VEHICLE BUYER'S GUIDE

Tesla Cybertruck2024–2026

Year-by-year buyer intelligence from NHTSA safety data — reliability, value, and which years to target or avoid.

🚛 TRUCK
Tesla Cybertruck
2024–2026
C+
Defect Risk
Recall intensity
4.3/yr · seg. median 4.0
Safety
High
22 inj.
Open Federal Investigation ×3
Engineering Analysis: electrical system
50% of EA investigations historically become recalls
13
Recalls
145
Complaints
2025
Best Yr
22
Injuries
Top issue: ELECTRICAL SYSTEMAvoid 2024
3
Years Analyzed
13
Total Recalls
145
Total Complaints
22
Reported Injuries
0
Reported Deaths

Tesla Cybertruck Years to Avoid

#1 WORST
2024

8 recalls · 115 complaints

21 reported injuries

Top issue: ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

#2 WORST
2025

3 recalls · 22 complaints

1 reported injury

Top issue: ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

#3 WORST
2026

2 recalls · 8 complaints

Top issue: LANE DEPARTURE: ASSIST

Federal Defect Investigations

NHTSA investigations are the stage that precedes a recall.

OPEN · EAEngineering Analysisopened Mar 2026NHTSA #EA26002
fsd collisions in reduced roadway visibility conditions
Component: electrical system:adas · affects 2023–2026
⚠ Historically, 50% of EA investigations became recalls — an in-depth Engineering Analysis — the most serious stage, just before a recall decision.
OPEN · PEPreliminary Evaluationopened Oct 2025NHTSA #PE25012
traffic safety violations while full self driving ("fsd") is engaged the office of defects
Component: electrical system:adas · affects 2023–2026
⚠ Historically, 30% of PE investigations became recalls — a Preliminary Evaluation of a potential safety defect.
OPEN · RQRecall Queryopened Apr 2024NHTSA #RQ24009
recall 23v838 remedy effectiveness
Component: electrical system:adas:driver monitoring:software · affects 2024
⚠ Historically, 65% of RQ investigations became recalls — a Recall Query examining the scope or adequacy of a recall.
Recently concluded investigations
PE24031 · electrical system · closed Mar 2026Closed, no recall

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. Data current as of October 28, 2026.

Tesla Cybertruck — Year-by-Year Comparison

Every model year ranked by Buyer Score. Click any year for its detailed problem report.

YearRecallsComplaintsInjuriesDeathsReliabilityValueBuyer ScoreVerdict
202628——
67
35
56
Excellent
20253221—
58
50
55
Good
2024811521—
42
63
49
Avoid

Buyer Score = Reliability (65%) + Value window (35%). Deaths and injuries sourced from NHTSA complaint filings. Year links open full NHTSA problem reports.

Known Tesla Cybertruck Problems

Most frequently reported components across all model years, from NHTSA owner complaints.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
26
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
14
STRUCTURE:BODY
13
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL
8
POWER TRAIN
8
VISIBILITY/WIPER
8
STEERING
7
LANE DEPARTURE: ASSIST
6

Complaint counts across all model years. Numbers indicate frequency, not severity.

Shopping by Era

How each generation of the Cybertruck compares — best year within each era shown.

2018–Present

Modern safety tech, refreshed platforms, updated powertrains. Higher purchase price but lower reliability risk. Best pick in this era: 2026 (Buyer Score 56).

Best: 2026

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best year Cybertruck to buy?+

See the Buyer Score table above for a full ranking of every Cybertruck model year.

Which Cybertruck years have the most problems?+

The 2024, 2025, 2026 model years have the highest problem scores in our analysis. The 2024 Cybertruck leads with 8 recalls and 115 owner complaints.

What is the Buyer Score?+

The Buyer Score is a composite metric that combines reliability (65% weight) and depreciation value (35% weight). Reliability reflects recall and complaint severity. Value reflects how much of the vehicle's depreciation has already been absorbed by prior owners — a 4–6 year old vehicle typically sits in the sweet spot.

What are the most common Cybertruck problems?+

The most frequently reported Tesla Cybertruck issues involve: ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, UNKNOWN OR OTHER, STRUCTURE:BODY, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL. These are aggregated across all model years from NHTSA owner complaint filings. Frequency of complaints does not necessarily indicate severity.

Deep-Dive Research

Found the right year? Verify the specific car.

A buyer's guide shows model-level risk. A VIN report shows the individual vehicle — accidents, odometer history, open recalls, and auction records.

Run a VIN Check →