My Model 3 front roof glass cracked Sunday, October 7, afternoon while I was driving it. My son on the back seat noticed a half inch crack first and the small crack grew into a big one within an hour. I emailed two photos of the crack to Tesla Service Center in Santa Clara and brought my car there with an appointment on November 2. I was told by Jerome that I need to pay $1,300 + tax to fix it. But he did not give me a written quote for this fix. Is this a Tesla common practice? I don't believe the crack was due to external impact. Even if it was caused by a tiny external impact, Tesla should still cover the roof replacement under warranty because the roof is supposed to be strong enough to take on tiny impacts as part of normal wear and tear. Attached please find two photos of the crack.
I wrote to Jennifer at this Service Center and ask if I can have a second independent check on the crack. She said no. Four months later when I went to this Service Center March 28 to check my car tire. I asked if I can have the crack re-examined but I was told to make another appointment. This is an extremely frustrating experience to me. I am quite disappointed by Tesla's handling of this crack. I regret that I paid Tesla for Full Self Driving that I have not received yet. I could have used that money to pay for crack repair. How can I contact Tesla managers about it? I would also let potential customer know the roof can crack easily on social media. I would appreciate any suggestions from you. Thanks!
Crack Front Roof
- Thread starter camp
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sreams
Member
Why would you need Tesla's permission to get a second opinion? Go get it, and then challenge them with that information. Looks to me like a stress crack from your images, which should be on Tesla. This isn't the first one.
I'd say try emailing your preferred service center these photos first. If that fails, I'd try another service center. As a last resort, try escalating it from within your myTesla page.
I had a similar problem on my car (<20k vin) which was covered by Tesla under warranty (link). Your camera angle isn't ideal in the photos - maybe also try taking a couple of zoomed out pictures to help the SC folks understand where the crack may have started. My guess (based on your two pictures - which show similarities with the cracks I had on my glass roof), is that it looks like a defective roof part and not an impact fracture (not Tesla responsibility). I'm a bit unsure why you waited 4 months, but it's still worth checking with Tesla directly.
Based on my experiences with 3 third-party Tesla certified body shops in my city (for a different but minor body shop repair), I can say I trust Tesla 100x any of those third party shops, most of whom would love to take an x-ray machine to your pocket to know how much they can make from you... but YMMV.
I had a similar problem on my car (<20k vin) which was covered by Tesla under warranty (link). Your camera angle isn't ideal in the photos - maybe also try taking a couple of zoomed out pictures to help the SC folks understand where the crack may have started. My guess (based on your two pictures - which show similarities with the cracks I had on my glass roof), is that it looks like a defective roof part and not an impact fracture (not Tesla responsibility). I'm a bit unsure why you waited 4 months, but it's still worth checking with Tesla directly.
Based on my experiences with 3 third-party Tesla certified body shops in my city (for a different but minor body shop repair), I can say I trust Tesla 100x any of those third party shops, most of whom would love to take an x-ray machine to your pocket to know how much they can make from you... but YMMV.
- if your car has less than 36,000 miles - you should be under full factory warranty -- bumper to bumper... i.e. everything
- you must be able to prove you didn't cause the break
- Call your service center. Hopefully you won't have to argue much.
- IMO - if your car is still under full warranty, and you didn't cause it -- Tesla should cover it.
- If Tesla won't cover it -- see if they will meet you in the middle, and give you a price break.
- Otherwise...that really friggen sucks.
C141medic
Active Member
From the pictures it looks like a stress crack. Definitely get a second or third opinion if necessary. Go to Safelite, another Tesla SC, and an independent auto glass shop and get written opinions/estimates. If it is indeed stress related don’t let the SC try to screw you out of warranty repairs.
You can try to get a "second opinion" from another Tesla service station, or a Tesla-approved body shop.
That's probably unrealistic.
Roof is glass, which comes with its own strengths (transparent) an weaknesses (brittle, poor temperature insulation).
It's ability to withstand external rock-hits is not much greater than that of the windshield. You will not find any automaker offering free windshield replacement due to rock/debris impacts. Tesla will apply a similar standard to the roof.
However, it should be easy to see if an external hit caused the crack or not. An impact crater inline with the crack would be the dead give-away.
I'm conflicted about your post.
On one hand I feel your pain, as the cracked roof sounds like a raw deal. Especially if it wasn't caused by a rock hit.
As a fellow TM3 owner, I would like to see you get maximum good will and attention from Tesla.
On the other hand, your approach to managing the situation is pretty confrontational and is close to being unreasonable.
You have buyer's regret about paying for FSD vaporware. That's not uncommon, but has nothing to do with the cracked glass roof. Compounding the two issues will buy you no favors or sympathy.
I would work on establishing, for a fact, whether or not your crack was caused by an object, or not.
If yes, consider filing a comprehensive claim with your insurance if paying out of pocket bites.
If not, consider escalating to other Tesla service centers, armed with the facts on hand.
Good luck
a
Being a lawyer, my approach is if my glass cracks not due to external impact, then it's under warranty. You fix it or you get a class action suit shoved down your throat. You have exactly 60 seconds to decide.
I have zero tolerance for shop bs.
I have zero tolerance for shop bs.
Leafdriver333
Somewhat Active Member
I need to get me some fake lawyer business cards. It sounds like being a lawyer has some perks that goes along.
It is all about detecting an impact. If they can, you or your insurance pay, if not, Tesla does. I know too well it sucks. Hopefully it will end up well for you.
Not necessarily.
Glass panel is a structural member of the roof; the same goes for the front windshield. As long as it was glued on properly, it should last forever, or until something hits it hard.
What sometimes happens with these panels is if the glue was not mixed or applied uniformly, it will create a stress point that channel chassis torsion forces to specific spot on the panel, instead of spreading them across the entire perimeter of the bond. Similarly, if the panel was glued while the chassis was not sitting perfectly horizontal (e.g.: wheel was jacked up to work on something else, parked on a 2x4, moved before glue set, etc), the panel's glue will set in a way that keeps it permanently under stress when the chassis is put back down on the horizontal ground. In that case, a relatively minor impact that would have had no effect on a properly glued glass panel/windshield, will crack the ones that were glued to a pre-stressed chassis.
This used to be a semi-widespread problem when automakers first started bonding windshields to the cars in the 90s (as opposed to installing them into flexible rubber gaskets). They learned, and the problem went away.
Tesla is still learning.
a
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Interesting information, thanks, but Tesla is learning and the customer is paying...Not necessarily.
Glass panel is a structural member of the roof; the same goes for the front windshield. As long as it was glued on properly, it should last forever, or until something hits it hard.
What sometimes happens with these panels is if the glue was not mixed or applied uniformly, it will create stress point that channel chassis tortion forces to specific spots on the panel, instead of spreading them across the entire perimeter of the bond. Similarly, if the panel was glued while the chassis was not sitting perfectly horizontal (e.g.: wheel was jacked up to work on something else, parked on a 2x4, moved before glue set, etc, the panel's glue will set in a way that keeps it permanently under stress when the chassis is put back down on the horizontal ground. In that case, a relatively minor impact that would have had no effect on a properly glued glass panel/windshield, will crack the ones that were glued to a pre-stressed chassis.
This used to be a semi-widespread problem when automakers first started bonding windshields to the cars in the 90s (as opposed to installing them into flexible rubber gaskets). They learned, and the problem went away.
Tesla is still learning.
a
C141medic
Active Member
fajitamondays
Supporting Member
Oh boy. I'm dreading my next SC appointment where I am having them look at a similar issue on my rear glass. I think some people have had luck getting Tesla to warranty the repair? See: Replacing Rear Glass after Stress Crack Formed
Edit: The Tesla new vehicle warranty says it will cover defective glass. Not sure how we go about proving that? It seems a reasonable service manager would give the customer the benefit of the doubt.
Edit: The Tesla new vehicle warranty says it will cover defective glass. Not sure how we go about proving that? It seems a reasonable service manager would give the customer the benefit of the doubt.
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