Tesla Cybertruck Owner Says His Truck is Covered in Rust Spots After He Pressure Washed It – Adds, “But I Made Sure to Only Use a PH Balanced Car Shampoo”

Kristoph, a Cybertruck owner from California, says he was surprised to find rust spots all over his truck.

Kristoph adds he didn’t see the rust spots before, and they only appeared after he recently pressure-washed his Cybertruck.

Kristoph is now wondering whether he caused the corrosion during the pressure-washing process, but notes that he was extra careful and used only a pH-balanced car shampoo to wash his Cybertruck.

However, despite all the precautions he took, Kristoph reports that his truck is now covered with brown spots.

The concerned Cybertruck owner shared his story on the Cybertruck Owners Club forum.

He writes…

“Stainless Steel rust

Is it normal for this to happen on the Cybertruck after a wash? It looks almost like rust spots.

Sorry if the pictures are bad; I really tried to take pictures of it. I only noticed it after I pressure-washed the truck, but I used pH-balanced car shampoo.

Is there a cleaner I can use to wipe them off?”

Below his post, Kristoph shared several pictures and a video of his Cybertruck showing the brown spots that appeared all over his truck following the car wash.

Most of the rust spots are solitary medium-sized brownish blemishes scattered across the Cybertruck's stainless steel.

However, in some areas, the rust spots are less noticeable but grouped together, forming patches of brown discoloration.

This is definitely not ideal; however, looking at the comments, fellow Cybertruck owners downplayed Kristoph’s concerns, saying the truck’s stainless steel is not corroding, but the rust spots are simply iron-containing debris picked up from the environment.

A fellow Cybertruck owner from Boston writes…

“Like others have said, it’s iron deposits from brake dust, etc, on the roads. The rust spots were on your previous cars, but not really noticeable since it’s not stainless steel.”

A second Cybertruck owner, Rem from North Carolin, seconded this sentiment, writing…

“Yep, those are iron deposits on the surface of your truck; mostly due to other cars always smashing their brakes on the highway.”

A third Cybertruck owner from Pennsylvania states that the iron contamination can be easily removed, writing...

“Citrisurf 77 stainless steel rust remover will clean that off.”

Another Cybertruck owner, Burak from Sacramento, California, recommends an alternative cleaning method, writing...

“Use Bar Keeper’s Friend with Windex.”

In response, Kristoph says he ordered Citrisurf 77 stainless steel rust remover, but adds he was surprised by how expensive the product was.

Kristoph also continues to wonder whether the power wash or the soap caused the rust spots, writing…

“Just ordered some Citrisurf 77, thank you. Expensive stuff. Is the rust from my power washing? Or am I using the wrong soap?”

A warning: Citrisurf 77 is not just a typical soap; it’s an industrial-grade, highly acidic cleaner with a pH of 1.8. It works by dissolving iron oxide and forming a new chromium oxide passivation layer over the stainless steel.

If used improperly, it can cause damage to the vehicle and to the person washing their Cyberturck.

Another key point is that nearly all Cybertruck owners agreed that Kristoph’s Cybertruck did not corrode, and the brown spots are just particles from the environment.

However, a fellow Cybertruck owner, Brock from British Columbia, Canada, offers an alternative explanation.

Brock says his Cybertruck is also experiencing several rust spots and shares his suspicion that the calcium chloride and magnesium chloride on the roads are what’s causing his Cybertruck to rust.

Brock writes…

“I need to wash my Cybertruck again and probably try the Citrisurf77 in a few spots. In my case, I don't think it was typical rail dust, since the rust spots appeared after a wet drive on a dirt road that had been treated for dust with magnesium chloride or calcium chloride.

I don't know if the dust itself contained iron or if the dust treatment has something interesting... but either way, my Cybertruck’s stainless steel surface is speckled with small, evenly sized rust spots, mostly at the top of the grime.

They took a few days to show up, and this is the first time I've seen something like this after driving that road many times. Hopefully, it won't take much effort to clean it up.

I think the dust suppression material is probably magnesium chloride or calcium chloride. I'm not enough of a chemist to know if that matters... but it seems likely that the chemical causes the rust spots, not the road dirt, since I've driven that road in the rain before and didn't see similar rust spots.”

This is an interesting alternative; however, please let me know what you think in the comments. Share your ideas by clicking the red “Add new comment” button below. Also, be sure to visit our site, torquenews.com/Tesla, regularly for the latest updates.

Image 1: Screenshot from UTECHPIA YouTube video 

Image 2: Screenshot from Kristoph’s post on the Cybertruck Owners Club. Reposted under fair use copyright law.

For more information, check out: Tesla Cybertruck Owner Shares How He Was Able to Drive On the Beach Without Getting Stuck – Says “I Turned Off 4-Wheel Steering & Aired Down My Tires to 28 PSI”

Tinsae Aregay has been following Tesla and the evolution of the EV space daily for several years. He covers everything about Tesla, from the cars to Elon Musk, the energy business, and autonomy. Follow Tinsae on Twitter at @TinsaeAregay for daily Tesla news.