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Model Y Build Quality Improving?

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Got my MY a couple of weeks ago, found 3 minor exterior panel misalignments that the SC should be able to remedy. No defects found with paint or anything interior. I'm more than OK with this, and I've had almost nothing but Toyotas since 1983.

My wife's M3 arrived in Nov 2018 with no defects at all, but we were probably lucky.

As others have been saying, it's going to ultimately depend on your tolerance level. But based on the anecdotal evidence, you're a lot more likely to get a MY that's acceptable to you now than you would have last year.
 
I think this panel gap issue is too much overblown by media or attention seeking youtubers who want the "clicks" to make more money.
Most people do not even wash their cars for months, so they don't care about minor gap issues which do not impact anything performance or reliability.
 
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One thing that does concern me is that if Tesla can't get their paint and panel gaps done right, it decreases my confidence that other more important things are being put together correctly. A bad panel gap might result in a little more wind noise. A bad seatbelt or airbag installation could kill you. I think a lot of people fail to consider this.
 
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One thing that does concern me is that if Tesla can't get their paint and panel gaps done right, it decreases my confidence that other more important things are being put together correctly. A bad panel gap might result in a little more wind noise. A bad seatbelt or airbag installation could kill you. I think a lot of people fail to consider this.

I think people consider it (albeit quickly), but are OK with the risks. Their quality control is pretty poor, but it appears to be (mostly) cosmetic for now.
 
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I just picked mine up last week (built in May). I went through a 4 page PDI checklist I put together. I couldn't find any major issues, nor nothing even minor. I had an MY Performance (aka MYP) on order but changed it about 2 weeks after ordering to go with the long range (MY LR) version. There are some good thread to compare the real world differences.

We got rid of an Acura RDX Advance version (latest gen) for the MY LR. Prior to that we had an MDX as well. I was also considering the new 2022 MDX. I can tell you some things I hated about the 10 speed transmission Acura put in the RDX and seems similar to the one now in the MDX. There is a lot of lag before you get full power off the line. It seems to wait a half second before you get full power (like they were trying to keep the torque from killing the tranny) If you take off, and then ease up, and then accelerate again, there is what seems like a massive delay ALL the time. Also that POS trackpad for the infotainment system should be thrown away. After 2 years with it on my RDX, I never ever was happy with it. Since there is no touch screen, you are stuck with it. The latest MDX has it as well.

While this is subjective, the Acura has a more premium feel inside than the MY. At the same time, it seems overly busy too. The leather is far better on the Acura than the MY but by comparison it isn't as good as that on my MB or past Audis.

I would encourage you to conider another option than the MYP. The 21" wheels are heavy and curb rash magnets. Many people try and resell them and go with something else. That was my plan originally. After some research here, I found there is a potentially a better option than the MYP depending on your needs. That is to go with the MY LR and acceleration boost after you buy it.

Tesla has not made it easy to compare the acceleration times between the MYP and MY LR. Basically if you were to use the same methodology, they are closer in acceleration that it seems at first glance. From a roll they are much closer than you would think. Adding acceleration boost (a 2k option after you buy) knocks .6 seconds off the 0-60 time. Using the same standard of measuring, that puts the MYP at about 3.8 seconds 0-60 vs about 4.2. From a roll they are going to be very close.

I can say while I appreciated my Acuras, after just a week with my MY LR, I couldn't go back. Even the slow version is so much quicker than any of the Acura SUVs and very good space utilization, I don't think I could go back. One area I liked better on my RDX was the electronically adjustable suspension. It was far better than the suspension on the MYP. Tesla still has a long way to go on the MY and M3 to get their suspension up to the standards of the rest of the class. You do have an option though to buy aftermarket coilovers to improve that.

In summary, I'd say don't worry too much about the build quality. I found a good SA who I trust here and he said he hasn't seen any major issues pretty much since the updated 2021s came out. He had no reason to lie to me as I'd already taken delivery of the car. He had been very helpful in smoothing out some of the big bumps I had along the way. I am not the ultimate Tesla fanboi but I can say so far the car was worth the wait.
Can you share the PDI checklist used for MY delivery?
 
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Tesla is a ten year old company. it would be nice if they have some standard of quality control, but i wouldn't hold your breath. if they didn't do it at 8 years, or 9 years, i dunno what makes them wanna do it at 10.

You could be that one out of ten that gets a perfect car, no issues and you go home happy...
This kind of pulling numbers from one's anus bother me. You're saying only 10% of all Ys are "perfect?"

Please provide an authoritative source for your numbers.
 
Tesla is a ten year old company. it would be nice if they have some standard of quality control, but i wouldn't hold your breath. if they didn't do it at 8 years, or 9 years, i dunno what makes them wanna do it at 10.

most cars will be fine, some will be perfect, some will have some pretty terrible issues. good news is that tesla will do what they can to make it right most of the time. so the say eight out of ten times you'll get a car that is fine (some minor panel gaps, some trim that isn't perfect, nothing that tesla can't fix but it'll burn some of your time). you could be that one out of ten that gets a perfect car, no issues and you go home happy, but then again you could be that one out of ten where your roof flies off and the service department takes forever to get it replaced. i think it's safe to say you should be prepared to roll the dice, but the odds are probably in your favor you'll be reasonably happy.
Uhh..seriously...make up your mind. This post is total nonsense, and should be deleted.
 
My biggest "issue" is the white on the back bumper seems slightly diff, but that seems to be common on tons that I see in parking lots. I think its just a matter of getting the plastic to match the metal. otherwise they fixed every problem I had, including a misaligned tailgate, and tons of interior issues like the fabric not tight into the pillars
 
I can say for my MY, the overall metal panel and bumper fit quality was in the same range of my previous 2019 Honda Odyssey, although I can imagine a higher individual vehicle variance on MYs than Odysseys. However, the plastic trim fit had quite a few obvious flaws, some of which I didn't care and rest were easily fixed (either myself or mobile service).
 
The issue is the Fremont factory and mad rush to deliver cars by the end of each quarter. Sandy Monroe said just that. Now, I have a 2020 and when I hear "panel gap issues are exaggerated I laugh because my Dad's 1981 K-car had better panel alignment. And not just alignment, but panel malformation. You can easily pick out a 2020 vs 2021 coming at you because most of the hoods were misshapen to the point where they are raised in the center and dip on the ends (especially the right side). And door panels that when aligned properly top and bottom, were still sticking out in the middle (no fix).

All that said, I was at the Fremont sales center recently and inspected at least a dozen 2021's waiting to be delivered and I was shocked at the improvement. Headlights on every Model Y were perfectly centered in the openings and sitting flush. Gaps between doors were close to perfect... nothing a slight hinge adjustment wouldn't fix. Gaps around the hood and hatch were consistent. I'd put it almost on par with my Bolt EV and Kia Niro EV that were - no exaggeration - flawless.

Once they have more than one factory building cars, they'll have the luxury of being able to slow things down and inspect cars before they come off the line.
 
Hey Everyone-

I am debating between a 2022 Acura MDX and a Model Y Performance

I literally had a 2022 MDX Advance, took a $6k loss and traded it in a week later. The transmission is horrible and the benefits of an EV are superior, not having to fill the tank again and waking up with a full "tank" of gas is a huge plus. The quality is nowhere near Acura however. Keep this in mind, the Tesla does not have a good blind spot monitoring compared to the MDX, does not have apple car play, no 360 camera, no cross traffic and does not have noise cancellation. Take an extensive test drive with the Tesla and you will notice how loud it is compared to the MDX, it even hurts my ears and others. With that being said I still chose the MY over the MDX just because of the pure acceleration and no shifting. But I do miss the MDX.
Our garage currently consists of these two cars (though our MY is a 7, so no P). I concur with @MyEarHurts that the quality of the Acura and UI/safety features it includes are well beyond those of the Tesla. I would disagree that the transmission in the MDX is horrible. It's not great...throttle tip-in is too non-linear. But it's not horrible overall IME.

Still, we take the MY out first 90+% of the time because it's far more efficient and environmentally friendly, and of course way more fun to drive. We're still road-trip averse with the MY - not because of range anxiety, but because of the added time required. Some people don't mind this, we do. We regularly make a 5 hour drive in the MDX which ABRP pegs at 6 for the MY (the destination has only 110 charging and we aren't there for long, so we have to arrive with plenty of charge). No thanks.
 
I recently test drove a MY in Santa Monica, and I did notice some gaps in the rear seat plastic by the door. It was pretty obvious. I'm sure if I get a car with those gaps, I can just reach out to have them fix it through the app, right?
It depends on the nature of those gaps. If the trims are clipped right but precision is not optimal, they probably will not do anything. Otherwise, if the trims are not clipped properly, they will either fix it on the spot while picking up the car, or let you send a service request for a mobile service. I had both scenarios for my MY.
 
I was in a hurry when I picked mine up, but then at home went through the checklist - pretty much everything was spot on with the exception of a plastic nut cover fastener near the front wheel. I asked the service center to just mail me a replacement but tesla mobile dropped it off so I was very pleased with this one.
 
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Our garage currently consists of these two cars (though our MY is a 7, so no P). I concur with @MyEarHurts that the quality of the Acura and UI/safety features it includes are well beyond those of the Tesla. I would disagree that the transmission in the MDX is horrible. It's not great...throttle tip-in is too non-linear. But it's not horrible overall IME.

Still, we take the MY out first 90+% of the time because it's far more efficient and environmentally friendly, and of course way more fun to drive. We're still road-trip averse with the MY - not because of range anxiety, but because of the added time required. Some people don't mind this, we do. We regularly make a 5 hour drive in the MDX which ABRP pegs at 6 for the MY (the destination has only 110 charging and we aren't there for long, so we have to arrive with plenty of charge). No thanks.
I disagree big time with the acura is great statement. Acura I know because I owned them for the past 15 years are horrible with clear coating peeling and bad transmission. Acura also has panel gap issues also. The new acura touchpad system is stupid. Tesla Model y is way better than the RDX and MDX