I Tried To Test Drive A Tesla Cybertruck Over the Weekend, and the Dealer Says All 48-Hour Test Drives Are Stopped Because People Are Abusing the Program

Why would Tesla pause or suspend a successful program of letting customers take a Cybertruck test drive for 48 hours? What better way to experience an electric truck and see firsthand what its technology is all about? 

The 48-hour test drive program was functioning smoothly until a handful of individuals took advantage of it. It's a classic case of a few bad apples spoiling the bunch, and Tesla, understandably, decided that enough was enough. 

Reports indicate that abuses of Tesla's successful 48-hour test drive program have led to the discontinuation of longer test drives, specifically for the Cybertruck, due to reports of misuse. Now, you can't get a long test drive of any Tesla model in my area, near Denver, Colorado. 

What is the reason?

A Reddit thread mentions a local Tesla informing them of a pause after incidents of speeding, receiving tickets, and bringing back the truck after it was due to be returned. 

Reported Incidents:

Abuse has included speeding, receiving traffic tickets, and failing to return the vehicle on time, with one instance requiring a tow truck to retrieve a Cybertruck from a "bad" neighborhood after it was not returned as scheduled. 

Some owners have also expressed concerns about the potential for abuse of Cybertrucks rented through platforms like Turo, where vehicles may be subject to more wear and tear due to a variety of drivers. 

Reddit user Deezez808 says, "My local Tesla told me that they just had an incident with the overnight test drive and temporarily paused the program."

"Now I had my fair share of people abusing loaners, where I even got a Tesla loaner booted because previous loaners were speeding, got tickets, and the car was way overdue. What are people actually doing to abuse Cybertrucks?" 

What is going on?

Another user says, "When I was having my Model 3 Performance serviced, someone came in for a scheduled Cybertruck test drive as a birthday present for his son. He became upset when it was only 15 minutes, then asked for more time after the 15 minutes, requesting another Cybertruck and any other demo vehicles they had. They told him to kick rocks."

SourGummys says, "Just a heads up to all who have been booking 48-hour demo drives, I would strongly advise you to call your service center before going to pick it up as many people have been having their demos canceled without Tesla notifying them. I have had two appointments rescheduled, and the third one that was supposed to be today was canceled because they were overbooked."

Another user says, "It's probably not just Cybertrucks. Whenever someone wants to do something potentially illegal but doesn't want to risk it in their own car (if they have one), they'll look for an alternative source of transportation. A test drive is one of those. Renting one is another way. Borrowing one from an unaware friend is another. Stealing one is another. Using a company car is another."

Is the Cybertruck inventory the reason?

Sad-Philosopher5488 - "The same thing just happened to me. My appointment to test drive the Cybertruck was an hour from now. I was getting ready to go, and I had a voicemail saying they didn't have any vehicles. I booked the time slot two weeks ago."

Responsible-Kiwi-123 - "The same thing happened to me 45 minutes before the test drive on our way to the store. It honestly pissed me off. We were supposed to take our Tesla Model Y and a demo Model 3 down to the beach with our family, but nope. Honestly, I don't know why they did it last minute. I'm disappointed in Tesla."

This Tesla Model Y owner is switching to Rivian, a decision made in response to disappointment with Tesla's recent changes.

Wucky622 says, "I'm done with Tesla. I own a Model Y, and I wanted to test drive a Model X using their 48-hour demo, but I kept getting my appointments canceled due to unavailability. Rivian at least gave me an over-nighter, and I'm going to purchase the R1S instead of the Tesla Model X due to this clown show 48-hour demo failure."

A Facebook post says, "Did Tesla already get rid of the 48-hour test drives? I could see the option on their website last week, but now it only shows 30-minute demo drives."

PrinceWalence - "My friend and I used this opportunity to book a Tesla for Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday this week, and we just got a notification that it has been canceled. I guess we at least got a notification?"

Tesla Changes the Program

Sawyer Merritt on X says that Tesla is now limiting these extended test drives to one per person, and any additional reservations are being canceled. 

The notice from Tesla to one customer read: 

"Hi, thank you for scheduling your extended 48-hour demo drive. These experiences are limited to one per person. Your extended demo drive reservation for the Model 3 is confirmed for May 31, 2025, at 6:30 PM at the Domain, 11601 Century Oaks Terrace. Any additional reservations have been canceled. The Tesla Team."

Before the 48-hour test drive was dropped, 

Dallas Nikki Howell says on the Cybertruck Owners Facebook page, "I just finished a 48-hour test drive of the Cybertruck. It solidified that this is the most incredible vehicle ever produced. I'm picking mine up on Sunday." 

This positive experience is a testament to the value of the 48-hour test drive program.

I checked my local Tesla website near Denver, Colorado, and test drives are available for booking. However, the test drive is for 30 minutes only. 

The Tesla website says, 

"Schedule a drive and experience Tesla technology, Full Self-Driving, and get all your questions answered."

After an interested customer enters their details, full name, email address, and phone number, and chooses either a Model Y, Model 3, Model X, Model S, or Cybertruck, the website says, 

• Please arrive 10 minutes before the scheduled start time.  
• A Tesla Advisor will check you in
• You will learn how to operate the vehicle
• You will be driving on your own
• Drives are 30 minutes
• All your questions will be answered after driving the vehicle

In the End

Esenbek Aliev @Esenbek_Aliev on X summed it up nicely. 

"This is why we can't have nice things; it's because some people abuse the system. I was genuinely looking forward to keeping my Cybertruck and Model Y demo drives just a week apart. No abuse, just a sincere interest and hope to own one of them someday. But now, both are canceled."

Check out my Tesla Cybertruck story: My Tesla Cybertruck Just Drove Itself Back To the Dealer Because of the Heavy Debt I Owe, Come Back Cybertruck

I am Denis Flierl, a Senior Torque News Reporter since 2012. My 30+ year tenure in the automotive industry, initially in a consulting role with every major car brand and later as a freelance journalist test-driving new vehicles, has equipped me with a wealth of knowledge. I specialize in reporting the latest automotive news and providing expert analysis on Subaru, which you'll find here, ensuring that you, as a reader, are always well-informed and up-to-date. Follow me on my X SubaruReport, All Subaru, WRXSTI, @DenisFlierl, Facebook, and Instagram.

Photo credit: Denis Flierl via Gemini