Tesla Model Y - Things You Should Know!

[Yelobird]

FWIW I don't have my Y yet and sometimes have buyers remorse when I read some of the basic issues. But a good buddy of mine picked his up in October. We were texting the other day and he said it's the best purchase he's ever made and he loves the experience.


I'm hoping I'm more that experience than the OP's!

Best and only advice i offer new interests in Tesla is to stay away from forums of opinion and mostly agenda. Yes there are some really helpful people sprinkled in but Way to many hate the world people on a mission to find the valued input. Best car I have every owned personally.

 

[Undecided_2]

Best and only advice i offer new interests in Tesla is to stay away from forums of opinion and mostly agenda. Yes there are some really helpful people sprinkled in but Way to many hate the world people on a mission to find the valued input. Best car I have every owned personally.

Agree. It’s been the most exciting car I’ve owned - Model Y - and the service centre in Glasgow has been exceptional. Build quality is excellent and nothing like what I’ve read on some posts here. However, mines Shanghai built not US made and I’m sure that Berlin will pump out quality.

Sadly, people come here first to rant as they’re upset over something BEFORE they speak to Tesla. Some post something about their car, And then fail to follow up or respond to people trying to help or they get their issue resolved and fail to update us.

Some experienced owners get fed up with the rants and their posts come across as over the top fans and dismissive. But you’re find all are really helpful so message them directly for tips/advice, they’ll probably send you links to posts that are relevant.

For me, this forum is excellent when you treat it like Amazon reviews IMO. Ignore the rants “why does Tesla suspension suck so bad” as this is specific to that persons experience and focus on the ones where people are asking for advice.

I ordered our Y and then came here. I found it informative and very useful. My Y is having some paint corrected as it had a few light scratches and the PPF wasnt applied properly when I picked it up, and I have to say that the communication has been awesome and I got a loan car while they work on it.

Note. When you collect a car from Tesla they resolve delivery issues after you’ve collected it not before. Dealers correct delivery issues before you collect. That’s why many people are surprised. I wasn’t as I came here and leant that Tesla do things differently.

 

[ScoobyDoo82]

At the end of the day, a car is a car. I’ve had a lot of really nice cars: Audi, BMW, Porsche etc… they all had their own unique issues and qwerks. Not a single car on the road is 100% perfect in my opinion.

My Model Y is an early 2021 build. It’s not perfect, but it’s leaps and bounds better than my friend’s 2018 Model 3.

Overall, my wife and I think that our purchase of the Model Y has been the best automotive decision we have ever made. It’s a fantasy car and we love it.

There is a lot of controversy over Tesla. People love to hate and the internet is a massive powder keg supporting that. I’m no Tesla or Elon fan boy, but I absolutely believe that Tesla has more going on in their “proverbial left pinky” than every other automaker has their whole body. Before Tesla I believed that the Germans made the best cars. Now I believe that Tesla does. The engineering in the HVAC system alone is leaps and bounds ahead.

We do not regret buying a Tesla and probably will not buy from any other auto manufacturer for the rest of our days. These are fantastic cars and our quality of life has been enhanced because of Tesla.

 

[pbcsd]

At the end of the day, a car is a car. I’ve had a lot of really nice cars: Audi, BMW, Porsche etc… they all had their own unique issues and qwerks. Not a single car on the road is 100% perfect in my opinion.

My Model Y is an early 2021 build. It’s not perfect, but it’s leaps and bounds better than my friend’s 2018 Model 3.

Overall, my wife and I think that our purchase of the Model Y has been the best automotive decision we have ever made. It’s a fantasy car and we love it.

There is a lot of controversy over Tesla. People love to hate and the internet is a massive powder keg supporting that. I’m no Tesla or Elon fan boy, but I absolutely believe that Tesla has more going on in their “proverbial left pinky” than every other automaker has their whole body. Before Tesla I believed that the Germans made the best cars. Now I believe that Tesla does. The engineering in the HVAC system alone is leaps and bounds ahead.

We do not regret buying a Tesla and probably will not buy from any other auto manufacturer for the rest of our days. These are fantastic cars and our quality of life has been enhanced because of Tesla.

My wife is paranoid about the car and lack of buttons and needing to use the screen for everything. I'm hoping there are some easy to use voice commands (wiper speeds, etc) that will alleviate this as I'd like for her to drive it a couple times a week to get used to it, as there will be times where I need to take her SUV in for service and she'll need to drive the Y.

But...seriously...paranoid after test driving it.

 

[Undecided_2]

We do not regret buying a Tesla and probably will not buy from any other auto manufacturer for the rest of our days. These are fantastic cars and our quality of life has been enhanced because of Tesla.

Same. We switched to an EV because of Tesla. My wife wasn’t convinced by the KIA EV6 we test drove - I think it’s a great car - but didn’t hesitate at all on the Tesla and slapped a deposit down on the Y after our test drive in a M3. She made a great choice.

 

[DrGriz]

We do not regret buying a Tesla and probably will not buy from any other auto manufacturer for the rest of our days. These are fantastic cars and our quality of life has been enhanced because of Tesla.

My wife is paranoid about the car and lack of buttons and needing to use the screen for everything.

My wife (we are over 60) has never been much interested in cars, but just loves our Model Y. Even when it was doing the phantom braking she just powered through, and says it is the best car ever. When we traded in our "perfectly good" Forester, she had her doubts. Now, not looking back at all!

Amazing to see her excited about it! I hope @pbcsd 's wife comes to see that, once you get past the bells and whistles, it is actually a very simple car to drive.

 

[Unclepaul]

Perhaps a big part of this issue is that the OP traded down from a smooth running Model S. This is the flagship of the Tesla line and offers a higher quality ride and is a larger car over all.

The newer Model Y is a more mass market vehicle, designed to be produced at a lower price point, and is a SUV, based on the similar Model 3.

Over all the Y has been a huge success.

Most of the points in the original post could be a simple summary of the many posts from owners wanting a smoother ride, quieter interior and skinnier tires, but that is not what the Y is intended to provide. It is a larger version of the very popular Model 3, with additional interior space and a handy hatch back design. It provides good handling and offers a taught suspension, more like a sports car than an economy car.

As others have noted, due to recent price increases, the OP could easily sell his car, recoupe his investment and move onto a car more to his liking.

 

[EmbersDC]

I didn't even read all of it. Who takes that long to type up a real post? Paid negative ad 100%.

That said, the OP stated it was a lease. So, it's due back soon. Enjoy no longer having the Tesla. I have a Model Y and do not experience any of the issues you have.

And for all those who keep telling the OP to "sell the car" did you not read the first sentence? It's LEASED.

 

[DrGriz]

Well, he clearly isn't interested in a conversation. Drops a bomb and leaves. Hasn't been back in over a week.

 

[Undecided_2]

Well, he clearly isn't interested in a conversation. Drops a bomb and leaves. Hasn't been back in over a week.

Yeah. I don’t get that. I can’t take it seriously unless they come back and reply. But I’ve had some good reads.

 

[Jersey_guy_202]

My wife is paranoid about the car and lack of buttons and needing to use the screen for everything. I'm hoping there are some easy to use voice commands (wiper speeds, etc) that will alleviate this as I'd like for her to drive it a couple times a week to get used to it, as there will be times where I need to take her SUV in for service and she'll need to drive the Y.

But...seriously...paranoid after test driving it.

You can manually start wiper by pressing down the button on the left side. If that’s not enough, on screen control automatically comes on if you want to adjust speed.

 

[Pianewman]

^^^^ Actually, you press IN on the end of the turn signal stalk. The wipers swipe once. If you press down, you activate the turn signal

 

[Jim R]

^^^^ Actually, you press IN on the end of the turn signal stalk. The wipers swipe once. If you press down, you activate the turn signal

If you press a bit harder/farther, you get a windshield wash.

 

[LVChawk]

Probably not many people here in my position, but I've driven a 2010 Chrysler Town and Country Minivan for 12 years as our kids grew up. I don't buy cars often, but we have a Model Y on order. I test drove it twice, on the highway and around town, so about an hour and a half of experience. Test drove the LR and P versions. I never once thought about the ride quality. Maybe I was having fun and distracted, I don't know, but I guess it's relative to what you were coming from before. I'm obviously coming from a decade old van, so I never even noticed the ride quality being good or bad.

 

[Catbiscuits]

Well just don’t buy a BMW, kidney shaker, bone breaker. Our Model Y is so, so cushy compared to either of our BMWs. You’ve been warned.

 

[DNSJames]

I started leasing a brand new 2020 Tesla Model Y in September 2020 (dual motor, long range version). After a year and a half, here is my experience with and opinion of this vehicle:

Honestly, I have grown to resent the car. There are many reasons that I will get into, but the main thing is that it is just soooo bumpy. Like I actually get a headache from driving it. I say driving but it's not the actual act of driving, rather just being in the car while it's moving as I'm pretty sure it's the same no matter where you are in the car. I honestly feel like I lose brain cells due to my head being rattled around. I am not exaggerating, it actually hurts my head, and is probably bad for the body too. This car will make you wince at every little crack and bump in the road.

I live in a large town, just outside a major metropolitan area. Most of my driving consists of town, suburbs, and highways, with a little city, so I'd say it's pretty reflective of the average U.S. consumer. I often travel for work, which has led to driving this car in a wide variety of roads/environments around the United States, and I've pretty much always felt the same.

On open highways, it sometimes feels like it's swaying and unsafe, especially on autopilot, even at just the speed limit, getting worse the faster you go. I even checked the weather once to see if it just happened to be really windy out, but the wind was only at 1 mph!

The windshield wiper jets don't seem to work properly, or maybe one of the jets came defective because the spray only hits a small section of the windshield and no matter how much is applied does not reach the full radius of both wipers. It's also such a weak mist that it has virtually no effect if I try to use it while moving and even when I'm stopped the mist/blade combo is not strong enough to actually remove any grime/residue that might be obstructing my view. And the wiper sensors don't react properly either, sometimes wiping when it's dry or not wiping when it's raining, so I have to manually control them which can actually be a little sketchy in heavy rain when you have to reach over and navigate through the touch screen. Especially because you really need to keep both hands on the wheel while driving this car in the rain, or even when it's wet out, because it handles so poorly in these conditions.

This leads me to the fact that I've started hydroplaning in this car in cases when I would have never expected to. Now I have to drive so slow if it's raining or wet out because the car just makes me feel so uneasy and unsafe, yet other cars have no problem handling it and fly right past me. It's not like I am a scaredy-cat either; I learned my lesson with this car the hard way: I was driving on a highway in heavy rain, going dead straight, treading very cautiously with both hands on the wheel, when a semi-truck passed me, and just the tire spray and/or wind from the truck was enough to push my flimsy Model Y off traction and the whole car started fish-tailing back and forth before spinning a rapid 180 off the road backwards. I got really lucky there was grass to the side, and I didn't hit anything besides a bump in the grass, but the steering and a bunch of other parts still got messed during the incident and it took a few weeks for the nearest Tesla service center to repair it. I had been driving super focused and aware, safe and slow, safety being my #1 goal and that STILL happened. I easily could have died.

I have driven many different vehicles throughout my life, ranging widely in size, cost, manufacturer, year, etc. and have never experienced such poor traction, such an uncomfortable ride, or many of the other issues I've had with this vehicle.

The autopilot technology isn't that good, it often SLAMS on the brake for a split second when it sees a shadow or a bridge, jerking you suddenly and unexpectedly and causing your heart to drop, since you weren't expecting anything because the road ahead is clear.

The passenger door is visibly not aligned properly and, as a result, causes a terrible sound when the door is shut and if someone shuts it even moderately hard the sound is so loud that it is literally painful on the ears.

The phone charging mat that comes built into the car does not work most of the time.

The Tesla phone app is horrible, slow.

I thought the cameras were designed to keep the car safe, after all it constantly beeps ("yells") at you, cutting off whatever you're listening to, often absolutely unwarranted (not even close to the car ahead of you, etc.), yet one time I was slowly backing out of a parking spot and the car totally just LET me bump into a concrete ledge with absolutely no warning or sensor.

And their customer service is awful. Can't get someone on the phone.

Autopilot is also incredibly annoying. It beeps at you relentlessly at times, wanting you to apply pressure to the wheel, but then sometimes requiring so much pressure that it then de-activates the autopilot because it thinks you are manually taking over. I was also super frustrated for a long time at the incredibly loud volume of all the beeps and chimes. I spent a lot of time/effort searching how to lower their volume before I finally had to put my question out there on a web forum where thankfully someone responded and informed me that the only way to turn them down was by activating "Joe Mode." Who would have ever known what that was? The car certainly doesn't tell you. After wasting so much time researching this problem , I read it is Elon Musk's way of being "funny" after a guy named Joe made a complaint about the chimes being too loud. Seriously what a jerk off move by Musk to leave all of his customers clueless as to what it means and not explain anywhere or have any description pop up when you toggle Joe Mode on/off.

Before one road trip, I paid for a monthly subscription for full self-driving capability. But literally nothing changed except I was able to change lanes using autopilot by putting the turn signal on. This was a standard feature on the 2015 Model S that I had before this, but now I paid $199/month, well $210.94 with tax just to be able to do that for 1 month. I paid for this subscription a few days before the trip, in case I needed to install an update or something, but nothing ever popped up on the screen or phone app. Then, over a week into the road trip, I got a notification that an update was available, when we no longer had access to wifi. After much effort and waiting on terribly slow hotel parking lot wifi, we finally got it downloaded, but still, absolutely no difference in the car's driving. The update didn't have anything to do with the purchase I made. The car did NOT get off exits for us or follow the navigation system as promised in the description of what we paid for.

This was the trip that my car lost control while driving straight in the rain, and my car had to be left at the nearest repair facility. Tesla provided Uber credits to get home, but failed to disclose that I could only use a certain amount per day so I was hit with a very large and unexpected charge when I got home. It took the service center a while to get my parts in, and the full self-driving capability subscription ended up renewing while the car was in service and not on my mind. I cancelled as soon as I noticed the charge, and I hadn't even gotten my car back and had proof that my car was being worked on by Tesla since halfway through the previous monthly subscription and I hadn't gotten it back or had it in my possession yet during this new subscription month, yet they refused to refund me for that accidental charge, or for the 1st month when practically nothing had even changed in my car's autopilot capability. $421.88 it cost me, plus all the time and energy trying to fight my case for a refund.

It also is really wack to me when companies have the ability to make certain basic functions available yet they withhold them and make you pay for it. Another example of this is that they could easily show traffic density on the map, but that's another thing they charge you for. This might not seem like a big deal until you drive straight into stand-still traffic on the highway when the car could have easily just shown you the dark red lines on the map so you could've avoided getting stuck in it. It's straight up disrespectful that they are OK with doing that to their customers.

'Traffic visualization' and 'lane change with turn signal' were features I was used to in my 2015 Model S that came with the vehicle. It was a surprise to me when I got my Model Y and they weren't included. The Model S also had smart air suspension so the drive wasn't as bad.

When the Model Y came out, it seemed like quite an upgrade given the longer range and more space. I thought that instead of all the separate packages, they just made one good new car. After looking into it more, and entering my trade-in info out of curiosity, they made me what I thought was a generous offer of paying off my Model S loan, giving me cash back, and my monthly payment going down in exchange for a 3 year lease on a 2020 Model Y (white because all other colors are an extra thousand bucks). That's how I ended up with this car. Online, the pictures made it look better, probably because of the angles they chose and it appears they may have even had specially tinted windows on the website model. At this point I really wouldn't put it past them. Upon delivery (they call it delivery, but really you are still picking it up from your nearest Tesla dealership) my first impression unfortunately was actually how ugly the front of the car is in person. Now I'm stuck cringing every time I look at it.

I dreamt of and saved up for years for a Tesla, visiting their website almost on a daily basis. A younger, more naive me thought they were the most ethical company, the end-all-be-all car manufacturer that would consider everything to transform the driving experience for the benefit of the consumer. I had some wild thoughts such as they'd even probably consider the healthiest seating posture for the driver. I soon realized how wrong I was, and that it's actually quite the opposite with the almost certain brain damage incurred while driving it.

And whatever happened to bioweapon defense mode? I learned about it before I purchased my 2015 Model S, and discovered to my dismay that it did not have it. Then again I hoped with my 2020 Model Y I would have it. Air quality is a very important issue to me as I live in a densely populated area with a lot of car traffic and I can often smell the car exhaust surrounding me on the roads and it makes me frustrated with our world. Air filtration in a car seemed like a dream come true yet so simple and logical. But NOPE! My car does not have bioweapon defense mode and it seemingly does not filter anything! Just the other day a car in front of me had visible smoke coming out of the exhaust and I had to drive through it and it came right into my car cabin immediately and smack dab in my face! It was no longer a dark visible smoke at that point but I could instantly smell it, sense it, and tell I was breathing it in, I swear even saw it faintly. That was a new experience.

Instead of the clean air I hoped it would provide, this car does quite the opposite (again). The A/C has an absolutely horrible smell, where I absolutely have to open the windows for at times. It is like a dry gas that I can feel choking my throat and sticking to my teeth. Horrific sounding right? The A/C doesn't even get cold either. And when the A/C isn't running, the cabin air is still awful. It's as if some bad fumes are being leaked from something inside the car, or maybe it just captures and traps in all of the pollution from the outside world and leaves it in there, concentrated, at my expense. The in-car air quality is so bad that I can't stand having the windows up and being locked in there and I often have to roll the windows down just to get some "fresh" air even while driving in nasty, heavy traffic surrounded by other gas-powered cars exhaust. If I drive through secluded woods, even for just a few seconds, no matter how cold it is outside I HAVE to open the window to get fresh air.

You might blame me for not knowing exactly what I was getting with my purchase, but their process is so annoying and difficult that by the time you're almost there you just want to get the deal done and over with. You'll know if you try. They trick you and make things complicated, unorganized, tedious, and unclear and, as mentioned before, it's nearly impossible to get ahold of anyone. They only are responsive when it involves taking your money.

I would like to make it known that I am completely and undoubtedly a staunch environmentalist. The only reason I am ok with sharing this negative press is because Tesla is off and running and an untamed beast now whose Model Y issues can be shared without harming the sustainable transportation movement. There is finally some competition in the EV market now too. I really hope that these Tesla Model Y issues can be resolved, and that other companies don't blindly follow in all of Tesla's design footsteps.

I have spread enough love for Tesla (mostly when I had my Model S) that my overall impact has still been by far a net gain for the manufacturer. I've spent countless hours answering peoples questions about my car, showing anyone whose interested how it works, spreading the word about the cost benefits, and helping to normalize driving an electric vehicle, completely introducing it to my friends and family as the first EV owner in both groups.

But I have been and will continue to be up front about the problems I've been confronted with over the last year and a half.

Supercharging was supposed to improve, but it has not. It is completely the same, and takes much longer than advertised.

The acoustics in the car aren't great, I can hardly hear someone on speakerphone while driving on the highway due to the lack of airtightness.

My girlfriend doesn't like riding in it and neither do I.

Perhaps my vehicle is just an anomaly amongst the 2020 Model Y's, but even that would further prove my point that Tesla has a lot of work to do, if their inconsistencies were this severe. But either way, it is important for me to get this information across, and online forums seemed like the most practical way of doing so. I may eventually supplement this post via different platforms for I truly believe some of these things need to be said and heard.

When I bought my first Tesla, they had forums on their website. I wanted to write and share on there, but they have been closed and made read-only.

Have you heard about the door handles? They really do freeze. I jammed my thumb trying to open the door and actually almost cut my hand during some icy weather this winter, and I'm not even in a location with too bad of winters.

And everyone always comments on the sound it makes while reversing. I PRAY that that is the sound it HAS to make, and that Tesla didn't add that dumb spaceship sound to be extra, because that would be stupid and embarrassing.

It has been a great hassle and inconvenience writing all of this. By no means did I ever WANT to do this. I simply feel it is my duty because I haven't heard or seen these things beings talked about really. I am thankful for forums as I have learned a lot of useful information from them over the years and I am happy to try to contribute back when I can. I really wish I had seen a post like this or learned about some of these things before I got myself into this lease.

You probably shouldn’t be buying any electric car if you’re a “staunch environmentalist”… just sayin’

 

[sleepydoc]

You really haven't seen the things on your list being talked about online?

I suppose if you were looking for this information specifically about a Model Y before September 2020 you would have had a limited amount of data to pull from because the car had not been available for very long. But the vast majority of what you're commenting about now in 2022 has been talked about and even "real journalists" commenting on.

It's unfortunate you are not enjoying the car. I do believe you are experiencing everything you are claiming, but there are hundreds of thousands of Model Y owners who are not having those experiences. And hundreds of thousands more Model 3 owners with similar positive experiences.

I hope you can find a resolution with Tesla.

Best and only advice i offer new interests in Tesla is to stay away from forums of opinion and mostly agenda. Yes there are some really helpful people sprinkled in but Way to many hate the world people on a mission to find the valued input. Best car I have every owned personally.

So you shouldn't go on forums because everyone has an agenda but if you get the car and aren't happy with some aspect you get criticized for not researching things online before you buy. Trying to figure out what people should do.

 

[sleepydoc]

Good news for the incredibly-verbose yet days-old grumpy Model Y owner: Resale values are at an all time high.

Sell the car - let someone else do the practical things like putting fresh tires on it, new wiper blades and be aware of pre-conditioning the battery for peak charging rates. Take the large amount of money from selling the Y and go to your nearest Toyota Dealer where you can buy a $45k Rav4 prime... for $60k and be confident that the traffic visualization and lane-change AI won't be inaccurate.

The OP stated he leased the car so he doesn't need to sell it, just ride out the lease. That's where a lease shines - if you don't want to keep the car you just walk away. Seems like that's the best option for him.

 

[ZenRockGarden]

The OP stated he leased the car so he doesn't need to sell it, just ride out the lease. That's where a lease shines - if you don't want to keep the car you just walk away. Seems like that's the best option for him.

Actually he would have been much better served to have bought rather than leased, since used Model Y's sell for thousands more than the 2021 purchase prices. Being locked into a fixed contract on a car he doesn't even like and has no ownership position in is a definite inferior position.

 

[sleepydoc]

Actually he would have been much better served to have bought rather than leased, since used Model Y's sell for thousands more than the 2021 purchase prices. Being locked into a fixed contract on a car he doesn't even like and has no ownership position in is a definite inferior position.

That may be an option. It depends on the lease terms and also requires him to either have the cash or get a loan to buy out the lease. I’ve seen some leases that don’t allow a buy out or that have an inordinately high buy out price.