The fit and finish on these cars is GARBAGE!

[ElectricIAC]

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.

Even broken clock is right twice daily.

 

[Bubbatech]

All the discussion here is anecdotal (including my experience: my car was perfect). We know nothing until we see aggregated data showing the defect rate or incidence. A forum is inherently biased. Those with issues tend to post more-much more. So those worried about initial quality, consider this fact and, as others have said here, you have the option of rejecting a car if you think it has deal breaker issues.

 

[KG M3]

Even broken clock is right twice daily.

And yet, some posters here manage far less than that. . .

 

[TimothyHW3]

I see a few issues with the poster here.
First he has owned Maseratis, but comes here and writes on a M3 forum. Sure...

Second, he rejected delivery on Wednesday and had a second VIN matched to him within days. One on a weekend. This ain't happening especially now. As written here, once you refuse delivery you go back to the Queue and it takes weeks and if not months to get a new car. I refused delivery on my match due to HW2.5 so I know...Plus, you can't just rework all the paperwork on a new VIN within 2 business days...

I am not saying that some of the things he said can't happen as I have seen them(the thing about the mirror joint is true on a large portion of the cars-there were some reports even and YouTube videos, I am sure he picked it up from there) some are probably made up(the gap on the rear door - I have seen hundreds of M3s and never saw a single one with gap issues there)
But what I am sure of is that he never ordered a M3 and that this guy walked into a Tesla showroom and looked at the cars for a second.

Doesn't mean Teslas are without a issues, they aren't, but just as a point of reference to anyone reading to take his words with something in mind.

 

[univ0298]

I rejected one on Tuesday and they have another one for me to collect later today. So they are able to get replacements quickly at the moment - perhaps because of the economy. I see a list of existing inventory on the website too, whereas a month ago there was zero in my area.

I really hope today will go better as it was a real let down on Tuesday. A lot of the car was really good but there were quite a few issues. The most shocking of all was that the shelf behind the rear seats was not installed correctly and you could literally just look through the window from the outside, and see under the shelf at the wiring underneath it!

the other major issue was the drivers door glass was not aligned with all the other glass on that side. It was so far out that the rubber seal underneath had not set correctly (had a large kink in it) and it was very close to not even forming a water tight seal.

 

[TimothyHW3]

The first picture is inside a showroom(you can see the other ppl) , second one on a random parking lot(you can see the non Teslas)

So which one is it?

 

[hcdavis3]

I was very lucky. I took delivery a year ago, and except for the driver’s side door being slightly out of alignment (I don’t notice it) the car has been excellent. After a year of driving on roads that would rattle the teeth out of your head, zero rattles. My car is a production Hell vehicle, VIN 46xxx. I suspect it was hand built in the tent, mostly by hand. I do agree with OP, defects such as described are not acceptable.

 

[ElectricIAC]

Again, please decline any Tesla and go back to your preferred brands because you have to realize your misgivings will certainly make your fears a self fulfilling prophecy of dissatisfaction. Just forget Tesla and stop torturing us all.

It’s attitudes like this that put people off from considering Tesla.

Feel free to ignore build quality threads if it bothers you so much to see the truth or learn to accept that Tesla can and will eventually have to improve their processes as they transition into the mainstream.

 

[univ0298]

The first picture is inside a showroom(you can see the other ppl) , second one on a random parking lot(you can see the non Teslas)

So which one is it?

I don’t know why there is so much skepticism, I’m just trying to give some helpful shared experiences.

to address your concerns with how the photos are though.. In Raleigh the deliveries are done in a small showroom type place, and in the back area. I’ll share another photo.

After I had found various issues with it, they drove it 1/2 mile down the road to their midway service center to see what could be addressed right away, like the paint blemishes, and the rear shelf and the door. They can back and just parked outside and that’s where I made the final decision about the door and took the last photos outside.

I added some other more minor issue photos too

 

[univ0298]

This morning I was supposed to have a second try at delivery at 10am. Got a call at 9am warning me that last night they found some paint chips and I might be concerned again. Went to see it anyway and actually everything else seemed pretty much perfect, so they definitely can get it right, without the issues I had on Tuesday. But for now I have to wait to hear what the service center may be able to do or not do tomorrow. I’m not sure whether to just deal with the chips because he did say the outlook for getting another one is now a quarter away at best, and could easily be worse since the factory is shut down. I need to do some research about paint chips

 

[TimothyHW3]

Ok that first one does look pretty bad on the old car. New car you can have the front repainted in the body shop. Ask them if they are ok with it and if yes written notice - then take it. If this is really the only issue.

 

[mafpolo]

Again, please decline any Tesla and go back to your preferred brands because you have to realize your misgivings will certainly make your fears a self fulfilling prophecy of dissatisfaction. Just forget Tesla and stop torturing us all.

You did read the name of this thread right? After reading the name of the thread, what exactly were your expectations? I realize that there will always be brand loyalists who are highly offended when somebody criticizes their preferred brand. If the posts do bother you, go to a thread that is not termed, "The fit and finish of these cars are GARBAGE" Although I did not initiate this thread, I would like to see Tesla improve the build of the car and keep up the progress on technology and battery range. If this thread "tortures" you, you have lived a charmed existence.

 

[mafpolo]

Very adult response. If you don't like my posts....don't read them. Problem solved.

 

[WellerZ06]

I see a few issues with the poster here.
First he has owned Maseratis, but comes here and writes on a M3 forum. Sure...

Second, he rejected delivery on Wednesday and had a second VIN matched to him within days. One on a weekend. This ain't happening especially now. As written here, once you refuse delivery you go back to the Queue and it takes weeks and if not months to get a new car. I refused delivery on my match due to HW2.5 so I know...Plus, you can't just rework all the paperwork on a new VIN within 2 business days...

I am not saying that some of the things he said can't happen as I have seen them(the thing about the mirror joint is true on a large portion of the cars-there were some reports even and YouTube videos, I am sure he picked it up from there) some are probably made up(the gap on the rear door - I have seen hundreds of M3s and never saw a single one with gap issues there)
But what I am sure of is that he never ordered a M3 and that this guy walked into a Tesla showroom and looked at the cars for a second.

Doesn't mean Teslas are without a issues, they aren't, but just as a point of reference to anyone reading to take his words with something in mind.

Yes, I just traded in a 2017 Ghibli S with 8,900 miles. I also owned a 2014 535 prior to that. Why is this so hard for you to believe?
Yes, as soon as I rejected the first M3P the delivery center located another M3P identical to mine in Carlsbad. It was driven the next day to Marina Del Ray for delivery. I had to scramble with my bank and Tesla but the VIN was updated in my account within an hour.
So not only does this forum deem my criticisms as being "too picky" you're also trying to label me a liar. This is what I should expect from Tesla and their fan base?

 

[OCR1]

The reason these threads become heated is because those of us who have been on this forum for some time and who have owned one or more Teslas are already aware of the pros and cons of a Tesla, including the issues Tesla has with paint, panel gaps, and other fit and finish issues. So when a newbie comes along and posts another thread to match the hundreds of existing threads on the same subject, we all collectively think “here we go again”.

There is no new information contained anywhere in this post that has not already been discussed ad nauseam. We are aware that there are issues. And we are not oblivious to them. We are just tired of hearing about them. We know! And if you did your homework before buying a Tesla, you should know too. And you would be prepared to deal with them so that if you get assigned a car with issues you don’t blindly take delivery of it and then rant about it on the forum instead of proactively dealing with it before it’s too late.

People buy a Tesla because they want the best EV on the market with the latest technology and incredible performance and functionality. They accept the fact that there may be some fit and finish issues. No product is perfect. If it was there would be no competition. That’s why we have choices in the marketplace. Those who want a perfect fit and finish car will look elsewhere. Those who want the latest technology will choose Tesla and accept the issues that come along with it.

 

[mafpolo]

The reason these threads become heated is because those of us who have been on this forum for some time and who have owned one or more Teslas are already aware of the pros and cons of a Tesla, including the issues Tesla has with paint, panel gaps, and other fit and finish issues. So when a newbie comes along and posts another thread to match the hundreds of existing threads on the same subject, we all collectively think “here we go again”.

There is no new information contained anywhere in this post that has not already been discussed ad nauseam. We are aware that there are issues. And we are not oblivious to them. We are just tired of hearing about them. We know! And if you did your homework before buying a Tesla, you should know too. And you would be prepared to deal with them so that if you get assigned a car with issues you don’t blindly take delivery of it and then rant about it on the forum instead of proactively dealing with it before it’s too late.

People buy a Tesla because they want the best EV on the market with the latest technology and incredible performance and functionality. They accept the fact that there may be some fit and finish issues. No product is perfect. If it was there would be no competition. That’s why we have choices in the marketplace. Those who want a perfect fit and finish car will look elsewhere. Those who want the latest technology will choose Tesla and accept the issues that come along with it.

Some of us are newbies to the forum, and we don't know all of the above. I would never have thought to research these issues before buying. You are correct that every car made is a compromise. The 3 is one of the most fun car I have ever driven. Perhaps the best way to avoid frustration is to direct people to past posts on the forum that deal with the subject matter.

 

[EVDRVN]

Some of us are newbies to the forum, and we don't know all of the above. I would never have thought to research these issues before buying. You are correct that every car made is a compromise. The 3 is one of the most fun car I have ever driven. Perhaps the best way to avoid frustration is to direct people to past posts on the forum that deal with the subject matter.

The issue is these posts will be here a long time because Tesla does not see this as a priority and likely will not for a long time. This and the worst CS one could imagine plus straight up deception. Yes, the delivery people and managers LIE through their teeth and cover things up, The front line CS people are usually good and get thrown under the bus, I have documented written proof of this and they still don't give a crap. No idea why anyone thinks this will not come back to bite them because it already drives sales away. They even screw people over supper petty things that cost nothing to resolve. I plan to have my day in front of Tesla not because I care about the actual money but the lies and wasted time resulting from their many false promises. People today still think the CV is going to be over very soon because they don't have it and because some cars are good does not account for the really shitty ones and there are many as most consumers do not even go to forums to bitch. This is why TMC can often become a bit of an echo chamber full of people hitting the disagree button- watch. Even some mods here act like crazy biased bullies, I know I have been a mod on other EV forums before a single EV was sold in the US and I watch quality posters here leave to Reddit and other places. Really a shame.

 

[DrComputer]

I'm glad none of you picky Model 3 buyers wanted a Roadster. If we were able to "reject" our cars for any imperfections, Tesla would have sold no cars. Our Roadsters were hand-built and I dare you to find ONE Roadster with perfect body panel alignment. We all happily waited years for the arrival of our cars and happily accepted them into our families, blemishes and all. I don't mean to throw cold water on all of the bitching, but this "a car at this price point should be perfect" really needs to stop. Why does everyone want/need a PERFECT car? Give it six months driving in the real world and it will have minor chips, scrapes, and seat wear. Think of it as Tesla doing some of the "break-in" for you. It's just like buying expensive fashionable ripped jeans. Now everyone should take a chill pill and worry about important things in life.

 

[EVDRVN]

Not perfect just not a hot mess. I have at least 10 friends with M3 from this year and as late as 6 months ago and they have issues that are really bad and blaring. Please let's not compare a first-run hand built car to a production car that sounds like fanboyism and your signature does not exactly refute that. What I get sick of is the stupid mob defense of Tesla quality and CS. Elon is part fo the issue, his maturity and leadership in these areas is really lacking and the culture in Tesla to take this seriously is really poor. I have spoken to high level managers and some could give a *sugar* about real issues they should fix because they know people have little recourse. Sad. If I buy another Tesla I will opt out of arbitration again. There is no reason to run a company this way, let's stop making excuses for the real issues that are not acceptable.

 

[OCR1]

Sad. If I buy another Tesla I will opt out of arbitration again. There is no reason to run a company this way, let's stop making excuses for the real issues that are not acceptable.

Am I the only one that finds humor in a person who spews as much negativity as you have done in this thread, only to conclude your rant with "If I buy another Tesla..."?