In recent years, numerous complaints regarding quality control have surfaced about new Teslas. While some issues are expected in any new vehicle, many owners believe that Tesla has hurried its models into production, prompting some to file lawsuits to return their vehicles due to recurring problems.
When purchasing a new economy car, buyers usually don’t anticipate perfection. For instance, I own a Ford Focus ST, which has misaligned body panels and a fragile paint job, but that vehicle cost around $30,000. Now, imagine investing three times that amount in a P100D or Model X only to discover similar issues.
One prominent concern among owners is related to paint quality. Back in April 2015, a Tesla owner identified as lawerence.b on the company’s forums reported that his brand new Model S 85D, priced at approximately $110,000, exhibited numerous paint defects, including peeling, uneven thickness, and various marks on the doors.
Another owner, who had owned two Teslas prior, commented:
The Service Center acknowledges the issues and attempts to address them […] however, it remains unacceptable that a $100,000 car frequently arrives with poor paint quality.
Tesla owner
Fast forward to a Model X purchased in April 2016, and paint problems are still prevalent. This particular vehicle displayed deep imperfections beneath the clear coat and noticeable orange peeling, as shown in the photo below. While Tesla did intervene to correct these flaws—which is expected given the car’s price—some owners argue that repairs could lead to further complications and recommend refusing delivery of the vehicle instead.
Most recently, on April 4, 2017, a new Model S 90D owner discovered a severe defect: his A-pillar was split directly down the center at the time of delivery. It is unclear how this significant issue went unnoticed by both the delivery team and the owner, but it is a major oversight. Even more concerning is that the body shop currently assessing the car suspects the damage occurred during manufacturing and was allowed to pass through the paint shop in that condition:
The body shop thinks that the crack developed during production and went through the painting process already damaged.
Shifting focus from aesthetic issues to mechanical concerns, YouTuber Marques Brownlee (MKBHD) encountered two power steering rack failures in his new Model S within just 6,000 miles. Additional owners have reported instances of power steering failure on forums, indicating that this may not be an isolated case.
As a relatively new player in the automotive industry, Tesla may still be refining its manufacturing processes compared to established competitors with decades of experience. Tesla owners appreciate being at the forefront of innovative technology and may consider themselves willing participants in “beta testing” the vehicles.
However, one critical question remains: What will happen when the more affordable Model 3 is rolled out to consumers? How many more shortcuts and defects will be tolerated in a $30,000 vehicle compared to its $110,000 counterparts?
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