Tesla Model Y Panel Gaps And Frunk Missing Parts: Sandy Munro Teardown

We wrote on March 31 that Munro & Associates would start the Tesla Model Y teardown on April 1st. We are glad to say we were wrong: they started checking out the car on the same day we published our first article on the whole process. Before bolts and clips are removed, Sandy Munro himself presented the company's analysis of panel gaps. Although improved, the gaps still aren't consistent enough.

On a sad note, what struck us first was that Munro was using protective equipment. That immediately made us remember the COVID-19 infection and the fact that Munro, now over 70, needs to take extra precautions. We're glad he did.

Back to the Model Y, Munro starts the video saying the front doors have perfect panel gaps. That's not true of the rear ones, which have a 1 mm difference from the other at the bottom, but that is not as bad as it was with the first Model 3 he analyzed.

More Munro & Associates News:

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The worst part of this initial inspection can be credited to the rear hatch. No, he did not mention its design so far, only the panel gaps. And the differences are massive. The biggest one was among the taillamps and the body. On one side, the distance is 3.5 mm. On the other one, 6 mm. Just have a look at his spreadsheet to check the greens and reds there: most of it is red.

Despite that, Munro says in the video the car is adequate for something that just started to be produced. Like we already mentioned before, early production vehicles always tend to present more issues than the ones with longer manufacturing careers.

This April 1st, as promised, Munro released more videos of the teardown process. It was related to the frunk of the Model Y, and it proved the thesis we just spoke about. Have a look.

When we discussed the Model 3 paint issues, we reported more than once that Teslas often come with missing bolts and parts, and the Model Y seems to be no exception for that. We hope that Tesla takes the example Jérôme Stoll gave at Renault and uses this idle time due to the COVID-19 to improve the quality of its manufacturing methods.