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2021 Model 3 Problems

Discussion in 'Model 3' started by travesty, Feb 11, 2021.

  1. travesty

    travesty Member

    Joined:
    Dec 9, 2020
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    VA
    I did take a picture of the spinning camera and submitted with the service request. They still wrote it up with camera obstructed, could not duplicate problem. I personally think it has less to do with the camera and more to do with the other computer issues. We’ll see if it comes back.

    Edit: One thing the mobile tech pointed out different on the new computer was the USB port for the glove box. That port doesn’t exist on the pre-refresh computer.
     
    • Like x 1
  2. Cleo-n-Company

    Joined:
    Sep 23, 2020
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    Location:
    Sacramento CA
    If nothing else my friend - you seem to have more patience than me. So I'll give you a positive nod on that account.

    But for god sakes - remember that you spent 50K give or take on your Tesla - and what has gone on isn't OK.

    I'm not one of those people who treats his cars like they came from a Tiffany box - but Tesla shouldn't be putting it on your shoulders to seek out the right 3rd party vendors to fix their mistakes. Cray Cray - as my kid likes to say.
     
    • Like x 1
  3. Peteski

    Peteski Active Member

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    Makes my badly aligned bootlid and driver's door seem quite trivial. To be fair my 2021 car has at least been reliable so far.
     
  4. JayNJ

    JayNJ Member

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    Not sure how you get overspray on the windows since all painting is done before the glass is installed. Means they either did a respray already or do they actually parked finished cars too close to the paint shop?
     
  5. BB987777

    BB987777 Member

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    SF, CA
    you should have rejected the car in the first place with all that overspray.
     
  6. leonar40

    leonar40 Member

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    Jan 6, 2021
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    Location:
    Bloomington, IN
    Man, really sorry to hear about that. I almost waited for a 2021 but found a good deal on a 2018 and went with it. No issues since delivery so far so I feel like i got lucky. I hope you get it lined out soon!
     
  7. Needsdecaf

    Needsdecaf Member

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    Cars are often re-sprayed after production to correct defects or damage from shipping.
     
  8. Gasaraki

    Gasaraki Active Member

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    No. The car I got was perfect. No gap issues, no paint issues, no computer issues. The only "issue" was wind noise from the drivers side window and I adjusted that myself.

    Sorry you got a lemon.
     
  9. travesty

    travesty Member

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    It must have been overspray from another car, because the overspray was over the entire car.
     
    • Informative x 1
  10. travesty

    travesty Member

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    I wish I would have noticed it. It was really hard to see until the car was washed, and even then some may not have noticed. The windshield was more obvious, but mostly when wet.
     
  11. Fernand

    Fernand Active Member

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    FWIW, no. My late 2018 Model 3 was and is perfect. The day after I'd ordered it evening of 12/27/2018 they did all the loan and paperwork, then, in the evening of the 28th, a posse of Tesla kids delivered it to my house, then continued enthusiastically up the hill to drop off another two. The one defect, that I was willing to overlook, a sort of scratch in the glass by the trunk gasket, was removed by a dude at the Service Center with a razor blade when I brought it in for a $35 tire rotation: it was a bit of sealant.

    Your electronics stuff is being handled well, and will be OK. Sorry to hear of your difficult paint issues.
    .
     
  12. ThreeLR

    ThreeLR New Member

    Joined:
    Feb 28, 2021
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    Location:
    London
    Hi all - having read all the problems with the Model 3 i'm nervous about ordering one. We were planing on ordering a M3 LR this week... I have also read on some forums that the M3's produced in China have fewer quality related issues than those in Fremont. Are any of you able to shed any light on this ? I think the location of where a M3 is manufactured can be determined via the VIN... Many thanks for your help
     
  13. travesty

    travesty Member

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    I have seen a VIN breakdown before, but don’t have it handy. I’m sure a quick search will find it.

    I do believe most of the paint issues are due to the CA emissions restrictions. That, plus Tesla trying to squeeze as much production towards the end of the year. Between Tesla and SpaceX, I like to believe that failure is a learning game for Elon and company, and as long as they truly learn from the failures and make them right, I’m ok with them. I guess that is what has brought him and his companies to where they are today.

    I don’t think any (or most) of the other automotive manufacturers have the risk tolerance that Tesla does. It comes with the territory.

    Update on my situation: Tesla has authorized the car to be repainted. I should have my car back in a couple of weeks. While I’m not thrilled about an aftermarket paint job, I am friends with the owner of the dealership they are using to paint it, and it will likely have better paint on the car than most other US-beaded model 3’s.
     
  14. ThreeLR

    ThreeLR New Member

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    Will do some googling re VIN... thanks for your insights re CA emissions restrictions.
     
  15. travesty

    travesty Member

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    What color are you planning to order? My neighbor just ordered a white, and he found no paint issues. I’m also in a white ‘19 loaner, and both the loaner and his have what looks like PPF on the rocker panels. I’ve heard this is not actually PPF, but the rocker panels on this ‘19 are in WAY better shape than my black P. Some of that is likely because of the tires - the factory P tires are very sticky and throw rocks like crazy. On top of the thin paint, my rockers look like I hit a can of white paint, but I didn’t (and I have 1,700 miles on the car).

    I’m definitely doing PPF on the rockers as soon as I get it back from paint.
     
  16. Gauss Guzzler

    Gauss Guzzler Member

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    Old California
    That's a myth created by the anti-Earthers and perpetuated by wax salesmen.

    It's true that generations ago California led the promotion of (superior) HVLP spray guns and (superior) low VOC paints, forcing some ghetto body shop owners to spend a hundred bucks on a new gun (and proceed to bitch about it for the next 30 years). But automakers are mostly held to federal pollution standards, which are mostly the same in all developed nations, including China and Texas.

    Tesla's paint problems come and go depending on which Friday the car was built on and how fast they were rushing it thru the paint booth. In interviews Musk has even discussed the issues they've created by doing final assembly while the paint is still wet. Their rapid growth has them hitting one bottleneck after the next, and every so often that bottleneck is the paint booth.
     
  17. travesty

    travesty Member

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    Most may have been a bit too harsh. I think in order to comply with VOC standards, they are using a water based paint. While water based paints have come a long way from what I understand, they have much different properties when compared to the urethane enamels used on other cars. That, paired with Tesla trying to cut as many corners as possible to meet demand (external and internal), it went wrong.

    I think you are absolutely correct when you say it varies from one batch to another, not by accident, but due to Tesla continuing to [try to] perfect their production line.
     
  18. mswlogo

    mswlogo Well-Known Member

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    MA, NH
    It does seem like some bad luck here.
    I would push forward on a buy back too.

    Was it paint or clear coat overspray on the glass? Or something foreign?

    I’ve cleaned up the glass myself on 3 Tesla’s they all had a layer of “scum” on the glass. I had to Polish it off. Pretty easy once I used that to solve it. Nothing else would touch it. It was not always obvious there was a “scum”depending on the conditions, lighting etc it was clear something wasn’t right.

    I’ve clay barred before. I’m no expert but it seems really odd it did more harm than good. It’s a pretty gentle procedure.

    It feels to me the “overspray” issue took a minor problem and made it worse.

    What color is it? Let me guess, white.
     
  19. travesty

    travesty Member

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    Nope, color is black. That’s what made it so difficult to catch. On delivery, it was obviously “cleaned”, but it wasn’t clean. The last thing I wanted to do was run my hands over the paint full of dust, etc and scratch the paint. My overspray on the glass was like yours - I first noticed it because a sticker had obviously been razor blades off at some point - it was the only clean part of the windshield. Water and wipers made it worse. Tesla “cleaned” it the first time it was in, but the cleaner they used didn’t get it all off. I razor bladed the windshield with some speed detailed as lubricant which was much better. Then I realized it was on more than just the windshield.

    it seemed like black or dark paint overspray, and almost looked like metallic specs in the paint, but with a clean surface, you could tell it was sitting on top of the clear.

    Im no detailer even though I pretend to be sometimes. I’ve clay bar’d cars before, but as I understand there are different clays with more or less aggressiveness. They had to use a more aggressive clay, which caused some scratching in the clear that required paint correction after clay barring.

    The paint is already thin on Tesla’s, so there isn’t much to work with. I think they ran out of leeway to work through the etching.
     
    • Informative x 1
  20. Cleo-n-Company

    Joined:
    Sep 23, 2020
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    387
    Location:
    Sacramento CA
    I would consider the buy-back route at this point.

    Indeed... look at it this way. I believe the Tesla shop charge is about $190 an hour. Would be the same whether they were replacing your steering rack or day-dreaming during a diagnostic.

    How many hours has Tesla asked you to burn at this point - to make up for their foibles ?

    If you're up to 25 hours - I'd say Tesla owes you $4,750.
     

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