The first Model Y delivery in Canada took place on June 9, 2020, and subsequent deliveries did not start up again for another week. As a result, there are likely no more than 20-30 Model Y’s on the road in Canada today.
With many more deliveries of the Model Y in the US since they began in March, the question of build quality has once again popped up as many owners have been reporting issues online, and some even going so far as refusing delivery.
Tesla suffered from some quality issues when Model 3 production was ramping up in 2018, and it was hoped those issues would have been resolved with the production of the Model Y two years later.
Drive Tesla was able to get up-close and personal with one of the first Model Y’s delivered north of the border, and maybe the first configuration of its kind in Canada to see if those issues have made their way to Canada.
This Long Range AWD Model Y with 19” Gemini wheels was delivered to the lucky new owner, Dale Erhart, on June 20, 2020, with just 8km on the odometer. It was manufactured in June, and has a VIN ending in 159XX, so it is a very recent build out of Fremont.
From delivery, it was driven 157km home to central Vancouver Island, where Drive Tesla got our first look at it. Here’s what we found when specifically looking at some of the common issues found online. Remember that we went over the car with a fine tooth comb, so any issue, no matter how small, is noted below.
Alignment and Body Panel Gaps
Overall the alignment of the body panels and doors was very good on this Model Y. There was a slightly misalignment for the rear passenger door, in particular where the two passenger doors meet, but nothing like some of the examples seen in early builds of the Model Y. This is an issue which can be easily corrected. You can see this on the image on the left below (click to enlarge), with the image on the right showing the correct alignment on the left side of the vehicle.
Another common complaint is the alignment of the trunk, both at the bottom where the trunk latches, and also where it connects with the roof line. As you can see from the pictures, the trunk on this Model Y was nicely aligned in both spots, and had no problem latching during multiple tests.
Charge Port Door Alignment
The charge port door is another spot where misalignment can result in it bulging out from the side of the car. Again there was a slight misalignment resulting in a small bump out from the charge port door, but nothing worth rejecting delivery over.
Wheel Arch Trim
The new plastic wheel arch trim, particularly at the bottom of the trim, is another spot that has appeared in several complaints online. There were no alignment issues with the wheel arch trim here, however the left rear wheel arch trim did appear to be lose compared to the right side. This is something that will be followed up in a mobile service visit in the future.
Coat Hooks
Some early production Model Y owners reported that the covering on the coat hooks by the rear passenger seats started coming apart. It appears Tesla may have corrected this issue as these coat hooks had no such issues.
Paint Quality
This was one of the first, if not the first red Model Y delivered in Canada, and the paint was flawless. The pictures might not do it justice, but the deep metallic red paint really popped on this Model Y. There were no paint chips, not dust nibs, no issues that we could find after an extensive inspection of the entire car.
Rear Seat
Yes, we checked the rear seat and it was attached to the base.
Conclusion
Obviously this is just one Model Y and not representative of the entire stock, but this particular build had no major quality control issues.
With such a focus on the quality of cars coming out of the Fremont factory, new owners are definitely going to find faults when you go looking for them. If you were to look at other new cars as closely, you would no doubt find similar issues from every other manufacturer.
What’s important to remember when taking delivery of your Model Y in Canada is to look for significant issues, and not become overwhelmed with small items that can be corrected by Tesla either before you take it home, or by a subsequent service visit which could even be in your own driveway.
Other things we found
Tires
One question that has been asked by a few Drive Tesla readers is what tires come with the 19” Gemini wheels in Canada, and we can confirm they are equipped with Continental ProContact RX all-weather tires, which come with the M+S rating.
Pedestrian Noise Maker
Tesla started including a pedestrian noise maker in the Model 3 in late 2019 which emits a low humming sound when at low speeds (under 30km/h). This was done in order to comply with new regulations, but it appears Tesla is not including them in Model Y’s bound for Canada, just like the those already in the US.
The #Tesla Model Y does not come with a noise maker pic.twitter.com/9VVQxTrSbX
— Drive Tesla 🇨🇦 (@DriveTeslaca) June 21, 2020
Door Seals
One popular aftermarket change for the Model 3 is to add extra door seals. There are several potential benefits with the extra seal, including noise reduction, keeping the door sills cleaner, and a better sound when closing the door. I was hoping the Model Y might come with these as standard, but they are still not included.
Car Avatar Animations
We have seen before the slick new door animations on the Model Y, but it also includes new animations for the opening and closing of the trunk and frunk, as seen in the video below.
Here are some other images of the Model Y you might find interesting, including some comparison shots with the Model 3.
