Can you tell more about the issues themselves? Maybe some pics? That would help folks give better advice.
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Delivery / Service Issues (panel gaps, delivery delays / issues / Service problems etc)
- Thread starter Protect1989
- Start date
Yeah will keep you update, my repair service appt is scheduled for July 7th, so hopefully they can fix it all then.
Yes, a fair point! I need to prepare the photos a bit later but some issues to mention:
Exterior:
- one door misalignment that causes side trim to look about 5mm missaligned
- frunk is missaligned causing the left front side of it to be about 4mm higher than the bumber part
- one door handle is sunk about 3mm
- lumbar support does not fully empty itself once filled for the first time (so it presses too heavily all the time)
Interior:
- passenger side roof pillar is misaligned and the seams is visible about 3mm
.. some extra info for start, I can make something more detailed later.
Added couple of pictures, frunk issue and door trim issue.
Attachments
I'm replying to the Window gap in the rear left by the trunk people talk about. I have this as well and it seems common, but this isn't normal. Friend of mine has 2021 M3 he got a few months ago, his window gap is perfect.
From looking at it much closer, the entire rear glass pieces is slightly shifted at an angle. The gap gets closer/smaller on the left by the roof frame/line, and I assume that means the front glass roof is also misaligned, because it is fairly straight the gap between the rear window and sun roof glass.
Seems like the only true fix is the ability to actually suction cup/lift both pieces of glass off, and put new sealing for both and replace/set the pieces back into place aligned.
This is clearly a QC/alignment and poor tolerance issue with the factory. As I mentioned, and another person noted looking at a bunch, not all have this, and my friends has perfect alignment on his.
I have a service appt to have them look at this, the center console/driver's side rubbing...and also a similar gap another person mentioned at the front bumper by the right headlight/frunk where it meets, slightly raised and gap is larger compared to other cars, left side of it...friends car again for comparison.
Will report back, I have an appt and see what they say/do about any of this. Grey car is my friends M3 right next to me at the charger at work as gap reference.
From looking at it much closer, the entire rear glass pieces is slightly shifted at an angle. The gap gets closer/smaller on the left by the roof frame/line, and I assume that means the front glass roof is also misaligned, because it is fairly straight the gap between the rear window and sun roof glass.
Seems like the only true fix is the ability to actually suction cup/lift both pieces of glass off, and put new sealing for both and replace/set the pieces back into place aligned.
This is clearly a QC/alignment and poor tolerance issue with the factory. As I mentioned, and another person noted looking at a bunch, not all have this, and my friends has perfect alignment on his.
I have a service appt to have them look at this, the center console/driver's side rubbing...and also a similar gap another person mentioned at the front bumper by the right headlight/frunk where it meets, slightly raised and gap is larger compared to other cars, left side of it...friends car again for comparison.
Will report back, I have an appt and see what they say/do about any of this. Grey car is my friends M3 right next to me at the charger at work as gap reference.
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So the email says they ordered this part:
NA-M3 PASS SEAT ASSY LHD RH PRM PUR BLK No Lumbar
Part #: 7654324-01-D
They also ordered this part earlier but like I said this didn't solve it so they went with the one above.
UPPER B-PILLAR, ASY, PREMIUM, RH
Part #: 1086255-01-K
Rconnell03
Member
Probably same thing I had to do for my driver's side rear handle not being flush when I picked it up at the service center. Make a service appointment in the app.
Thanks for posting this. The grey one looks great and most that I've looked at look like that. Please report back on what they say. If they won't fix it, others in this thread might consider rejecting delivery over this issue if they see it. Once you see a correct alignment the big left gap really stands out
Hi guys,
Just got my new Model 3. Love it so far.
Only thing that makes me frown a little bit is the paint around the door hinge area. My model 3 has the blue exterior but I can see some white paint while opening the both front doors. See attached photos.
It's a "hidden" area so it's kinda hard to notice but should I worry about the rust in the long term? Do you guys have similar issues? Thanks in advance!
Just got my new Model 3. Love it so far.
Only thing that makes me frown a little bit is the paint around the door hinge area. My model 3 has the blue exterior but I can see some white paint while opening the both front doors. See attached photos.
It's a "hidden" area so it's kinda hard to notice but should I worry about the rust in the long term? Do you guys have similar issues? Thanks in advance!
JohnnyEV
Member
Take a picture and report it. See what they say, also be careful depending on your build date your paint might not be all the way cured yet.
id436eg9045
Member
After spending an evening looking over the car in detail I did find four issues, which I've opened a service request for in the app.
1. The first (and most significant to me) is a misalignment where the passenger front quarter paenl meets the front bumper near the headlamp. I believe it's the quarter panel that's misaligned since it's touching the passenger side headlamp whereas it's not on the driver's side, which appears to be correctly aligned.
2. The driver's side brake light assembly sits further out than the rest of the rear lights.
3. The passenger rear door handle isn't flush, which I see is a more common issue right now.
4. The trim at the top front corner of the driver's side rear door has a bulge where it looks like it wasn't quite trimmed or adhered properly.
The only of these that really gives me any concern is the alignment of the front panels near that headlamp. Because it's physically touching the headlamp and I don't think it should be, I'm concerned about wear over time. We'll see what response I get.
1. The first (and most significant to me) is a misalignment where the passenger front quarter paenl meets the front bumper near the headlamp. I believe it's the quarter panel that's misaligned since it's touching the passenger side headlamp whereas it's not on the driver's side, which appears to be correctly aligned.
2. The driver's side brake light assembly sits further out than the rest of the rear lights.
3. The passenger rear door handle isn't flush, which I see is a more common issue right now.
4. The trim at the top front corner of the driver's side rear door has a bulge where it looks like it wasn't quite trimmed or adhered properly.
The only of these that really gives me any concern is the alignment of the front panels near that headlamp. Because it's physically touching the headlamp and I don't think it should be, I'm concerned about wear over time. We'll see what response I get.
Attachments
Accepted delivery on June 29th and scheduled a SC appointment in Fremont for the following:
• Driver side rear door handle and passenger side front door handle not flush / sunken in
• Driver side rear bumper panel gap with white compound residue (Tesla friend said this is a known Factory issue)
• Driver side A Pillar material small warp line in the middle
• Headliner trim accessory that surrounds the hazard button has a gap within the headliner
• Rear passenger seat leather (right side) is wrinkled
• High pitch squeaking when driving over uneven / bumpy roads from the rear area
• Driver side rear door handle and passenger side front door handle not flush / sunken in
• Driver side rear bumper panel gap with white compound residue (Tesla friend said this is a known Factory issue)
• Driver side A Pillar material small warp line in the middle
• Headliner trim accessory that surrounds the hazard button has a gap within the headliner
• Rear passenger seat leather (right side) is wrinkled
• High pitch squeaking when driving over uneven / bumpy roads from the rear area
I had a delivery SNAFU, and wondered if this had happened to others: M3 DELIVERED TO DRIVEWAY, LOCKED, and phone didn't register to allow key access
The car was blocking the truck for our gardening helper who was parked in the driveway, and the M3 couldn't be moved.
How often does this happen?
My delivery was scheduled TO MY HOME---which I thought was awesome, and which I was attributing to living close to Fremont, CA. I felt that I was lucky In the timing, as we had two trips during the projected delivery frame, and ultimately, the M3 was scheduled to be delivered in the 2 days we were home between trips. So far, so good.
The actual delivery included good communication--letting me know when it would arrive, etc. I didn't see the car pull into the driveway, but the gentleman who helps tend our garden beds did, so he let me know. I talked with the delivery guy, who told me that the paperwork and keys were in the car, which was locked.
Again, so far, seemed OK.
THEN, the delivery guy said he was unable to log in to indicate that the car was delivered, but never fear, he would do that asap. Once he had done that, all I would need to do was to login online and accept delivery, and then my phone would be activated as a key. OKAY.......not perfect, but acceptable.
HOWEVER, once I had logged in and accepted delivery, the app stated: PRODUCT NOT FOUND.
SO--Car blocking driveway, locked, blocking gardener's truck, and no way to open the door.
Several phone calls later--to the Tesla sales associate, and to the delivery guy--they were able to unlock the care remotely, and I was able to move the car to let the gardener get out of the driveway---all of this taking ~1 hour. I was informed that "eventually", "soon", the phone would recognize the delivery and be able to recognize the car. I was told, "this is something that happens".
It was approximately 2-3 h later that my phone finally stopped saying PRODUCT NOT FOUND, my M3 was recognized, and I was able to set it up at a key.
So, my question: How often does this happen?---it was quite a lot of anxiety frustration, and worry.
I'm Happy with my M3--RED, but not with the delivery.
The car was blocking the truck for our gardening helper who was parked in the driveway, and the M3 couldn't be moved.
How often does this happen?
My delivery was scheduled TO MY HOME---which I thought was awesome, and which I was attributing to living close to Fremont, CA. I felt that I was lucky In the timing, as we had two trips during the projected delivery frame, and ultimately, the M3 was scheduled to be delivered in the 2 days we were home between trips. So far, so good.
The actual delivery included good communication--letting me know when it would arrive, etc. I didn't see the car pull into the driveway, but the gentleman who helps tend our garden beds did, so he let me know. I talked with the delivery guy, who told me that the paperwork and keys were in the car, which was locked.
Again, so far, seemed OK.
THEN, the delivery guy said he was unable to log in to indicate that the car was delivered, but never fear, he would do that asap. Once he had done that, all I would need to do was to login online and accept delivery, and then my phone would be activated as a key. OKAY.......not perfect, but acceptable.
HOWEVER, once I had logged in and accepted delivery, the app stated: PRODUCT NOT FOUND.
SO--Car blocking driveway, locked, blocking gardener's truck, and no way to open the door.
Several phone calls later--to the Tesla sales associate, and to the delivery guy--they were able to unlock the care remotely, and I was able to move the car to let the gardener get out of the driveway---all of this taking ~1 hour. I was informed that "eventually", "soon", the phone would recognize the delivery and be able to recognize the car. I was told, "this is something that happens".
It was approximately 2-3 h later that my phone finally stopped saying PRODUCT NOT FOUND, my M3 was recognized, and I was able to set it up at a key.
So, my question: How often does this happen?---it was quite a lot of anxiety frustration, and worry.
I'm Happy with my M3--RED, but not with the delivery.
I'd just like to maybe put some things in perspective here. How many times have you purchased a car "the old way"? I've owned well over 15 cars & RVs in my life and I can tell you that each purchase required more then 3 hours between test drives, talking to annoying sales reps, negotiating with sales reps, waiting for the annoying "let me talk to my manager" multiple times, dealing with finance guy, dealing with the upsell of all the crap they try to get you to buy, dealing with the 1 hour (or more) paperwork guy, etc., etc.
It's been a minimum of 4 hours of my time wasted just to drive off the lot. And that's being generous.
You got your car delivered - to your home. Yes, you had some issues, but those were resolved in the comfort of your own home in a reasonable amount of time. I think the gardener will be ok for this one time.
Sorry if I'm ranting, but honestly, perspective is sometimes helpful.
Enjoy the car...it's amazing.
I had many of the issues, would be nice to know if they will fix these for you.
Some comments:
* Driver side rear door handle and passenger side front door handle not flush / sunken in => In my case, SC told they won't fix this. "Within spec"..??
* High pitch squeaking when driving over uneven / bumpy roads from the rear area => I tried to cure this by making sure the back seats are properly locked in to their upright position. At least for now I am imagining this might have helped =) But the real issue can be in suspension somewhere also, maybe even just lack of lubrication?
got the repair estimate today to sign off on the repairs for tomorrow. They said that they are going to give me Uber credit to get around while they have it. So hopefully they won't take to long with it.
greymatter73
Member
Any thoughts on this? Here’s my issues found upon delivery… car was dropped off in my driveway while I was away and didn’t get to inspect it until the next day. Originally scheduled a mobile service until they saw the issues and then it got changed to me needing to take the car to the SC. Hoping it’s a quick fix rather than me being without the car for a week.
Sunken in rear driver side door handle, top glass not aligned front/back and side/side, passenger side door does not line up evenly flush with the front fender, being sunk in a few millimeters, large bubble in the rubber trim piece around the rear driver side door, and lastly, a whole trim piece on the hinge of the driver side of the frunk.
There’s a couple other small issues, but wondering if I’m being too picky or is this pretty bad?
See photos - any thoughts on how big/little these are, and if they will fall within spec?
Roof glass not even between the front/rear roof glass:
Passenger side door not even with the front quarter panel/fender:
Bubbled up trim piece on driver side rear door:
Trim piece not connected to anything on the frunk:
Sunken in rear driver side door handle, top glass not aligned front/back and side/side, passenger side door does not line up evenly flush with the front fender, being sunk in a few millimeters, large bubble in the rubber trim piece around the rear driver side door, and lastly, a whole trim piece on the hinge of the driver side of the frunk.
There’s a couple other small issues, but wondering if I’m being too picky or is this pretty bad?
See photos - any thoughts on how big/little these are, and if they will fall within spec?
Roof glass not even between the front/rear roof glass:
Passenger side door not even with the front quarter panel/fender:
Bubbled up trim piece on driver side rear door:
Trim piece not connected to anything on the frunk:
I get the feeling this forum is highly divided in terms of what is "acceptable" in terms of fit and finish. I'm new to this conversation around "finish", but I used to work in automobile manufacturing/HQ. Let me provide my perspectives (which you're welcome to believe or ignore as you see fit).
If your previous vehicle was manufactured sometime after 2010, I think you have certain expectations about what a new automobile should look like in 2021. As such, make sure you request to Tesla what you think you should get for you new purchase. Put Tesla in a position to defend/deny your request. Even if you think they'll eye roll you and be annoyed by you. Ask. It's your money. It's your car. Don't let people with low expectations guilt or shame you down to their level.
Anyone that posts about you being picky isn't spending a penny on your car. You should do what you think is necessary to get the car you think you paid for.
Automakers (likely Tesla as well) now use a combination of handheld and robot mounted lasers to assess in 3D space all gaps, flushness and build tolerance as a car is being assembled. It turns out, making a car quality actually reduces warranty claims and post-purchase costs. So it's wiser to spend the money to make the car good, instead of spending money making back-end fixes and excuses. The key though, is the automaker has to actually have the desire to remedy cars as they're being assembled so they are as close to "perfect" as they can be by the time they reach the end of the line. Tesla clearly just wants to push cars out so fast, they allow some real mingers out the door and likely just stopped giving AF about gap and flushness. It feels like they just want cars to leave the factory, and fixing issues slows them down.
The images you showed would be tough to swallow on a $15k econobox. They should be completely aborrent on a $40k to $60k auto.
Anyway, now-a-days, cars have "spec" that is typically 3 to 4 mm on any gap that exists between moving parts. And the tolerance to achieve this gap is usually 0.3 to 0.5mm. For example, FCA's Brampton, Canada plant now has 0.3mm tolerance to spec for major panel gaps and flushness. So if a spec gap is 4mm, then tolerable gap spacing variation is 3.7mm to 4.3mm with 0.6mm flushness variation on the plane. Robots document the spec of all vehicles and real-time adjustments are made to the robots as well as hand-assembly of parts to ensure the cars are finished with good alignment.
But it wasn't always the case. In the mid 2000s, spec was basically measured in batches with low-end tools. But some of the gaps you have on your car wouldn't pass a hand-held gap tool. That's how bad some of your panels and gaps are. But of course, some Tesla owners on this forum don't care about this stuff, so they'll tell you to stop being picky. If you leased the car, then yeah... maybe you shouldn't care too much since this car is a temporal part of your life. But if you plan on owning it 5+ years, you're the one that has to live with the car as it ages and gaps get worse.
Anyway, regarding the 4 images you posted:
1) Roof glass not even between the front/rear roof glass:
I agree this one is not conforming to a reasonable automotive build target. But the problem is such a thing needs to be remedied on the line and not post-delivery. I'm not familiar with how Tesla sunroofs drain, but you should get in writing up front that Tesla believes this is in "spec" and this sunroof should not be prone to leaking. So if your sunroof does leak (water or air), or begins to exhibit some really annoying sounds while driving, you have this issue documented day 1 that Tesla refused to fix it. This documentation is important since if your car develops issues at say 65,000 miles, that you have evidence a condition existed prior to the expiration of your warranty so you can pursue recourse at that time.
2) Passenger side door not even with the front quarter panel/fender:
Assuming you aren't just playing a camera trick with angles/parallax, that one is pretty bad. But of course Tesla could say it's "in spec." But that appears out of spec for any other automaker, even a Dodge or Kia.
3) Bubbled up trim piece on driver side rear door:
This one is tough, I personally think it needs to be fixed since it doesn't look like any interior seal I've ever seen and seems poorly applied. But since so many Tesla's look like this, maybe you just let this one go if you don't hear air whistling/leaking past the seal? Like maybe they all look like this or it's not possible to prevent it from looking like that?
4) Trim piece not connected to anything on the frunk:
That is 100% not right. It's not even an issue about spec. Automakers have hid all fasteners and tabs from view since the 1990s. I mean maybe some cars put fake rivets and bolts as some brash design element, but these types of tabs need to be invisible. Hopefully the fix is easy enough.
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