Paint Missing Inside Front Door Wells?

[astrobill]

All,

I just noticed this on my Model Y a few weeks after accepting delivery (sigh).

Isn't there supposed to be paint on this surface that you can see with the door open? Does anyone else have this issue on their Model Y? It's the same on both sides. There's only some apparent paint overspray, but it's not actually painted.

Am I crazy or what? Aren't these surfaces supposed to be painted?

R,
Bill

 

[MP3Mike]

Nope, Tesla normally doesn't paint that area. I think for a while they took the doors off and painted that way but then people complained that the paint didn't match exactly, so they have probably reverted to how the Model 3 has always been with painting with the doors on, and not worrying about covering that area.

The entire body is dipped in a e-coat which is the primary protection layer.

 

[astrobill]

Nope, Tesla normally doesn't paint that area. I think for a while they took the doors off and painted that way but then people complained that the paint didn't match exactly, so they have probably reverted to how the Model 3 has always been with painting with the doors on, and not worrying about covering that area.

How does reverting to totally unpainted metal cut down on complaints that the paint didn't match precisely? Bare metal sure as heck doesn't match *any* paint color at all, much less precisely....lol.

I'm hoping to hear from more current Model Y owners if they have the same situation. I think I'll also walk the lot of the nearest sales location and open all the Model Y doors to have a look....this doesn't add up to me. I still think this is a mistake.

 

[MP3Mike]

How does reverting to totally unpainted metal cut down on complaints that the paint didn't match precisely? LOL I don't get the logic there, frankly.

The paint wasn't matching with the doors closed. Fender different than front door, different than rear door. Painting them all at once makes them all match. So what you can see from the outside with the doors closed matches.

There are many threads in the Model 3 forum discussing the issue of that portion not being painted.

 

[astrobill]

The paint wasn't matching with the doors closed. Fender different than front door, different than rear door. Painting them all at once makes them all match. So what you can see from the outside with the doors closed matches.

There are many threads in the Model 3 forum discussing the issue of that portion not being painted.

Yeah, I understood what you meant about *why* the paint might not match in some instances.

What I'm saying is that it's nonsensical for Tesla's answer to that to be "Ok then, customers, in that case we just won't paint that area at all and now it'll look WORSE...BWAAHAHAHA!" That's essentially giving everyone the finger and making the car LESS professionally to deal with a quality control issue.

It seems to me that it's FAR MORE likely people will complain about it being totally unpainted than if the color inside the door wells was slightly off. In fact, having it just randomly hit with overspray looks even shoddier than pure bare metal, which would at least look deliberate on their part.

I did some searches and didn't see those other threads you mentioned showing the same issue on current Model 3s. Can you cross post us to one showing this to be a common issue among M3 owners? Ideally, one that discusses evidence that Tesla made a conscious decision to leave it *unpainted* in order to deal with paint match complaints...I mean, I'm really scratching my head about that part.

 

[MP3Mike]

It seems to me that it's FAR MORE likely people will complain about it being totally unpainted than if the color inside the door wells was slightly off.

It wasn't the color inside the door wells that was off it was the actual color on the outside of the panels that wasn't matching.

 

[astrobill]

It wasn't the color inside the door wells that was off it was the actual color on the outside of the panels that wasn't matching.

Okay, I can understand moving to a one-dip paint process to help make the door colors match better (and yeah, tons of amusing and not-so-amusing stories about Model Y paint jobs). But why not then take a few minutes to manually spray the inside of the door wells? With the doors open, it looks ridiculous, rushed, and unfinished. It's just not a professional decision on their part.

I'm going to bring my Model Y to a body shop anyway for the other little things wrong with my paint at delivery (e.g., a few paint blisters, an on-dealer-lot door ding pre-delivery, mismatched bumper color) so I think I'll be adding this to the list of things I need to fix...on my brand-new $60K car (sigh).

Still want to hear from other recent MY owners that this is a consistent thing. I'm going to walk the Tysons Corner lot today and take a look at the MY's there myself. I don't recall seeing this on the others I looked at, but maybe I missed it?

 

[outdoors]

Okay, I can understand moving to a one-dip paint process to help make the door colors match better (and yeah, tons of amusing and not-so-amusing stories about Model Y paint jobs). But why not then take a few minutes to manually spray the inside of the door wells? With the doors open, it looks ridiculous, rushed, and unfinished. It's just not a professional decision on their part.

I'm going to bring my Model Y to a body shop anyway for the other little things wrong with my paint at delivery (e.g., a few paint blisters, an on-dealer-lot door ding pre-delivery, mismatched bumper color) so I think I'll be adding this to the list of things I need to fix...on my brand-new $60K car (sigh).

Still want to hear from other recent MY owners that this is a consistent thing. I'm going to walk the Tysons Corner lot today and take a look at the MY's there myself. I don't recall seeing this on the others I looked at, but maybe I missed it?

This is not just a Model Y concern. You will not be getting any fix for this issue. Cars are not painted manually after being sprayed by a robot in a paint room. Just trying help to set your expectations. Would focus on the other issues rather than the my car costs $60k and I expect....

Is your front door interior jams not painted? SC is saying this is standard on all Model 3s. : teslamotors

How Tesla Paints Your Model 3 Vehicle this is the same way the Y is done.

Not an owner, but I have assisted on 3 deliveries for the Y. So it is what it is. Even if you don't like it. I don't either.

 

[astrobill]

...You will not be getting any fix for this issue.

Thanks for the links to other posts. To be clear, I didn't say I expected a fix from Tesla. I might have been vague, but I said I'm taking it to a body shop for paint issues and that I'm adding this to my list of things I'll have them fix. It was implied I'm paying for it, not that I'm bringing Tesla the bill...LOL.

Really, I'm just trying to find out if you're correct that pretty much everyone now has this issue and that Tesla has decided to leave those wells unpainted. Perhaps that's validated in those posts you added (thanks, again for those).

EDIT: That reddit thread is a pretty small sample size...just a couple of people saying "me too" on various vehicles, some from a couple of years ago. And the statement that Tesla isn't painting the door jambs/wells appears to originate with one guy saying that's what his local Service Center told him. As we've seen with Teslas, the info one gets from reps and service center guys is all over the map on some issues. One SC will tell you everything is "in spec" and you can ask a different guy five minutes later and get them to agree to fix something without any argument. They're REALLY inconsistent. Personally, I wouldn't mind seeing a bit more authoritative sources and a much larger sample size of people saying "me too."

So far, no other Model Y owner has chimed in....

 

[outdoors]

Thanks for the links to other posts. To be clear, I didn't say I expected a fix from Tesla. I might have been vague, but I said I'm taking it to a body shop for paint issues and that I'm adding this to my list of things I'll have them fix. It was implied I'm paying for it, not that I'm bringing Tesla the bill...LOL.

Really, I'm just trying to find out if you're correct that pretty much everyone now has this issue and that Tesla has decided to leave those wells unpainted. Perhaps that's validated in those posts you added (thanks, again for those).

EDIT: That reddit thread is a pretty small sample size...just a couple of people saying "me too" on various vehicles, some from a couple of years ago. And the statement that Tesla isn't painting the door jambs/wells appears to originate with one guy saying that's what his local Service Center told him. As we've seen with Teslas, the info one gets from reps and service center guys is all over the map on some issues. One SC will tell you everything is "in spec" and you can ask a different guy five minutes later and get them to agree to fix something without any argument. They're REALLY inconsistent. Personally, I wouldn't mind seeing a bit more authoritative sources and a much larger sample size of people saying "me too."

So far, no other Model Y owner has chimed in....

Look harder next time:

Are all ya'll's door jambs missing paint and/or lightly painted?

Those misisng paint in the door jambs...

I guess when someone says they volunteer to help other potential owners with delivery you still don't believe. I did your work for you. You don't have to be an owner to know something.

 

[Jabnlab]

My Y is the same way and so are others that I have seen in person. But I expected it before I took delivery because I saw it mentioned on reddit. It doesn't really bother me as I only notice it if I'm actively looking for it.

 

[Koolio46]

How does reverting to totally unpainted metal cut down on complaints that the paint didn't match precisely? Bare metal sure as heck doesn't match *any* paint color at all, much less precisely....lol.

I'm hoping to hear from more current Model Y owners if they have the same situation. I think I'll also walk the lot of the nearest sales location and open all the Model Y doors to have a look....this doesn't add up to me. I still think this is a mistake.

Mine is like the OPs. I’m quite certain all MYs are like this.

It didn’t bother me because the aluminum is coated (as earlier reply stated) and I can’t see the diff unless I’m looking for it.

 

[CLLACAB]

Have the same issue on my 2020 M3P. Took it to the Tesla body shop. They said Tesla will not authorize painting the area because it’s not visible. You can only see it if the door is open. It is primed and rust protected.

 

[chrisathome]

All,

I just noticed this on my Model Y a few weeks after accepting delivery (sigh).

Isn't there supposed to be paint on this surface that you can see with the door open? Does anyone else have this issue on their Model Y? It's the same on both sides. There's only some apparent paint overspray, but it's not actually painted.

Am I crazy or what? Aren't these surfaces supposed to be painted?

R,
Bill

You are not crazy. My Signature Model S was painted in that area. My brother in law has a Model 3 that is painted in that area. I have just received a 2021 Model Y that is not painted in that area same as you. I can see an unpainted line through the gap between the door and the fender when the door is closed. This is an aesthetic issue that needs to be fixed. All other manufacturers ensure paint coverage in this area so that you can't see unpainted surfaces when the doors are closed. Tesla needs to do the same.

Check out the comparison vs my Prius. Model Y - Blue, Prius - Red

 

[Chiefsfan]

You are not crazy. My Signature Model S was painted in that area. My brother in law has a Model 3 that is painted in that area. I have just received a 2021 Model Y that is not painted in that area same as you. I can see an unpainted line through the gap between the door and the fender when the door is closed. This is an aesthetic issue that needs to be fixed. All other manufacturers ensure paint coverage in this area so that you can't see unpainted surfaces when the doors are closed. Tesla needs to do the same.

Check out the comparison vs my Prius. Model Y - Blue, Prius - Red

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View attachment 625605

Yep