomic hype levels whose first customer deliveries should theoretically pass the vig with flying colors?
Brownlee’s overarching assessment – that the Cybertruck represents both “incredible innovation” and “completely unacceptable” sloppiness in the same breath – seems disappointingly on point. When it comes to Tesla’s bigger-than-life ambitions, hitting game-changing heights while tripping over avoidable quality pitfalls is just par for the course it seems.