Report Says Tesla Can Ban Model Y Owners Who Return Car Due To Faults

Tesla grants itself the right to impose a one year ban for those who return their new cars if it determines they acted in bad faith.

By: Andrei Nedelea

Jun 22, 2020 at 8:22am ET

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While there are plenty of new Tesla Model Y owners out there who just love the wheels off their new electric crossover, there are also those who are reporting serious defects. These reportedly range from paint problems, interior fit issues and other general quality quibbles.

Some of these issues are so bad that people are even returning their car to Tesla and asking for a refund. In this instance, according to Auto Motor und Sport, Tesla can actually ban these people for a year, if it deems the return was in any way improper.

On Tesla’s official support page, the automaker notes that

' Once you have returned your vehicle, the return process is final and may not be cancelled. At this time, we are not able to facilitate vehicle exchanges. If you decide to order another vehicle, you may not order the same trim for a period of 12 months but may order another vehicle in a different trim at any time. However, if you are found to have abused this policy or have acted in bad faith, you will be prohibited from purchasing any vehicle for a period of 12 months. '

The excerpt from the manufacturer’s support page sounds like it leaves room for interpretation on Tesla’s part. It’s not clear what it refers to when it talks about ‘ bad faith ‘ so it enables the automaker to possible ban people who complain about the issues they had with their new Tesla online, especially in a very visible way such as through YouTube videos.

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This doesn’t just apply to new Teslas purchased in North America, but in Europe and probably other markets as well. The German magazine that highlighted all of this in its report says it reached out to Tesla for comments, but that the manufacturer has not responded yet.

Gallery: Tesla Model Y: Comprehensive Buyer's Guide To Known Issues, Problems

It proceeded to do this inquiry even though the Tesla Model Y that will eventually be sold in Germany (and Europe) won’t actually come from the United States; it will be built at Tesla’s new plant in Germany. This doesn’t exclude the fact that Euro-made Teslas will still have defects, but since the facility itself is still in the early stages of construction, it’s too early to tell.

Source: Auto Motor und Sport