In the closing days of 2025, a pseudo-anonymous post on the social media platform X spawned a wave of speculation across tech and automotive circles. The user, identified only as Miss Jilianne, asserted that “almost every Tesla influencer had returned their Cybertruck due to mechanical issues.” That assertion, shared widely and repeated in investor commentary threads, was soon seized upon by market watchers fretting over the EV maker’s latest flagship pickup’s soft sales performance.
The Anatomy of a Viral Rumor
Before unpacking what is known, the backdrop matters: the Tesla Cybertruck debuted to fanfare as an audacious redesign of the pickup truck category. Its futuristic, angular exoskeleton was touted as revolutionary, not least by how it blended utility and science-fiction aesthetics. Yet production and delivery have lagged behind original promises, and inventory has piled up on dealer lots with slow sales. It’s a stark reversal from the early preorder frenzy.
Almost every Tesla “influencer” I know has returned their Cybertruck due to mechanical issues.
— Miss Jilianne (@MissJilianne) December 28, 2025
The claim that dozens of influencers returned their trucks jumped instantly into the public imagination. It implied unaired product failures and widespread dissatisfaction among the very voices Tesla has historically leaned on to cultivate brand enthusiasm. Indicators of lingering mechanical concerns, such as scattered owner complaints online and anecdotes about early demo vehicles needing substantial repairs, helped feed the narrative.
But a closer look at the available evidence paints a very different picture. Tesla’s official recall activity concerning the Cybertruck has centered on discrete safety or software issues, such as lighting software defects or camera malfunctions. These were addressed through recalls and over-the-air updates rather than wholesale returns by early adopters.
A Credible Counterpoint
Perhaps most important in this episode is the voice of one of the few public figures with actual skin in the Cybertruck game, Ross Gerber. The Gerber Kawasaki investment firm co-founder publicly responded to the social media rumor by stating that he personally would not be returning his Cybertruck.
He said he had not experienced mechanical problems with his own vehicle and would be holding onto it despite declining pickup sales and his own criticisms of Tesla’s Full-Self-Driving technology.
I’m not an influencer however I have not had issues with my Cybertruck. I like it and I’m keeping it for now.
— Ross Gerber (@GerberKawasaki) December 28, 2025
Gerber’s counterpoint underscores a key problem with Miss Jilianne’s announcement on X. The post is anecdotal at best and unverified by reliable documentation. No reputable news organization has been able to confirm that “almost all influencers” have returned their Cybertrucks.
Indeed, the X post that fueled the story included a direct request to list even ten influencers who had returned the trucks. That query went unanswered or sparked speculative replies rather than hard data.
Hey @grok list ten or more Tesla influencers or owners who have returned their Cybertruck due to mechanical issues or other reasons.
— Miss Jilianne (@MissJilianne) December 29, 2025
Experts tracking Tesla deliveries and inventory suggest that poor sales and stubborn unsold stock have less to do with systemic mechanical failure and more to do with broader market dynamics. EV demand has softened as incentives expire and competition intensifies, particularly from legacy automakers and fast-growing Chinese firms.
Question marks over the company’s autonomous software have also dulled the allure of Tesla vehicles in the eyes of some buyers. This singular factor has the power to influence sentiment even among dedicated tech reviewers.
The Inevitable Life Cycle of a Tesla Rumor
There’s another layer here worth noting. Social-media-driven narratives, especially those involving influencers and tech CEOs, often evolve faster than facts can be verified. In recent years, even unrelated Tesla rumors (such as alleged collaborations with large influencers on unrelated products) have been publicly denied by relevant parties, but not before revealing how easily misinformation can blossom online.
The upshot is that while Tesla’s Cybertruck is unquestionably facing challenges on sales and public perception fronts, the specific claim that a broad cohort of social-media influencers have returned their vehicles due to mechanical issues remains unverified and likely exaggerated.
The strongest on-the-record rebuttal comes from a respected investor with a personal stake in the vehicle’s performance, who has publicly said he is keeping his. The rumor will almost certainly continue to circulate, fueled by Tesla’s polarizing public profile and the hard edge of online discourse.