On that day, Nathaniel Galicia Chien was cruising down Interstate 580 with his parents in their brand new Tesla Model Y. Suddenly, Chien caught sight of a refreshing breeze swirling through the air.
Chien recalled, “I initially believed that someone had lowered the car window. However, within a mere thirty seconds, the entire glass roof of my Tesla Model Y was swept away by the forceful wind.”
According to Chien, the incident occurred shortly after his family acquired their brand new Model Y from a Tesla dealership in Dublin, California. They soon noticed that certain aspects of the car’s construction and finishing were not up to par. Furthermore, the gaps between different parts of the vehicle were inconsistent and uneven.
@elonmusk, why wasn’t it disclosed that Tesla now offers convertibles? Our new Model Y experienced a roof detachment on the highway. We would appreciate an explanation. #Tesla #ModelY #ConvertibleIssues
“Nathaniel, also known as @TheNastyNat, posted this tweet on October 5, 2020.”
Chien disregarded these issues as they were quite common with Tesla cars. However, he never expected that the entire glass roof of the car would detach and fly away on the very first day he took it for a drive.
Tesla has been grappling with issues surrounding vehicle quality for a considerable period of time. The introduction of the Model Y in 2019 further exacerbated the situation. However, it is important to note that incidents where the roof of a Tesla detaches while on the highway, like the recent occurrence involving Chien, have not previously been observed.
Luckily, Chien’s family is unharmed. Additionally, there were no vehicles approaching from behind, preventing any potential accidents. Chien promptly notified the California Highway Patrol about the situation, ensuring that appropriate measures would be taken to address the abandoned glass roof on the highway.
After converting his Model Y into a convertible, Chien went back to the Tesla dealership in Dublin. There, a Tesla service representative informed him that the roof pins might be defective or the Tesla workers might have inadvertently overlooked securing the roof.
The Tesla dealer made a generous offer to Chien by offering free repair services for the Model Y and even offered to pay rent for his family during the repair period. However, much to their surprise, Chien politely declined the offer and requested a refund instead. He explained that his parents had decided to purchase a car from a different brand.
“Thankfully, there were no injuries,” Chien said. “Although the story is amusing, if it were to occur again, it could pose a significant problem.”
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