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Test drive before accepting delivery

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I picked up my new Model Y at the Fremont factory a few days ago. It had been built only a few days earlier. They didn't even want to let me look inside it until after I had paid, never mind drive it. We agreed they could hold my check while I examined the car fully.

My first three Teslas they were happy to take a personal check after I had inspected the car. Not this time.

As it turned out the car was perfect, just like the last two. In 2014 my first Model S required a few tweaks. But they did say that I could bring the car back within the first 24 hours and return it for any reason for a refund. At least I think that's what they said.
 
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1.5 years later : This policy has changed and there is no longer a 7 day (nor even a 7 minute!) return policy for Tesla, confirmed on the phone and online chat with Tesla this weekend.

Given Tesla's reputation for build quality issues, I am VERY leery about signing paperwork for a car that might pass visual inspection enough for me to accept it (very possibly won't as their promises to address 4 panel issues on my 2018 Model 3 were never realized after 2 trips to service center addressed the most obvious (rear bumper not clipped in) but rear trunk and left rear door were pretty misalgined and required slamming the life of the car, so if the car isn't in great shape I will decline). I guess one would hope it would be easier to get them to address actual mechanical issues than panel alignments but things like rattles/creaks even driving off the lot I think you'd end up stuck with for the life of your Tesla, while traditional dealers likely would have taken care of that for you before delivery or at least you could immediately take back and have addressed at the dealership.

I'd love to hear of anyone that had rattles/creaks or other issues not noticed at delivery and how they managed that with Tesla!

To all the misinformation before, a car only becomes used once it’s been titled. They can slap dealer plates on to let you drive it for 5 minutes if they wanted. All normal car dealerships allow this, they’ll probably even let you do it for a custom order. Only really hard to find cars like limiters edition M3s or other low volume cars will some dealers not allow a test drive of because they don’t want a bunch of people who have no intention of buying driving it around. Any reputable dealer will let a serious potential buyer drive the car.

As to your post, I can’t really speak that well to squeaks and rattles as I’ve fixed most of mine myself but they are supposed to be covered for the first 10k miles. Anything major mechanically I wouldn’t worry. My friend just got a MYP and it passed the visual inspection with some minor things, but because it was so hot outside when we were looking inside the car we had the AC blasting. We couldn’t hear it over the blower motor but something in the in the octovalve area was rattling like a tin can full of change. Once we got out we could hear it. He had accepted delivery prior to hearing it and they took the car back immediately to service and had the part in stock and swapped it right away snd even fixed the small hood misalignment at the same time and he had his car back before the end of the day. Shitty that his first drive was 80 feet to the service bay but they took care of it.
 
If you're buying a car and don't test drive it and inspect it prior to purchasing, you're being foolish, lazy or both The test drive is the time to see if that car that's been sitting on the lot for weeks or months has any issues prior to purchasing. That includes custom ordered cars.
I custom ordered an Audi and they threw me the keys to take it for a test drive prior to signing any papers. If a dealership doesn't let you test drive prior to purchasing, that's a red flag.

Have fun with your “custom ordered” Audi. Be sure to continue to reply to years-old posts. We lazy, foolish owners thirst for your pompous enlightenment.
 
Have fun with your “custom ordered” Audi. Be sure to continue to reply to years-old posts. We lazy, foolish owners thirst for your pompous enlightenment.
Well someone got their panties all up in a tizzy. Do you want some cheese with your Marin County wine. It’s a forum, people continually respond to threads new and old. You do realize that you responded to this years old thread as much as I did. Talk about the pot calling the tea kettle black.
 
Well someone got their panties all up in a tizzy. Do you want some cheese with your Marin County wine. It’s a forum, people continually respond to threads new and old. You do realize that you responded to this years old thread as much as I did. Talk about the pot calling the tea kettle black.
Sorry old chum. People may respond to old threads, but only trolls respond with such condescending arrogance. Consider yourself exposed.
 
Sorry old chum. People may respond to old threads, but only trolls respond with such condescending arrogance. Consider yourself exposed.
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Not me. In fact I wasn't able to drive it AFTER I paid for it

(that's because the delivery person just dumped it and left and didn't tell me about the keycards being in the glovebox)


...and by "paid for it" do you really mean "accepted delivery of it"?
 
To those insisting on test drives of the actual vehicle purchased, what sorts of defects are you concerned about that wouldn't be fixed under warranty? I test drove a MYLR prior to placing my order and would've been shocked if the one delivered had noticeably different driving characteristics.