Wiki Model S Delivery Update

[HAJM]

So, Little Nightmare story for everyone. Sharing in case some of this info is useful as you all take delivery.
The background: For those that remember me, I was part of the early 2023 delivery groups... as I saw my delivery date get pushed a couple times, I found a little gem on a lot: late 2022, had some front end damage at delivery to the Tesla dealership, and it just got put back on the lot. The price was dropped ~$10k so I figured for HW3 that wasn't bad... now to see that there was a $10k drop... ugh. That kind-a sucks! Because I should be getting my original order (ordered 7 Jan) around now... Here is what has happened since.

What has occurred: So I get the car and it has 7 issues, not major... I didn't think.

1. Trunk made a strange noise when closing
2. trim in trunk (left rear) needed to be replaced/aligned as it didn't cover weld lines as intended
3. Hood alignment off and touching at top drivers side
4. Rear drivers quarter panel window trim not seated properly
5. Passenger rear door handle works intermittently
6. Paint chips near top of hood in pillars next to windshield
7. Noted minor paint scratches and buff marks

So, overall, I don't think that was too bad for a Model S delivery... I figured I would take the car. I am a QE (Quality Engineer) for Lockheed Martin, so I have an eye for all those little minor details. I think the car looked good! I drove it home and around a bit, put ~300 miles on the car. My plan was to drive the car for a bit, drop it off at my local SC the next week, have the issues addressed while on vacation (22 Feb - 6 Mar), and pick up my nice, shiny, fixed-up Model-S. I checked the car in at the Tesla SC on the 21st, had a good service rep, looked at the issues, notated things... I figured I was in good hands. They said my appointment was on 2 March, but they should be able to get me in early with the vehicle on site. I looked at my app a few times on vacation, (we have had a few Tesla's so I know how the service check-in works) the vehicle was never moved nor did I get any service updates. So, the day after the appointment (mistake #1, should have called day of with no app update) I text them to see what the status is. I get the corporate worded excuse for "we forgot" and they will now get me in later in the month. I gave them a sternly (but professional) worded reply that I expected more from them. They then squeezed me in yesterday, 3 days later than the appointment.
Totally cool! I am a day late, but they are fixing things, I got time... so all is good, right? Wrong. I get a text. Apparently an "oops" occurred and they cracked my windshield. They are going to replace it, np. Frustrating... but ok. We go back and forth a bit, they couldn't figure out the trim thing in the trunk, so this morning I went over to the Tesla center to point out the issue. When I showed them, they had an "ah-ha" moment, and they said they would get right on it. 11:30, I get the message that all is done! Great! Let's go see.
What... The... Hell... So, Trunk noise - Fixed. Trunk trim - no change, Hood alignment - Fixed, Window trim - no change, Passenger Handle - Fixed, Paint chip - no change, Buff marks/Scratches - no change. Also, I notice that the passenger front quarter panel is protruding significantly away from the body near the top... this is not the way it was (like I said, I am fairly neurotic about things) I am not thrilled. So, I go back in, get the service writer, and they then hit me with a "yeah, this will have to go to a local body shop, we will need the car for 3 weeks. They gave me a loaner... a Model S... think it is a 2015 P85 or something... looks like a recent trade-in, kind-a beat up... dirty. At least I have wheels... but damn man...

So... not going well and not happy. Should have stuck with my order. Don't get impatient gentlemen. And be meticulous... be a self-advocate, stay calm and professional, but be persistent and don't accept a half-done job.

@K.I.T.T.23 wow, thanks for sharing! And a heads-up. I think we all straddle the line between being a A-... or s nice guy and assume people will do the right thing. You just told us which side to "emphasize" a bit more.


Again, thanks for the heads-up, and sorry you had this delivery experience. I like the Tesla car, I don't care much about the Tesla company.

 

[paulchou]

Former LM Aero Palmdale here....must be hard to reconcile this work with DoD standards.

Nothing wrong with a P85, reminds me of my old car when good service was possible, and you could talk to the techs. Enjoy the leather and sunroof.

You are lucky they did not break anything else. Hopefully the third party body shop will do it right.

I never let Tesla SvC touch my new car, fixed all the paint issues myself. Short vid showing what I found:

Hope it all works out for you.

I got mine back in Feb 2022. I raised ~50 issues. Keep in mind I did extensive research and 90+% of them can be found here on TMC (basically common issues). I keep a spreadsheet - categorized them (function, fit, exterior/interior), with full detail description, prioritized by importance, even kept a column for likely outcome. In the end - after multiple tickets, 5 month of back and forth (w/ Tesla managing to break new items along the way), and a lot of arguing on my end - I am happy to report that I got all my high priority items fixed (with a few mid-high to low priority items dropped).

I am also traumatized by the idea of going to Tesla Service...for life.

 

[aerodyne]

I got mine back in Feb 2022. I raised ~50 issues. Keep in mind I did extensive research and 90+% of them can be found here on TMC (basically common issues). I keep a spreadsheet - categorized them (function, fit, exterior/interior), with full detail description, prioritized by importance, even kept a column for likely outcome. In the end - after multiple tickets, 5 month of back and forth (w/ Tesla managing to break new items along the way), and a lot of arguing on my end - I am happy to report that I got all my high priority items fixed (with a few mid-high to low priority items dropped).

I am also traumatized by the idea of going to Tesla Service...for life.

I can relate...can't forget the pic below even though it was fixed and sold to a happy owner.

I expect to see reports of a new type of long haul affliction in a few years. PTSD.

Post Tesla Service Disorder.

Triggered by events like this:

 

[WilliamG]

I can relate...can't forget the pic below even though it was fixed and sold to a happy owner.

I expect to see reports of a new type of long haul affliction in a few years. PTSD.

Post Tesla Service Disorder.

Triggered by events like this:

PTSD with the tail light/trunk alignment on the refresh S in the garage, too. Someone needs to call Tesla out for this BS. They still can’t align the MAJORITY of the rear ends of these cars.

For those that say theirs is fine, post pictures! I’d say 9 out of 10 are misaligned and CANNOT be fixed without major bodywork/adjustment.

The funny thing is if people stopped taking delivery of these new S cars until Tesla actually made an effort on the rear end, you can bet your booty they’d bother to fix it.

Here’s a nice new one recently delivered to Germany. Classy, Tesla. Classy.

From this video at 3:53

 

[inalkm]

Good morning. Is there anyone here or that you know of that took delivery of a HW4 car so far? When I search on Google for the last 24-hour results of keywords "Tesla, HW4, delivery, ..." and their variations, I only seem to come across copycats of an article that mention of a person named Jason Clinton who did took delivery of a TMX. I can't seem to come across anything else, or youtube videos that would normally be all over the place. What am I missing?

 

[Laddcruzer]

PTSD with the tail light/trunk alignment on the refresh S in the garage, too. Someone needs to call Tesla out for this BS. They still can’t align the MAJORITY of the rear ends of these cars.

For those that say theirs is fine, post pictures! I’d say 9 out of 10 are misaligned and CANNOT be fixed without major bodywork/adjustment.

The funny thing is if people stopped taking delivery of these new S cars until Tesla actually made an effort on the rear end, you can bet your booty they’d bother to fix it.

Here’s a nice new one recently delivered to Germany. Classy, Tesla. Classy.

View attachment 915151

From this video at 3:53

Mine seems pretty close!

 

[lowtek]

There’s no doubt Tesla needs to up there game on fit and finish, but panel gaps aren’t as wide spread of a problem as the internet (and those affected) make it out to be.

I’ve made it a point to pay attention to just about every Tesla I encounter and it’s rare I find panel gap issues, maybe 1 in 25.

Folks, remember that people are quick to complain (and rightfully so) on the internet but rarely do the rest, that aren’t affected by these issues, post praises.

we have owned 5 Teslas and the only panel gap issues was with my wife’s Y frunk, which I fixed myself in about 5 minutes.

Here’s hoping not to have to eat my words when I pickup my new one …

 

[WilliamG]

Mine seems pretty close!
View attachment 915379

Haha, - yes. The PRE-refresh tail lights are fine! It's the refresh lights that are not.

 

[Maaz]

Haha, - yes. The PRE-refresh tail lights are fine! It's the refresh lights that are not.

Idk
I can’t tell really.

 

[lowtek]

By the way, any vertical gap (i.e., high or low headlights that don't line up) on the hatch can be adjusted easily ... not sure about lateral adjustment haven't looked at how it's installed.

 

[WilliamG]

By the way, any vertical gap (i.e., high or low headlights that don't line up) on the hatch can be adjusted easily ... not sure about lateral adjustment haven't looked at how it's installed.

Incorrect on the vertical gap, unfortunately. It's nothing to do with the rotating stoppers. I know the guys near me at my local Tesla SC, and their lead tech actually had a LR S refresh customer come in with a NEW car he had just picked up, - insisted on them fixing it. Tesla's official word was that it was within spec, and that if customer wanted it fixed he'd have to pay for it himself, which he agreed to do. NOT cheap. I even took some photos of the customer's car last year, after the SC had done the body alignment. The lead told me that to fix it the whole hatch has to be lowered. While this fixes the tail light alignment at the rear of the car, it means the roof-to-liftgate area doesn't quite meet right, with the hatch sitting lower than it used to. You can see this in the pictures. Tesla has work to do with their panel alignments at installation.

Again, this is after the SC fixed the tail light alignment with body adjustments. You can see how the lift-gate now sits lower than the roof of the car. No way around it.

 

[WilliamG]

View attachment 915397

Idk
I can’t tell really.

Me neither. Take a picture during the day, from the rear, rather than at an angle.

Then again, if you don't notice/care, don't bother yourself with it!

 

[WilliamG]

There’s no doubt Tesla needs to up there game on fit and finish, but panel gaps aren’t as wide spread of a problem as the internet (and those affected) make it out to be.

I’ve made it a point to pay attention to just about every Tesla I encounter and it’s rare I find panel gap issues, maybe 1 in 25.

Folks, remember that people are quick to complain (and rightfully so) on the internet but rarely do the rest, that aren’t affected by these issues, post praises.

we have owned 5 Teslas and the only panel gap issues was with my wife’s Y frunk, which I fixed myself in about 5 minutes.

Here’s hoping not to have to eat my words when I pickup my new one …

Conversely, just about every single Model S I see has bad panel alignments. I took the first listing I found on eBay. Look at that passenger side alignment of the hatch. Just embarrassing.

And here's a second listing with a potato picture, with the same issue. This would be embarrassing on cars costing half as much as the Model S.

 

[Nickos]

I can't see the alignment issue with the hatch in the above pics....what is the issue can you circle it? I agree Tesla quality control is far from great, but this seems like the kinda of thing 99% of people don't notice as I've just spent 30 seconds looking at each pic and can't see what is wrong

 

[s1rk]

I can't see the alignment issue with the hatch in the above pics....what is the issue can you circle it? I agree Tesla quality control is far from great, but this seems like the kinda of thing 99% of people don't notice as I've just spent 30 seconds looking at each pic and can't see what is wrong

Yeah, I'm having a hard time seeing it as well. Unless the gaps are glaring at me or this is some show car, there's better things to worry about. Besides, it's easy to forget things with the headrush it gives while driving it.

But that's just me and to each their own

 

[WilliamG]

I can't see the alignment issue with the hatch in the above pics....what is the issue can you circle it? I agree Tesla quality control is far from great, but this seems like the kinda of thing 99% of people don't notice as I've just spent 30 seconds looking at each pic and can't see what is wrong

I... I can't...

Let's... just move on, I guess (and this is why Tesla gets away with it).

 

[Nickos]

I... I can't...

Let's... just move on, I guess (and this is why Tesla gets away with it).

I was asking in good faith, and I'm not the only other person who doesn't see anything, so there is no need to be pissy about whatever it is you think you see

 

[Vikings_DK]

Incorrect on the vertical gap, unfortunately. It's nothing to do with the rotating stoppers. I know the guys near me at my local Tesla SC, and their lead tech actually had a LR S refresh customer come in with a NEW car he had just picked up, - insisted on them fixing it. Tesla's official word was that it was within spec, and that if customer wanted it fixed he'd have to pay for it himself, which he agreed to do. NOT cheap. I even took some photos of the customer's car last year, after the SC had done the body alignment. The lead told me that to fix it the whole hatch has to be lowered. While this fixes the tail light alignment at the rear of the car, it means the roof-to-liftgate area doesn't quite meet right, with the hatch sitting lower than it used to. You can see this in the pictures. Tesla has work to do with their panel alignments at installation.

Again, this is after the SC fixed the tail light alignment with body adjustments. You can see how the lift-gate now sits lower than the roof of the car. No way around it.

View attachment 915414

View attachment 915415
View attachment 915416

Damn that’s an unacceptable panel gap.. I am worried now

 

[WilliamG]

I was asking in good faith, and I'm not the only other person who doesn't see anything, so there is no need to be pissy about whatever it is you think you see

I'm pissy because all the data was provided above, in the prior post, with a CLOSE-UP even. If you can't see the tail light misalignment, I don't know what to tell you?

 

[VikH]

Seems like the new HW4 cameras may actually be 2 cameras+another sensor. Legacy reaper is calling.

https://www.reddit.com/r/teslamotors/comments/11m64ks