Hi everyone!
My name is Art, and I hope to be here for a while(fingers crossed). I am brand spanking new to the Tesla community, I mean fresh, literally just purchased a 2020 model 3 performance less than 5 days ago and I have been loving life since the very first test drive. However, everyday I am becoming more bothered by things that I honestly would not have expected to bother me or allowed to bother me individually, to be honest, collectively they are putting some serious doubt in my mind. Maybe not on Tesla overall as a brand so much, but for sure on this red-rocket I purchased last week.
Now let me explain something, I am a car guy thru and thru. Having worked in my past life as a bomb-ass technician, then as the best former-service consultant at a Honda dealership here in NoVA for a period 10 years (4 years out the game currently) I know clients and people can be picky about silly and small things, but as my fellow dealership people know that’s something that comes with the territory with a mass produced item coming from an assembly line, manufacturers defects I understand, as I said it’s a machine after all.
Any-who I have a favor to ask of the wiser, and thus all knowing community/forums, I come seeking your counsel and advice. The 2020 Tesla model 3 performance I purchased was apparently one of the fleet cars from Montgomery mall... at first inspection it looked good, I expected some, and had allowed myself to forgive some damages as far as cosmetics go. I saw some minor things like scratches and scuffs, looking for big things expense wise I found one rim to have curb rash, which sucked but it was whatever at that point. Since they knocked off almost $2800 down from the price for the fact that it was going to be sold to me with 2,2xx miles (fleet car?) and they were not going to repair “anything” on it but instead give that discount for both miles and minor cosmetics. So I said let’s do it! Let’s tap these screens, wire some money, and be on our way. The problems starts not even 20 minutes later when I got off the call I was on prior to leaving the dealership... this model 3 only had front tweeters that were working, nothing else worked. Not the sub, not the door speakers, nor rear shelf speakers....nada. I thought to myself, well that’s a blower but heck it could be caused from one of the connectors or something simple, no harm no foul. I called them to take it back the next morning to have service do their thing. At this point I still wanted it and understood completely, it’s a mass produced machine.. *sugar* happens, so now that’s a scheduled repair for this Friday. The repair order said the tech checked the wiring box above in the headliner and then checked the rear amp which he found to be the issue and would order it and mobile install Friday when it arrives. Since then, ever day I’m noticing things that have only added more doubt to my choice.
The second day I owned the car, I took it to a car wash I use regularly and had it cleaned up since it was delivered in a dirty condition. As I was waiting for the car to be finished up I was looking at the outside and noticed my left side inner-tail light assembly is leaking internally and has active moisture, which any tech and inspector know fails VA safety inspections right away...Ok, I can see this isn’t a big deal, warranty should cover it, just annoying to have to make yet another trip out to the service center and more so now the doubt on either the seal of that light or if it was yet again something else they could have swapped out from another clients car and used this car I own as a donor car(it happens far more often than you would think, specially from loaner cars or company fleet vehicles)
So with no sound to enjoy while charging, I get to sit there and inspect the car a little better and longer, it wasn’t until yesterday when the sun finally came out in full force that I noticed the front bumper has been repainted as well, which I noticed after seeing a flec of some dirt or dust trapped into the paint/clear coat on the hood. So right now my concerns are as follow... I know for a fact that dealers will do a PDI (pre-delivery inspection) to test and inspection the vehicle for full function and make sure there is nothing abnormal going on, that clearly wasn’t the case here as the speakers simply did not work, the taillight has moisture on a car that was manufactured less than 4 months ago, they sprayed it without disclosing it(which if I’m correct the dealer doesn’t have to if it’s under a certain amount or only one panel? I never worked sales dept.) but also has that one spot on the hood that bothers me to no end, knowing that’s the weak point in the paint, meaning it’s the first place to flake off and or cause further damage as it’s not a even smooth coat on the panel.
So first and foremost, can I even return or exchange this specific model 3? It was purchased with just over 2200 miles and now has 2800, but is less than a week old. If so would you do it being that it’s casting a shadow of doubt about what they did or did not know prior to selling it. Am I taking it further than I should? Would love to hear your experiences and also if anyone has also had a rear amp go bad? Or delivered it with issues? Thanks for your time in advance and I will see what they say at the SC today.
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