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Rear Bumper Flies Off Brand-New Model 3, Tesla Initially Invoked "an Act of God"

Ever since the first production-spec Model S rolled off the line, we all knew that Tesla wouldn't be a byword for build quality. To this day, the Palo Alto-based automaker has yet to sort out many issues.
Tesla Model 3 rear bumper detaches after driving in the rain 6 photos
Photo: Logan Jamal
Tesla Model 3 rear bumper detaches after driving in the rainTesla Model 3 rear bumper detaches after driving in the rainTesla Model 3 rear bumper detaches after driving in the rainTesla Model 3 rear bumper detaches after driving in the rainTesla Model 3 rear bumper detaches after driving in the rain
Take, for instance, this brand-new Model 3 that lost its rear bumper while driving in the rain. The owner, Logan Jamal, let it slip on Twitter that Tesla won’t cover the damage “because it was an act of God.”

Logan has also posted a video from the front to prove that he wasn’t driving through a flood. The owner estimates that the rear bumper took off at the sensible speed of 10 to 15 mph (16 to 24 kph).

Adding insult to injury, this isn’t the only Model 3 with the said issue. Two years ago, Rithesh Nair posted a picture of his half-hour-old electric sedan without the rear bumper after driving in the rain. A Twitter user replied to Nair’s post that the bumper-less Model 3 “looks like mine.”

There’s no denying that Tesla can be blamed for this recurring issue, but the question is, what makes the bumper fly off? The answer comes in the guise of undercarriage shielding designed to deflect water around the centerline of the rear tires. The shielding is made from a composite-type material, and after it’s torn, the water is diverted into the rear bumper.

But wait, there’s more! Logan claims that he was “decelerating to make a right turn when all of a sudden we heard a big noise. I thought we got rear-ended,” said the owner, who called Tesla Roadside Assistance after pulling into the nearest parking lot. “I watched dozens of cars drive over the same spot with no issues,” Logan told Inside EVs about the unfortunate event.

After the flying bumper gained traction on social media, Tesla changed its mind about the act of God and ultimately agreed to cover the damage and tow truck under warranty. Still, other owners weren't as lucky as Logan.

Rahul Nowlakha had the same problem with his Model 3 in 2019, and the automaker was... wait for it... “very unhelpful.” As with Logan, the peeps at Tesla said that it was an “act of God” even though that’s not actually true.

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About the author: Mircea Panait
Mircea Panait profile photo

After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well.
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