How to fight this? Suffering excessive stone chips

[Rustybkts]

I have noticed a couple of tiny pinprick white dots in my red cars paint. They are high up on the side of the wing and can only be where paint has not adhered or some dust was there when it was painted and they have fallen out. The bonnet has a few more but they are impact sites.
I do have a touch up pack which seems to work well but what on earth are Tesla using in their paint shop?
BMW have been using water based paint since the 1990's as it was used as an excuse when bird crap burned a ring in my shiny new convertible boot but at least it had depth.

I was hoping that for £2000 the supposed multi layer red paint would be superior to the "free" colours but clearly not so.
I fitted mudflaps on the same day I received the car and do not have any flaking along the sill.

Musk has clearly not heard the saying about "spoiling a ship for a 'haperth 'o tar"!

 

[Rooster6655]

I have noticed a couple of tiny pinprick white dots in my red cars paint. They are high up on the side of the wing and can only be where paint has not adhered or some dust was there when it was painted and they have fallen out. The bonnet has a few more but they are impact sites.

Yes this Tesla feature still bugs them years after they started producing the model 3

 

[Durzel]

Tesla paint quality is ridiculous. Runs, uneven coverage, dust nibs, orange peel, the works. If I didn’t know better I’d believe that someone was spraying them by hand in a warehouse.

Will be interesting to see how/if Gigaberlin changes things, surely Tesla won’t import their paint processes over from the States?

 

[Zakalwe]

Will be interesting to see how/if Gigaberlin changes things, surely Tesla won’t import their paint processes over from the States?

They're installing a state-of-the-art paintshop system from Geico Taikisha
Homepage - Geico Taikisha

 

[Jon L]

There is most definitely something wrong with their paint, as I had a few chips in the first week of a replaced part but never had any in the next year, I believe the paint wasn't put on properly or the repaired paint was not built to last.



Just wondering what have you said/done to them in the past month?

Tesla are not some company that will just give in if it comes at a cost to them (Premium internet exception), seems you expect them to change their mind without being harsher with them. Be prepared to return the car, even though you like it you can't accept faulty good.

Here is what I would do:
-Monday send a letter signed for to their head office and service centre addressed to branch/service manager informing them you will be filing court action in 10 working days if your issues is not resolved.
-If no response then continue with court action

The reason it is a month on is simply I have had to wait 3 weeks for a service centre appointment. They have had the car 8 days and on the 8th day told me they won't repair it.

I got the car through a lease, so I have spoken to the lease company as they would need to return the car to Tesla not me. I'm happy to keep the car if it is properly repaired, I have certainly had a long list of repairs done to it in its 2 months, e.g. 5 new rear lights (yes 5, one was replaced and that also was faulty) due to water and condensation, a passenger door that wouldn't close (out of alignment).

 

[Zakalwe]

The reason it is a month on is simply I have had to wait 3 weeks for a service centre appointment. They have had the car 8 days and on the 8th day told me they won't repair it.

I got the car through a lease, so I have spoken to the lease company as they would need to return the car to Tesla not me. I'm happy to keep the car if it is properly repaired, I have certainly had a long list of repairs done to it in its 2 months, e.g. 5 new rear lights (yes 5, one was replaced and that also was faulty) due to water and condensation, a passenger door that wouldn't close (out of alignment).

You should deal directly with the lease company. Maybe tell them that you are rejecting it?

Rejecting a car – your consumer rights | The Car Expert

 

[Jon L]

An update for those that are interested.....

Here is Tesla's response....
It would be very difficult for me to comment on the expectations of normal wear and tear as there are varying factors that can influence this such as road surfaces, driving style etc…

I have spoken with the technician that was working on your vehicle and he has also carried out measurements of the paint depth to both the left side and right side rocker sills. The measurements have shown that the paint thickness is well within Tesla paint standards and would not be regarded as thin therefore there is no manufacturing defect present with the paint work in either area. I can confirm that unfortunately the stone chips that are present on both the left side and right side lower rocker sills is not an item that we are able to rectify under warranty I am afraid due to this being caused by an external influence rather than a manufacturing defect.

I have tried to get support form the The Motor Ombudsman but it turns out Tesla are the only manufacturer operating in the UK who have not signed up to acknowledge them as a dispute service so they couldn't help :-(

Still waiting on a response from the Lease Company, I have chased.

 

[Jonny Ringo]

An update for those that are interested.....

Here is Tesla's response....
It would be very difficult for me to comment on the expectations of normal wear and tear as there are varying factors that can influence this such as road surfaces, driving style etc…

I have spoken with the technician that was working on your vehicle and he has also carried out measurements of the paint depth to both the left side and right side rocker sills. The measurements have shown that the paint thickness is well within Tesla paint standards and would not be regarded as thin therefore there is no manufacturing defect present with the paint work in either area. I can confirm that unfortunately the stone chips that are present on both the left side and right side lower rocker sills is not an item that we are able to rectify under warranty I am afraid due to this being caused by an external influence rather than a manufacturing defect.

I have tried to get support form the The Motor Ombudsman but it turns out Tesla are the only manufacturer operating in the UK who have not signed up to acknowledge them as a dispute service so they couldn't help :-(

Still waiting on a response from the Lease Company, I have chased.

I work in the paint automotive industry and the paint on your car (and other I've seen on facebook) is "delaminating" and in these cases is caused by the basecoat (colour) not adhering to the primer coat and this is causing the paint to peal off around the stone chips. One of many reasons why this is happening, could be aggravated by the base coat being over applied something that a Tesla tech could not check with a paint thickness gauge, anyway paint thickness is not the issue hear adhesion is.
If the paint had been properly applied then it would not peal and you would be left with only stone chips, that could be touched up. I would tell Tesla that if they don't want to get this fixed that you will have it independently examined and have an paint adhesion test carried out to determine if the paint has been applied to industry standards and then see what they then what to do.
Good luck!

 

[Durzel]

To be brutally honest if you got that area resprayed it would probably end up better than it was to begin with. Tesla paint quality really is not very good.

 

[NewbieT]

Agree. If Tesla won’t repair, I woul

I work in the paint automotive industry and the paint on your car (and other I've seen on facebook) is "delaminating" and in these cases is caused by the basecoat (colour) not adhering to the primer coat and this is causing the paint to peal off around the stone chips. One of many reasons why this is happening, could be aggravated by the base coat being over applied something that a Tesla tech could not check with a paint thickness gauge, anyway paint thickness is not the issue hear adhesion is.
If the paint had been properly applied then it would not peal and you would be left with only stone chips, that could be touched up. I would tell Tesla that if they don't want to get this fixed that you will have it independently examined and have an paint adhesion test carried out to determine if the paint has been applied to industry standards and then see what they then what to do.
Good luck!

“paint adhesion test” - you learn something new every day. It is good that we have some true experts on this forum.

 

[Jason71]

Agree. If Tesla won’t repair, I woul


“paint adhesion test” - you learn something new every day. It is good that we have some true experts on this forum.

I am no expert but this was my first thought when I saw this. Tesla recently had a case of paint peeling off MY bumpers. The bumper had missed a processing step where the bumper was etched to microscopically roughen the surface or something without that the top coat just peeled off. Not saying this is the same here there would not be an etch stage with paint but it definitely looks like the white is not adhered to the grey. it is possible the paint formula was off that day or even that there should be an extra layer between the two that is missing. Definitely needs an expert report but should be the lease company doing it not you. it is their car after all.

 

[Jon L]

Firstly thank you all for your help, suggestions and support.

An update for those that are interested.

As well as the photos submitted via the Tesla app The SC requested additional photos for the engineer to investigate before the car was booked in.

I have collected the car today from the Dartford Service Centre. On inspection of the car I identified that the condition of the lower sills has deteriorated since the car was booked in.

As you can see form the photos taken before the Service Centre visit and after the Service Centre has had the car there are there are now 4 additional areas where the paint has come off. So either this was either done whilst at the Service Centre or on my drive to the Service Centre.

When I noticed the additional missing paint at the service centre I showed them and compared the car with the original photo that was sent to them just before the visit. As you can see form the photos taken before the Service Centre visit and after the Service Centre has had the car there are there are now 4 additional areas where the paint has come off.

When I arrived and was greeted by Emma I asked to speak with the Service Manager, she informed me he was in the Chelmsford branch today. When I showed Charleigh the issue and compared it to the original photo she said she would go speak with the Service Manager. After some time she came and told me that ‘from a Service Centre perspective there is nothing more than can do’.

 

[boater291]

That is quite frankly appalling from Tesla. It's clear to me these are not stone chips, no stone chip would look like that. That's the paint peeling. If that happened to mine, I would be returning it / asking for a replacement under consumer law (I'm already contemplating this route for numerous defects that Tesla have failed to put right).

If they resist that, I'd be getting an independent expert to look at it then bring a legal case against Tesla. Unfortunately it seems the legal route is often the only way to get Tesla to sort their issues out.

Do not let them get away with this!

 

[Zakalwe]

Its a leased vehicle, so the contract exists between the OP and the lease company. The contractual relationship Tesla has is with the lease company not the OP.
I'd be leaning very heavily on the lease company. Get it recorded with them otherwise there may be a charge at the end of the lease.

 

[Rooster6655]

Seems like your only choice is the lease company to take action, I would consider getting heavy with them and tell them you have received faulty goods and that it must have been defective on arrival for this to be possible.

I have a theory that Tesla is using some sort of temporary touch up paint/rush job on the parts that have these chips, they then sell them on and a few months later will claim that it must have been the customer, if the chips suddenly just stop then I think that this will be the case.

The reason I believe this is because I had a part replaced and within the first 2 weeks it got chipped and then for the next year nothing at all, not a coincidence in my opinion.

 

[RabC63]

The reason I believe this is because I had a part replaced and within the first 2 weeks it got chipped and then for the next year nothing at all, not a coincidence in my opinion.

sorry, a bit confused - you got chips/paint peeling on the replacement part for 2 weeks, and then, with nothing changing, nothing further? Or did you mean that you got chips/peeling for the first two weeks, had the part replaced, and you'd had no issues on the replaced part from the time it was replaced?

 

[Rooster6655]

sorry, a bit confused - you got chips/paint peeling on the replacement part for 2 weeks, and then, with nothing changing, nothing further? Or did you mean that you got chips/peeling for the first two weeks, had the part replaced, and you'd had no issues on the replaced part from the time it was replaced?

Within 2 weeks of having a body panel replaced there were several chips that showed up, during this time I didn't travel far, now a year later there are no further chips that occurred beyond those initial 2 weeks.

I suspect I received a refurbished part where the chips weren't fixed properly only a temporary fix, I know Tesla repaint/refurbish parts at some European location that are damaged and then send these out to service centres for warranty repairs or maybe even sold as new.

 

[nrps1]

Btw - has anyone thought of running some of the protective wrap on these known pain points, or not because it may peel when removed/have insurance issues/expensive?

 

[Raechris]

So nearly a month on from when I originally posted this. Still no joy. The Service Centre have said its caused by stone chips and therefore not covered by the warranty.

I have challenged this and said a 2 month old car with barely over 2000 miles on it should not be suffering from road rash. I appreciate one or two big stones may chip the paint but there are over 10 on each side of the car. I drive mainly on A roads with a small bit of motorway.

Not sure what else I can do.

In the US Tesla acknowledged this issue on the sill behind the rear tire and provided a kit (not sure if PPF and/or flaps). Either way PPF would help and not be too expensive given the limited coverage area.

 

[Adopado]

In the US Tesla acknowledged this issue on the sill behind the rear tire and provided a kit (not sure if PPF and/or flaps). Either way PPF would help and not be too expensive given the limited coverage area.

If you look at the OP photos you'll see that this is a different area. Curiously it does look like the sills have a thicker layer which is intended to be more protective but in he case above it's clearly not working!