• Used-car buyer says Tesla pressured him into accepting a Model Y in poor condition.
  • He claims the automaker wouldn’t let him inspect the cabin before he agreed to take it.
  • Now, he’s left hoping Tesla will fix the issues now that the electric car is officially his.

Buying a used car almost always comes with its own set of risks. Many consumers try to mitigate those risks by buying directly from a dealer or automaker. In the case of one such customer, his dream car ended up arriving in less than pristine condition and he says that “Tesla failed to deliver what I paid for.” His tale is a cautionary one that reminds us all to be mindful of how we buy cars.

Tesla’s No-Photo, No-Refund Policy

Before diving into the details, it’s important to understand how Tesla handles vehicle sales. Whether you’re buying a brand-new model, a certified pre-owned unit, or a demo car, the process is the same: you place your order through Tesla’s app or website, without ever seeing actual photos of the specific car. Instead, all you get are stock images that look identical, regardless of the vehicle’s actual condition.

Read: New Mach-E Owner Says His Paint Looks Like An Orange Peel And Ford Dealer Won’t Help

On top of that, buyers have to pay a non-refundable fee upfront. For new cars, it’s $250. For used models, like the Model Y in this case, the buyer had to shell out a $500 non-refundable transport fee plus a $500 deposit. In theory, Tesla claims these vehicles go through an inspection process. In practice, many Tesla owners know that quality control is always left to the buyer—even for brand-new cars. The issue is so common that Tesla enthusiasts have created detailed checklists to inspect their new vehicles upon delivery, something virtually unheard of with traditional automakers.

A Dream Tesla Turns Into a Mess

The car in question is a 2022 Model Y with Tesla’s Full Self-Driving (Supervised) tech already installed. The buyer says that owning a Tesla was always a dream and that he thought he was initially getting a good deal. When the electric car that was under warranty arrived, things took a nightmarish turn though.

According to a Reddit user who posted their experience, the Model Y had scrapes and dings that were so bad that he wanted to reject the car outright. One scratch alone was over four inches long, bad enough that even the Tesla rep admitted it was outside the company’s standards for a used car. Still, the Tesla rep convinced him to move forward though by promising that the company would fix the issues. Keep in mind that had the buyer turned the car down, he would’ve been out $1,000 as he committed that money as a deposit and transport fee.

$1,000 Non-Refundable Deposit Later, Tesla Delivers ‘Gross’ Model Y With A Screw In The Tire
$1,000 Non-Refundable Deposit Later, Tesla Delivers ‘Gross’ Model Y With A Screw In The Tire
$1,000 Non-Refundable Deposit Later, Tesla Delivers ‘Gross’ Model Y With A Screw In The Tire
$1,000 Non-Refundable Deposit Later, Tesla Delivers ‘Gross’ Model Y With A Screw In The Tire
$1,000 Non-Refundable Deposit Later, Tesla Delivers ‘Gross’ Model Y With A Screw In The Tire
$1,000 Non-Refundable Deposit Later, Tesla Delivers ‘Gross’ Model Y With A Screw In The Tire
$1,000 Non-Refundable Deposit Later, Tesla Delivers ‘Gross’ Model Y With A Screw In The Tire
$1,000 Non-Refundable Deposit Later, Tesla Delivers ‘Gross’ Model Y With A Screw In The Tire
$1,000 Non-Refundable Deposit Later, Tesla Delivers ‘Gross’ Model Y With A Screw In The Tire
$1,000 Non-Refundable Deposit Later, Tesla Delivers ‘Gross’ Model Y With A Screw In The Tire
$1,000 Non-Refundable Deposit Later, Tesla Delivers ‘Gross’ Model Y With A Screw In The Tire
$1,000 Non-Refundable Deposit Later, Tesla Delivers ‘Gross’ Model Y With A Screw In The Tire
$1,000 Non-Refundable Deposit Later, Tesla Delivers ‘Gross’ Model Y With A Screw In The Tire
$1,000 Non-Refundable Deposit Later, Tesla Delivers ‘Gross’ Model Y With A Screw In The Tire
$1,000 Non-Refundable Deposit Later, Tesla Delivers ‘Gross’ Model Y With A Screw In The Tire
$1,000 Non-Refundable Deposit Later, Tesla Delivers ‘Gross’ Model Y With A Screw In The Tire
$1,000 Non-Refundable Deposit Later, Tesla Delivers ‘Gross’ Model Y With A Screw In The Tire
$1,000 Non-Refundable Deposit Later, Tesla Delivers ‘Gross’ Model Y With A Screw In The Tire

Photos u/TheStrandedMoose

It gets worse. The buyer claims that the Tesla representative also told him that he wasn’t allowed to look inside the car until he agreed to accept delivery at the dealership. When he did get a look in the cabin, things got disgusting. The visors both have what can only be described as gross leftovers from the previous owner on them. Those aren’t the only issues though.

A Laundry List of Issues, Including A Screw In The Tire!

Beyond the cosmetic damage, the car had several functional issues. According to the poster, the air conditioning is “barely functional” and the right side camera is dead. That non-functioning camera means that the Autopilot and FSD won’t work. To top off everything, one of the tires has a giant bolt or screw in it (!) and requires at the bare minimum a patch. “Had I known this would be such an ordeal, I would have leased a new Tesla or gone with a different car altogether,” the buyer said.

More: Tesla Suing Customers And Journalists To Silence Critical Reviews, And It’s Winning, Report Finds

To Tesla’s credit, it seems like it’s convinced the buyer that it will indeed clean, repair, and otherwise make right what is currently wrong with the car. At the same time, this sounds like a truly bad experience in the world of buying a used car from the automaker who made it. 

Buyer Beware

This is just one example of the risks of buying a used Tesla directly from the company. It also highlights the frustrations of Tesla’s hands-off sales process. The lesson for buyers is clear: when a purchase comes with non-refundable fees and no chance to inspect the car beforehand, you’re making a bet—hopefully, it pays off.

Image Credit: TheStrandedMoose