Tesla NZ sold stained, damaged car as new

Tesla’s local arm has been ordered by the Motor Vehicle Disputes Tribunal to clean and repair a new Model 3 sold to a customer earlier this year.

Resolved in July, tribunal documents detail the case of one Tesla Model 3 buyer who obtained one of the popular plug-ins from Tesla New Zealand only to find the car to be stained and damaged.

Specifically, the buyer noted that they found a coffee stain in the driver’s side footwell carpet, scratches on the front bumper and undertray assembly, and a scratched wheel cover.

They also found a black mark on the ceiling liner, a scrape on the boot lining, creased leather on the driver’s seat, and scratches on the wing mirrors.

According to tribunal documents, the owner was also concerned that the car might not have been new due to the range reading indicated (439km, lower than the 491km listed on Tesla’s website).

In contacting Tesla New Zealand with images of the damage, the buyer expressed that they were not interested in having the issues repaired; rather, they wanted an all new vehicle.

Tesla acknowledged that the car was not “in acceptable condition” and immediately offered to repair the issues, but it did not think the customer was entitled to a replacement vehicle.

The Motor Vehicle Disputes Tribunal sided with Tesla in regards to the notion of a replacement vehicle. The tribunal instead ordered the company to remove the carpet stain, replace the front bumper and understray assembly, and replace the driver’s seat.

The other damaged elements, including the ceiling liner mark and wing-mirror damage, were rectified by Tesla shortly after a tribunal hearing in June. At the time, it had not been able to fully remove the carpet stain.

Along with stating that the buyer was not entitled to a new vehicle, the tribunal also knocked back the buyer’s seeking of costs for reduction in vehicle value, cost of using another vehicle, storage costs, and the cost of preparing for the claim.

These costs added up to well over $20,000, the buyer claimed.

The tribunal noted that the buyer had been able to use the vehicle during the time they had it, and that the issues with the vehicle did not impact its usability.

“Tesla New Zealand says that, once the vehicle is repaired, its value will not be affected,” tribunal documents state.

“Indeed, it says that the vehicle is likely to be worth more than paid for it and provided a screenshot from its website showing that the current purchase price for the same model of vehicle is $78,643 – more than $8,000 paid by .”