The incident resulted in a scathing review on Reddit.
A Reddit user named FazedCow uploaded a review of his first 24 hours with a brand-new Tesla Model Y Performance. Spoiler alert: The rear motor failed, leaving the car completely dead. FazedCow says he's always been into cars and was looking to get a new, practical winter car. He already owns an Audi S4 and a 718 Cayman S.
“I've been in enough Audi/BMW/Mercs/Porsches and wanted something different. Smooth power, roomy interior, cool factor, and quiet ride were my main considerations,” wrote FazedCow. He decided a Model Y Performance would be a good fit because of the strong resale value. It would also allow him to experience the electric market. “The ordering and delivery process was terrible. It was easily the worst dealership experience I've had buying any car (new or used).”
He got his car on the evening of December 10th and the rear battery failed by the afternoon of the 11th. Following the failure of the rear motor, the vehicle was completely dead.
“It was being driven at 60km/h when a warning came up about the rear motor. A couple of minutes later, it was fully dead. Luckily I was near a friend's house and parked it in their driveway. It would have sucked if this had happened on the highway. I Googled the error, and it seems like this has happened to other people before, and usually pretty soon after delivery,” wrote FazedCow.
FazedCow also reported a few other issues he noticed during his first 24 hours with the car.
Regarding build quality, he knew that he wasn’t getting the best. This has been a problem with Teslas from the start and an issue that continues to haunt the company. FazedCow mentions glue residue on the edges of the panoramic roof, marks on the headliner, and a massive interior panel gap between the B-pillar and the roof on one side.
Other problems included the door not closing properly, the loud honk when you lock the car, noisy seat motors, cheap carpet mats, flimsy sunshades, a poor blind-spot monitoring system, an inconsistently heated steering wheel, inconsistent auto high beams, and the terrible interface between his iPhone and the car’s infotainment system.
FazedCow was also not bowled over by the performance. “My other cars both feel just as fast and launch significantly harder with launch control. The MYP rolls into the power softly from a dig. When you're rolling, it does feel great – but so does any other modern fast car if you're in the right gear.”
His most scathing review was against the suspension. He calls it crashy and states that you can hear the creaks in the cabin. “My Cayman S with Sport PASM feels light years ahead in suspension setup. Maybe if you're coming from a Civic or Camry, this is acceptable to you, but if you've driven any modern car from a luxury brand, this is appalling.”
It’s not all bad news, however. He also mentions all of the good things he picked up during his short ownership stint. These included the smoothness as a result of no transmission, quietness, the massive interior, and the sound system.
Overall, FazedCow still thinks it’s a decent car. He expected cost-cutting and knew about the downsides. For the reasons he wanted the car, it works well.
Due to some commentators asking, FazedCow also uploaded acceleration times for his other cars. Teslas are known for brutal acceleration, so his statement about his other cars being faster is quite contentious. The 0-60 mph figures, according to the Dragy app with no rollout, are 4.13 for the 718 Cayman S, 4.32 for the tuned Audi S4, and 4.10 seconds for the Model Y Performance.
Keyword: Tesla Model Y Dies Within 24 Hours Of Delivery