Photo: SC
When we say that Tesla's issues are so varied and frequent that it is challenging to keep up with them, the EV maker’s advocates (most of them stockholders) rush to deny the reports. Either they point fingers at companies with seemingly similar issues or just try to discredit the facts. These folks will not have an easier time in 2023: the Model Y already has a new flaw.
To be honest, the issue started to appear in 2022, but it has been so frequent that we could count 18 cases on a single Facebook group when we started writing this story. When we finished it, a last check revealed five more affected owners, leading the total count to 23. The Facebook group contains three posts about a water leak in the trunk of the electric SUV (so far).
All these threads start with pictures of the problem and a question if anyone else in the group is facing the same issues. Considering how many people raised their hands, there are almost 8 per thread facing the same situation. The scary part is that there is not a single reason for the water invasion: there are several.
At least three of the affected Model Ys had a back door that accumulated water. According to BM, Tesla missed a spot where it should have applied sealing putty. We will not disclose the full names of the people that reported the issues to protect their privacy. The lack of putty makes water get inside the door and drop from the bump stop. Two of these owners released videos that show water dripping from these components: SBRI and MG.
BM also described two other possible reasons for the leaks: busted seals around the taillights and a severe rear hatchback lid misalignment that prevents it from touching the rubber seal. That may also cause pressure buffeting, an issue the Model S presented in the past.
SBRI said the seam above the plates near the taillights was the issue with his car. EJZ confirmed that was also the cause for the water leak in his car and took a picture to show where Tesla made the repair. He also mentioned that the seam cracks even on new vehicles, which is probably a design flaw. AL shared a similar picture showing the same spot on the boot lid.
AA’s Model Y suffered an exterior component/panel/glass adjustment, but it is not clear what the Tesla Service Center did in his car. The explanation may involve what also happened to DWC, who had the rear window replaced to fix the problem.
Most other commenters who also had the issue just mentioned the water invasion but no possible cause or how it was repaired. One of them even guessed why this was happening so much. According to MR, the leak is “all over Facebook and Reddit” due to ”rushed-out, poorly-made end-of-quarter cars."
The water leak can be so severe that the Model Y may also accumulate liquids in the trunk, as was the case with CS. Most owners experience the issue around the rubber seals and the bump stop recess.
It seems that Tesla Service Centers have solved most leaks, sometimes after more than one visit (up to three in the cases we could identify). However, at least one owner was not so lucky and experienced something that is unfortunately not uncommon: hearing from Tesla that the car is “within specs.” JS did not hear these exact words, but all the Tesla Service Center did was dry up his car. “No problem found,” they said. Considering how prevalent this is, they will have plenty of opportunities to diagnose it right.
All these threads start with pictures of the problem and a question if anyone else in the group is facing the same issues. Considering how many people raised their hands, there are almost 8 per thread facing the same situation. The scary part is that there is not a single reason for the water invasion: there are several.
At least three of the affected Model Ys had a back door that accumulated water. According to BM, Tesla missed a spot where it should have applied sealing putty. We will not disclose the full names of the people that reported the issues to protect their privacy. The lack of putty makes water get inside the door and drop from the bump stop. Two of these owners released videos that show water dripping from these components: SBRI and MG.
BM also described two other possible reasons for the leaks: busted seals around the taillights and a severe rear hatchback lid misalignment that prevents it from touching the rubber seal. That may also cause pressure buffeting, an issue the Model S presented in the past.
SBRI said the seam above the plates near the taillights was the issue with his car. EJZ confirmed that was also the cause for the water leak in his car and took a picture to show where Tesla made the repair. He also mentioned that the seam cracks even on new vehicles, which is probably a design flaw. AL shared a similar picture showing the same spot on the boot lid.
AA’s Model Y suffered an exterior component/panel/glass adjustment, but it is not clear what the Tesla Service Center did in his car. The explanation may involve what also happened to DWC, who had the rear window replaced to fix the problem.
Most other commenters who also had the issue just mentioned the water invasion but no possible cause or how it was repaired. One of them even guessed why this was happening so much. According to MR, the leak is “all over Facebook and Reddit” due to ”rushed-out, poorly-made end-of-quarter cars."
The water leak can be so severe that the Model Y may also accumulate liquids in the trunk, as was the case with CS. Most owners experience the issue around the rubber seals and the bump stop recess.
It seems that Tesla Service Centers have solved most leaks, sometimes after more than one visit (up to three in the cases we could identify). However, at least one owner was not so lucky and experienced something that is unfortunately not uncommon: hearing from Tesla that the car is “within specs.” JS did not hear these exact words, but all the Tesla Service Center did was dry up his car. “No problem found,” they said. Considering how prevalent this is, they will have plenty of opportunities to diagnose it right.
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