The Used Tesla Cybertruck Has Plummeted In Value Since It Came Out, Here's Why

Tesla is well-known as an innovator of high-tech electric vehicles (EVs). The Cybertruck is a deviation from the typical sleek EV with its larger size. The company claims it's good for off-roading, and the vehicle has an 11,000-pound towing capacity, over 800 horsepower, and the ability to carry up to 200 pounds of cargo.

The Tesla Cybertruck is relatively new, having only launched in November 2023. According to data from CarGurus, the average price for a used Cybertruck has dropped by about 30 percent year over year. By comparison, the price for Tesla vehicles themselves, not exclusively Cybertrucks, has only dropped by about 13 percent year over year.

Why has Tesla's Cybertruck plummeted so much in value? In the short time it's been on the market, the truck has had no end to its troubles. There have been multiple recalls and performance issues. Public perception of Tesla's leader, Elon Musk, has also taken a negative turn, and all of these factors have impacted the popularity — and therefore used car value — of the Cybertruck as a whole.

In January 2024, all of that year's models were recalled due to the text of a warning indicator being too small and thus not noticeable enough by drivers to pass standard regulations. In April 2024, nearly 4,000 vehicles were recalled due to the accelerator pedal possibly becoming dislodged. In June 2024, over 11,000 trucks were recalled from the sail applique becoming loose. Other 2024 recalls included the windshield wipers stopping, the rearview camera failing to show real-time images, the torque stopping, and the tire pressure monitoring system not working. Hardly an auspicious launch year for a new vehicle, let alone the company's first electric truck.

The only Tesla Cybertruck recall in early 2025 was a cant rail replacement that affected over 46,000 vehicles. The cant rail is an exterior panel for the body of the vehicle. It was at risk of coming loose and falling off, creating a deadly hazard not only for the driver but for other motorists on the road.

Aside from the numerous recalls, there are more performance issues. There are driver reports of rust on some vehicles, critical system errors popping up on the Cybertuck's system, an unreliable autopilot system, and fatal errors with autopilot and the receding car door handles. All this is quite shocking given that these vehicles are brand-new and should work as promised — and it's no wonder that bad reputation has crept into the sales figures for used models.

On top of all the problems facing the truck itself, there is a growing negative perception of Tesla due to the behavior of its leader, Elon Musk. Musk's alignment of himself with Donald Trump alienated those who don't support Trump's policies. But even before Trump's second term began, Musk's acquisition of Twitter, now renamed X, created rapid changes and large-scale layoffs that also hurt the public opinion of him and tainted the image of Tesla as a whole.

The result has been Tesla takedown and boycott protests across the nation. Owners of the Tesla Cybertruck have felt this backlash, too, in the form of vandalism. Anti-Trump activists typically vandalize Cybertrucks with anti-Musk phrases. Not many want to pay the cost of a Cybertruck only to end up with vandalism and public retaliation toward them — to many, the trucks have become an endorsement of a controversial man and his company.

All of this is dismal to Cybertruck owners who want to get rid of their vehicle. With the value of the trucks dropping so low so quickly, the owners are not likely to get a good deal. Time will tell if Musk can repair his public image and if the ongoing faults and recalls of the Cybertruck eventually get sorted out.