After Tesla Bought Back His Cyberbeast Due to Overheating Suspension, A Cybertruck Owner Says He Replaced It With the Same Model for $20K Less and Lifetime Free Supercharging, “I Didn’t Even Know I Qualified”

For most owners, a buyback is something you read about after the fact, usually involving lawyers, months of back-and-forth, and a relationship with the manufacturer that ends badly. That is not how this Cybertruck story unfolded. Instead, it began with routine service visits that quietly stacked up until the solution presented itself, almost unexpectedly, from Tesla’s own side of the counter.

The owner purchased a 2024 Cyberbeast Foundation Series and put real miles on it, logging more than 23,000 miles in a relatively short period. Along the way, the truck accumulated more than cosmetic annoyances. A drive motor was replaced. The suspension system was replaced. Other issues required repeated service visits. None of these were catastrophic in isolation, but together they painted a picture of a vehicle that spent too much time being repaired rather than driven.

“I wanted to share my experience with my 2024 Cybertruck buyback in case it helps someone else who may be in a similar situation.

Back in 2024, I purchased my long-awaited Cyberbeast Foundation Series. Since then, I’ve had a long list of issues, including a motor replacement, suspension replacement, and several other repairs.

During my most recent service visit, I was casually talking with the service advisor and asked whether it was common for other Cybertruck owners to experience this many problems. He immediately asked if I wanted to apply for a buyback. At the time, I didn’t even know that was an option. I also didn’t really mind the occasional service visits since I usually got to drive different loaner models to experience for a few days at a time.

That single request to submit a buyback application ended up leading to Tesla offering a full repurchase, including a refund of my original purchase price and even the registration fees I paid the following year. I honestly didn’t expect to qualify, especially since I had already put over 23,000 miles on the truck.

After doing some research, I learned that this process is protected under California’s Song-Beverly Consumer Warranty Act (Lemon Law). Under this law, manufacturers are legally required to:

“Offer full vehicle repurchase or replacement, refund taxes and registration, refund finance interest, refund all payments made, pay attorney fees, allow only one deduction (mileage offset), not reduce for market value, not reduce for depreciation, not charge for wear and tear, not deny claims due to ‘normal use’.”

With the check Tesla wrote me for the truck, I went ahead and bought the exact same model (non-Foundation Series), for about $20K less, and it came with lifetime free Supercharging. I’m very happy with how everything worked out. Even though many people don’t love the look of the Cybertruck, having FSD has significantly improved the quality of my long commute, as it essentially Uber's me around.

I’m sharing this for anyone who has experienced an unreasonable number of issues with their truck. You do not need a lawyer to start the process. You can simply ask your Tesla service advisor to submit a buyback application, and they will handle the process if you qualify.

PS: I felt inclined to make this post because ever since I did the buyback, somehow my algorithm is filling up with advertisements from a ton of lemon law firms trying to cash in on the action. Tesla shouldn’t have to pay extra for doing the right thing, and they took care of the entire process and called me to pick up the check without any lawyers involved, so there is no reason for subscribing to these lemon law firms to unnecessarily cost Tesla more money.”

The moment that changed everything came during a casual conversation with a Tesla service advisor. When the owner asked whether this level of trouble was typical, the advisor did not deflect or downplay the question. Instead, he asked whether the owner wanted to apply for a buyback. That option had not even been on the owner’s radar, and at the time, he was not especially frustrated, partly because Tesla loaners made the service interruptions tolerable.

Tesla Cybertruck: Design & Dynamics

• The truck’s proportions affect lane positioning perception, requiring more conscious centering on narrower roads due to squared-off corners rather than tapered fenders.
• Regenerative braking calibration is aggressive at low speeds, reshaping how drivers approach stop-and-go traffic and downhill control.
• Cabin acoustics emphasize structural quiet over isolation, muting engine absence but allowing more tire and wind character into the space.
• Ownership experience is shaped less by mechanical maintenance and more by software behavior, making interface changes and system updates a meaningful part of day-to-day use.

Once the buyback process began, it moved under the framework of California’s Song-Beverly Consumer Warranty Act. This law is often misunderstood, but it is very specific. If a vehicle qualifies, the manufacturer must offer a full repurchase or replacement without adjusting for depreciation, market value, or wear and tear. Mileage can be deducted, but only according to a defined formula. Taxes, registration fees, and even finance charges are included in the refund.

Despite the mileage on the Cybertruck, Tesla approved the buyback. The company refunded the original purchase price, covered registration fees, including those paid in the following year, and completed the process without the involvement of outside attorneys. About a month after the application was submitted, Tesla contacted the owner to pick up the check.

What happened next is where the story takes an unexpected turn. Instead of walking away from the Cybertruck altogether, the owner used the refund to purchase another Cybertruck in nearly identical configuration, this time a non-Foundation Series model. The replacement truck cost roughly $20,000 less and included lifetime free Supercharging, a benefit that has become increasingly uncommon. The result was a reset rather than an exit.

The suspension issue that ultimately pushed the original truck over the line involved overheating that progressively worsened until the system failed completely. Combined with the earlier motor replacement, it was enough to meet the threshold for repurchase. While some owners might view that outcome as an indictment of the product, this owner framed it differently. He continues to value the Cybertruck experience, particularly Full Self-Driving, which he says has dramatically improved his long daily commute.

There is also a practical takeaway embedded in the story. The owner emphasizes that he did not hire a lemon law firm, did not escalate publicly, and did not threaten legal action. He simply asked a question and followed the process Tesla offered. Afterward, he noticed a surge of lemon law advertisements targeting him, which he views as unnecessary in cases where the manufacturer is already complying with the law.

The screenshots tell a quiet before-and-after story. One Cyberbeast Foundation Series with over 23,000 miles and a long service history. One newer Cyberbeast is showing “Free Supercharging” in the specs. Same concept, different outcome. The difference was not luck, but documentation and persistence.

For other Cybertruck owners, the lesson is straightforward. If your truck experiences repeated major component failures, mileage alone does not automatically disqualify you from a buyback, at least in states with strong consumer protection laws. You do not need to start with a lawyer. Sometimes the process begins with nothing more dramatic than asking whether what you are experiencing is normal.

Tesla’s handling of this case reflects a pragmatic approach. The company repurchased a problematic early truck, kept the customer in the ecosystem, and avoided a public dispute. In the short term, that costs money. In the long term, it may cost far less than letting unresolved frustration do the talking instead.

Image Sources: Tesla Media Center

Noah Washington is an automotive journalist based in Atlanta, Georgia. He enjoys covering the latest news in the automotive industry and conducting reviews on the latest cars. He has been in the automotive industry since 15 years old and has been featured in prominent automotive news sites. You can reach him on X and LinkedIn for tips and to follow his automotive coverage.