APPALLING quality control; alignment!

[Deutsch100]

I have had my new 2021 Model Y Performance for about 2 weeks. The day I drove it out of the delivery center in Burbank, CA I noticed the steering wheel was slightly cocked to the right. I kept telling myself I was being too picky and to live with it, but I knew I could not (OCD not in control )

If I would center my steering wheel, my car would begin to pull left. If I let go of the steering wheel, my car would begin to pull right so badly that the lane departure warning and lane assist would activate.

Tesla would ONLY cover alignment for the first 100 miles. What total B.S. is this? I mean the drive home on delivery day was almost 50 miles alone. 100 miles is nothing.

Today I called our fav tire and repair shop in Woodland Hills, CA (great family owned shop since 1953). They said the alignment was SO bad, that I would have been needing tires very soon. The alignment technician said he had never, ever seen a brand new car so badly out of alignment.

Steering wheel is now perfect centered, and my new Y no longer pulls to the right!

We go through a lot of cars, and we have never had to have a brand new car with now 450 miles aligned. It should never have left the factory like this. Gross!

On a positive note, the technician said he has never seen a paint job on a Tesla more perfect than mine

 

[glide]

I have had my new 2021 Model Y Performance for about 2 weeks. The day I drove it out of the delivery center in Burbank, CA I noticed the steering wheel was slightly cocked to the right. I kept telling myself I was being too picky and to live with it, but I knew I could not (OCD not in control )

If I would center my steering wheel, my car would begin to pull left. If I let go of the steering wheel, my car would begin to pull right so badly that the lane departure warning and lane assist would activate.

Tesla would ONLY cover alignment for the first 100 miles. What total B.S. is this? I mean the drive home on delivery day was almost 50 miles alone. 100 miles is nothing.

Today I called our fav tire and repair shop in Woodland Hills, CA (great family owned shop since 1953). They said the alignment was SO bad, that I would have been needing tires very soon. The alignment technician said he had never, ever seen a brand new car so badly out of alignment.

Steering wheel is now perfect centered, and my new Y no longer pulls to the right!

We go through a lot of cars, and we have never had to have a brand new car with now 450 miles aligned. It should never have left the factory like this. Gross!

On a positive note, the technician said he has never seen a paint job on a Tesla more perfect than mine

I’m convinced they don’t deliver any vehicles properly aligned.

3 out of the 3 Tesla’s I have owned needed an alignment immediately after delivery.

 

[Pianewman]

My MY alignment was perfect from delivery.
Both my 2012 and 2014 VW Passats required alignments within 100 miles. They were both $35k cars...in 2012 and 2014.
My 2014 Toyota Avalon Hybrid needed an alignment to keep it from "wandering" while trying to drive straight.

YMMV.

 

[Megatron3000]

My MY also needed an alignment shortly after delivery. I don’t recall the milage, but I’m pretty sure I had more than 100 miles on the odometer. It was covered at no cost by the SC.

 

[AlexHung]

Tesla would ONLY cover alignment for the first 100 miles. What total B.S. is this? I mean the drive home on delivery day was almost 50 miles alone. 100 miles is nothing.

Mine is pointed to the right on delivery too. And my drive home is 40+ miles. But guess what? The delivery person very clearly and explicitly told me that any warranty issues need to be reported within 100 miles. So I opened a service appointment once I got home for the wheel realignment. Then a separate appointment for other very minor interior issues. All of them were handled with no charge.

 

[mark95476]

Yup. I bet the SC wouldn't actually charge for the alignment.

We had an another owner report worn front tires due to a bad alignment. He needed to buy new tires, unfortunately, but Tesla waived the alignment charge and that was after thousands of miles.

My alignment was perfect. >1 year and ~11k miles.

My MY also needed an alignment shortly after delivery. I don’t recall the milage, but I’m pretty sure I had more than 100 miles on the odometer. It was covered at no cost by the SC.

 

[Deutsch100]

Mine is pointed to the right on delivery too. And my drive home is 40+ miles. But guess what? The delivery person very clearly and explicitly told me that any warranty issues need to be reported within 100 miles. So I opened a service appointment once I got home for the wheel realignment. Then a separate appointment for other very minor interior issues. All of them were handled with no charge.

But, I mean...c'mon. The car has a 4 year/50,000 mile warranty and you have to report warranty issues in the first 100 miles? So many issues pop up in the first 3 months, the not first 100 miles!

I have been primarily with BMW, Porsche and Range Rover for the past 25 years, and so far I am shocked with Tesla customer service and build quality! I love the way my new Y Performance accelerates and the A/C is excellent, and the giant touch screen is incredibly responsive...but the fans/pumps humming and buzzing noise I have when stopped drives me nuts, this alignment issue, a few not great fitting exterior trim pieces I have decided to live with (they could be worse, and since I have seen worse...I won't bother Service possibly making something worse) and a driver door panel rattle (I have located the cause, but only semi fixed it)....Tesla really needs to up their game. Also, I have been 100% unable to call Tesla or even Tesla Financial for questions. Not cool!

 

[AlexHung]

But, I mean...c'mon. The car has a 4 year/50,000 mile warranty and you have to report warranty issues in the first 100 miles? So many issues pop up in the first 3 months, the not first 100 miles!

I have been primarily with BMW, Porsche and Range Rover for the past 25 years, and so far I am shocked with Tesla customer service and build quality! I love the way my new Y Performance accelerates and the A/C is excellent, and the giant touch screen is incredibly responsive...but the fans/pumps humming and buzzing noise I have when stopped drives me nuts, this alignment issue, a few not great fitting exterior trim pieces I have decided to live with (they could be worse, and since I have seen worse...I won't bother Service possibly making something worse) and a driver door panel rattle (I have located the cause, but only semi fixed it)....Tesla really needs to up their game. Also, I have been 100% unable to call Tesla or even Tesla Financial for questions. Not cool!

My mistake. “Warranty” is not the right word. I meant “delivery” issues.

 

[PackMan730]

I never bought a car and had to align the wheels right away. Sounds crazy to have to do that. Do you live near bad roads? I'm going to pickup in Burbank as well. The thought of having to align a brand new car is ridiculous.

 

[s14roller]

While I understand your frustration, after driving 100 miles anything could have happened to the alignment. As such, once it was pulling I would have flagged it for repair

 

[Mixman]

I have had my new 2021 Model Y Performance for about 2 weeks. The day I drove it out of the delivery center in Burbank, CA I noticed the steering wheel was slightly cocked to the right. I kept telling myself I was being too picky and to live with it, but I knew I could not (OCD not in control )

If I would center my steering wheel, my car would begin to pull left. If I let go of the steering wheel, my car would begin to pull right so badly that the lane departure warning and lane assist would activate.

Tesla would ONLY cover alignment for the first 100 miles. What total B.S. is this? I mean the drive home on delivery day was almost 50 miles alone. 100 miles is nothing.

Today I called our fav tire and repair shop in Woodland Hills, CA (great family owned shop since 1953). They said the alignment was SO bad, that I would have been needing tires very soon. The alignment technician said he had never, ever seen a brand new car so badly out of alignment.

Steering wheel is now perfect centered, and my new Y no longer pulls to the right!

We go through a lot of cars, and we have never had to have a brand new car with now 450 miles aligned. It should never have left the factory like this. Gross!

On a positive note, the technician said he has never seen a paint job on a Tesla more perfect than mine

Well the exact thing happened to me. My steering wheel was off center. I noticed it the day of delivery. I made an appointment and two weeks later went to the SC. They fixed it while I waited, free of charge. My steering wheel is now straight, no issues.

 

[RSpanner]

But, I mean...c'mon. The car has a 4 year/50,000 mile warranty and you have to report warranty issues in the first 100 miles? So many issues pop up in the first 3 months, the not first 100 miles!

I have been primarily with BMW, Porsche and Range Rover for the past 25 years, and so far I am shocked with Tesla customer service and build quality! I love the way my new Y Performance accelerates and the A/C is excellent, and the giant touch screen is incredibly responsive...but the fans/pumps humming and buzzing noise I have when stopped drives me nuts, this alignment issue, a few not great fitting exterior trim pieces I have decided to live with (they could be worse, and since I have seen worse...I won't bother Service possibly making something worse) and a driver door panel rattle (I have located the cause, but only semi fixed it)....Tesla really needs to up their game. Also, I have been 100% unable to call Tesla or even Tesla Financial for questions. Not cool!

Good Gawd...we are picking up our 3 next week and as an Audi owner for years I am getting an uncomfortale lower pain reading the^. Was in the queue for the id.4 awd, but April was too long to wait. VW has massive issues, say it aint so for Tesla...

 

[Deutsch100]

I never bought a car and had to align the wheels right away. Sounds crazy to have to do that. Do you live near bad roads? I'm going to pickup in Burbank as well. The thought of having to align a brand new car is ridiculous.

No bad roads...Calabasas (Beverly Hills of the SFV essentially, LOL). If you read the other replies to this thread, I am not alone in having to have a full alignment on a brand new Tesla. I am glad I went with my gut, and did not just live with the off centered steering wheel and pull to the right. My spouse and I are total car nuts and we go thru cars like clean underwear I knew something was not right. Very disappointed that Tesla wanted me to wait 4 weeks for an appt and then want to charge me.

 

[Deutsch100]

Good Gawd...we are picking up our 3 next week and as an Audi owner for years I am getting an uncomfortale lower pain reading the^. Was in the queue for the id.4 awd, but April was too long to wait. VW has massive issues, say it aint so for Tesla...

I test drove the id.4 before I ordered my Model Y. Our local dealer in Woodland Hills, CA had at least 10 in stock & fully loaded and 3 colours I liked. With $0 down, the payment would have been $200 less a month than the Y Performance (same terms; 36 months with 12k miles a year). The id.4 drove ok, but felt very heavy and was kind of sluggish and slow, but what made me walk away form the VW was the Air Cond. Granted it was 105F outside, but even on a 20 min test drive, with the A/C set to MAX, the car would not cool down. When I returned to the dealer after the test drive and told the sales lady how hot the car was the & A/C would not cool the cabin down...she replied that this is the main complaint and several people she had test drive the id.4 said they could not deal with the weak and not cold A/C.

 

[IChillinz]

Good Gawd...we are picking up our 3 next week and as an Audi owner for years I am getting an uncomfortale lower pain reading the^. Was in the queue for the id.4 awd, but April was too long to wait. VW has massive issues, say it aint so for Tesla...

Luck of draw. just watch it when you drive it home. Turn around if you notice issues. I will say this. Mine is great no issues at all. Smile every time I drive it. 10K on it and tires look and drive new yet.


Reminds me how when I go to buy something I try and read reviews. But every time I do I never want to to but what I looked at because out of the thousands or more products sold you see the complaints of the few that are grumbled for getting a defective product. Happens everywhere.

 

[Dave EV]

Today I called our fav tire and repair shop in Woodland Hills, CA (great family owned shop since 1953). They said the alignment was SO bad, that I would have been needing tires very soon. The alignment technician said he had never, ever seen a brand new car so badly out of alignment.

Steering wheel is now perfect centered, and my new Y no longer pulls to the right!

Happen to have a before/after printout of the alignment?

 

[importriders]

Same issue here with my MY, alignment off at delivery. Steering wheel was clocked about 5 degrees to the right when car was pointed straight. Also very disappointed in Tesla QC, by far the worst of any car I’ve owned but I‘ll deal with it because it’s a Tesla.

 

[Pianewman]

I never bought a car and had to align the wheels right away. Sounds crazy to have to do that. Do you live near bad roads? I'm going to pickup in Burbank as well. The thought of having to align a brand new car is ridiculous

...and...every single car I've owned, I have taken to a legit alignment shop after purchase. Probably 50% needed the alignment tweaked...VAG, Cadillac, Toyota, Ford, Honda, Nissan.

Just because your steering wheel is centered does NOT mean your wheels are properly aligned. Seriously. $120 after purchasing a $20-60k car (my list above). It's CHEAP insurance to maximize tire tread life.

 

[Deutsch100]

Happen to have a before/after printout of the alignment?

The shop said they usually do not give printouts of the alignment, but made a copy for me in case I want to fight with Tesla. But since one cannot call a Service Center (app only) and if you try to call the toll free number for Tesla...they tell you to visit Tesla.com. Luckily I got it aligned perfectly for $75, and while I should not have had to do this...the time, frustration and anger I would spend would end up for sure costing me way more than $75.

People buying a Tesla for the first time (like me), just NEED to realize Tesla has essentially zero customer service, and you will not be treated well like with BMW, Porsche, MBZ, Lexus, Audi, Range Rover, Volvo, Jaguar, Acura, Infiniti, Genesis.....

 

[Pianewman]

^^^^HAHAHAHAHA! How many stories, first-hand, would you like about shitty customer service from: VAG, Audi, Honda, Ford, even Toyota????

Customer service is, IMO, usually a local issue.