To paint or not to paint? That is the question - Advice appreciated

[SoCalGuy]

Service Center is finally working on all the issues identified at delivery. After pointing out approximately 8 paint issues (1 nib/bubble, 1 scratch, 1 rash, and 5 sub-clear coat blemishes), the service advisor said that for all the paint issues they’ve just been sending the cars to have panels etc repainted at a local body shop.

My dilemma is:
- I’ve heard that having non-factory repaint may impact the resale value of the car and also may not last as long as factory paint
- Repaint may not match exactly so it might be noticeable
- Is it worth it to run the risks of the two above points to have these paint issues corrected?

I think if it comes down to it, I could probably live with these paint issues. However, I strongly feel like I shouldn’t have to pay “full price” for a car with obvious paint blemishes. I would be happy if Tesla comp’d me something in lieu of doing the re-paint (hood, passenger door, front bumper, rear fender).

Thoughts? Other pros/cons?

 

[SoCalGuy]

Here are some photos:

 

[Stirfelt]

So sad that owners are having to make these decisions on a brand new car.
I had hoped that Tesla's incidents of paint flaws had improved .... there have been fewer post of late regarding paint issue ... but that certainly does not help you any.

Years ago, a dealers employee opened the drivers door into a post on my brand new car .... the dealer replaced and repainted the new door "skin."
But it never matched; the color was slightly different, and the sheen was different. I glared at that door every time I drove the car until I sold it.
Now, I know things have improved since then. I had to have the front grill and hood repainted on my 2000 BMW Z3 by an independent auto painter. The paint match is near perfect, and the finish blend flawlessly. All of which causes me to believe that unless the paint is completely unacceptable (in which case I would not have accepted the car); any car (used or new) that is driven on public roads, is going to collect rock dings, doors opening into the side, and debris on the freeway. I figure that if I can live with a few blemishes, in time I will take it to a quality painter (like my BMW) and repaint the entire car.

BTW, that is not advise to you .... just what I would do.

 

[tomas]

1) Regarding resale value... a dealer or a savvy buyer may use UV light to inspect paint for any overspray or deviations. They don't do this because repainting is necessarily a problem per se, but because repainting is a warning sign that the car may have been in an accident and had damage. As soon as you have any paint applied anywhere on your car, it opens up this can of worms. If you proceed with the paint, you should get a detailed document signed off by the body shop and Tesla stating that items were re-painted to address paint defects identified at delivery, including photos that show the items that were re-painted. Dealers will ignore this on trade in, as they are just out to screw you anyway. But a private buyer or a scrupulous reseller will welcome the information if the pictures match the areas they find repainting.

2) Looks as if your car is Silver. IMO, that is sometimes a hard color to match, because the thickness of paint, the amount of metallic stuff, and the thickness and type of clear coat can create variety. If it were me, I'd have them touch up the nicks in the second picture, and just leave the little black flecks under the clear coat... unless the body shop thinks they can polish them out and spot-apply clear coat without replacing the base coat. I'm not clear on what the last picture is showing. If there's a nib/bubble that sticks up, I had one on my car. There's a tool they can use to shave it off and then touch up. I'd ask about that.

 

[SoCalGuy]

1) Regarding resale value... a dealer or a savvy buyer may use UV light to inspect paint for any overspray or deviations. They don't do this because repainting is necessarily a problem per se, but because repainting is a warning sign that the car may have been in an accident and had damage. As soon as you have any paint applied anywhere on your car, it opens up this can of worms. If you proceed with the paint, you should get a detailed document signed off by the body shop and Tesla stating that items were re-painted to address paint defects identified at delivery, including photos that show the items that were re-painted. Dealers will ignore this on trade in, as they are just out to screw you anyway. But a private buyer or a scrupulous reseller will welcome the information if the pictures match the areas they find repainting.

2) Looks as if your car is Silver. IMO, that is sometimes a hard color to match, because the thickness of paint, the amount of metallic stuff, and the thickness and type of clear coat can create variety. If it were me, I'd have them touch up the nicks in the second picture, and just leave the little black flecks under the clear coat... unless the body shop thinks they can polish them out and spot-apply clear coat without replacing the base coat. I'm not clear on what the last picture is showing. If there's a nib/bubble that sticks up, I had one on my car. There's a tool they can use to shave it off and then touch up. I'd ask about that.

Yeah I’m still on the fence here - so many factors to consider...

 

[ps004ynos]

Our X arrived with a small area showing poorly done respray. Tesla had the paint shop next door that was factory certified for Ferrari and Maserati repair it. I was doubtful but it came out looking great. Lots of e-mails and calls with the local sales team, then the service manager, then Fremont, and all I got was the 1st year service free.

Our 3 arrived with pretty bad scuff marks on the right rear door well. It looked like somebody wore cleats entering and exiting the rear seats. Tesla also repainted this and it turned out well. I didn't get anything for this.

I think your situation is different because there are so many locations to fix. If you've already "taken delivery" I think you lost a lot of leverage versus just refusing the car outright. I would ask them to repaint it at the least and try for some kind of compensation but don't be surprised if it's very little. I personally would not take the "no repaint + compensation route" unless they were going to throw some of real value e.g. free autopilot or free sports wheels etc.

 

[rainforest]

I’m not big on compensation because I’m just happy that TESLA has never hesitated to fix or replace any part whatsoever on my car. There was a scratch on my Model X seat on delivery, and they replaced the entire seat at great expense. I want TESLA to succeed, and hence I don’t need to get anything extra out of them.

I had tons of dust nibs all over my car pearl white car. They had a very hard time matching the paint on my bumper, and only succeeded after 4 tries. But I didn’t have a choice because my bumper had so many paint issues. As for the nibs, they were easily polished flat.

 

[SoCalGuy]

I’m not big on compensation because I’m just happy that TESLA has never hesitated to fix or replace any part whatsoever on my car. There was a scratch on my Model X seat on delivery, and they replaced the entire seat at great expense. I want TESLA to succeed, and hence I don’t need to get anything extra out of them.

I had tons of dust nibs all over my car pearl white car. They had a very hard time matching the paint on my bumper, and only succeeded after 4 tries. But I didn’t have a choice because my bumper had so many paint issues. As for the nibs, they were easily polished flat.

That’s what worries me - I don’t have time to take my car back to Tesla 3 or 4 times if they don’t get the paint issues right - it’s a case of the medicine being worse than the disease.

 

[rainforest]

That’s what worries me - I don’t have time to take my car back to Tesla 3 or 4 times if they don’t get the paint issues right - it’s a case of the medicine being worse than the disease.

It just depends how much these issues bother you. Yes, I agree that we shouldn't have to make these decisions, but that comes with the territory when owning a Tesla.

 

[Stirfelt]

"comes with the territory when owning a Tesla"

And that is about the saddest editorial I can think of.
EM, are you satisfied with that perception of your automobile?

If I were the CEO, I would not rest until such time as that situation is reversed.


Now my editorial:
Tesla designers and engineers have conceived an absolutely fantastic automobile. But the enthusiasm for the brand will diminish (already some writers are expressing regrets) if the assembly defects are not corrected; the tax rebate expires, and stiff EV competition (lower initial cost plus fed rebates) come on the market.
The excitement of owning a Tesla will diminish after repeated trips to the Service Center to correct flaws that should never have left Fremont.
Sure .... every automobile has a degree of flaws, but they are most resolved before delivery to the buyer.
I do not want my maiden trip to be to the SC.

 

[Need]

That last pic of the "molding seam", my white car, and my coworker's white car both got it. Not sure what it is, but we both decided to let it go. Those little paint chips, I have them too on my car. I kind of ignore them. I know I will get a bunch more as I drive the car anyway.

 

[jddssc121]

1) Regarding resale value... a dealer or a savvy buyer may use UV light to inspect paint for any overspray or deviations. They don't do this because repainting is necessarily a problem per se, but because repainting is a warning sign that the car may have been in an accident and had damage.

I have a paint depth gauge that I use whenever considering a used car for this very reason

 

[Stirfelt]

Can anyone venture a guess why the M3 is suffering so many assembly defects?
My brothers S appears to be flawless. (I do not know anyone with an X).
The issues seem to be confined primarily to the 3.

So many owner comments seem to suggest a total disregard for perfection by the M3 assembly line employees.
(One wrote it appeared someone had gotten into the car wearing golf shoes).
Why so many scrapes and scratches? (aside from paint and fit and finish issues)
It would be interesting to hear from an assembly-line worker.

The S is assembled in California .... so you cannot blame the California work force;
Other manufacturers assemble cars in America .... so its not an American problem.

Why the 3?
In the rush to assemble and get 3's out the door .... has it been accomplished at the cost of routine, QC inspections?
If so, that is not a long term sustainable strategy.

 

[rainforest]

Can anyone venture a guess why the M3 is suffering so many assembly defects?
My brothers S appears to be flawless. (I do not know anyone with an X).
The issues seem to be confined primarily to the 3.

So many owner comments seem to suggest a total disregard for perfection by the M3 assembly line employees.
(One wrote it appeared someone had gotten into the car wearing golf shoes).
Why so many scrapes and scratches? (aside from paint and fit and finish issues)
It would be interesting to hear from an assembly-line worker.

The S is assembled in California .... so you cannot blame the California work force;
Other manufacturers assemble cars in America .... so its not an American problem.

Why the 3?
In the rush to assemble and get 3's out the door .... has it been accomplished at the cost of routine, QC inspections?
If so, that is not a long term sustainable strategy.

EM needs to pump these cars out as fast as possible to keep the company afloat. It's hard to blame him. He's already sleeping at the factory and trying his best. That's why it "comes with the territory". We need to support him in his "impossible" mission to save the planet!

 

[mrwuffles]

I laughed about potential buyers using UV lamps. If so, that would be the first time for me. Sold a lot of cars on Craigslist. Most recently, this week. If you get it detailed first, they sell quickly and painlessly.

I had some paint defects, but my detailer said they were fairly normal for anything but a show-quality paint job. I had some flecks of orange/red in a few places and a slight chip in the door. If I had the # and degree of these, I'd get it painted. That said, I doubt it would even be noticeable if it's anything like the paint jobs I've had after collision damage. \

You're lucky it's silver. Most detailers I've talked to agree that silver is the best all-around for hiding damage and dirt.

 

[brobinson]

I laughed about potential buyers using UV lamps. If so, that would be the first time for me. Sold a lot of cars on Craigslist. Most recently, this week. If you get it detailed first, they sell quickly and painlessly.

I had some paint defects, but my detailer said they were fairly normal for anything but a show-quality paint job. I had some flecks of orange/red in a few places and a slight chip in the door. If I had the # and degree of these, I'd get it painted. That said, I doubt it would even be noticeable if it's anything like the paint jobs I've had after collision damage. \

You're lucky it's silver. Most detailers I've talked to agree that silver is the best all-around for hiding damage and dirt.

Yea, this is not a car that the vast majority of people are going to use paint meters on, especially in 4-5 years when they are selling used for $30k or less.

 

[Gavyne]

Why the 3?
In the rush to assemble and get 3's out the door .... has it been accomplished at the cost of routine, QC inspections?
If so, that is not a long term sustainable strategy.

Nobody said that's their long term strategy. Because they are a public traded company, they are forced to impress on the short term in order to keep the investors happy. In doing so, it hurts their long term plans, even Elon said so. This is why he contemplated on the idea of taking Tesla private.

They are addressing the issues, slowly. First they had to ramp up production, which is the hardest thing to do for a new car company looking to mass produce for the first time. Without ramp up, Tesla wouldn't be alive today, period. Then once they can produce enough vehicles to turn profit, as they showed they did in Q3, they can start to work on fine tuning the other things.

Earlier this year they made upgrades to their paint shop, before it was manual, now it's robotics. This made it so the paint shop isn't a bottleneck like it was earlier this year. Then just recently they patented new technology to address panel gap issues. Some people are OCD about panel gaps, so Tesla is addressing it. They have also recently purchased trucking companies so they can deliver cars within a reasonable timeframe without being completely overwhelmed. A lot of the defects people see such as dents, scratches, and such are caused during transport. The more they had to rush things, the more accidents happen, so hopefully addressing logistics they can reduce the number of defects that happen during transport.

I have no doubt they'll address paint quality in the future, it's one of the top things people complain about. But when addressing paint qualities, they also need to address the quality of their detail shops. The cars are not being properly prepped, unlike cars being sold at traditional dealerships. So to address delivery experience, they would need to address both factory paint and detailers that work to prep the car pre-delivery.

 

[Glamisduner]

I'd have it painted, but I might change my mind when I finally get my car's post delivery issues sorted out. I'm supposed to finally pickup my P3D- tomorrow. It's been in the body shop for over 2 weeks.

I see allot of black specs in peoples paint. WTH is that from? Are they painting these cars next to a coal mine?

 

[Uncle Paul]

With so many panels to be repainted, I would hesitate to go that route.

I would first attempt a remedy myself with a little polishing wax and rub. Might get some of them to fade away. Then maybe a little touch up paint (from Tesla). Might get it good enough. Maybe they would even comp you a touch up bottle.

Expecting a cash compensation is not realistic. Not typically their policy.

I have seen both happy and unhappy customers with body shop resprays. Kind of a roll of the dice there. Factory original paint still usually the best.

I have gotten a few chips on my white paint, and the touch up paint is a quick and easy fix. You can still notice them still if you take the time to closely look for them.

All manufacturers have issue with obtaining perfect paint quality in high production plants. Tesla paints over 1,000 cars per day. Some are not going to be perfect.

 

[Glamisduner]

With so many panels to be repainted, I would hesitate to go that route.

I would first attempt a remedy myself with a little polishing wax and rub. Might get some of them to fade away. Then maybe a little touch up paint (from Tesla). Might get it good enough. Maybe they would even comp you a touch up bottle.

Expecting a cash compensation is not realistic. Not typically their policy.

I have seen both happy and unhappy customers with body shop resprays. Kind of a roll of the dice there. Factory original paint still usually the best.

I have gotten a few chips on my white paint, and the touch up paint is a quick and easy fix. You can still notice them still if you take the time to closely look for them.

All manufacturers have issue with obtaining perfect paint quality in high production plants. Tesla paints over 1,000 cars per day. Some are not going to be perfect.

Tesla does not even sell touch-up paint for the pearl white model 3. You can buy some from chip dr, but it's not an exact match due to requiring multiple layers.

I think ops car is silver though? I'm not sure. Silver shouldn't be too hard to match I would think.