New Model 3 Owner - Amazing car!! Question on Panel gaps

[gunners123]

Hi All,
Received my car after waiting for 2 years, 2 months and 22 days. The last few days before delivery were really tough but I somehow found ways to distract myself . The car is really fun to drive and all the folks I interacted with at Tesla were really great. I am still getting used to all the tech in the car and I am fascinated by how well all of it works considering the software is still going through refinements.

All the positives:
- Drive is great
- Regen is amazing, I barely brake
- Auto pilot works like a charm (had issues initially as my car was stuck on the west coast but it resolved itself in a couple of days)
- Small steering (compared to my other cars) feels nice and the material feels really good
- Love the single screen and clean interiors


Issues: I have a few to report and would love feedback from the forum on how to tackle them
- Frunk alignment: I have a mixture of sunken frunk and panel alignment issue. Nothing major unless you observe it closely. When you do it is really obvious
- Bumper Alignment: Again nothing major but one edge is slightly out and you would only notice upon close inspection
- Headlights: One of the headlight protrudes slightly while the other one is flush
- Door: Doors don't always close easily, it needs a strong push (is this normal?)
- Minor Panel issues: Couple of other minor ones that I don't care about

Honestly, if I was buying other cars I would not even inspect many of these things but I spend time reading this forum and checked these items during delivery.

Now I am debating if I should get them fixed or not. Don't want them to mess it up while they try to fix these minor issues. Thoughts on next steps?

BTW, my VIN is 24XXX

 

[trace]

Every issue you described should be fixable by the service center.

If you're debating to get them fixed or not the only one I'd say is serious is the door not closing easily *could* be a safety issue in the future (eg: door not being able to open).

 

[gunners123]

Every issue you described should be fixable by the service center.

If you're debating to get them fixed or not the only one I'd say is serious is the door not closing easily *could* be a safety issue in the future (eg: door not being able to open).

Thanks. Good point on the doors, need to get that checked out. Question on the panel gaps issue - is that something they would do at the service center or send it to a body shop (tesla authorized)

 

[mbman81]

Any body/panel/alignment issue will go to body shop. You will drop off car with Service Center, but they will take it to a body shop. If it's not noticeable, I'd say leave it alone.

 

[Barklikeadog]

hopefully they can straighten those out. the one I saw in the wild had the same panel issues

 

[beantownrich]

They will send it out to a body shop. But The Frunk one is easy to fix, there are two bumpers under the hood, they screw left or right to adjust the height. Even after my car came back for the body shop the hood still seemed off. So I fiddled with them and I go them to where I'm at least not driven nuts by the inconsistency anymore.

For me, my passenger door is a pain to close compared to drivers side. I do believe it has to deal with the seals. The drivers one used to be hard too, but I use it every day, whereas the passneger one isn't used as frequently thus requires more effort. I'd give it another couple hundred of miles.

 

[Robocheme]

I've got the sunken frunck problem (VIN 12XX). The service center worked on it twice and then they gave up and concluded that it's within spec, The problem is that it's aligned at the front and back, but it dips in the middle. Basically, it has a different curvature than the wheel panels. I've looked at newer 3's and there isn't this problem.

I was thinking about making more of a stink about it, but then I decided that if I got a replacement hood, I might have a different problem. The paint from the body shop might not match the rest of the car. I notice it when I back the car out of the garage, but then I forget about it and just enjoy this car.

 

[gunners123]

I've got the sunken frunck problem (VIN 12XX). The service center worked on it twice and then they gave up and concluded that it's within spec, The problem is that it's aligned at the front and back, but it dips in the middle. Basically, it has a different curvature than the wheel panels. I've looked at newer 3's and there isn't this problem.

I was thinking about making more of a stink about it, but then I decided that if I got a replacement hood, I might have a different problem. The paint from the body shop might not match the rest of the car. I notice it when I back the car out of the garage, but then I forget about it and just enjoy this car.

That's precisely my concern. I think I will get the run around and they will try their best to fix it but in the end I may just have to live it. It is the luck of the draw. I saw another red Model 3 which had the same issue while I was there and then I saw a midnight silver which was perfect. All of them were in the same VIN range.....

 

[gunners123]

They will send it out to a body shop. But The Frunk one is easy to fix, there are two bumpers under the hood, they screw left or right to adjust the height. Even after my car came back for the body shop the hood still seemed off. So I fiddled with them and I go them to where I'm at least not driven nuts by the inconsistency anymore.

For me, my passenger door is a pain to close compared to drivers side. I do believe it has to deal with the seals. The drivers one used to be hard too, but I use it every day, whereas the passneger one isn't used as frequently thus requires more effort. I'd give it another couple hundred of miles.

Thanks! that is exactly what I was thinking. My wife on the other hand thinks that I just need to get used it and it will be fine in the longer run. It's her model 3 and she absolutely adores it