ElectricIAC
Good-Natured Rascal
I can lease a similarly equipped xDrive M340i for far less than what a P3D leases for. And if I want to keep it, I can buy it out. (Who the hell keeps a leased German car though)
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The fit and finish on these cars is GARBAGE!
- Thread starter WellerZ06
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ElectricIAC
Good-Natured Rascal
Or do a proper inspection at delivery and refuse delivery until issues are remedied or a better quality example is produced.
Is this really how you promote the brand? C’mon...
Support the brand but challenge for a better product. That's a win win for Tesla in the end. I can live with small imperfections but it's daft to bash people who expect quality on a 60k car to be as good as any other mass produced car. Given there are very cheap cars that have excellent quality and consistency, there is no excuse really. It's a cash saving now for Tesla to reduce production costs QA but in the long term it will hurt their brand.
No squeaks or rattles in my car though, and I'm very appreciative of that. That is my pet peeve, and my AMG E63 has loads...
I can lease a similarly equipped xDrive M340i for far less than what a P3D leases for. And if I want to keep it, I can buy it out. (Who the hell keeps a leased German car though)
The m340i is also a far inferior vehicle (opinion), with incentives and rebates that drops its price tag below the p3d. So of course you could probably find a relatively cheaper lease deal on that car - and that’s not figuring in price of gas vs electricity. I also wasn’t considering that as competition to the P3D - was thinking M3 C63 Alfa Quad. FYI you also shouldn’t lease a car with the intention of buying it out, you’ll be way behind in equity, and out of warranty coverage (unless you purchase added coverage). Not a good combination on a luxury vehicle.
An auto brand/company decides to sell or lease a car based on what they believe is the value of their product. It’s up to you to decide whether or not you feel like that value is accurate.
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As I’ve said before, this forum is filled with people who want all of the benefits of a Tesla EV without any of the drawbacks that other cars may not have. We all would like every product we buy to be perfect, but it’s not realistic. For the majority of Tesla owners, the pros outweighs the cons.
I am going to say it, and then run....... it is an American car.....working on American cars here since 1982, and the fit and finish never is any good as European cars, and don’t even think about Japanese/Korean cars.
And in Tesla’s case, the are building cars since 2012 in a serious way, if you can’t accept that quality is good but not perfect as we talk panel gap and such, move on or get a Hyundai.
Try a first year S if you want panel gap, mine P85+ looks like the frunk is open all the time.
And in Tesla’s case, the are building cars since 2012 in a serious way, if you can’t accept that quality is good but not perfect as we talk panel gap and such, move on or get a Hyundai.
Try a first year S if you want panel gap, mine P85+ looks like the frunk is open all the time.
I can lease a similarly equipped xDrive M340i for far less than what a P3D leases for. And if I want to keep it, I can buy it out. (Who the hell keeps a leased German car though)
also misspoke should have said, “similar performance sedans” as opposed to “similar in retail.”
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jmatero
Member
I’ve owned so many new cars over the years I’ve lost count. This is the first new car where the hood, trunk, and all 4 door bolts have the paint scraped off... meaning manual adjustments of all these panels post-painting. And I’m not alone. If they were adjusted at the delivery center, that’s a little disturbing. What’s also odd is that YouTube is filled with videos from every auto brand out there, and their doors and fenders are laser-aligned when installed.
There is no doubt in my mind that attention to detail has gone by the wayside to rush production. And why not? They’re all built to order so it’s not like you can wander the lot and pick one with better build. And if you refuse delivery, no sweat. There’s a line of folks who will snap it up as is. As long as demand outweighs supply, things will stay this way.
The other thing people simply don’t get is that you have a choice right now: Spend $70k on the most technologically advanced car on the planet in a Chevy body OR spend $70k on a less advanced car with excellent fit/finish. At the moment, you can’t have both... Nor should you expect a perfect car at delivery. If you push them hard post delivery, you can probably get most of your issues resolved. If you’re coming from a 2004 Corolla, you’ll feel like you hit the jackpot. If you’re coming from a late model BMW or Benz, keep your expectations low at delivery. I also have a 2019 Niro EV and the fit and finish are Lexus-Benz level and it gets 250 miles of range. When they’re parked next to each other, you can see the difference. The Niro is also quiet with little wind noise.
Tesla is still learning how to build cars. Mercedes has been building cars for over 100 years.
There is no doubt in my mind that attention to detail has gone by the wayside to rush production. And why not? They’re all built to order so it’s not like you can wander the lot and pick one with better build. And if you refuse delivery, no sweat. There’s a line of folks who will snap it up as is. As long as demand outweighs supply, things will stay this way.
The other thing people simply don’t get is that you have a choice right now: Spend $70k on the most technologically advanced car on the planet in a Chevy body OR spend $70k on a less advanced car with excellent fit/finish. At the moment, you can’t have both... Nor should you expect a perfect car at delivery. If you push them hard post delivery, you can probably get most of your issues resolved. If you’re coming from a 2004 Corolla, you’ll feel like you hit the jackpot. If you’re coming from a late model BMW or Benz, keep your expectations low at delivery. I also have a 2019 Niro EV and the fit and finish are Lexus-Benz level and it gets 250 miles of range. When they’re parked next to each other, you can see the difference. The Niro is also quiet with little wind noise.
Tesla is still learning how to build cars. Mercedes has been building cars for over 100 years.
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linux-works
Active Member
there was a story (not sure if true or not) about fremont assembly workers dropping screws/etc into door caveties when assembling them, to create an annoying rattle. if there were disgruntled workers, that can be contagious on the line and affect morale. if they have to check for panel alignment - maybe they just say 'eh! its good enough for them. next!'.
again, I don't know if this is true or not. it does seem that, if human element is involved in panel alignment, that's a line that has not had the proper amount of automation. and if they *are* using automation now for alignment, wow, they need a re-calibration.
I'd give a car maker a pass if they were just starting out, say 1-3 years as a new company. this is NOT tesla, though; they've been around long enough to have fine tuned this well; and its clear that they have not.
again, I don't know if this is true or not. it does seem that, if human element is involved in panel alignment, that's a line that has not had the proper amount of automation. and if they *are* using automation now for alignment, wow, they need a re-calibration.
I'd give a car maker a pass if they were just starting out, say 1-3 years as a new company. this is NOT tesla, though; they've been around long enough to have fine tuned this well; and its clear that they have not.
I'll guess your car is white and you recently mulched your lawn next to where you park your car or you parked somewhere that did.
Google "artillery fungus" and quickly get a claybar and plastic scraper.
Munro associates are very credible. Many manufacturers use them for cost benchmarking and analysis of the Bill of Materials. I'd agree with their view as Tesla is an immature manufacturer and while they have very advanced techology, they don't have the decades of learning about how ro optimise a product for production and preventing quality issues through a mature design process.
I fitted some sound insulating mats to the front wheel wells of my M3P and noticed firstly that it was secured by 15 fasteners, and once off, I could see the number of seperate pressings used to form the monocoque at the front was much higher than I'm used to seeing, lots of frame sealant etc (which is good, but another manual process). Maybe the chassis has to be built that way because Tesla has limitations in the size or complexity of panels it can press in it's plant.
It was good to have a closer look at the car, and I'm happy say it has enough paint, and it looks ok. The rest, I'll get sorted out by Tesla Service.
Regards,
Alex
Sounds like you got a bad one. No paint blemishes or wind noise here - at low or highway speeds. Fit and finish among the best I’ve seen. Unfortunate that a few others haven’t had the same experience.
mtndrew1
Active Member
My last few cars in reverse order:
Nissan Leaf
Orange peel on the paint so severe you could exfoliate with it. Seat heater button fell into the console. Plenty of rattles. $33,000
Kia Soul EV
Paint run on the edge of the hood. Creaking rear suspension. A pillar garnish assembled with a broken clip, loose and rattled. This car was #1 in its class for initial quality that year. $36,000
Chevy Volt
Not one panel gap matched another. Tape removal line from the factory where the black roof was supposed to meet the rest of the body. Ambient light in overhead console loose and rattling around in the housing shining light through the Bluetooth mic grille. Poor seat stitching. Moisture in tail lamp. $42,000
I’ve had three cars with flawless fit and finish, two Toyotas (Tacoma and Prius) and a VW. The Toyotas were boring and the VW broke down on day one on the way home from the dealer.
If you want truly perfect fit and finish on a car that won’t break down you should get a Toyota or Lexus.
Otherwise, pick your poison. My Tesla is better assembled than my Nissan and Chevy, maybe a bit better than the Kia, and not as well as my Toyotas.
Nissan Leaf
Orange peel on the paint so severe you could exfoliate with it. Seat heater button fell into the console. Plenty of rattles. $33,000
Kia Soul EV
Paint run on the edge of the hood. Creaking rear suspension. A pillar garnish assembled with a broken clip, loose and rattled. This car was #1 in its class for initial quality that year. $36,000
Chevy Volt
Not one panel gap matched another. Tape removal line from the factory where the black roof was supposed to meet the rest of the body. Ambient light in overhead console loose and rattling around in the housing shining light through the Bluetooth mic grille. Poor seat stitching. Moisture in tail lamp. $42,000
I’ve had three cars with flawless fit and finish, two Toyotas (Tacoma and Prius) and a VW. The Toyotas were boring and the VW broke down on day one on the way home from the dealer.
If you want truly perfect fit and finish on a car that won’t break down you should get a Toyota or Lexus.
Otherwise, pick your poison. My Tesla is better assembled than my Nissan and Chevy, maybe a bit better than the Kia, and not as well as my Toyotas.
We have had different experiences. When I use the word "perfect" I mean no issues. I currently have a Porsche Cayenne diesel. Fit and finish is perfect. Leather could be better. One warranty claim (it's a 2015) which was the second hand fell off of the clock (why they felt the need to put a second hand on there is beyond me). Wife has a Panamera Hybrid. Fit and finish perfect. Metallic black paint is incredible. My prior Lexus has beautiful paint, fit, finish, and at 105,000 miles needed a new radiator. Before that was a 1998 Range Rover HSE....fit, finish, paint etc. perfect. My daughter's VW Alltrack has had no issues either. I can go on and on. Why should my M3 AWD LR have had multiple issues. I had so much fun driving the 3. There are so many things about it I like. I've been waiting for the Tesla sales guy (who has been fantastic) to let me know when another one comes in. He contacted me today to let me know of one that is available. Two concerns....1. We keep cars for a good while unless we get tired of them. 2. When I read about all of these different issues and problems (as well as issues with support), I am asking myself am I just buying trouble? Should I wait until all of these issues get sorted out. I wonder as these cars age, will they hold up. These are the things that are on my mind.
mtndrew1
Active Member
Oh it’s not unreasonable to expect a flawlessly assembled automobile at this price point but Tesla is probably the wrong company to buy a car from if that’s your number one concern.
I had a friend all wound up about fit and finish before buying a Tesla due to the excessive online chatter. Then he saw mine and was like “uh it’s fine, what’s the fuss about?” and he ordered one the next day. His is also fine. Maybe not as perfect as his BMW but his BMW had its own drama.
Getting an EV with this performance and range at this price point has a compromise and it’s fit and finish. That said, Tesla is worlds better than they used to be; you could nearly stick your fingers into panel gaps back in the day.
Your only choices for assembly perfection in this segment are an eTron ($80k for 200 miles) or a Taycan ($175k for 200 miles). That may change in the future but that’s where we’re at today.
I’m happy with the assembly quality of my Tesla and simultaneously hope the company continues to improve in this regard.
They won't age well. Every month I get a new noise. They just don't know how to put materials together and it keeps being an issue. There is no reason to have large rattles in the headliners and I had them on my S and 3. It's so loud it's like there is metal bar vibrating on the frame. They just need to redesign the fasteners, harness protection, seals, padding, etc.
Model 3’s are not built to order. They are built in batches by trim and color and then orders are fulfilled based on cars coming off the assembly line. S and X cars are still built to order.
When I arrived to take delivery of my LR RWD last year the car they presented me had some panel gap and paint issues so I passed on it. It took two weeks for the next one to arrive, but it was flawless.
A family member of mine ordered a white SR later in the year. There were paint issues with it so we rejected it. It took three weeks for another one to arrive. That one was perfect and has also been flawless ever since.
And our first Model 3 was flawless on the first try. So while it does take patience, it is very possible to wait for a car without issues to become available. And especially now, with so many cars in inventory, it should not be a problem at all.
To date, all three cars have been rattle free, wind noise free, and have needed zero trips to the service center for any maintenance. Aside from a tire rotation they have not needed any attention at all. My old Lexus and Toyota cars would have been in the shop at least two, maybe three times by now for oil and filter changes, with a 15,000 miles inspection coming due shortly. And I won’t even try to count the number of times I would have had to drive to a gas station to fill up instead of just plugging in at home.
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