Customers back out of deals for any of a number of reasons, financing doesn't go though, cold feet, etc. I'm not at all saying ALL customer-refused cars have issues. The point is there are buyers (like me) that don't want a "fixed" car that required a $4,000 repair. Tesla does have "demo" cars. Customer refused cars likely become demos for test drives too. No doubt there are enough buyers with hot money who'll accept panel gaps and doors needing to be realigned in order to jump the 2-month queue.
My point more is the "traditional" dealers do exactly the same thing, while you seem to imply they don't.
The typical threshold for disclosure of pre-existing damage in new cars in state laws is 3-6% of MSRP. That means for a base Model Y LR $1575-$3150. And some laws have disclosure exclusions regardless of cost (like for example bumper replacements).
Your brand new car might not be completely new after all
The article linked to this forum thread and it's eye opening what goes on behind the scenes at dealers in terms of repairing cars and putting them on the lot as "new" (with no disclosures, or even a flat out lie like in that Corvette case; at least your Tesla rep disclosed you were getting a refused car).
Dealer admitted my car was damaged prior to my purchase
"Unlike other cars, Tesla's experience is more custom"?
You're kidding, right? How "custom" can you get with the choice of 5 exterior and 2 interior colors? With Audi or a BMW, there are are literally hundreds of customization combinations you can select, including custom palette colors so you actually can individualize your car.
Also ask yourself why you didn't do checklists for previous cars. You didn't have to. It was a given that your new Mercedes waiting for you would be perfect.
I didn't previously because I just pick a car from what was available in the lot, I didn't have a process where I can order what I custom from factory (my previous car was a Toyota, they don't do special orders). It's different with Tesla where the car being delivered is "my" car and if I reject it, I have to wait for another VIN with the same config (which may be a long wait on top of an already long one for the first VIN), not just walk over to the next car on the lot, if I don't like something about the one being delivered to me.
Also, I took delivery while the pandemic was still ongoing, and I had a touchless delivery, so I had to look through the car on my own and report any issues found in the app. I didn't have a rep to look through the car with me, so everything was at my own pace (no time pressure or direction by a rep). After inspection and noting things found in the app (minor scratches in paint, and some scratches on glass), I was on my merry way. I didn't have to deal with another multi-hour ordeal in the dealer's office. Thus I have a stronger incentive and plenty of time to look through the car in more detail (and still spent way less time than I would have spent at a car dealer following the "traditional" car buying process).
It's kind of like the difference between if I buy something at a grocery store, I can pick which item I like the most (for example at the fruits or vegetable section). However, if I order online with a delivery service, I check the item when I receive it perhaps even more thoroughly because it took longer to get to me, I have way more time to look at a specific item (unlike at the store where I'm going through a lot of different ones of the same item, so spending really little time on each), and there is a return process, if I find anything.
I'm not convinced it's because other manufacturers will be "perfect". For example, on the whole panel gap controversy, I'm reminded of a funny comment in this article:
Watch Audi Build A Watertight E-Tron GT With Uniform Panel Gaps And A Roof That's Firmly Attached
A picture was shown in a top comment to trash Tesla's panel gaps, in an article about how meticulous Audi is about the e-Tron GT's panel gaps. Except the problem was the car in the picture with horrible panel gaps is an Audi e-Tron, not a Tesla (something not a lot of people caught). People previously have just been blissfully unaware of the panel gaps of other cars, and just focus on this for Teslas due to the difference in delivery process.
With Tesla, it's kind of like a lottery. You can't compare this to dealer pre-delivery inspections, because dealers actually perform PDI's and fix minor issues before a customer picks up their car - instead of disappointing their customers, and having to scramble to fix them post-sale. Kind of sucks the fun out of the "experience", don't you think?
Tesla does PDIs also:
Elon Musk says Tesla can still achieve milestone of 500,000 cars in 2020, but will need to 'go all out' - Electrek
Even in the year end rush mentioned in that article (I got my car delivered 12/31/2020), I had a VIN that was assigned to me previously that failed PDI and I had my delivery cancelled and I was reassigned a different VIN.
My experience with Tesla was pretty awful, but no doubt others have been fantastic. Even after the several hiccups I had during the ordering process, I was very excited about getting my brand new Tesla, but it ended up being a big disappointment. After reading at least 100 other experiences similar to mine, it's clear there is a culture at Tesla where mediocre is acceptable. I truly believe Tesla's standard during a PDI is "Meh, good enough".
What's ironic is that the loyal owners that continue to give Tesla a pass on QC - are actually hurting the brand. They just don't realize it.
If your point is about your personal experience, that is fine. I'm just pointing out a lot of the criticisms about Teslas potentially not being "brand new" apply to "traditional" dealers also, something perhaps not a lot of people are aware of.
