Charge port door not flush? Am I crazy here?

[BMWLover]

Is the charge port door supposed to sit this way? I already took it to service because:

1. Charge port door wasn't sitting flush/closing all the way
2. My app showed charge port door was open even when it wasn't

They replaced my charge port door, and the app no longer shows it as open when it's closed, but I still see that there's an alignment issue. Does yours sit this way too, or is mine clearly misaligned and not closing flush? I've included pics of the same area on the back right taillight for comparison as well.

PS I have already searched the forums about charge port door issues. All I found were threads discussing point number 2 above, which has been fixed after replacement.

 

[azred]

Is the charge port door supposed to sit this way? I already took it to service because:

1. Charge port door wasn't sitting flush/closing all the way
2. My app showed charge port door was open even when it wasn't

They replaced my charge port door, and the app no longer shows it as open when it's closed, but I still see that there's an alignment issue. Does yours sit this way too, or is mine clearly misaligned and not closing flush? I've included pics of the same area on the back right taillight for comparison as well.

PS I have already searched the forums about charge port door issues. All I found were threads discussing point number 2 above, which has been fixed after replacement.

Our car had several alignment issues but the charge port door looked ok to me.

When we sold our Porsche 911/993 a year ago, its value was increasing rapidly and far exceeded its successor model 911/996. Some people said it was the change from air cooling to water. Some said it was major mechanical failures on the 996. Others said it was more about the quality, especially that the 996 was mostly robot built and the 993 had more hands on it. Now here we are with cars that all seem to be built differently. Either the robots are flaky or lots of hands are involved. It’s interesting that we’d probably be happier with robots assembling our 3’s when the opposite was true with my 993. I guess the difference is the care taken by those hands. I wonder if Tesla even has anyone looking over the finished products before shipping them.

 

[Eugjunk]

I have the same problem.

See attached.

Did you call Tesla? I have an email in to them.

 

[MilSpec]

Every Model 3 has this issue. A gasket underneath causes it to stick out. Service center will tell you it’s within spec.

 

[Eugjunk]

Doesn’t water get in when it rains or during a car wash?

 

[Coeus]

Every Model 3 has this issue. A gasket underneath causes it to stick out. Service center will tell you it’s within spec.

Yup. I was told this by my SC. Spec is apparently 2mm with an allowable range up to 5mm or something like that.

 

[ergela]

Same issue here, also told 2mm range.

 

[BMWLover]

Agree with above posters; it's a quality/build issue that is present on all Model 3s. First time around the service center replaced my charge port door, second visit to SC and they just said, "it's within spec." That translates to, "Sorry, this is how they're building them and we don't have a fix now." Hopefully with enough of these, Tesla now knows and will make adjustments to the build process?

 

[Eugjunk]

An update. I called Tesla. They are coming out to replace the chargeport door. Apparently they could see there were issues within the car's database? I hope it gets fixed. Will update.

 

[yumpoke]

I have the same problem. I showed it to a service rep a week after getting the car. He then agreed it wasn't right and he ordered a charge door replacement. After they got the part, I dropped off the car this week. While in service the same service rep who had agreed it wasn't right calls me telling me that it's within specs, that it's supposed to be that way to allow the door to be pressed on, and that they are not changing it :-(

 

[slipnslider]

Charge port obviously has some problems thus far. I hope they completely redesign it with much more durable parts. The first time I touched it I was shocked at how flimsy and cheap it felt. Like a plastic child's toy. This is a part that is going to be operated thousands of times and exposed to all sorts of brutal elements. It needs to be built like a tank. Otherwise the charge port will be for the Model 3 what the motorized door handles were for the Model S - something that everyone can count on breaking at some point.

 

[steven415]

push in the gaskets that around the charge port. Pound it in a little and it looks flush.

 

[Dan_LA]

I have the same problem. I showed it to a service rep a week after getting the car. He then agreed it wasn't right and he ordered a charge door replacement. After they got the part, I dropped off the car this week. While in service the same service rep who had agreed it wasn't right calls me telling me that it's within specs, that it's supposed to be that way to allow the door to be pressed on, and that they are not changing it :-(

isn't automatically if used with Tesla chargers? I wouldn't like pressing a charger door fi was made with motor to open and close automatically. To me that's already worth to get the Tesla Wall charger.

 

[supernoman]

I also complained about the charge port on delivery and a follow up service visit except with my service visit, I said it was the taillight that needed adjusting to match the charge port more. They did make it better but not within my expectations...oh wells. I tried.

 

[MVuu]

Same here. Charge port wasn’t flush but rep said it was within specs. Oh well..M3 is still awesome.

 

[valakos]

I am wondering what sort of person you have to be to notice something like this

 

[T34ME]

I have a 2012 Prius Plug-In with a separate charge port door. It is completely manual with no electric motor to open and close. You can open the gas door remotely from the interior, but not the charge port door. The charge port door requires a push to open and then you have to close it manually. The charge port door sits absolutely flush with the surrounding body panels when shut.

It appears that Tesla has added complexity to fit and finish with an automated, electric motor operated, remotely activated charge port door to give the appearance of a "luxury" vehicle. Just imagine the criticism Tesla would have endured had they put a manually operated charge port door like the Prius on a "$60,000 car", not realizing that a 2012 Prius Plug-In had a $40,000 sticker price with about 1% of the technology of a 2018 model 3. The outcry of model 3 owners especially in cold winter climates that had to endure manually opening/closing the charge port door would have been deafening. What do people want, simple manual operation with fewer problems or complicated automation with more problems? Remember, that model 3 automated charge door will be on the $35,000 base car too. The model 3 is far from a "luxury" car when priced in the middle of medium priced cars - those high priced technology features and options do add up with additional potential problems!

 

[gtmotor]

I am wondering what sort of person you have to be to notice something like this

Very detail oriented. A post on a different forum said there is a mechanical adjustment for the door. I'll try it out tonight and will report back.

 

[S3XY]

Very detail oriented. A post on a different forum said there is a mechanical adjustment for the door. I'll try it out tonight and will report back.

If you can't post it here can you please PM me a link to that thread?

 

[gtmotor]

It was for a Model S not the 3 I didn't see an easy way to adjust the door unfortunately.