A Tesla Model Y owner is asking if anyone else has experienced a similar warranty repair situation in which the Tesla Service Center said he was covered but then charged him afterward with an "I gotcha" technicality.
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According to a recent Reddit r/electricvehicles forum post, a Tesla Model Y owner discovered a windshield crack of mysterious origin that did not have an impact mark on it.
He took his Model Y to a local Tesla Service Center, where a service tech confirmed there was no impact mark related to the crack and that his Model Y was covered by warranty.
An impact mark or point would have indicated a thrown stone or other road hazard cause, otherwise negating any warranty coverage.
Lack of a Clear Impact Point Causes in a Windshield Crack
A cracked windshield can sometimes appear without a clear impact point, which may or may not be the owner's fault. For example, in cases of:
- Stress Cracks―Due to extreme temperature changes (e.g., using hot water to defrost an icy windshield or parking in direct sunlight after being in a cold environment). They typically start from the edges of the windshield and lack an obvious impact site.
- Structural Weakness―Manufacturing defects or previous minor damage that weakened the glass can lead to spontaneous cracks over time.
- Body Flexing―A vehicle's frame can flex while driving, especially if there are chassis issues or after an accident, causing the windshield to crack without a visible impact.
- Improper Installation―If a windshield is not installed correctly, stress on the glass can result in cracks forming without an impact.
- Internal Defects―Small impurities or flaws within the glass from the manufacturing process can cause cracks to develop over time.
The Model Y owner took the correct action by taking his Model Y to a Tesla Service Center for a windshield inspection to determine the cause and assess whether his vehicle warranty still covers it.
However, the Model Y owner soon discovered that the Tesla App he used to schedule his repair afterward supersedes anything a Service Tech may have said about his warranty coverage.
Tesla Model Y Owner Shares His Tesla Service Center Story
Here is the Tesla Owner's story (slightly abbreviated):
One morning, I woke up and got in my Model Y and noticed there was a crack in the windshield about 15" long. After inspecting it, I didn't see any impact marks and it happened overnight as it wasn't there the night before when my girlfriend and I went out to eat 1 mile away from the house. This occurred on a Sunday and the SC (Service Center) was closed.
Monday rolled around and I called the SC to see if they can evaluate the crack. The service rep told me to bring the car in and he'll look at it. I brought the car in and he inspected it for impact and couldn't find anything.
He said it will be covered under warranty and told me to schedule through the Tesla App.
I went home and scheduled it for the following Monday (earliest available), but in order to confirm the appointment, I had to accept the estimated repair amount of $1,500. The app will not let you go any farther without approving the estimate. I approved it and locked in my appointment.
The following Monday I dropped off the car. Later that day I got a message that the car is ready for pickup, but before pickup I will have to pay the invoice. The invoice is for $1,500.
I contacted the SC and they said the tech found the impact point and now it's no longer covered under warranty.
I asked why I wasn't informed of this before they worked on the car. I was basically told that since I approved the estimate, I was "prepared" to pay for the worse-case scenario and they did not have to inform me. So, I went into this fully expecting not to pay anything and now leaving having to pay $1,500.
if I knew Tesla was going to go back on their words, I would have gone to Safelite.
At this point, it's not about the money because my insurance will cover all of it. It's about the principal. I'm just not sure if this will go anywhere or if it's worth getting a lawyer involved. I don't know if anyone has ran into a similar issue and how you handled it.
Thanks for reading. Any comments and feedback would be greatly appreciated.
The Readers Respond With Good Advice
You accepted the repair amount and Tesla rejected the warranty claim. The guy telling you that it'll be warrantied means nothing unless he put it in writing. Just claim it to your car insurance and be done with it. And whenever you can, the whole car too.―Deshes001 (2024 Polestar 2 owner)
Sounds like you should have gotten that in writing on the app. Trusting a verbal agreement is a horrible idea at any dealership.
The correct thing to do would have been to message the SC back on the app and asking them to remove the $1500 from the estimate before agreeing to the terms. I've done this several times now for warranty work and it's never an issue. ―rednwhitecooper ('21 Tesla Model 3 SR+ owner)
Not a lawyer but since you agreed to pay the $1500 if the tech decided it wasn't a warranty repair you are out of luck on the legal front since you agreed to pay for it.
You are also not out anything if your insurance covered it. You have to have suffered damages to sue someone.
I guess your insurance could sue Tesla since they are out the money for the repair if there was proof that it wasn't damaged by an impact.
What you should have done is not agreed to the estimate. I have done it where they sent me an estimate if it wasn't covered under warranty and I didn't agree. They would have to get my approval to charge me for the repair. ―jacob6875 ('23 Tesla Model 3 RWD owner)
What Do We Make of This?
The message we can glean from the responses is that whether you are dealing with a Tesla Service Center or any other automotive service center, you must get a written repair agreement before you leave your vehicle with the service provider.
Related article: Who Is Fixing Tesla's Repair and Recall Problems?
Did the Service Center Tech scam the Model Y owner? We cannot be 100% sure. Service Techs are often under pressure from management, and it could be that the manager just pulled out another tech to recheck the windshield and had him say the crack did have a warranty-denying impact mark.
However, some questions need clarification:
- Why wasn't the owner set up with an appointment at the Tesla Service Center immediately following the in-shop inspection?
- Where is the typical pre-service paperwork that should have been written up during the initial inspection?
- Why is the Tesla App coded explicitly to refuse to schedule a repair unless the owner agrees in writing (digitally) to an estimated billing?
- Why does the Tesla Service Center fail to have the policy of taking an image of a repair to support their repair claim of "finding" impact damage to justify the warranty denial?
According to some online anecdotal evidence, if you are a Tesla owner, trusting a Tesla Service Center is an issue with some Tesla owners.
If there is one thing to be learned here, the adage "Fool me once, shame on you; Fool me twice, shame on me" is most apt.
Let us know your thoughts and share your ideas by clicking the "Add new comment" button below. Have you had any unexpected situations dealing with a Tesla Service Center? If you are not a Tesla owner, have you experienced a similar situation at a dealership garage?
For help outside of a Tesla Service Center, here is a helpful option reported in an article titled "Non-Tesla Garage Rescues Tesla Owners From Tesla Service Center."
Timothy Boyer is an automotive reporter based in Cincinnati who currently researches and works on restoring older vehicles with engine modifications for improved performance. He also reports on modern cars (including EVs) with a focus on DIY mechanics, buying and using tools, and other related topical automotive repair news. Follow Tim on Twitter at @TimBoyerWrites as well as on Facebook and his automotive blog "Zen and the Art of DIY Car Repair" for useful daily news and topics related to new and used cars and trucks.
Image Source: Deposit Photos
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