Guy Documents Nearly a Year of Quality Problems with His Tesla Model S

14 years... not exactly a startup anymore.

What would you define as a startup in auto manufacturing? Not that there's much to go by looking at the last century of course.

Keep in mind that for the first few years they were just making a small number of Roadsters by hand with a handful of people in a garage.

Hyundai's motor division, for example, started making cars "only" around 1975 - and brought their products to the US market around 1984.

Tesla earning an "average" grade by CR this early is not too shabby at all imho.
 
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This guy seems way too sensitive to rattles, was this his first new car or something? The car door squeaking seemed like a normal sound, along with the AC fan "whine" that he had to demonstrate from OUTSIDE the vehicle, the minor refraction or "bubble" as he called it on the windshield seemed incredibly minor (at least as far as I could tell from the video) and I have seen that often on other car windshields and simply though it a normal thing with automotive glass. The guy has the balls to say that they fixed his steering wheel, and it looks straight... be he just "feels" like it isn't straight.... WTF?

There were for certain a few issues that required addressing, like the charge port and door cover coming off (directly related to him having them check for "rattles" every service visit) and Tesla definitely addressed those issues. It's not like this guy was paying money out to get these fixed, it was all covered under warranty and it seems like Tesla is taking care of customers well.

I'm still not sure this is worse than any other car manufacturer at times... I've seen high end mustangs that have interiors that are absolutely falling apart after 15,000 miles, my own BMW had a gas tank flap that would not open. Sure Tesla is high on the public radar, but I'm not convinced that 2017 Model S has any more issues than any other car, its just that nobody is going to make a video and post it to youtube if a mercedes has an alignment issue that they take to the service center and have fixed. They just do it, and move on.

I guess my few takeaways from this video is:

Maybe I need to be more picky? I wouldn't have even noticed half of his issues.
and
As expected, there may be a few issues when you buy a new car, from any manufacturer; but your warranty will make sure you are taken care of.
Considering that most cars in the $25-$35k range don't rattle or have doors making creaking noises in their first 10k miles... yeah maybe you should consider being more picky when buying a new car. Hell, even a lot of sub 25k econobox base model rental company specials(think chevy sonic and the like) beaten to shit for 50k miles in 2 years don't have creaking doors.
 
Considering that most cars in the $25-$35k range don't rattle or have doors making creaking noises in their first 10k miles... yeah maybe you should consider being more picky when buying a new car. Hell, even a lot of sub 25k econobox base model rental company specials(think chevy sonic and the like) beaten to shit for 50k miles in 2 years don't have creaking doors.
I wouldn't consider the noise in the video a "creaky door", all doors make some amount of noise. Majority of people just turn on their radio and don't notice any of the rattling.

I mostly say I should be more picky because I bought a model X last month, and there are a few minor issues with it, a)paint scuff dot where the falcon wings close, b) rear hatch panel gap is quite wide. Other than that the car has been perfect..
Maybe the difference is that I knew about these common flaws up front, and it was already a factor in my head before deciding to purchase. Also... I wonder if after watching this video if I go drive it now if I will start hearing all sorts of noises....
 
Does the fucking car run like advertised? Does it get you where you need to go? Picky, whiny-ass white kid.......jesus.

I bet they cringe every time they hear his name.....
 
my prius c has similar issues.. in fact i havnt seen a toyota yet that doesnt have the trim around the door (rubber) not stay on... since the 1980s lol.

No trim problems with my 4 year old Toyota Camry.
Even my Wife's 11 year old Sienna doesn't have any door trim problems, although it does have a lose piece on the back side windows.
 
I see your problem. Your car is over-engineered and rushed off the line. More seriously, though, as annoying as that video is, I have to agree with a couple major points. Windshield quality is a huge factor. Tesla has admitted to rushing this. Light flare due to production flaws or grain/scratches, or any distortion due to variable thickness is completely unacceptable. I see it a lot from Nissan. It's actually dangerous and I wish that safety authorities would address this officially with other manufacturers. The other issue is with the "door alignment". Panel alignment is actually really nice on all the Teslas, but that chrome trim is fucking awful. If you're doing chrome, do it WELL.


"Almost all of their current drivers are what I would consider enthusiasts... they are going to be more forgiving than your average driver... If Tesla wants the Model 3 to be a truly mass market vehicle, then they have to get this stuff under control. The mass market is not going to be nearly as forgiving as me and other Tesla drivers."

I'm not so sure about that statement. I think this is some evil-genius level unpaid QA, early access model bullshit from Tesla. The fans are going to be ultra picky and sort out all the shit before rolling out Beta.

There is a blooper reel. Forget everything I just said and shoot me.
 
Minor, picky or petty issues he's had enough problems I don't know how he can stand to keep it. Not even 10k miles and windshield problems, trim falling apart, wheel alignment etc.etc.. I'd sell that lemon and take it as a learning experience.
 
I wouldn't consider the noise in the video a "creaky door", all doors make some amount of noise. Majority of people just turn on their radio and don't notice any of the rattling.

You must own shitty cars. My 96 Impreza, 00 Impreza, and 05 Forester make no noise from the doors when I swing them around. It's only when it actually makes contact with the body and closes does it make noise.

Although, if I had creaky door issues, I'd just hit it with some lithium grease and see if it goes away. Which the noise he was getting, it probably would have.

Everything he mentions is minor issues, but for me. That steering wheel misalignment would piss me the hell off. Especially since my wheel has a top center marker.
 
Considering that most cars in the $25-$35k range don't rattle or have doors making creaking noises in their first 10k miles... yeah maybe you should consider being more picky when buying a new car. Hell, even a lot of sub 25k econobox base model rental company specials(think chevy sonic and the like) beaten to shit for 50k miles in 2 years don't have creaking doors.
++
My 2014 Sonic with 44k miles doesn't creak that I can hear...
After replacing the clutch pedal assembly & heater core (cracked -- smell in cabin) under warranty, the car has been pretty much flawless. I'd kind of expect this since it's 2017.

If this thing lasts me another 12-15 years with no other problems I'll probably buy something else Chevy.
 
"The more they overthink the plumbing, the easier it is to stop up the drain."

Overcomplexity breeds problems. The key is to put in only just enough complexity that it required to do what you want, and not overdo it so it creates issues. It can be a delicate balance at times, and advancing technology and/or experience does put that balancing point further out. Tesla is trying to manufacture something that is more complex than their engineering and manufacturing experience can handle. So, they get problems like this.
 
the apologists and excuse brigade is such a laugh here.

a car north of 80k to well over 100k, fit and finish needs to be very good. cleanliness of a new car should be impeccable, even used cars i have purchased were detailed by the dealership after i purchased them.
if i spent that much on a car id be pissed off too.


tesla is a car company and a new car company, people wrote about tesla facing these issue they were brand new.

their lack of model updates is to blame for some of this.

they will have to overcome odd issues, like whistles, squeaks and all sorts of seemingly minor things, things that other car companies learned to deal with for decades. this isnt surprising but it is an issue poorly serviced by the no dealership model, no garage wants to be saddled chasing noises for hours, and some noises cant be fixed by a mechanic, when its a design issue. no company has beaten rattles, but all excuse themselves from repairing those issues in their warranty, even then many will attempt to fix them when the car is very new.

after reading stories like these for years, about the model s, it seems like it hasnt improved much.

the car hes was describing sounds like crappy little econo box manufactured in some 3rd world country that you get for ~15k new.

"The more they overthink the plumbing, the easier it is to stop up the drain."

Overcomplexity breeds problems. The key is to put in only just enough complexity that it required to do what you want, and not overdo it so it creates issues. It can be a delicate balance at times, and advancing technology and/or experience does put that balancing point further out. Tesla is trying to manufacture something that is more complex than their engineering and manufacturing experience can handle. So, they get problems like this.

yea from things like the pop out door handles and stuff tesla really asked to have these issues.
 
A dusty screen? Seriously?

The car is new, it should be spotless, if the car was test driven etc it should be detailed before being handed to the new owner.

I got my $20k car new, was a show room car, so it had zero miles and you could not test drive it. But I wanted to test drive THAT car as it was the one I was going to buy, so they moved 10 cars, opened up the walls and moved the car out so I could test drive it. After that and I bought it, the car was taken to be fully detailed and spotless....That's on a $20k car, not a 80-100k dollar luxury vehicle.

There is a reason people who review the likes of the Audi S7 or S8 etc talk absolute shit about Tesla, the fit and finish are not even in the same league, but are in the same price bracket. The Model 3 is even worse than this, I watched some videos that showed this and everyone said it was almost laughable about the sorts of panel gaps and alignments, so bad they thought they had gone back to the 80's. It looked bad in the videos, and it's hard to see stuff like that in videos, it's always way worse in person than it looks in a video. Sadly I have not seen a Model 3 in person, but have another car friend who has, and said it's bad, really really bad.
 
You must own shitty cars. My 96 Impreza, 00 Impreza, and 05 Forester make no noise from the doors when I swing them around.

Gotta admit, though, after owning three Subarus, your benchmark for quality is pretty low.
 
Sounds like he bought a lemon, this does happen from time to time, a "friday car" perhaps. As for all the other luxury car purists, you can google any exotic brand and find a handful of complaints about how shitty their ferrari or lambo is and why you should never buy one. Tesla may have a few more lemons in the fray cuz ya know, 'muricans buildin em, and they're under the gun probably overproducing, but by and large it's a good car.

Oh, and my car also gets dusty 15 minutes after sitting in it. I dont dust at home so my clothes are probably covered in lint, but I have a tablet car mod and I can wipe it down clean and see dust particles forming mere seconds in the sunlight as I drive off.
 
To me thats kind of petty even at that price point. Dust happens. They could've done a superb job cleaning it at the factory and the dealer even and in a few hours between them finishing it up and telling him it was ready it could easily be dusty again.

Depends on if it is dust on the surface, or dust between the LCD and protective screen you can never get off. The latter would be a bad thing (tm) in a car that shoves everything through it's giant touch panel.
 
Almost all of the price of a Tesla is for the batteries, electric motors and autonomous features. The interior isn’t even close to $80k levels, and neither is the fit/finish.
 
Gotta admit, though, after owning three Subarus, your benchmark for quality is pretty low.

Low? After owning 11 GM cars and 1 Ford, now that I've owned a Subie for 2 years, I've learned just how much a step up in quality they really are. It's like night and day. After 2 years on my Monte Carlo, I'd already had to replace the shifter, the console, and the alternator, and that was one of the more reliable Chevy cars I'd had. I haven't had a service stop for my Legacy yet, except oil changes. I have run my battery down twice because I hit the hazard blinkers when I shifted into park and didn't notice, though. (I hate that hazard blinker button.) After a jump start, I was right back to operational in both cases.
 
Almost all of the price of a Tesla is for the batteries, electric motors and autonomous features. The interior isn’t even close to $80k levels, and neither is the fit/finish.
That's actually kinda funny, because the interior on the original model x(prior to the seating update) was horrific with the nasty plastic shells on the backs of the seats(among other things). Even the S, buddy of mine has a fully loaded P100D. Aside from the LCD, the interior reminds me of a Honda in the $40k range which is nonsense on a $120k car.

I like the technology, don't dislike the company, but their vehicles are terrible for the price. If I sit in an $80k and up car, it should feel like an $80k+ car(track focused sports/super cars aside because they have their own quirks that aren't necessarily related to manufacturing/design).
 
Guy buys a Tesla Model S and whines about every little thing. :D Does not matter the cost of the car, sometimes, things happen and it is how you are treated after the fact that makes or breaks the car and the experience.
 
Thought this was common knowledge. Early adopter fee. Paid in quality. I suspect the model 3 will have even more quality / reliability issues going forward.
 
Gotta admit, though, after owning three Subarus, your benchmark for quality is pretty low.

Who said it was high quality? My car rattles all over, but not one has ever had a sqeaky door. I've never actually even been in a car that has had a squeaky door. A few trucks have, but rarely have I ever heard any automotive vehicle with a squeaking door.

Thing you'll get out of a Subaru is reliability and safety. You aren't purchasing a luxury vehicle with 200 lbs of sound deadening and double pane glass. Nor are you purchasing one for $80k+. It's an econobox and it's not trying to be a luxury vehicle like a Tesla is.
 
"The more they overthink the plumbing, the easier it is to stop up the drain."

Overcomplexity breeds problems. The key is to put in only just enough complexity that it required to do what you want, and not overdo it so it creates issues. It can be a delicate balance at times, and advancing technology and/or experience does put that balancing point further out. Tesla is trying to manufacture something that is more complex than their engineering and manufacturing experience can handle. So, they get problems like this.

This is specifically why I didn't want the "1.4 Turbo" motor in my car & went for the 1.8 NA. My wife's power window button has already broken in her kia, but my manual windows/mirrors work just fine...
 
Aren’t you asking for problems when you buy the first model year of most vehicles?
 
Aren’t you asking for problems when you buy the first model year of most vehicles?

Sure, if it was the first year of it's production. They've been making the car for 5 years.
 
My Jeep has a rattle in the back (somewhere) everytime I drive down the Gold Camp Road.
 
Sure, if it was the first year of it's production. They've been making the car for 5 years.
I think the most disturbing parts are the fact that the windshield was defective not once but twice, and nobody bothered to check the replacements before installing them, and then that there are so many rattles, and the attempts to fix them damaged the interior door panels. That just should not happen, on a $80,000 car or a $20,000 car.
 
I think the most disturbing parts are the fact that the windshield was defective not once but twice, and nobody bothered to check the replacements before installing them, and then that there are so many rattles, and the attempts to fix them damaged the interior door panels. That just should not happen, on a $80,000 car or a $20,000 car.

MKBHD on youtube also mentioned persistent issues with power steering failing on his P100D.
 
I think the most disturbing parts are the fact that the windshield was defective not once but twice, and nobody bothered to check the replacements before installing them, and then that there are so many rattles, and the attempts to fix them damaged the interior door panels. That just should not happen, on a $80,000 car or a $20,000 car.

I can't fault them if they installed it first. Sometimes it'll look perfectly fine, when you look it over. Install it, sit down. Then you see the flaw. Someone should have at least sat down in the car and been like,"Oh shit, the flaw is still there."

I personally shouldn't have to deal with any rattles on a new car, but I do wonder how bad the rattling is. If it's a super tiny rattle that a stereo on low can cover it up, I could forgive it. If I had to blast my stereo to cover it up, that's unacceptable.
 
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