
Tesla Owner Finds Torn A-Pillar on Freshly Delivered Model S - joatmon-snoo
http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/2017/04/tesla-owner-finds-torn-pillar-freshly-delivered-model-s/
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oblib
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".

This time I get to just chuckle about it a bit...

~~~
Shivetya
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

~~~
oblib
Agreed.

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

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oblib
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."

[https://electrek.co/2016/06/13/tesla-fale-complaints-
suspens...](https://electrek.co/2016/06/13/tesla-fale-complaints-suspension-
nhtsa-keef-wivaneff/)

~~~
greglindahl
That comment is responding to a short, not the person who reported the torn A
pillar.

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.

------
Shivetya
original source [https://teslamotorsclub.com/tmc/threads/help-a-pillar-
defect...](https://teslamotorsclub.com/tmc/threads/help-a-pillar-defect-
found.88657/)

