Do one of your trunk struts graze the rubber trunk liner/seal on your 2018 Model 3 when opening or closing the trunk?

[pasturel]

Tesla decided they need to remove and the reinstall my trunk (for reasons I will not get into) on my Model 3 built in June 2018 , and now the right trunk strut is slightly grazing the rubber trunk liner/seal when I open or close the trunk. See picture below. I am almost 100% sure this was not happening before they reinstalled my trunk, but the Palo Alto Service Center wrote:
They also did remove the trunk, however we have looked and it is installed correctly. I have compared it to other model 3 trunks and their seal also touches the strut. This is the intended design, and it is just grazing the seal. There should be no lasting issues from this.

While I hope there is no lasting issues from the rubbing and while I realize there is very little clearance between the strut and the liner and while the trunk appears to be closing and opening fine, it is annoying they would have introduced this. And why would this be an "intended design?" Sounds like they are making excuses.

Can others on this thread tell me if the trunk struts graze or rub against the trunk rubber seal on your 2018 Model 3?

My guess is that the service center does not have the tools or expertise to correctly reinstall the trunk with the necessary precision.

Thanks for any help! This is my first post!
Pierre

 

[jjrandorin]

I have a 2018 model 3 Performance (Born on date 11/15/2018, delivered early december 2018), and I just checked my car. The left hydraulic strut (left side while facing the trunk, does in fact rub slightly. I never noticed this before, and I have had no issues with water intrusion or anything.

The right side does not, but the left side does, at the point when the trunk is like "4/5ths" closed/

 

[pasturel]

Thank you jjrandorin for letting me know. It is my right strut that slightly grazes, also when the trunk is about 4/5th closed.
Curious to hear from others!

 

[jjrandorin]

Sure, NP.

For what its worth, I use my trunk every time I drive into work, as I put my backpack with my laptop, paperwork etc in there. I always thought it was kind of funny that the "briefcase" from yesteryear is the "backpack" now, for the most part, lol.

Anyway, I drove into work 5 days a week from dec 2018 to march 2019. Since march 2019 I have only driven "to the office" 3-4 times a month on average. I mention all this to say how much my trunk gets used, and I dont see any strange wear or anything where that strut is rubbing on my car.

 

[Frank99]

I’ve got an April 2018 build, and the gas struts on both sides rub lightly on the rubber seal. No harm, no foul in my book.

 

[RayK]

June 2018 RWD LR build (VIN 444xx). Right side strut touches the rubber gasket around the rear window. Left side does not. Photos taken with camera above window and trunk lid about 4/5th closed. Nobody has worked on or adjusted the trunk since new.

 

[Wnuk]

December 2018 build and my left side does the same. No issues over the years so don’t sweat it.

 

[Anothergeek]

Are the trunk panel gaps equal left/right?

If they are, then I would probably not try to readjust it.

That said, that picture shows quite a large interference between the strut and the rubber.

If that’s the (negative) design “clearance,” it’s not a good design.

A negative clearance is almost never the intended design. (There are some exceptions).

I’ll have to take a look at my ‘18.