I am a new owner of a 2021 Model 3. Just moved to Ohio. Is it ok to drive the Tesla in the winter with all the salt on the roads? It is always parked in the garage unless I am driving. Should I be concerned about possible corrosion? Opinions / suggestions from other Model 3 owners would be appreciated.
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Salt damage to 2021 Model 3 in winter?
- Thread starter Nalin2020
- Start date
EVJAutoJunkie
EV Junkie
The car is just like any other car in winter. Don't worry about treating it any more special. If anything else, it is more robust than most of the gas guzzlers on the streets now.
Right, it's meant to be driven. Plenty of people in Canada, Norway/Sweden/Finland etc have them and drive them on roads where salt, sand and small rocks are used. Is it a harsh environment? Yes, absolutely. Is the Tesla different than other cars? For the most part no. There have been cases of lower body paint damage on roads around here in the first years. People started installing ppfs, and Tesla delivered mud guards. There have been such cases on other car makes too as far as I know.
Around here many people do a full ppf and they rustproof (oil) the car. I went for half ppf and good mudflaps. None of that is essential. With anything else, the level of care you apply to something will influence it's state in a few years.
Around here many people do a full ppf and they rustproof (oil) the car. I went for half ppf and good mudflaps. None of that is essential. With anything else, the level of care you apply to something will influence it's state in a few years.
Same deal here. Just got salt all over my new red M3LR two days ago. Goodbye factory shine! Heading to the car wash asap to hose it down. All my house (hose) lines are frozen. Handled pretty good on the icy roads though. It's just painful to see it dirty.
Macb00kemdanno
Member
Well, there are those heat pump issues…
I’ve always rustproofed my cars but I was told by the Tesla guy that I placed my order with……..NO rustproofing!! And I have seen Teslas on the road here in MTL with the oil leak stains under the doors which tells me there are people doing it anyways.
Many car makes will state that such winter treatments invalidate the rust warranty of the car, yet I see a lot of people that do it anyway. I don't have an official position on that, I have never done it personally but then again I have not kept cars for 10+ years.
I have generally relied on partial ppf for projections, and cleaning the car from time to time for salt. I try to spray the wheel wells and somewhat the underside when I clean my car. I have the luxury of an interior heated garage so I can clean it more often than others.
I have generally relied on partial ppf for projections, and cleaning the car from time to time for salt. I try to spray the wheel wells and somewhat the underside when I clean my car. I have the luxury of an interior heated garage so I can clean it more often than others.
yes I know. If you ever see what this car does without a heat pump (regular heating elements), it loses miles quite fast....
I always have used fluid film on my prior ICE vehicles. I had it professionally installed on my nice cars ($180 first year, $70 touch-ups every other year) and installed myself in our beaters (2-3 $12 aerosol cans (muh ozone layer!)).
Fluid film is fantastic. Nothing rusted at all. Existing rust would halt.
I’m hesitating on my new model 3 for a number of reasons. Primarily because this thing is mostly aluminum. I’m not even sure where to squirt the stuff on this car.
I should call my installer and get their thoughts. Has anyone applied fluid film to a 3/Y?
Fluid film is fantastic. Nothing rusted at all. Existing rust would halt.
I’m hesitating on my new model 3 for a number of reasons. Primarily because this thing is mostly aluminum. I’m not even sure where to squirt the stuff on this car.
I should call my installer and get their thoughts. Has anyone applied fluid film to a 3/Y?
I live in PA and the stuff on the road from my first winter took innumerable chips of paint off my rocker panels. I ended up getting partial PPF and mud flaps!
This is my first winter with my red multicoat paint. My rocker panels are a disaster from sand and salt. I don't even drive my car very much at all. I'm so disappointed in the paint hardiness, for a $70,000 car!?!?... Now I have to wait for a warm day, get a car wash, take more pictures and make an appointment at the nearest SC in the hopes of getting it repaired at no cost! If I could attach a picture, I would! I can't seem to do so. "Attach files" isn't working and I can't seem to add a media picture by click/dropping ... ggrrrrr
I feel that mudflaps and PPF at least on the rocker panels and doors are essential. I wish I would have researched this ahead of time and applied these to my new M3 (Sept 2021). After the salt and sand damage from just one winter (I live in Southern Ontario, which has shorter and less vicious winters) I am very upset. I can't imagine how terrible the car will look after just a couple of more winters! The paint on this car is extremely crappy. How can Tesla sell cars with paint that isn't durable? Now I have to spend time and energy begging for them to repair it, taking it out of town to the Service Centre that has a very long wait list to get in, and I'm preparing myself for disappointment (poor service or response delays, or if they don't honour my problem). Got a new car? Assume the worst will happen to the paint in winter and take measures before it happens, that's my advice.
My rocker panel area is a mess too on my black model 3 after I had only owned it a couple weeks. Did you contact them about it?
unfortunately when i tried getting mine repaired in the spring of 2019, they wouldn't do it, "normal wear and tear"...try again and let us know if their stance changes, cause if so, i'll try again as well!
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