Tag: delivery

Before you sign for your Tesla and drive it off the lot, walk around the car and check it carefully. Once you accept delivery, it becomes harder to prove that a scratch, a loose trim piece, or a chip in the glass was there when you picked up the car rather than something that happened afterward.

Start with the paperwork. Tesla has you submit insurance information, final payment, and identification through the app before your delivery appointment, and asks you to bring your driver’s license, insurance, and any trade-in documents so they can be matched against your order. At the vehicle, confirm the VIN matches that paperwork. Tesla’s own warranty documentation notes that the VIN is stamped on the upper dashboard, driver’s side, and is visible through the windshield.

Walk the exterior in daylight. Look at panel gaps around the hood, doors, trunk, and charge port for consistency, and check the paint for scratches, swirl marks, or uneven color. Check every window and the windshield for chips or cracks. This matters beyond looks: Tesla’s new vehicle warranty excludes windshield or window glass that is broken, chipped, scratched, or cracked, unless it resulted from a defect in Tesla’s material or workmanship, so any glass damage you spot needs to be on record before you leave.

Check the tires next. Look at tread depth and condition on all four. Tires are not covered by Tesla’s vehicle warranty; the same document states that tires have their own warranties and are subject to their own terms and conditions, so a tire issue is between you and the tire manufacturer, not Tesla.

Inside, open and close every door, the trunk, and the frunk, and check that interior trim panels sit flush and don’t rattle. Test the seats, seatbelts, mirrors, and all interior and exterior lights, including turn signals and brake lights.

On the touchscreen, confirm it boots up and responds normally. Tesla recommends reviewing “Meet Your Tesla” and your car’s software update information before you leave, and notes that you can tap “Service” on the touchscreen after delivery to reach the digital owner’s manual. Check the odometer too; a new vehicle’s reading should reflect only the mileage added during manufacturing, transport, and any test drives at the delivery center.

Confirm what charging equipment came with your car. Tesla states plainly that charging equipment does not come standard with every Tesla vehicle, so check your order details against what is actually in the trunk or frunk before you drive away.

If you find a problem, write it down on the delivery paperwork and photograph it before you sign. Your Tesla New Vehicle Limited Warranty coverage begins on the first day the vehicle is delivered, and to get anything fixed afterward, you contact Tesla and provide the VIN, current mileage, and a description of the defect. The signed delivery paperwork becomes available afterward in your Tesla Account, under “Manage” and then “Documents”, but a defect noted and photographed at delivery is easier to resolve than one reported after you have already been driving the car. Report anything you find right away, rather than waiting until you get home.

Photo by Reinaldo Simoes.