Those photos don't provide enough info to know for sure, but I'm more than just a bit suspicious of the claim the car arrived like this.
My hunch, based on my experience and those photos only, is that someone grabbed that trim piece and tore it, and I'll tell why...
First, let me point out that I am a former professional "Car Builder". My father was a very talented car builder, so I grew up building cars. I've worked with some of the most famous car builders on some of the most famous cars ever made. I've also been there when those cars were delivered, and did the final prep on many of them myself.
I have seen people intentionally rip and tear pieces like this for no reason at all. It's an impulse action. They look at it and wonder "What will happen if I pull on this" and then they do and it tears.
When you're the person who actually made that part it tears off a piece of your heart with it because you put your heart and soul into your craft right down to the smallest detail.
And people who do that will lie their asses off about it too. I have seen it happen with my own eyes more than once. And I have repaired those kinds of damages myself a few times and the entire time you're working on it you can't help but think "that lying POS does not deserve my efforts".
well if anything it shows why you fully inspect every inch of a car prior to signing the papers. I am really leery of suspecting this as happening before the owner drove off because it is so glaring. The guys doing the final wash/dust off before the new owner got it would have spotted it. This is what happened when I took delivery of a new car recently, ended up with a WE OWE describing what was to be done.
still, if it is not intentional damage then perhaps frame flex over bad roads, pot hole, or such, revealed a stress point. if truly a factory issue then anything built with that batch of metal is suspect
It looks to me like that is a piece of molded plastic that was ripped and an attempted repair may have been made.
That piece is probably made with with tabs that fit into slots to align it and glued into place.
If that's correct than either the tear and repair attempt was made at the factory and it failed miserably or it was torn after the car was delivered.
Since the car was new I'd have to think that quality control would have required the part be replaced, not repaired, but if that happened the factory should have a record of it.
It may not have been the owner who did it. Could've been someone they know, or their kids. Stuff happens :D
Hmmmm..... There seems to be something a little fishy about the person who reported this. If you scroll down a bit in the comments you find a comment by them and a response to it that contains a link...
"Could be your history of filing false reports with pictures of salvaged Teslas. Wild guess."
6 comments
[ 3.5 ms ] story [ 25.2 ms ] threadMy hunch, based on my experience and those photos only, is that someone grabbed that trim piece and tore it, and I'll tell why...
First, let me point out that I am a former professional "Car Builder". My father was a very talented car builder, so I grew up building cars. I've worked with some of the most famous car builders on some of the most famous cars ever made. I've also been there when those cars were delivered, and did the final prep on many of them myself.
I have seen people intentionally rip and tear pieces like this for no reason at all. It's an impulse action. They look at it and wonder "What will happen if I pull on this" and then they do and it tears.
When you're the person who actually made that part it tears off a piece of your heart with it because you put your heart and soul into your craft right down to the smallest detail.
And people who do that will lie their asses off about it too. I have seen it happen with my own eyes more than once. And I have repaired those kinds of damages myself a few times and the entire time you're working on it you can't help but think "that lying POS does not deserve my efforts".
This time I get to just chuckle about it a bit...
still, if it is not intentional damage then perhaps frame flex over bad roads, pot hole, or such, revealed a stress point. if truly a factory issue then anything built with that batch of metal is suspect
It looks to me like that is a piece of molded plastic that was ripped and an attempted repair may have been made.
That piece is probably made with with tabs that fit into slots to align it and glued into place.
If that's correct than either the tear and repair attempt was made at the factory and it failed miserably or it was torn after the car was delivered.
Since the car was new I'd have to think that quality control would have required the part be replaced, not repaired, but if that happened the factory should have a record of it.
It may not have been the owner who did it. Could've been someone they know, or their kids. Stuff happens :D
"Could be your history of filing false reports with pictures of salvaged Teslas. Wild guess."
https://electrek.co/2016/06/13/tesla-fale-complaints-suspens...
The short boasts that he's filed 100 complaints against Tesla, which pretty much reveals what he's up to without looking at any details.