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Build quality

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I too found no issues. Picked up March 7th. The Service Centre was very busy that day (almost 40 deliveries), and our car was parked outside. My wife and I took a good half hour to inspect the outside, and while we were waiting for the plates off my trade-in to be removed, we also went over the inside. We're ecstatic over the fit and finish, and compared to a 2018 that I rented on Turo back then, this was far better.
 
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So as for delivery ... I'm not being a Tesla apologist, but it's important to keep in mind what we're working with here. It's a company that has a single factory (for the moment) pumping out as many possible cars as they can. And those vehicles are in extremely high demand - they can't build enough. There is no real "inventory" to manage, per se. It rolls off the line, gets onto a truck, train or ship, and gets on its way towards where it's needed.

Believe it or not, you're not matched up with the actual vehicle itself until after it's built.

BMW is very different - your car is allocated and tracked all the way through the factory (I got to tour the Greenville SC BMW plant a few years ago ...). So at any given point in time, they know Bill Smith's car is currently at the right door installation station, or whatever.

Not so with Tesla - they build cars in batches, and once one meeting your specs is available, they "assign" that VIN to you. That can - and sometimes does - change.

The upside is that this "build in batches and match people to VINs later" system maximizes plant efficiency and output. Unfortunately, the downside is that it adds some uncertainty to the "final mile" process. And that stinks when you're the one on the receiving end.

Thing is - until they're in balance between supply and demand, I don't see that system changing. The key is to maximize every single possible frame coming out of that factory, since they need 'em all.

That's also why I think the factory in Shanghai is initially going to be more efficient... they'll incorporate all the changes that they know are needed at Fremont, but can't afford the downtime to implement.

Anywho - the delivery process is a pain for a week or two, but the car continues to deliver day in and day out for many years. You've never driven a car before that's better the SECOND day you own it than the first. That's completely revolutionary!

Just for fun, and to keep you excited, here's a quick list of some of the things that my car does now, that it didn't do when I picked it up in April... looking forward to seeing YOUR list like this, next year!

• Dog mode
• Geofenced mirror folding
• Stop light detection
• Sentry Mode
• Games out the ass - everything from Breakout to Chess to Cuphead
• Emergency lane departure correction
• Faster charging at Superchargers
• Netflix/Hulu/Youtube
• Spotify
• Smart Summon (eh, maybe not so smart... LOL)
• Full one-pedal driving
• Automatic wipers - massive improvement there
• New voice commands
• Linking driver profiles to individual keys
• Dashcam - added rear camera
• Camp Mode
• Scheduled departures (i.e. have the car fully charged and warmed to leave at 7am)
• Auto navigation - it knows you commute at 7am, so sets that route automatically
• 5% more motor performance
• ... a bunch more stuff I've forgotten


Yes. What people don't get is that with Tesla when you "order" or "build" a "custom" car, it's not. All you are saying is that you'll wait for a car with that specific configuration to come off the line. Who knows when that would be, no one does. When a config like the one you want rolls off the line, you will be matched with it after the other people in front of you that wanted the same config. Tesla is not building a car for you like the other auto makers. The traditional dealer would put in an order for your specific car to be built, once the factory gets the order, they build a car that's for you so that's why they can track it.

Ordered mine in first week of June. Got paired up with an inventory car that just came off the line and was put in to inventory. The car is pretty much perfect so far. The paint quality was better than I expected after hearing all the horror stories. Certain places that I didn't expect to have been painted were painted! No gap issues, minor alignment issue with a trim piece.
 
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Took delivery of 2020 M3P yesterday. Lower rocker panel plastic trim was a bit loose on both sides, spoiler fitment isn’t perfect, and I have some wonky weather stripping on the rear driver door but other than those the quality was much better than I was expecting.
 
Took delivery of 2020 M3P yesterday. Lower rocker panel plastic trim was a bit loose on both sides, spoiler fitment isn’t perfect, and I have some wonky weather stripping on the rear driver door but other than those the quality was much better than I was expecting.

If you read this forum, you’ll think the cars are just falling apart. It’s not the case at all. They’re not perfect, but they’re not junk either.

It’s a $35k car at its heart. Always have to remember that - we’re not talking about a hand built Rolls here.
 
If you read this forum, you’ll think the cars are just falling apart. It’s not the case at all. They’re not perfect, but they’re not junk either.

It’s a $35k car at its heart. Always have to remember that - we’re not talking about a hand built Rolls here.
A $35k used car, at heart.

No one is expecting Rolls. They’re expecting at least the quality found in new $35k cars. That’s often not the case in regards to fit and finish, service, and increasingly in build quality. Like most CPO cars, that doesn’t mean it’s junk. It means you’re paying for a new drivetrain technology more than you are a the qualities we associate with a new car.

Hopefully this improves as Tesla focuses on the machine that builds the machine, including specifically designed Giga Factories. But a lot of this isn’t due to manufacturing limitations as much as it is intentional cost reallocation to the consumer.
 
I got the 2020 LR M3 on nov 2019 with auto pilot option.
Car died on march 2020 right when covid started, driving along the highway near NJ Paramus Tesla dealer, rear motor burned, had to tow to the dealer that was closed, took 14 days to get the car back which was surprisingly quick given that everything was shut down.
I had german cars before this and I must say in terms of build quality, this is reminds me of my friends Saturn built by Chevy back in the days, its piece of junk with some amazing bits of technology, its the loudest car I have owned, I put rubber seals along the doors and another one on top and around of the front ceiling glass, no use, its simply annoyingly loud.
it drives fine, but the range is no way near advertised, so, I tell people, think you're going to get about 70% of what's advertised at best. I know some people will argue this, but, I can't put my family in this car and consider that I will get any more than 70% of what the available miles shown to me.
I like Tesla as a company and what its doing, I hate their quality in their cars for the price they charge, I appreciate that the charging network they have, but it also has issues, almost all places I try to charge, there are broken stall or two, so, it increases the wait and charge times.
Also, not being able to reach someone to speak for a problem that may not be available on the app is just unacceptable. They call you if they decide that it requires a conversation.
I do charge mostly at home, so, my next ev will probably be another brand, I am curious as to how they hold up with their range and build quality.
Oh, also, waiting over 2 years now for a $7000 option that I paid for from the get-go is just plain rip off.
Like I said, I like Tesla as a company, I also am invested in shares, but, as far as autos, they're not for me, maybe their satellite internet is a better gadget that actually works 100%. Lol.
Cheers
 
My 1/18 LR rwd vin 41xx has been perfect. I usually have stereo up, so don’t notice noise. After 4years had to replace batteries and eats tires. I easily make range but temps mild here, and I don’t blast off every intersection. Mine gets all its energy from my solar system, so free to drive. I like Tesla because all they build is electric cars.
 
Our 2022 LR had a completely dead passenger headlight assembly (turn signal, headlights, etc) and mis-alignment in the front passenger bumper. I was initially worried as the first service appointment I could get on the app was for 3+ weeks, but after talking to a rep they said just go directly to the service center and they'll take care of the headlight which they did. Honestly I can't see how that could past even the most rudimentary quality control checks. But the car has been fun otherwise.
 
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Our 2022 LR had a completely dead passenger headlight assembly (turn signal, headlights, etc) and mis-alignment in the front passenger bumper. I was initially worried as the first service appointment I could get on the app was for 3+ weeks, but after talking to a rep they said just go directly to the service center and they'll take care of the headlight which they did. Honestly I can't see how that could past even the most rudimentary quality control checks. But the car has been fun otherwise.
Maybe someone can post proof that Tesla performs even a rudimentary form of QC but given the condition of some of the cars delivered I would wager that Tesla likely does some sort of simple software scan to look for errors and if it passes the vehicles go right from the assembly line loading on trucks without any physical checks performed.
 
Are the signature LEDs down at the bottom edge of the headlight assembly still a thing in 2022? I notice that neither headlight assembly in my 2022 Model 3 seems to have working signature lights though it looks like the LEDs might still be there...

I also notice that on my new 2022 Model 3 the charge port door does not open when I tap it (when the car is unlocked and awake). That's always how I opened it on my old 2018 because I use a 3rd party EVSE (charger) so I can't use the button on the Tesla brand charger. Is this supposed to still work on newer cars?

My 2022 isn't perfect but its initial quality is much, MUCH better than my 2018 was. My 2018 was a large collection of annoying rattles and noises on delivery. Tesla service did fix almost all of them but I did not like hearing about how somehow my car came from the factory missing insulation and fasteners in several places around the cabin. I do respect the service centers for being honest and telling me about those things though.

As far as my 2022 goes I did hear a low rattle from the climate vent when the fan was on the first day but it seems that may have gone away on its own. Panel gaps and alignment still are not as good as other luxury brands but they are definitely better than they were in the early 2017-2018 days. Paint also seems much improved to my eye. I inspected scores of other Model 3s when I picked up my 2022 last week because I had hours to kill while waiting, and I also inspected scores of Model 3s back in December 2017 because I wanted to check them out and I managed to spend a long time in their delivery center parking lot before being asked to leave. So from the many cars I've inspected I can definitely say things are much better now than they were then but are still not perfect.
 
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Just a general question about members and some of their post. Some members seem to be constantly giving negative comments about Tesla's on multiple subjects. Noticed some of this on the build quality discussion.

Question is, do members of this forum even have to own a Tesla or have one on order to participate? Not saying it should be a requirement, but certainly would explain some of the negativity we see from some.

Model 3 Owners club Forum list what car you have, this site does not.
 
no one knows who has what on this forum so take anything you read with a grain of salt.

ive seen what looks like to me to be troll accounts based on their log in, what they discuss, how they react to other posts, etc. so these people exist on al forums, so yes of course people who dont have the car can post here . its not a requirement.
 
@jwharnish This is the internet, mate. Take from that what you will. I don't take any one person's word as gospel. If a trend does occur, I often take more notice of it. This forum in particular is a good balance of positive and negative discussion from what I've seen. That is pretty rare on an internet forum.
Mate? I live in AZ, not NZ. Been there though, neat place.

I agree with the mix, there just seems to be a few trolls (is that the correct word?) on this site that do not like the cars the Forum is about. Once you realize that, you know who to take serious and who not too.
 
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