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The Tesla Cybertruck is the vehicle most often meant by claims that Tesla has had a major flop—but calling it the company’s “worst” is an opinion, not a settled ranking. The strongest case is the gap between an ambitious sales target and reported sales, compounded by a late launch and a string of recalls. Yet Tesla’s 2024 annual report still listed the truck as in active production in Texas, so “flop” describes commercial expectations and execution concerns, not a discontinued product.

Why the Cybertruck is called a flop

The clearest evidence is the distance between the launch ambition and sales reported later. Le Monde reported in April 2025 that Elon Musk had aimed for 250,000 Cybertrucks a year at the 2023 launch, while reported sales remained below 40,000 by the time of its report. Those figures convey the scale of the shortfall, but the report excerpt does not establish an exact sales period or methodology. They should not be treated as an audited annual comparison.

That gap prompted pointed assessments from industry observers. In January 2025, Le Monde quoted AutoPacific specialist Robby DeGraff saying the fanfare and excitement had quickly evaporated. It also quoted iSeeCars analyst Karl Brauer calling the Cybertruck a flop. These are analysts’ judgments, not a formal Tesla ranking or proof that the Cybertruck is the company’s worst-performing product.

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How the launch and product have fallen short of expectations

It arrived later than planned

Le Monde reported in January 2025 that production began about two years later than originally expected. A late launch can erode momentum and delay the point at which a product can reach its intended buyers. Tesla’s 2024 Form 10-K also describes supplier issues that delayed the initial Model X production ramp, but that broader disclosure does not establish the specific causes of the Cybertruck’s delay.

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Its reported price narrowed its appeal

Le Monde’s January 2025 report put the Cybertruck’s price above $80,000 and its range at approximately 400 kilometers. Those are figures as reported at that time, not current pricing or specifications. A high price can make a vehicle’s sales target harder to reach, especially when the product is unusual and the pool of interested buyers is comparatively narrow; the available figures alone do not prove how much each factor affected sales.

What the recalls do—and do not—show

Le Monde counted seven Cybertruck recalls by January 2025, involving issues that included the wipers, reversing camera and tire-pressure indication. On April 3, 2025, the Associated Press reported an eighth recall in about 15 months: 46,096 model-year 2024–2025 Cybertrucks were affected by a panel near the windshield that could detach while driving. These are dated counts, not a current total.

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A recall is evidence that a specific safety or compliance issue required a remedy; by itself, it does not measure overall reliability or establish why sales fell short. Tesla says recall service is free for covered vehicles regardless of age or mileage. Owners can check whether a vehicle is affected using Tesla’s recall information and VIN tool.

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Is it really Tesla’s worst flop?

That depends on what “worst” means. A fair comparison across Tesla products would need a consistent measure—such as sales shortfall against a published target, launch delay, recalls, financial losses or cancellation. The cited reporting does not provide comparable figures across Tesla’s product history, nor does it establish Cybertruck-specific audited annual sales or losses. It supports calling the Cybertruck a conspicuous commercial disappointment, not definitively ranking it as Tesla’s worst failure.

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The Cybertruck is still in production

Tesla’s 2024 Form 10-K listed the Cybertruck as in active production in Texas. The same filing reported approximately 1,773,000 consumer vehicles produced and 1,789,000 delivered company-wide in 2024; those totals are not Cybertruck figures. The filing therefore confirms that the truck remained part of Tesla’s production lineup, but it does not resolve its individual commercial performance.

The best-supported verdict is narrower than the headline: by the reporting available in 2025, the Cybertruck had missed a strikingly high sales ambition, launched late and accumulated multiple recalls. That makes “flop” a defensible description of its commercial reception, while “Tesla’s worst” remains unproven.

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