Cybertruck Tailgates Are Getting Stuck, And Tesla's Instructions Are Ominously Fiddly

If your Cybertruck tailgate is stuck shut or open, you're not alone. Is that comforting? You should feel comforted. Let's check the online Tesla Cybertruck Owner's Manual for answers. Odd, the word "stuck" doesn't appear once, and there are no troubleshooting instructions for the tailgate, though there are some for the tonneau cover. No matter, let's turn to the forums for advice first and go to the manual later.

A user on the Cybertruck Forum had an issue where the app showed his tailgate was open even though it was closed, and he couldn't get it to budge. When this happens, restart the app. If that doesn't work, use the Tailgate Emergency Release. If the tonneau cover is closed, open it using the exterior arrow switches or, as users on the Cybertruck Owners Club forum reported, the tailgate button after it rains. To clear this switch malfunction, wait for your "waterproof-as-a-boat" Cybertruck to dry out. Then, flip open the cover for the tailgate release and pull the strap.

Should your tailgate be stuck open, it may be deformed because you used your truck like a truck and put too much weight on it. Perhaps, like a Cybertruck Owners Only forum member, you stepped on the tailgate, bending it like a dollar store spoon. Forum user Drew Michael Robinson says to "take a hammer and smack the tailgate latch strikers," which will let you close the tailgate flush again. Other users reported their tailgate opening randomly, but taking it in for service seemed to fix that. The Cybertruck also has a soft-close tailgate mechanism that may not cinch tight. According to more Cybertruck Owners forum threads, you're being too hard on your Cybertruck. You have to lift your tailgate into position and wait for the delicate, finicky gadgetry to catch. 

Even though Tesla's Cargo Bed instructions in the online Cybertruck manual don't mention stuck tailgates, there still may be good advice, so let's see what it says. Plus, it does go over some tonneau cover troubleshooting. Don't Ctrl-F the word "injury," though, you won't enjoy the fact that it shows up seven times in this section of the Cybertruck manual alone. Let's see what the manual says about the Tailgate Emergency Release specifically. "An interior release, located on the inside of the tailgate, allows a person trapped in the cargo bed to open the tailgate when Cybertruck is parked." So, if it's not parked, it won't open? Don't get kidnapped in a Cybertruck. 

That being said, if you're alleviating a stuck tailgate, you probably won't be traveling at highway speeds. After all, there's a warning that reads, "People should never be inside the cargo bed when the Cybertruck is moving." Well, with Tesla Cybertruck tailgates warping because of shifting payloads, it doesn't seem like much of anything belongs back there when it's moving, so no people or pets, got it. It doesn't say "pets," but let's not anyway. Reading on, there are more warnings. "When closing the tailgate, keep hands and objects away from the perimeter, the hinges, etc. Failure to do so can cause damage or serious injury." There's that word again.

Regarding the tonneau cover, the troubleshooting instructions state that if it won't close, you may need to calibrate it, and a "Calibrate" message will appear on the touchscreen on the exterior view of the truck. Oh, there's a warning here that reads, "Although the tonneau cover is designed to stop moving if it detects an obstacle when closing, do not rely on the tonneau cover to prevent damage or injury." So, it's designed to stop, but it might not.

The instructions also say that if the cover won't open or close, just wait several minutes and try again. Another tip is to "Inspect the tracks to ensure there's no debris or objects in the way of the tonneau cover." "Objects," you know, like human fingers. Not that Cybertrucks have an appetite for human fingers. Sure, Jeremy Judkins filmed his Cybertruck's frunk clamping down on his index finger in a YouTube video, but the finger stayed attached, so it's fine.

If, at this point, you still can't get your tailgate/tonneau to open or close properly, it may need servicing. You might even be able to have an independent shop perform the work or do it yourself now that Tesla's opened its parts catalog to the general public. Alright, let's go back to the Cybertruck Service Manual and look at the instructions for the tailgate assembly. Oh, look, a warning that reads, "This procedure is a DRAFT. Although it has been validated, Warnings and Cautions might be missing." No cause for alarm here, seems like a perfectly normal thing to have for a vehicle that was in development for eight years. Why on Earth are Tesla Cybertrucks losing 35% of their value within a year? It's such a mystery.