Several Tesla Cybertruck owners initially believed markings on their vehicles were acts of vandalism linked to anti-Elon Musk sentiment. The markings turned out to be residue from a factory protective film process. Tesla has acknowledged the issue and offers to rectify it.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk's increasingly outspoken and extreme political stances have drawn criticism and protests against his companies, including vandalism at Tesla dealerships and on vehicles. This context led some Cybertruck owners to assume similar foul play when they noticed odd writings on their trucks' exteriors.
As reported by Fred Lambert at Electrek, the mystery unfolded in a Facebook group where one owner described strange writing on their vehicle's window, suspecting an irate anti-Tesla vandal, and sought removal advice. Other owners quickly clarified that the markings were not vandalism but a manufacturing mishap. A service report shared in the group explained the initials as “residue from factory protective film,” an unintended outcome of Tesla's protective process during production.
This residue is not supposed to occur, but Tesla will address it if owners report the issue to service centers. Forum participants suggested the initials might correspond to Tesla’s delivery centers worldwide, accounting for variations in codes seen by different owners. While frustrating for new Cybertruck buyers, the problem is a known manufacturing defect that the automaker can easily fix, sparing owners from dealing with actual vandalism amid rising tensions around Musk's views. Stickers mocking the “Anti Elon Tesla Club” have also gained popularity in response to the broader backlash.