The car is mechanically fine. The A-battery charges to 265, and Tesla was generous with shop time and money for things like wheel refinishing, an MCU, rotors and tires. Are these rotors ever thrown away for actual wear? It isn't a great story in the end, however. So, read on only if you wish. After a second conversation with the regional manager, I don't currently expect my request for a buyback will be honored.
I'm on the East coast, was given the same "as new", and "perfect", language about Tesla's CPO program and, after having some questions ruling out paint fade answered by the Owner Adviser, we ordered a CPO from CA.
As said above, at the time the color looked like it hadn’t been painted. Tesla tells me paint fits within their definition of “refurbish”. Fifty, or sixty, percent of the car doesn’t matter. I heard, “paint is like a part”, etc. I don’t believe this, and have had the best Boston shops do enough cars to witness how, even if they can get close, they lack depth, fade, scratch more easily, chip or fail to adhere over time. I got deaf ears from Regional. There was never any acknowledgement of my single purchase instruction. A July 30th email to Jerome saw no reply. The company is currently pointing to the due-bill, offering to put a third paint on just that section.
I tried to avoid this situation before delivery and was ignored, but what burns me worse is that I effectively caught what I was most concerned about and am not getting ownership in return. My trust reduced my judgement. So, sorry to take to the internet about my own CPO experience. Maybe it will help reset expectations.
Lastly, the car still looks good. I'm sure at 10-20 steps, I can get a good picture for an ad that will disclose paint work. If Tesla won't take it back, I don't see how else to be fair to the next guy.
View showing clear coat failure
Tighter view showing what causes "dullness", from a distance
Another gridline shot, showing the contrast of painted (left), original (right)
Weather stripping in the jamb shows the original black/cherry depth of Signature Red (on right), versus thinner (left)
Last two pictures show how surface and depth issues carry around to the front, and hood.
I'm on the East coast, was given the same "as new", and "perfect", language about Tesla's CPO program and, after having some questions ruling out paint fade answered by the Owner Adviser, we ordered a CPO from CA.
- While buying online, a box opens up asking if I had questions/concerns/special instructions. I wrote Tesla, since this was a sight/unseen process, to "please, if there are any concerns about the finish, to go over them and send pictures before it gets placed on a truck". I wasn't concerned about parts that could be replaced, and I had already reconstructed the VIN from the last five digits, in order to get a clear Auto-Check.
- The Boston Owner Advisor calls me, and tells me they need a deposit, for $1,500 in transport fees, on top of the initial deposit. I knew about this, and understand about not wanting to mess around with transport and travel fees on bad transactions. I’ve flown to 4 states to buy cars in the past and respect the elevated burden such costs place on a smooth transaction.
- The car arrives for delivery to me, on May 29th. I show up and can tell something is up with the right rear. Very dull clear coat, as if a compound had taken it down. Everything else looks great. I go in, planning to bring up the rear. I'm told I am the first MA recipient of a CPO.
- I was there with my trade. We go over some things and then head outside where the car was brought. I bring up the right rear, and nobody affirms what I see for about 5-10 minutes. I say “doesn’t ?look? painted, because the color is so close”. I turn to them. They let me stew. After I suggest some other detailer got it wrong by compounding some abrasive on the original paint, Tesla’s detailer agrees with me, “looks like somebody missed a step”. The Delivery Specialist says, “It doesn’t matter what I see. It matters what you see”. I don’t want to be difficult, but addressing this as the single due-bill item was the least I felt I had to do. A contingency is brought up to have their body shop look at it, with their inserting that they would paint it. As mentioned, at the time I did not think this is where things were going, and I mostly wanted the approval of a body shop that I was correct, a buff, we're done. I sign.
- Get home, feeling like I can save Tesla the trouble, I order some detailing tools and a paint gauge. If someone took the clear down, I don’t want to risk hitting paint if it’s thinned out too much. The paint gauge comes in, and things get worse. It turns out Signature Red and probably other metallic Signature colors are up to .3-.4mm thick. The dull area, and other areas of the car registered .2mm. Things get worse, again, when better light shows the front door forward, had been masked off, judging by the contrast of rear, to the front passenger door. I don’t want to touch a finish with half its thickness gone. So, I defer until the due-bill, for an inspection by Hollis Auto Body.
- Once there, they walk up to the car and say it’s been painted almost immediately. They also later tell me the front was painted. No gauges necessary. At the time, I was focused on where it was worst. It was an orange peel, created from “die-back”, they suspected. In sum, the right rear quarter panel, rr door, rf fender, hood line, hood, and left front fender have all been painted. With this affirmed, I initiated a request for a buyback. I was in a totally different situation than a detailer’s gaffe.
As said above, at the time the color looked like it hadn’t been painted. Tesla tells me paint fits within their definition of “refurbish”. Fifty, or sixty, percent of the car doesn’t matter. I heard, “paint is like a part”, etc. I don’t believe this, and have had the best Boston shops do enough cars to witness how, even if they can get close, they lack depth, fade, scratch more easily, chip or fail to adhere over time. I got deaf ears from Regional. There was never any acknowledgement of my single purchase instruction. A July 30th email to Jerome saw no reply. The company is currently pointing to the due-bill, offering to put a third paint on just that section.
I tried to avoid this situation before delivery and was ignored, but what burns me worse is that I effectively caught what I was most concerned about and am not getting ownership in return. My trust reduced my judgement. So, sorry to take to the internet about my own CPO experience. Maybe it will help reset expectations.
Lastly, the car still looks good. I'm sure at 10-20 steps, I can get a good picture for an ad that will disclose paint work. If Tesla won't take it back, I don't see how else to be fair to the next guy.
View showing clear coat failure
Tighter view showing what causes "dullness", from a distance
Another gridline shot, showing the contrast of painted (left), original (right)
Weather stripping in the jamb shows the original black/cherry depth of Signature Red (on right), versus thinner (left)
Last two pictures show how surface and depth issues carry around to the front, and hood.
