Lamar MK, who runs a YouTube channel covering Tesla and EVs, told Business Insider that the futuristic pickup was still his “dream car,” even though he has been barely able to drive it after both his original Cybertruck and the replacement provided by Tesla were hit with a huge number of issues.
Lamar, who is a Tesla shareholder but declined to say how many shares he owns, had his Foundation Series Cybertruck, which typically sells for over $100,000, delivered on March 14.
“It was love at first sight,” said Lamar, who did not wish to provide his full name but goes by Lamar MK on YouTube. “My family didn’t love it at first, but after they saw it in person, they actually came around.”
Shortly afterward, the problems began. While driving to film a YouTube video, warning lights began to flicker on the Cybertruck’s 18-inch central screen, forcing Lamar to pull over.
“The truck just started to flash with this red screen, and it was totally devastating. It was just like, oh my god, what’s happening?” he said. “As soon as we pulled over, the truck just completely shut down.”
The issue — which Lamar said involved the truck’s wiring — kept the Cybertruck in the repair shop for nearly three weeks.
It was quickly followed by several other faults, including an unsettling loud noise while driving and the Cybertruck refusing to hold a charge when he took it on a road trip.
“For the entire two months of having the truck, I only drove it for barely a week,” he said.
“It’s still my dream car. When it works, it works. Driving it is the best experience you’ll ever have. But when it doesn’t work, it really sucks,” he added.
In a reaction video posted on his YouTube channel after receiving his Cybertruck, Lamar said the pickup’s “steer-by-wire” system, which means there’s no mechanical connection between the steering wheel and the wheels, made driving it more intuitive.
He also described the Cybertruck as being “like a tank” and told BI it brought back memories of driving heavy equipment vehicles during his time in the military.
Eventually, he got Tesla to replace his broken Cybertruck with a new vehicle, which he coated in a blue and yellow wrap to add more of a personal touch. However, he only had the new pickup for a matter of weeks before things began to go wrong again.
After parking it in the garage and charging it, Lamar says he came back to find the new Cybertruck completely unresponsive and inaccessible.
“I spoke with Tesla roadside service, they said they couldn’t even access the vehicle. It was just completely offline to them. It was like a giant brick in my garage,” he said.
Once again, he had to have his Cybertruck towed to the Tesla service center, where service technicians managed to regain access to the compartment in the hood of the vehicle by drilling a hole below it.
‘Am I cursed?’
Lamar’s Cybertruck isn’t the only one to report problems since the futuristic pickup began deliveries last November.
In April, Tesla recalled nearly 4,000 Cybertrucks over fears the accelerator pedal could jam open. Last month, the automaker issued separate recalls for over 11,000 Cybertrucks due to problems with the windshield wiper and a part of the truck bed that could come loose and fly off.
Lamar’s Cybertruck is now working again, and despite all the issues, he says he has no regrets about buying his Cybertruck in the first place, describing it as his “dream car.”
“I still don’t have any regrets because it’s something that I really wanted; it’s so revolutionary. I know once they fix the issue, that issue won’t arise again,” he said.
“I just hope in the future, no more problems creep up. At this point, I’m really wondering; am I cursed?” he added.
Tesla did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Business Insider, made outside normal working hours.
Do you own a Cybertruck or have a tip? Get in touch with this reporter via email at tcarter@businessinsider.com.
