Since the restart of the EV Model Y deliveries after the reopening of the Fremont factory, many users have reported numerous quality problems in their units. According to some sources, these issues would be more severe than usual in a new car but bad even by the standards of Tesla.
Specialized forums have flooded with customers who have rejected deliveries due to problems with their vehicles. Several buyers have also informed media such as Electrek that Tesla has had to contact them to notify them of a delay in their deliveries due to defects in their units.
Last week an email was leaked from Elon Musk in which he stressed to the employees of the Fremont factory the need to reduce the rectifications made in the Model Y when leaving the production line (that is, the number of fixes that they have to be carried out on the units once they have been manufactured), which shows the numerous quality problems of the vehicle.
“It is crucial for us to increase Model Y production and minimize rectifications. I want you to know that it really will make a big difference to Tesla right now.” These problems are causing bottlenecks in deliveries of the vehicle, whose demand, according to Tesla’s calculations, could exceed the rest of its combined range.
In some cases, Tesla has delivered seriously flawed vehicles: Last week, Riley Dove of Maryland was forced to refuse delivery of the unit she had ordered a month ago due to paint, trim problems, slits in the seats, and even the presence of a loose seat belt.
However, the problem most users have complained about is that the rear seat is often not anchored to its base, a hugely severe failure that highlights the huge issues with Tesla’s quality controls. One might wonder if these errors are unique to the Fremont factory, as no report to date has indicated that the Tesla Model 3 has suffered from similar problems during its production ramp in Giga Shanghai.