Poor initial experience with my Tesla Model Y Performance

psett · Jul 20, 2022

Hi folks,

Looking to see if any of you had a similar experience with your Tesla initially.

I took delivery of my 22 Model Y Performance about three weeks ago. I've had a really rough go and find myself almost sick to my stomach when I think about how much I paid vs the quality of vehicle I got. Some of the challenges I've had are included below.

As expected, it had some pretty horrendous paint defects on delivery (like 8-10 inch scratches), so I sent it out to get paint corrected and ceramic coated. This cleaned up like 90% of those defects which was great. After driving it for a few miles I found/heard lots of other issues. Among many other smaller issues, I noticed: the steering wheel has to be turned 4 or 5 degrees to the right for the car to go straight, the front left suspension has a metal-on-metal thunking sound with every bump, the front right suspension makes a pretty awful grinding noise when turning right, and several pieces of trim rattle (the primary offender being some deep, loud rattle by the windshield). The quality of trim is also disappointing with poorly fitting plastics everywhere and sweaty seat material. Also, for some reason the steering wheel feels tiny (?). Not necessarily an issue with my particular car, but it rides like a freight train. I feel every little bump in the road, and I'm sure this just accentuates the rattles I'm hearing. I fear that I got a car that was slapped together before the turn of the quarter - when the assembly line is rushed and cars are pushed out as fast as possible.

All that being said, there are definitely things I love about the car. I love the smooth operation, the power, the easy acceleration, deceleration, and heating/AC controls. The panel gaps were not great but definitely better than I expected. The white interior with the red exterior is beautiful. I just don't know if these positives outweigh the negatives.

Anyway, I'm wondering three things: have you guys had bad rattles that were able to fixed by tesla? what can I do to make the ride better (I was hoping I could put some chunkier tires on to soften the ride. I have the 21" uberturbines. I want to keep it as close to stock as possible, I don't want to replace suspension components.)? And, what can I do to make the interior feel nicer and less like a $80k Camry?

Thanks!

voxel · Jul 20, 2022

psett said:
And, what can I do to make the interior feel nicer and less like a $80k Camry?

Thanks!

Unfortunately this is a problem with all $60K EVs… they are budgety cars with $25K drivetrains. It’s why I’m interested in the Lyriq and GV60 and new offerings in 2023. The ID.4, Ioniq 5, EV6, Mach-E have all the same budgety feel as the Y and what is worse is their premium audio is generally terrible compared to the Y.

Yelobird · Jul 21, 2022

Did you not notice any of these imperfections or scratches on delivery Or did your detail shop selling paint correction point them out?

psett · Jul 21, 2022

Yelobird said:
Did you not notice any of these imperfections or scratches on delivery Or did your detail shop selling paint correction point them out?

I noticed them and documented them all. I took a flashlight to the entire car once I got the car back to my house after delivery. A few of them were deep enough that you could feel them with a fingernail so they didn't come out 100%. Overall the shop did a great job with their paint correction though.

psett · Jul 21, 2022

voxel said:
Unfortunately this is a problem with all $60K EVs… they are budgety cars with $25K drivetrains. It’s why I’m interested in the Lyriq and GV60 and new offerings in 2023. The ID.4, Ioniq 5, EV6, Mach-E have all the same budgety feel as the Y and what is worse is their premium audio is generally terrible compared to the Y.

Exactly - I'm not necessarily looking for a luxury vehicle, but it would be nice to have a little bit more of a premium feel.

gx9901 · Jul 21, 2022

The steering wheel being off center and the loud noises coming from both front suspensions would be pretty alarming to me and you should try to get Tesla to look at them ASAP.

In my own experience with the MYP delivery, my sales associate called a few days before and told me they found a paint defect. She couldn't tell me what it was exactly, but said they will have it repaired at a body shop prior to delivery. Once I took delivery I wasn't able to detect anything wrong, so I was happy with it.

I didn't find any issues with fit and finish inside or out, but I will say that I'm probably on the more forgiving side, so maybe someone else might have an issue with things in the car. But I didn't find anything that I would consider an issue.

My car developed sort of a squeak/chirp in the seat back of both front seats after a few months (it could also have been that I didn't notice at first). I ended up opening the back of each seat and found a loose piece that I plugged back in to resolve the squeak.

From reading these forums, I was under the impression that 2022 model year cars got more compliant suspension. My 21 definitely have a very tight ride but it has never bothered me personally. I drive my wife's Volvo C40 and my mom's Audi etron fairly often, and while those are definitely more compliant, especially the etron, they have not caused me to dislike the MYP's ride. Perhaps you can decrease the tire pressure to 38~40 PSI and see if it feels better?

As for making the interior feel nicer, I'm not sure what could be done other than to adjust your own perspective and/or add a few accessories. The first time I got into a Model Y was in a friend's car. I really thought it looked very down market and less luxurious than my daughter's Subaru Impreza. But after I took a test drive at Tesla, I began to appreciate the simplicity in the design and how great it felt to drive. Now, I can honestly say that despite having regular access to the aforementioned etron and C40, I still look forward to getting into the MYP the most. I did change out the wood dash to a carbon fiber one, installed purple colored ambient lights front and back, and added logo puddle lights and light up door sill plates, so there's that.

Y_tho · Jul 21, 2022

A few things:

Steering wheel alignment is easy to have fixed. Just open a ticket. Doesn't even have to be within 7 days, as it's not cosmetic.
Grinding noise or thunks? Again, open a service ticket. These are things that can and will be fixed.
Seat material being sweaty: remember you have an all-glass roof, and we're in the middle of a heat wave. So... you'll either have to live with that, or you can put a sunshade or tint on the roof.
Steering wheel too small: It's the same wheel as the model 3 and hasn't changed since 2017. There are aftermarket wheels available.
Rides like a freight train? No idea how to answer this. You can adjust steering sensitivity (comfort, normal, sport). And you can buy smaller wheels to increase comfort (many people here have swapped out the ubers for 19's, and even 18's from TSportline)
Ill-fitting plastic trim: Open a ticket. I had no issue having a few pieces of trim replaced.

For any of the fitment issues, you just have to include photographs showing the issue, when submitting your ticket.

psett · Jul 21, 2022

gx9901 said:
The steering wheel being off center and the loud noises coming from both front suspensions would be pretty alarming to me and you should try to get Tesla to look at them ASAP.

In my own experience with the MYP delivery, my sales associate called a few days before and told me they found a paint defect. She couldn't tell me what it was exactly, but said they will have it repaired at a body shop prior to delivery. Once I took delivery I wasn't able to detect anything wrong, so I was happy with it.

I didn't find any issues with fit and finish inside or out, but I will say that I'm probably on the more forgiving side, so maybe someone else might have an issue with things in the car. But I didn't find anything that I would consider an issue.

My car developed sort of a squeak/chirp in the seat back of both front seats after a few months (it could also have been that I didn't notice at first). I ended up opening the back of each seat and found a loose piece that I plugged back in to resolve the squeak.

From reading these forums, I was under the impression that 2022 model year cars got more compliant suspension. My 21 definitely have a very tight ride but it has never bothered me personally. I drive my wife's Volvo C40 and my mom's Audi etron fairly often, and while those are definitely more compliant, especially the etron, they have not caused me to dislike the MYP's ride. Perhaps you can decrease the tire pressure to 38~40 PSI and see if it feels better?

As for making the interior feel nicer, I'm not sure what could be done other than to adjust your own perspective and/or add a few accessories. The first time I got into a Model Y was in a friend's car. I really thought it looked very down market and less luxurious than my daughter's Subaru Impreza. But after I took a test drive at Tesla, I began to appreciate the simplicity in the design and how great it felt to drive. Now, I can honestly say that despite having regular access to the aforementioned etron and C40, I still look forward to getting into the MYP the most. I did change out the wood dash to a carbon fiber one, installed purple colored ambient lights front and back, and added logo puddle lights and light up door sill plates, so there's that.

Thanks for the extensive response!

I've got a service scheduled for next week, and I don't plan on driving it until then since the noises are getting worse with each drive (about 200 miles on the car now). For the tires, I dropped the pressure to about 40 PSI and it was definitely less of a jarring ride but still extremely firm. I'm now wondering if the ride quality has something to do with the suspension noises I'm hearing.

That's a great idea on the puddle & ambient lights, I'll do some research on that. Did you get the sill plates from Tesla? I was wondering how the battery life is on those.

As for the paint quality on delivery, I'm very particular about my paint but knew I had to be a bit forgiving as I had heard lots of horror stories with Tesla's paint. I've attached an image of one of the scratches so the thread has context about that. This is one of the scratched that came out about 90% with paint correction.

gx9901 · Jul 21, 2022

psett said:
Thanks for the extensive response!

I've got a service scheduled for next week, and I don't plan on driving it until then since the noises are getting worse with each drive (about 200 miles on the car now). For the tires, I dropped the pressure to about 40 PSI and it was definitely less of a jarring ride but still extremely firm. I'm now wondering if the ride quality has something to do with the suspension noises I'm hearing.

That's a great idea on the puddle & ambient lights, I'll do some research on that. Did you get the sill plates from Tesla? I was wondering how the battery life is on those.

As for the paint quality on delivery, I'm very particular about my paint but knew I had to be a bit forgiving as I had heard lots of horror stories with Tesla's paint. I've attached an image of one of the scratches so the thread has context about that. This is one of the scratched that came out about 90% with paint correction.

For the door sill plates, I got the Hansshow version, which has a plate for all 4 doors and it's like around half the price of the Tesla set. I think they look great. Battery is supposed to last around 3 years, but I'm not really counting on that. It should be fairly easy to replace. Just need to have some automotive double sided tape to tape them back down once the batteries are replaced. I think they look good enough without lighting up that it would be fine leaving it unlit if I get lazy about replacing the batteries.

As for puddle lights, if you research on this site you will find that the mechanism that retract the windows when you open the door is tied to the puddle light. So if the puddle light fail, the window doesn't retract and it's possible to damage the window and/or black trim around the window on the car if you didn't notice and closed the door too hard. It's a dumbass design but it is what it is. If damage happens due to puddle light failure, Tesla would not cover the damages under warranty. I am fully aware of this and am taking a risk by installing the puddle lights. I figure I'll try to pay attention to the windows when door open and mitigate the issue, and cross my fingers that the lights last a long time.

My setup:

That scratch you've attached is definitely unacceptable. If I had something like that I would for sure demand Tesla to repair it.

Tha_Ape · Jul 21, 2022

psett said:
Exactly - I'm not necessarily looking for a luxury vehicle, but it would be nice to have a little bit more of a premium feel.

the premium feel is under your right foot, the software updates, and in the charging network. Otherwise it's a pretty lackluster interior.

The true premium EVs are deep in the 6 figures.

I will say this, all the headaches with the car are almost always in the first few months... then you just start loving it (at least that's how it was for me). Every time there's a major feature added (a couple times a year) it feels like a new car again

Suns_PSD · Jul 21, 2022

voxel said:
Unfortunately this is a problem with all $60K EVs… they are budgety cars with $25K drivetrains. It’s why I’m interested in the Lyriq and GV60 and new offerings in 2023. The ID.4, Ioniq 5, EV6, Mach-E have all the same budgety feel as the Y and what is worse is their premium audio is generally terrible compared to the Y.

Meanwhile Ford produces the Lightning with better build quality, 2x the battery pack as the MY, for $40K.

Tha_Ape · Jul 21, 2022

Suns_PSD said:
Meanwhile Ford produces the Lightning with better build quality, 2x the battery pack as the MY, for $40K.

Those aren't really comparable. The Mach-E is the analog and 50% of them have been recalled for a parts issue that may leave owners stranded.

nate704 · Jul 21, 2022

I think you need to notify Tesla within 100 miles for something like scratches. Wheel alignment and other suspension related things will get fixed by Tesla fairly easily.
I see already a lot of Never-Tesla guys swarming on this thread. LOL

I'm sorry OP, I think you got the customer reject or just bad luck since the majority owners have either very minimal issues or no issues at all.

K1Woods · Jul 21, 2022

Suns_PSD said:
Meanwhile Ford produces the Lightning with better build quality, 2x the battery pack as the MY, for $40K.

you mean the Ford Unicorn....not 40K, not 2X and not remotely close to the ballpark or universe....

nate704 · Jul 21, 2022

Suns_PSD said:
Meanwhile Ford produces the Lightning with better build quality, 2x the battery pack as the MY, for $40K.

Your dream will come true in about 20 years. LOL

psett · Jul 28, 2022

Thought I'd provide an update for those folks who gave me a response!

As many suggested I wrote up a ticket for each issue (like 10+ tickets) and sent the car in for service. They were unable to fix any of the several rattles I had, so it'll go back in for service again shortly for them to try again. They did find a few pieces of loose trim, but unfortunately that wasn't the culprit. The worst part is that the thunking noise that I was hearing from the front left suspension was actually the steering rack. They didn't bother fixing it, rather just ordered an entire new steering rack that will be here in A MONTH at best. So, now my whole front end has to be dismantled and rebuilt and I have low faith in Tesla's ability to reassemble it correctly.

As for the ride quality, I have unplugged performance's luxury kit on order to make the ride tolerable, but they won't be here till November.

I'm extremely disappointed with Tesla, this car is a true pos. I've listed the car for sale so if anyone wants a dumpster fire for $80k, you know where to find it!

Y_tho · Jul 28, 2022

psett said:
The worst part is that the thunking noise that I was hearing from the front left suspension was actually the steering rack. They didn't bother fixing it, rather just ordered an entire new steering rack that will be here in A MONTH at best. So, now my whole front end has to be dismantled and rebuilt and I have low faith in Tesla's ability to reassemble it correctly

How is this the worst part? They diagnosed and found the problem. Can't imagine why you'd be upset at getting an entire new assembly, especially if it's unfixable. Inconvenient, sure, but they're replacing the defective part.

psett said:
I'm extremely disappointed with Tesla, this car is a true pos. I've listed the car for sale so if anyone wants a dumpster fire for $80k, you know where to find it!

Honestly, this type of comment doesn't help at all here. You have a rattle (still needs to be diagnosed), a thunking noise that's been diagnosed (and is scheduled for parts replacement), a performance-variant ride that feels rough to you (which you're improving with aftermarket suspension, even though you could go with different wheels), and some loose trim (that was replaced?).

And it's kinda weird that you consider your car a pos dumpster fire, and yet you're about to sink a bunch of money into an aftermarket suspension modification. And then selling it.

nate704 · Jul 28, 2022

Replacing the steering rack is really simple especially with an EV.

Hunt3r · Jul 28, 2022

"As expected"....??? Why the hell would you buy a car that you expect to have that level of defects? And why would you buy a car and not know what the inside looked like? Insane.

I received my MYP about a month ago and was "expecting" a perfect car. And I got it. Its been nothing but a pleasure to own and drive. Paint is perfect, fast smooth and quiet. It's my daily driver and I travel for work. Is a Tesla the perfect car? Obviously not. None are. That's why you do your due diligence prior to buying.

Physicslawyer · Jul 28, 2022

If you don't like the car, sell it. You will get your money back. Buy something you enjoy. Why are you putting more money into something you consider a POS?? Why keep something you would say this about? That's harsh.

I don't look at the MY as a luxury car. I look at it as an amazing performance car with incredible efficiency that we can take camping and haul groceries.

I have put 12k miles in a little over three months on our MYP. The car is perfect. It has exceeded expectations and I love it. It's a daily driver for us though, not something that's locked in the garage like some other cars we infrequently drive.

Mercedes has the EQS and will be coming out with an SUV. BMW just came out with an electric 7 series. Maybe those would be better suited to you if you want a luxury car? Or the Cadillac Lyric? Get a Taycan? There are lots of choices now.

As far as Teslas, we had a 2016 MXP100D for a bit, it was an amazing car. The doors open when you walk up and close from inside, it has the gull doors, the interior is more premium. You can test drive the MX plaid. This is the closest to what we had, it was white on white, more "luxurious," just gorgeous-

2017 Tesla Model X 100D Stock # 6588 for sale near Redondo Beach, CA | CA Tesla Dealer

White/White ** Factory Warranty ** Enhanced Autopilot ** Ultra-Hi FIldelity Sound ** Carpool Stickers ** Air Suspension ** Lane Departure Warning ** Blind Spot Assist ** Forward Collision Warning ** Obstacle Aware Acceleration ** Navigation ** Back-Up Camera ** Heated Seats ** Auto High Beam **...

www.platinumautohaus.com

Good luck!

Poor initial experience with my Tesla Model Y Performance

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