Tesla Model Y owners claim patch-up materials from a hardware store have been used on their cars
Electric vehicle specialist Tesla has been accused of cutting corners and using parts similar to those found in a hardware store, as it ramped up production to meet demand earlier this year.
Owners of the Tesla Model Y SUV have posted images of their vehicles on an online forum showing what appears to be mouldings used in home building materials that have been fitted to their cars.
As reported by US website The Drive, the images show roughly-cut wooden pieces used to secure a heat exchange unit – part of the Tesla's cooling system – while other images show various types of plastics.
It appears the items are there to protect the unit from steel strapping, presumably being used to help secure the part, found below the luggage area under the front bonnet.
The forum users suggested the items may have been purchased from Home Depot – akin to our local Bunnings.
In June, Tesla CEO Elon Musk wrote an email to company employees encouraging them to "go all out" before the end of the second quarter of 2020.
Only a few days prior, the American electric car company had placed last in a US study of car quality. The J.D. Power survey found, on average, Tesla vehicles experienced two-and-a-half problems within the first 90 days after delivery.
Tesla Australia has been contacted for comment. We will update this story with the response.