Starting a company is hard, starting a car company is really hard: Quality problems at Tesla

Starting a company is hard, starting a car company is really hard: Quality problems at Tesla


This is a tough blog to write. As an engineer I respect and enjoy any type of manufacturing production, and simultaneously I demand quality.  What I have seen from Tesla motors is NOT quality, it represents major problems with their assembly, welding, jigging and set up.


However...starting a company is really hard. I admire and respect anyone who starts a new company, from a bakery to a pipe making factory.  Starting a truly new auto company with a fresh sheet design is a monumental task and Elon Musk has done it for real.  Real jobs too, US and Global .  Really, it is more than monumental, it is phenomenally monumental when you consider all the engineering, suppliers parts, assembly, distribution, finance, etc.  Tesla has made a beautiful truly new car that is a full size electric car with wonderful performance.


However, I have recently seen 4 different Tesla's drive by, three had major alignment issues with the passenger side rear quarter panel and trunk lid.  Unless all three of these cars had identical accidents prior to my measurements, I would guess there is an assembly issue at the factory.  Alignment issues can be indicators of welding jig problems with the frame, or can be indicators of hand assembly problems.  They are certainly problems with final inspection and quality, because they should never have gone out of the factory like that.  The alignment problems were so pronounced that I could see the uneven gaps while driving by at 60 MPH. 


The fourth car I saw was nearly new, or so it seemed.  I looked very carefully and it did NOT have the alignment / assembly problem I saw in the rear of the first three cars, but had alignment issues up front.  The hood was crooked, and low in front and high in the rear. 


Clearly there are some teething pains at Tesla.  If I were to spend that much on a car, I would demand perfection, especially now when a Chevrolet Sonic has the fit and finish of a Lexus from just a few years ago, and a new Chevrolet Malibu has fit and finish BETTER than the current Lexus.  Panel alignment on some of the new cars is nothing short of amazing, with panel gaps in the millimeters and consistency from panel to panel and from car to car at +-0.


Just some tough love thoughts from Honest John.  I hope Tesla keeps going with a spirit of continuous improvement. If they do, they will get there.