An Etsy entrepreneur is exposing Tesla's shortcomings to new owners taking delivery

Quality control is so bad at Elon Musk's automaker, that owners are taking matters into their own hands.

Mar 30, 2024 - 02:30

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An Etsy entrepreneur is exposing Tesla's shortcomings to new owners taking delivery

Cars are a major purchase, and, for as much as they are worth, owners who take delivery of new cars should expect that every part and panel is absolutely perfect on the day they get the keys.

A total of 4,027 Tesla Model Y and Model 3 electric vehicles, which will be sent to the Port of Zeebrugge in Belgium, wait to be loaded on board the roll-on-roll-off cargo vessel Theben operated by Wallenius Wilhelmsen at Nangang port in Shanghai, China.
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However, expectations are below the ground at one prolific automaker — Elon Musk's Tesla (TSLA) .

As build quality problems like panel gaps and fit and other fit and finish issues are littered throughout its lineup of EVs, it is fair that customers should remain vigilant and scrutinize every detail the moment they receive their cars.

One enterprising entrepreneur on Etsy is helping out fellow Tesla owners with an interesting line of products that helps DIY-ers do something that Tesla cannot seem to do themselves at the factory.

Amongst the kitschy handmade items and personalized gifts on Etsy is the store of an Irvine, Calif. seller named EverydayChrisTesla. Despite what his name suggests, Tesla YouTuber Everyday Chris does not make cold pressed, handmade bars of soap shaped to look like Cybertrucks, nor does he make wood carved models of Tesla Roadsters on his Etsy page.

As an accompanying document to go alongside his video guides, Chris specializes in offering thorough, detailed, easy-to-follow delivery checklists that can be used to inspect Model 3's, Model Y's, Model X's and Cybertrucks upon delivery.

For the low price of $4.99, you can digitally download and print out a checklist to do a job that was supposed to be through at the factory, yourself.

The product description of the Delivery Checklist of the most popular Tesla model — the Model Y, reads:

"Got your new Tesla Model Y? Take the stress out of figuring out what to look for that needs to be fixed! This is a thorough checklist that keeps you organized and prevents you from forgetting the small things before it's TOO LATE to fix!"

Employees of the Tesla Gigafactory Berlin Brandenburg work on a production line of a Model Y electric vehicle.
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Everyday Chris's checklists do touch on specific, common problems that certain Tesla vehicles have upon delivery.

For example, certain steps on the checklist for the Cybertruck asks owners to check for defects and imperfections in the stainless steel body, as well as inspecting the weather seals and the LEDs that illuminate the truck bed.

On the Model X checklist, it asks owners to ensure that the gullwing "Falcon Wing" doors open equally and fully, as well as checking for defects in the door hinges.

Chris warns that none of his lists are official Tesla products, nor are they an indication of official quality control standards of Tesla.

Additionally, free versions of said checklists are available on his website.

It goes to show, however, how different Tesla is as a car company.

According to J.D. Power, Tesla ranked second from the bottom in 2023 when it came to initial quality — the quality of new cars based on owner impressions, with a score of 257 reported problems per 100 vehicles.

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Despite the enterprising and good natured vision of Everyday Chris, the existence of such a list is a very bad premise for Tesla, and it sets in stone that its cars are, well — not good quality. Tesla is a unique car company where you can configure a car and buy a car online, but the experience would be the most seamless if the cars sold to customers were perfectly OK upon delivery.