It’s a scene straight out of a dystopian version of National Geographic. In the frozen urban wilderness of Montreal, a rare sighting occurs. Behold the Tesla Cybertruck, a creature of angular design and stainless steel armor, touted as the apex predator of modern roadways.
Yet it’s nearly immobilized, ensnared by the unyielding grasp of Canadian snow. Its wheels spin futilely, a reminder that even mighty machines can be humbled by nature.
So much delicious schadenfreude is being wrung from a one-minute TikTok clip from creator Tareq (@tareq2022khan). So far more than 6 million viewers have watched the Cybertruck fail in some combination of fascination and glee.
And, credit where it’s due, a lot of the humor in the clip comes from the pitch-perfect use of weatherman extraordinaire Nick Kosir’s “Issa Snow Day” parody of 50 Cent’s classic “In Da Club. There’s also the laughs from a comparatively less-boastful Honda Fit zooming by the stuck truck with comparative ease.
Automotive mishaps are legendary
The internet relishes in the misadventures of luxury vehicle owners. (Don’t deprive yourself of the joy of BMW fails, for instance.) And the Cybertruck fail phenomenon has become the latest muse. From awkward parking attempts to off-road escapades gone awry, the Cybertruck is the best at bringing out the worst in people, whether they’re auto enthusiasts or not.
- The Nantucket Sand Trap: A Cybertruck found itself embarrassingly stuck on a Nantucket beach after the driver neglected to deflate the tires—a rookie off-roading mistake.
- Bulletproof? Think Again: In a bid to test the vehicle’s durability, an owner fired a handgun at his Cybertruck, only to discover that “bulletproof” might have been an overstatement.
- Frame Failures: A YouTuber subjected his Cybertruck to rigorous off-road tests, only to have the hitch frame snap during towing—a stark contrast to traditional steel-framed trucks.
There’s an important postscript regarding the snowbound Cybertruck fail. A follow-up video showing it escaping the snow shows that determination, physics, and basic mechanics can prevail over Mother Nature. Its comparatively paltry count of just over 31,000 views shows us clearly what kind of content the public is interested in.
There’s an undeniable allure in witnessing high-end products falter, a phenomenon that resonates deeply within online communities. This fascination is driven by several psychological and societal factors.
More famous failures, please…
Observing luxury items encounter everyday issues bridges the gap between the elite and the average individual. Viral videos showcasing supercars like Ferraris and Lamborghinis struggling with basic maneuvers or facing mechanical failures make these fancy machines appear a bit less sturdy.
The stark contrast between a product’s prestigious image and its real-world vulnerabilities is ripe for comedy and/or parody. The infamous Tesla Cybertruck unveiling in 2019 serves as a prime example. That was when its much-hyped “armor glass” windows shattered during a live demonstration, leading to widespread mockery and memes.
When high-priced products like the Cybertruck fail publicly, it prompts discussions about the reliability of such items, challenging the notion that a higher price equals quality. For example, Erewhon, a luxury grocer in Los Angeles, sparked outrage by selling a single strawberry for $19, leading to questions about the justification behind the pricing.
Eyeballs on Elon
Mixed somewhere in the bad vibes fascination with the Cybertruck fail snow video are the strong feelings the public at large continues to have for Tesla impresario Elon Musk, whose public persona garners both admiration and criticism.
The guy clearly gives us plenty to write about, especially since becoming a fixture at the White House. A recent Pew Research Center survey found 54% of U.S. adults hold an unfavorable view of Musk, with 36% expressing a very unfavorable opinion.
There’s also plenty to cover when it comes to his business missteps. Like the criticism over Tesla’s inconsistent build quality, battery life concerns, and software malfunctions in some models. Or there’s SpaceX’s high-profile setbacks: Between 2006 and 2008 the company experienced a series of Falcon 1 rocket launch failures. More recently, a Starship prototype was lost during ascent, with debris falling over the Caribbean.
Commenters on the winter blunderland clip were eager to have some fun at Tesla’s expense.
“I love this for whoever this is that paid $178,000 for a dumpster on wheels,” one of them wrote.
Another noted, “That comically large windshield wiper just makes this even more ridiculous.”
And another wanted a very Candid Camera approach to the episode, writing, “I hope they saw you recording them. the embarrassment they must’ve felt.”
@tareq2022khan Snow in Montreal 16.02.2025
♬ Issa Snow Day – Nick Kosir
The Daily Dot reached out to Tareq via direct message, and to Tesla via email.
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