Tesla sloppy with Model 3: expert predicts HU debacle
Created: 07/18/2022 13:27
By: Simon Mones
Two reports suggest that Tesla could have messed up massively with the Model 3.
The electric cars could even fall through the main inspection.
Tesla is considered one of the pioneers when it comes to electromobility.
Demand for electric cars from the USA has long exceeded supply.
But as popular as the vehicles are, Elon Musk's (51) company is often criticized for poor workmanship.
The latest example is a dispute over damage to the underbody of the Model 3, which Tesla only wanted to repair in a makeshift manner.
The cracks in the underbody of the Tesla Model 3 were discovered when changing tires.
However, the US carmaker only wanted to eliminate them with a new paint job, as reported
by E-Fahrer.de
- but without success.
Tesla is said to have been sloppy in the production of the Model 3.
© Ding Ting/dpa
Tesla sloppy with Model 3: expert predicts HU debacle
The case is now with the Munich district court, which had the damage checked by an expert.
The sobering result: the Model 3 would not get a new sticker at the next general inspection.
Tesla now has time to comment on the report, and a verdict is not expected before the end of the year.
However, this is not an isolated case, as E-Fahrer further reports.
Another Tesla customer discovered damage to his newly delivered Model 3 in September 2020. Here, too, the jacking points were scratched, deformed and even torn.
There were also significant differences in the color tones of the paintwork.
Instead of repairing the defects in the electric car - as required - the US group only operated waste.
Tesla is sloppy with Model 3: the verdict could trigger a wave of lawsuits
The damage was dismissed by the Tesla Center Kirchheim as "cosmetic in nature" - as in the parallel case.
Accordingly, this customer also decided to assert his right before the Munich I Regional Court.
In this case, too, the judges consulted an expert, who presented his 99-page report in June 2022.
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According to the expert, the faulty paintwork resulted in “the primer showing through”.
According to the report, the situation is similarly bad for the jacking shots.
The floor assembly is damaged, and the jack has cracks towards the inside of the vehicle.
Although the expert did not find any other cracks, the damage found is sufficient to assume that "a failure of the main inspection is likely to be assumed".
In this case too, Tesla now has time to comment on the report.
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Should the automaker question this report, however, the Model 3 buyer's attorney has an ace up his sleeve: a 2017 service bulletin from Tesla. It reads, "Inspect, repair and paint body side outer."
If the damage cannot be repaired, the car is said to be sent to a Tesla-approved body shop, but this was not done in either case.
However, this information also shows that the problem at Tesla has been known for a long time.
If the Munich district court sentences Tesla to a new delivery, this could be the start of a wave of lawsuits.
