Cybertruck Stainless Panels are falling off ...Is this a new phenomena?

[ShockAuto]

thanks for watching my video guys, on my way home last night the other part came off on the highway, I should've pulled it off after making that video. glad it didn't hit anyone

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[Oden's Beast]

I've been in industrial manufacturing for 30 years, using adhesive for metal bonding is super common, and is also very common in the automotive industry. If you go to YouTube and watch any major late model auto body shop repair from start to finish, you'll see just how common/prevalent it really is. I was introduced to methacrylate-based adhesives about 20 years ago. It is crazy how strong they are. For reference, they literally use them to glue the aluminum airplane tail structures to the carbon fiber fuselages on airliners (very different materials, expansion coefficients, and also a very critical application). My guess is this will likely be a pretty isolated issue, possibly more of a surface prep issue, or as previously mentioned, incompatibility to the high heat applied from some of the heat guns stretching the wraps. It could even be as basic as not having been stored correctly (at supplier, shipper, or Tesla... as many must be refrigerated). Or, even having inadvertently used a batch of adhesives that have passed their expiration date (as both of these simple things can lead to bond failures). Stainless has a large expansion coefficient (I've seen as high as .125" per foot at extreme temps), but Tesla literally has some of the best engineers in the world, so I'm pretty sure they have a good handle on it, as this is really basic engineering at this point. Hardly a new process.

I asked Grok for a summary of how structural adhesives are used in the automotive industry: https://grok.com/share/20516c18-ddaf-46e8-bc51-3bee169d0500

Here's one specific to methacrylate-based adhesives, they are incredible. https://grok.com/share/1c4780ca-bf06-4032-9d28-259839da1c9e

We are actually pretty lucky, as our thick stainless door skins don't allow for typical edge crimping and industrial adhesives to be used on them like in most vehicles. Tesla actually laser welds our door skins to their formed inner stainless panels. Which is pretty awesome!

 

[cybercricket]

Tesla literally has some of the best engineers in the world, so I'm pretty sure they have a good handle on it

If I were to guess, engineering concerns were dismissed in favor of getting it to the market sooner and making it cheaper. The accelerator pedal is another example of a shortcut they took.

 

[mongo]

If I were to guess, engineering concerns were dismissed in favor of getting it to the market sooner and making it cheaper. The accelerator pedal is another example of a shortcut they took.

The pedal was fine until the supplier started using soap to assemble it.
Adhesives are fine as long as they are used properly and the metal doesn't overlap the adjoining panels when fastened down (breaking the adhesive mechanically).

 

[cybercricket]

The pedal was fine until the supplier started using soap to assemble it.
Adhesives are fine as long as they are used properly and the metal doesn't overlap the adjoining panels when fastened down (breaking the adhesive mechanically).

The pedal issue was discovered pretty early in the FS trucks. Mine is a non-FS truck and it has a rivet in the pedal. That contradicts your conclusion - if the problem was caused by a temporary violation of assembly protocol, then only a subset of affected trucks made to that point would receive the fix.

 

[mongo]

The pedal issue was discovered pretty early in the FS trucks. Mine is a non-FS truck and it has a rivet in the pedal. That contradicts your conclusion - if the problem was caused by a temporary violation of assembly protocol, then only a subset of affected trucks made to that point would receive the fix.

It did cause the problem (see recall paperwork) and they decided to keep the fix as an extra level of protection or commonality.

 

[cybercricket]

It did cause the problem (see recall paperwork) and they decided to keep the fix as an extra level of protection or commonality.

Yes, the most advanced engineering company in the world added a permanent EXTRA step to address a problem that did not require a fix in the absence of QC issues. What happened to "delete the part, delete the process" ? In other words I still disagree with your assessment.

 

[mongo]

Yes, the most advanced engineering company in the world added a permanent EXTRA step to address a problem that did not require a fix in the absence of QC issues. What happened to "delete the part, delete the process" ? In other words I still disagree with your assessment.

The supplier to Tesla had the step added. Likely at no cost to Tesla.

 

[cybercricket]

The supplier to Tesla had the step added. Likely at no cost to Tesla.

I don't know how a supplier is at play here, but the question is who controls the end to end design of the vehicle ? Some random parts suppliers or Tesla ? Who is responsible for the final QC ? Anyway, this is the classic "agree to disagree"

 

[Willinak]

I've been in industrial manufacturing for 30 years, using adhesive for metal bonding is super common, and is also very common in the automotive industry. If you go to YouTube and watch any major late model auto body shop repair from start to finish, you'll see just how common/prevalent it really is. I was introduced to methacrylate-based adhesives about 20 years ago. It is crazy how strong they are. For reference, they literally use them to glue the aluminum airplane tail structures to the carbon fiber fuselages on airliners (very different materials, expansion coefficients, and also a very critical application). My guess is this will likely be a pretty isolated issue, possibly more of a surface prep issue, or as previously mentioned, incompatibility to the high heat applied from some of the heat guns stretching the wraps. It could even be as basic as not having been stored correctly (at supplier, shipper, or Tesla... as many must be refrigerated). Or, even having inadvertently used a batch of adhesives that have passed their expiration date (as both of these simple things can lead to bond failures). Stainless has a large expansion coefficient (I've seen as high as .125" per foot at extreme temps), but Tesla literally has some of the best engineers in the world, so I'm pretty sure they have a good handle on it, as this is really basic engineering at this point. Hardly a new process.

I asked Grok for a summary of how structural adhesives are used in the automotive industry: https://grok.com/share/20516c18-ddaf-46e8-bc51-3bee169d0500

Here's one specific to methacrylate-based adhesives, they are incredible. https://grok.com/share/1c4780ca-bf06-4032-9d28-259839da1c9e

We are actually pretty lucky, as our thick stainless door skins don't allow for typical edge crimping and industrial adhesives to be used on them like in most vehicles. Tesla actually laser welds our door skins to their formed inner stainless panels. Which is pretty awesome!

I’ll go one better: they use adhesives to bond the heat shield tiles on space vehicles, so they take thermal expansion to the next level. I do remember that was one of the issues at one time...losing tiles on re-entry.
That said, if body panels have to be replaced or re-bonded, that seems like it would be an awful undertaking. Removal without bending or stressing would be a nightmare. I would hope the cases are isolated, however in the original video, the customers new CT had numerous panels that were loose.
I’m holding off until this is acknowledged and fixed.

 

[Sandman1962]

Great information, thank you. If you had to make a guess, would you think it was NOT a widespread systemic issue but more a “batch” issue?

 

[cybercricket]

I’ll go one better: they use adhesives to bond the heat shield tiles on space vehicles, so they take thermal expansion to the next level. I do remember that was one of the issues at one time...losing tiles on re-entry.
That said, if body panels have to be replaced or re-bonded, that seems like it would be an awful undertaking. Removal without bending or stressing would be a nightmare. I would hope the cases are isolated, however in the original video, the customers new CT had numerous panels that were loose.
I’m holding off until this is acknowledged and fixed.

Funnily enough Starship uses mechanical fastening of the heat tiles to the body of the vehicle.

 

[ShockAuto]

I’ll go one better: they use adhesives to bond the heat shield tiles on space vehicles, so they take thermal expansion to the next level. I do remember that was one of the issues at one time...losing tiles on re-entry.
That said, if body panels have to be replaced or re-bonded, that seems like it would be an awful undertaking. Removal without bending or stressing would be a nightmare. I would hope the cases are isolated, however in the original video, the customers new CT had numerous panels that were loose.
I’m holding off until this is acknowledged and fixed.

Yes that was my customers new cybertruck, 200 miles, picked up in NJ. Loose glue in a few locations

 

[Oden's Beast]

I’ve only heard of a few instances. But, I also only have limited presence on this forum and web.

I just asked Grok, who supposedly vacuums the web constantly. He’s reporting just four (4) instances. These are not official numbers by any means, only anecdotal evidence. But with all the Tesla hate out there, I’d say if it was occurring in any real number, we’d all be hearing about from multiple main stream sources.

Grok:
https://x.com/i/grok/share/Toqnjyf6eqLeCfwpSn4eX32qU

I believe we are somewhere north of 50,000 delivered CT’s now (?). My math (and this is only based on information available to me and my limited information via Grok), says we are approaching a failure rate of a whopping 0.008%.

 

[btcrealm]

@Willinak @ShockAuto
I haven't noticed the problems that you guys are talking about.
After hitting a deer I can confirm the glue on the front panel.
I know a body tech and he stated the glue they use on the front panel is 3M Panel Bonding Adhesive, 08115. I think this only popped off because of the force of the impact.

https://www.cybertruckownersclub.com/forum/threads/accident.30276/post-568691

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