When the Tesla Model S came out, quality control wasn’t exactly up there with the best of them. The same can be said with the production launch of the Model X. And the Model 3. As you’d expect from Tesla, the first examples of the Model Y are exhibiting a few of these problems as well.
Chicago Auto Pros – a detailing company that does everything from window tinting to ceramic coatings – ran through some of the issues of a 2020 model year Tesla Model Y Performance with the Performance Upgrade. First things first, it’s easy to notice the dust nibs, sanding marks, surface swirling and scratching, as well as leftover adhesive on one edge of the front trunk’s hood.
The black parts of the taillights are also scratched, and alignment issues hamper down the visual appeal of the window trim. Panel gaps? Well, the rear trunk’s hatchback is flush on one side and not as flush on the other. The carbon-fiber rear spoiler isn’t fixed well, and there’s scuffing on the rear bumper.
Fingerprints can be seen on the headliner, the driver’s sun visor has a few spots that are sagging already, the B-pillar interior trim doesn’t look exactly well either, and the back of one of the rear seats appears to be already broken. The question is, are these errors acceptable in a vehicle this expensive?
That depends on the customer’s perception, of course, but then again, you’d also expect Tesla to have stepped up its quality control since the Model 3 came around. And speaking of the electric sedan, Jason Fenske of Engineering Explained has a video of the quality problems on his Model 3.
Even though it’s been uploaded in December 2018, the issues that Jason detailed in his clip persist to this day on newer examples of the breed.
Given the premium that people pay to get into a Tesla as opposed to a Nissan or Hyundai, it’s high time for Elon Musk to focus on quality as much as the automaker he runs focuses on volume, batteries, and autonomous driving.
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. Full profile
Would you like AUTOEVOLUTION to send you notifications?
Google News