Model Y

Make
Tesla
Segment
SUV

Tesla has not been having a good time of it lately. Like most other manufacturers, the Californian carmaker was forced to shut its Fremont factory as a result of the pandemic. This pushed deliveries of the new Model Y back. Yet, earlier this month we reported that the delivery schedule had been shortened, with buyers able to expect their new EVs sooner than anticipated, despite the drop in production. Recently, however, we became aware of an email sent by Elon Musk regarding the need for better quality control. Sadly, it seems the email hasn't had the desired effect. This week, Electrek reported that Model Y production is still not up to standard.

Tesla is constantly looking for ways to boost its sales, as with any other automaker, and the Model Y has now been added to the list of vehicles that is part of the company's referral program. Unfortunately, it seems that not a lot of referrals will be coming from customers who have just received their new Model Y vehicles. These issues aren't even a part of the brand's electrification technology and pertain more to simple things that really shouldn't be happening in this day and age.

One buyer refused delivery due to issues with paint, poorly fitting trims, indentations in the seats and, more worryingly, a loose seatbelt. The rear seat was also not even affixed to its base, something that other buyers reported.

It seems that the cause of these problems may be as simple as the company trying to rush through production too quickly in order to boost end-of-quarter sales figures. While we sympathize and fully understand that some issues may only become apparent after a period of ownership and use, the problems reported above are blatantly obvious and clearly indicate that Tesla is trying to see how much it can get away with. This is backfiring badly, with some buyers opting to return their orders instead of waiting for a fix. Whatever the reason, Musk had better hope that the company turns a corner soon, or rivals like the Nissan Ariya are going to have it easy.