Tesla Model S Plaid Build Quality Review - 12 Years Into Production And Still Having Issues

Coleton takes a look at a nearly $100k specced Tesla Model S Plaid new from a customer. Before detailing it, he points out some build quality concerns and some issues with its paint on such an expensive car. There's a lot to discuss, good and bad.

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0:00 Welcome
1:18 This Car's Specs
5:23 Exterior
8:04 Panel Gaps
18:16 Rear Hatch
24:37 More Gaps
27:37 Rattle Experience
29:04 Interior Impressions
34:40 Driver Experience
39:39 Backseat
41:35 Front Trunk
43:43 Rear Vibration Cause
45:25 Paint
53:44 Paint Thickness
1:00:02 Wrap-Up

#tesla #modelsplaid #buildquality

[rob]

I just purchased a 2021 Plaid with 80k miles.
Best car I have owned. Sold my 2022 performance 3 for this. It’s quiet and it’s black. No rattles or issues.

[guccisasha]

just got mine in ultra red n black interior. no gaps, no issues, knock on wood. I love the higher ride, unlike u n Kyle though.

[sorka]

More expensive? It's $30K less than my P85D was in 2015. My P85D build quality was perfect. My new MSP was another story. I'm already 5 hours into a full front fender, 4 doors and and liftgate alignment. The liftgate is the major PIA because to adjust the hinges, you're supposed to remove the glass, according to the service manual. However, there are e-torx ends sticking out of the hinges on the through side that can be loosened. Not sure why the service manual doesn't point this out out. In my case, I had to slightly shim the left hinge to raise the upper left pillar of the liftgate to be flush with the a-pillar which also lowered the right side of the liftgate so it is now level. I also need to re-position the taillights in the rear quarter panels because they moved the right one up and the left one down to try and hide the mis alignment. There's about a 1/4 inch vertical free play in the rear quarter taillight adjustment.

Having Tesla fix this, which they will most likely decline to anyways, is a losing game. They won't spend the time to get it right and will instead just create a whack-o-mole situation making some things better at the expense of making some things worse. Plus the odds of them damaging paint when attempting extensive adjustments are high.

[itspetenova]

I must be the only one in the Tesla community that could care less about gaps

[JillMC]

Nice seeing the new yoke! Have a 2023 S Plaid. Only rattle was the rear seat latch that went away with electrical tape that you mentioned. Knock on wood. Hood does stick sometimes and had Tesla adjust the latch. Still sticks sometimes, which is crazy. I don't think the Model S is that noisy. Yet the noise canceling system does not seem to do much. But I bought the Plaid because it does a low 9-second quarter mile 😂

[markglover]

Man, thanks so much for this video. As a new MYP owner and CT reserver, this totally changes my thought process on buying the new Plaid S, especially black. I am more thank likely going to satin PPF everything but is still good to know. With all of these issues on a NEW vehicle, I may just look over the used market, seriously.

[nextlife]

New Model S I test drove for 24 hrs was great. No rattles at all (my 2017 has a few).

[adamd]

The cost cutting / light weighting of the vehicle is not going to change. Same across all models. I just wonder when the motoring press stops calling Tesla a luxury brand since so many non-luxury brands build to such a better quality, fit and finish.

[mattporter]

Great review! Very much enjoyed it. The Yoke is amazing! Totally get why you personally don’t like it….but I abhor driving with a wheel now. No rattles in mine, like at all. But I do have gaps, not this bad but some. The car makes up for it in pure roller coaster fun. Still the best daily driver, like ever!! Totally worth the $$.

[AgentX]

Tesla needs to get a couple of legacy auto consultants to help them with the built and paint quality issues!

[rockshox]

Colton, can you make a follow-up, what it looks like when you are done? 5-10 minutes walk-around?

[fayekessner]

I took my m3 to a professional detailer for ceramic coating and when i picked it up my hood looked exactly like the swirls and foggy buff marks as this!! I took it back but it was truly never polished properly . I was heart broken. I would say whoever was let loose at the service center with a polisher was his first day and should have been his last.
But curious why it even needed to be buffed to begin with.

[rkgsd]

35:30 It won't be long before all Teslas have push buttons for turn signals instead of a traditional lever. It will be a deal breaker for many. Sacraficing safety to save a few cents on the assembly line is downright pathetic. Same goes for the removal of ultrasonic sensors.

[fergyspoolshots]

Can you please do a quality check on a new Fremont built highland?

[lornekofman]

the gap at top of headlights is for water drainage.

[DR-zkdo]

Great review. I hope Tesla QC watches this since I think a lot of this is preventable. It would not be that difficult to teach the service center detailers a proper prep technique since I agree they probably cause more harm at these delivery centers.

[ricdynasty]

If I’m spending $100k+ on a vehicle, it better be damn perfect ! Tesla needs to figure this out yesterday. I’ll never buy one until they work out the build quality issues.

[brianschooley]

I'll wait. It will depreciate, and will be much more affordable, for the common folks like me

[jcm]

Great video, what is the name of the light you used to inspect the paint?

[mikefucito]

I love the driving position up high in my 2024 Model S.