Door and Panels not aligned properly

[Ghazi]

So I took my delivery last Friday I think on 9/11 and at the time of delivery I told the sales person about this issue. She told me just to take as is and then make an appointment. I really don't know how come they don't look before delivery that door and Panels are not aligned right. There are some scratches on the car as well which I reported as well. The inside ceiling liner is dirty and some marks on it too. Is this how the new car should be. Shame

 

[Cybermoose]

So I took my delivery last Friday I think on 9/11 and at the time of delivery I told the sales person about this issue. She told me just to take as is and then make an appointment. I really don't know how come they don't look before delivery that door and Panels are not aligned right. There are some scratches on the car as well which I reported as well. The inside ceiling liner is dirty and some marks on it too. Is this how the new car should be. Shame

The reason why this is a common problem is because Tesla doesn't work the way a traditional manufacturer does. If you buy a car from another company, you go through a dealer that will place the order for you and inspect the vehicle when it is delivered to make sure everything is right. This is more of a check for cosmetics and to make sure everything that a mechanic can easily checked is up to standards. As a mechanic myself, I have found things in my car that a regular customer wouldn't have noticed and had to take it back to the dealership to have them fixed.

With Tesla, you order a car, Tesla sends it to where you are picking it up, and unless there is something that sticks out immediately to everyone that makes them delay your pickup, it's what you will see when you pick it up.

I prefer the way Tesla does things. I don't have a Tesla yet but I will be getting a Cybertruck and I'm glad I am not going through a dealership for a few good reasons.

1. Stupid fees - The fees are stupid and you are stupid if you pay them. You basically need to be an expert of car sales before going into a dealership to actually get the price you are supposed to. They tried to charge me $600 for a provincial fee that is only $6 in Alberta. Dealerships are constantly after more money because car sales aren't their biggest revenue generator.

2. Service - I've heard every excuse from dealerships about why my car needs service. Now I worked as a mechanic for years, so I know when they are making stuff up, but a lot of people don't and it's a huge scam. The biggest part of this scam is their dealership maintenance schedule that depending on the dealership, could require maintenance for the same things as the manufacturer maintenance schedule but much earlier and more frequent. Always follow the manufacturer maintenance schedule.

3. Inconsistent - When you order a Tesla, you get the same thing that everyone else got, it might not be perfect at first which is why a checklist is very handy to go over, but they will fix it and in the end it's fair. At a dealership, due to reasons that i've already discussed, you could get same car as someone and pay a different price or pay the same price but they got heated seats thrown in. It's not always about how good of a negotiator you are but it also depends which dealership you go to and who you speak to.

When I get my Cybertruck, I am going to love to not have to worry about any of these things. Am I worried about a panel gap? no, because they will fix it and it's not even a big deal for the few weeks it takes before they do it. It's not like I'm some car magazine and I need my Tesla looking pretty for the centerfold.

 

[glide]

So I took my delivery last Friday I think on 9/11 and at the time of delivery I told the sales person about this issue. She told me just to take as is and then make an appointment. I really don't know how come they don't look before delivery that door and Panels are not aligned right. There are some scratches on the car as well which I reported as well. The inside ceiling liner is dirty and some marks on it too. Is this how the new car should be. Shame

Don’t get your hopes up on having this fixed. Once you accept delivery you lose all leverage.

If you are within the 7 day return window, I would suggest taking it back.

 

[Medic]

My door alignments were worse that yours. got the same, take the car, make an appointment "we'll fix it". 1st SC appointment was 10 days later (conveniently after the 7 day), they adjusted the doors and made them worse. Big arguments with SC manager, got me a 2nd SC visit where they got them looking like your pictures. SC manager called out again. He said its, in spec, the best they could do, I should consider myself lucky, and nothing is ever perfect speeches.

So.... unless you can live with exactly how it is now, return it.

 

[Petrlol]

Highly depends on location. Our SC is great and fixed a whole list of things for me no questions asked. Including adjusting a door that looked similar to yours.

 

[Ghazi]

My door alignments were worse that yours. got the same, take the car, make an appointment "we'll fix it". 1st SC appointment was 10 days later (conveniently after the 7 day), they adjusted the doors and made them worse. Big arguments with SC manager, got me a 2nd SC visit where they got them looking like your pictures. SC manager called out again. He said its, in spec, the best they could do, I should consider myself lucky, and nothing is ever perfect speeches.

So.... unless you can live with exactly how it is now, return it.

Return it ?
You can return the car ? My appointment is for next week Wednesday. I really think if I drive in rain it will leak.

@Petrlol That's nice. I hope this is the case for me as well

@glide been more than 7 days. Oh well we will see

 

[Clark_Kent]

If you picked up on the 11th, today should be the last day of the 7 day window unless they count the day of pickup as day #1.

 

[Brown1428]

My door alignments were worse that yours. got the same, take the car, make an appointment "we'll fix it". 1st SC appointment was 10 days later (conveniently after the 7 day), they adjusted the doors and made them worse. Big arguments with SC manager, got me a 2nd SC visit where they got them looking like your pictures. SC manager called out again. He said its, in spec, the best they could do, I should consider myself lucky, and nothing is ever perfect speeches.

So.... unless you can live with exactly how it is now, return it.

I wish I could like this 1000 times.

This is the best advice any prospective Tesla owner can hear: If you can’t live with the condition of your vehicle as it at delivery, then simply walk away.

 

[DaveG_NJ]

My driver side rear door is sagging a bit too. The other side looks good. I found a video on Youtube of a guy adjusting his front door, so it is possible to fix (but shouldn't be necessary).

 

[srlawren]

My driver side rear door is sagging a bit too. The other side looks good. I found a video on Youtube of a guy adjusting his front door, so it is possible to fix (but shouldn't be necessary).

@DaveG_NJ would you mind sharing the link to the video?

 

[Kimo]

I am going through this right now with the service center and my Y for paint and door alignment issues. After having my Y for a week I get the text that it is done and ready for pickup. Unfortunately only half of the paint issues where resolved and the doors are still not aligned.

Really not happy about my Tesla ownership right now.

 

[Koolio46]

My SC did a great job getting my passenger door aligned. Issue I had was the front of the door was recessed a few mm where it met the front quarter panel. The SA said it was an easy adjustment and explained how they adjust it. Fixed it perfectly.

FWIW, he said the rear doors are harder to get aligned because of how they are attached to the frame.

 

[jmatero]

FYI: They should be able to align the doors but the front door where it meets the rear door will never be flush. The fronts stick out slightly in the middle even when the tops and bottoms are flush. Don’t know if it’s the front or rear door but there is definitely a problem with either the design, the stampings, or how the doors are assembled. My original front doors were a mess and they took the car to the factory and REPLACED the doors. Better but not perfect. Mine were so bad the front doors cast a shadow on the rears.

 

[Koolio46]

FYI: They should be able to align the doors but the front door where it meets the rear door will never be flush. The fronts stick out slightly in the middle even when the tops and bottoms are flush. Don’t know if it’s the front or rear door but there is definitely a problem with either the design, the stampings, or how the doors are assembled. My original front doors were a mess and they took the car to the factory and REPLACED the doors. Better but not perfect. Mine were so bad the front doors cast a shadow on the rears.

View attachment 604115

Whoa...yeah, your first set of doors were really bad. Good to know they replaced your entire door(s) to get it mostly fixed.

 

[Airmax2020]

Finding this thread after just taking delivery of my car and not realizing once I sign I can't refuse delivery. And now there's no longer the 7 day return policy. Anyone else have to sign their paper work before they were shown the car? I was not even offered to review the car until it was signed and obviously paid for in advance. Not liking this tactic by Tesla at all

 

[CLLACAB]

You should always be able to inspect the car before you sign for it. I spent an hour checking everything on my 3 before I signed. And I fully expect to do the same when I get my Y. Also, anything you find should be documented on a Due Bill. This is a legal part of the sales process that defines what the dealers/Tesla is agreeing to fix. You should never accept a verbal promise.

 

[Airmax2020]

^^ Well this may end up being a very expensive lesson learned by me. I was duped into believing I had the 7 day return policy in my corner and that I did not need to inspect everything then and there.

 

[Koolio46]

^^ Well this may end up being a very expensive lesson learned by me. I was duped into believing I had the 7 day return policy in my corner and that I did not need to inspect everything then and there.

It never hurts to take pics of the issues and log your service center appointment within 48 hours of taking delivery. Then just be nice when you drop the car off and walk the SA through the issues.

I noted some small cosmetic issues at delivery but the SA didn’t note it on a due bill (think he was lazy and wanted to not have to mark the car as having issues). I scheduled my SC appt two days later and they took care of all the items I cared about without any issues.

 

[Airmax2020]

It never hurts to take pics of the issues and log your service center appointment within 48 hours of taking delivery. Then just be nice when you drop the car off and walk the SA through the issues.

I noted some small cosmetic issues at delivery but the SA didn’t note it on a due bill (think he was lazy and wanted to not have to mark the car as having issues). I scheduled my SC appt two days later and they took care of all the items I cared about without any issues.

Good to know, I took my car in yesterday so we'll see what the end up fixing. I know things can be hit or miss depending on which SA you get.

 

[cwerdna]

^^ Well this may end up being a very expensive lesson learned by me. I was duped into believing I had the 7 day return policy in my corner and that I did not need to inspect everything then and there.

The return policy seemed to have been quietly killed in October.

Tesla kills seven-day return policy
Tesla Ends 7-Day No-Questions-Asked Return Policy On All New Vehicles
Tesla’s seven-day return policy has been quietly removed