Dangerous Trim Issue

[Priapism]

Similar happened on my truck, just not as bad. Mine isn't wrapped and no damage there prior. Part just failed.

Drivers side front part of the a pillar metal separated from the plastic. Separated a foot or more up where the piece starts in the front of the windshield. The glue that holds the metal to the plastic failed.

Went to the service center, they did nothing to temporarily fix it. Gave me an appointment in a month. I used metal tape and gorilla glue to get the metal to stick back to the plastic until tesla ultimately replaced the part.

It's a flawed design. That metal needs to be secured better. Not just some glue. They also need a better way of temporarily fixing it instead of dumping liability onto the customer.

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[Scott Beall]

I had the same part fail. The passenger side trim bent back at highway speed. First rest stop I bought a roll of duct tape and taped it down. Truck looked very classy until I could get it in for a service appointment. Fixed under warranty. Still love the truck.

 

[L3it3R]

Didn’t have the bend - luckily caught the issue on a short drive when I heard something odd and pulled over. Saw that the piece was loose and simply tightened everything up. That was last May. Has been good since. I do a general walk around the truck every couple days and make sure the lightbar is tight, and the cameras clean etc. - touch these panels, check my the bed appliqué etc.

 

[igs]

This isn't the loose nut issue, that would result in losing the entire assembly. This is an issue within the assembly where the metal delaminated from the carrier.

Then is it a broken bolt issue? Or is the bolt attached only to the plastic carrier and not to the SS? If so, then that's a messed up design.

 

[mongo]

Then is it a broken bolt issue? Or is the bolt attached only to the plastic carrier and not to the SS? If so, then that's a messed up design.

The stainless is glued to the carrier, no metal-metal bond. All the panels are like that since welds would telegraph and it's too rigid to seam.

 

[koolio]

Out of curiosity, have recent builds changed how this roof pillar / boomerang is installed?

I know the screw was added but assume it's still glue for most of the piece...

 

[mongo]

Out of curiosity, have recent builds changed how this roof pillar / boomerang is installed?

I know the screw was added but assume it's still glue for most of the piece...

New screw?

 

[Crissa]

I noticed a few days ago that the boomerang upper window trim on the drivers side seemed to stick out a hair at the front lip. I checked it and pressed it back in. Knowing that I had a service appointment today at Tesla, I added it to my list of topics.
The advisor called their CT specialist, he inspected it and stated that “the trim piece was starting to separate from the base, and that they will order a new one to get it replaced.” No further comments were made.

Bonus bummer for me, the truck is wrapped, so I made an appointment with my wrapper to coincide with my next Tesla appointment in 30 days. Who wants to drive around with a silver lip on a white truck.

I ran a quick errand tonight, and while merging and accelerating on the Interstate in normal traffic, at about 70 mph, I hear a large ripping sound and the metal panel liberates and flies into traffic behind me. I was not able to stop as I was in the middle of a highway split. I rolled the window down and felt for it, and yes, the trim was gone. I looped around, next exit off/on, back to my original exit off/on, stopped with the hazards on, and located the piece, by that time run over multiple times with tire marks on the white wrap. I threw the piece into bed and drove home.
So the trim piece did not come off as one would expect (as the bed sail panel did on some trucks). The stainless portion separated from the plastic subframe that mounts the trim panel to the truck. The subframe is still there, all clips are in, and you can see the glue spots that once bonded the metal to the plastic, 17 to be exact.

I scaled the metal portion, 5 pounds. So imagine, a 9 foot long 2 inch wide 1/16th thick piece of stainless steel in the shape of a boomerang liberating at 70mph on the Interstate. This could have decapitated a motorcyclist behind me, or could have gone through someones windshield. Someone was lucky tonight, including myself.

Might as well throw longswords out the window. This part is simply glued on, something is very wrong here. This is a major flaw in my book. I had my CT since May, just rolled 10,000 miles, and drive it sun rain sleet or snow.

Not a good situation. Has anybody experienced
this? a

Good on you for retrieving it!

Get them to fix it, they'll make it right eventually.

-Crissa

 

[Guylouis]

Good on you for retrieving it!

Get them to fix it, they'll make it right eventually.

-Crissa

Remind us which model Cybertruck or Tesla you own?

 

[REM]

The wrap was done last June, so too long ago to cause an issue now. The last one that was active in that area was Tesla Service when they did the wiper motor mod, and installed the new assembly that ended up with its base not being completely flush with the windshield. Maybe it put some undue pressure on the leading edge of the boomerang, that over time started to separate the glue?
The tech today also spoke about the road salt causing havoc on the wiper sprayer valve, maybe salt (we have more salt on the roads than we have ice and snow) was also a contributing factor to the ungluing?

Not necessarily. It could have been weakened enough during the hotter months, and then the thermal contraction of the winter could have been the final straw.

 

[shopaholic]

Even if the forum represents a very small subset of owners, this defect is outrageous-safety issue (to other drivers). This should be a NHTSA reportable issue and hope Tesla has a better way of securing the steel panels.

Checking for lose parts before every drive is not a solution ?

 

[Venusfly]

Regarding the bolt, there is no bolt on the metal portion, it is just a clean sheet with glue marks. There may be a bolt holding the plastic undercarriage in place, but that is still attached to the truck. The tech at Tesla today noticed that the glue marks on the metal strip are rather faint, like it did not bond properly to the plastic undercarriage when installed originally. They ordered a new assembly, and want the one that ripped off for investigation.
On the speed, I was at Tesla a few hours earlier. The expert looked at it, and they ordered a replacement. There was no ‘lets remove it to be safe’ or ‘lets tape it down to be safe’. I had no idea it was held in place with glue and had a possibility to just sheer off. The leading edge had moved the width of the panel itself, so maybe 1/16th. So there was no gap to speak of, at least a few hours before it liberated.

The passengers side is fine, no movement.

Here a pic of the leading edge.

 

[Sandman1962]

This indeed seems like an issue for the CT. I don’t yet have the issue of panels coming loose - but I seriously wonder if and when I will. The glue may just not adhere with time, temperature variation, vibration etc. I just ordered a PPF wrap and I am now hesitant about installing it, as I don’t want to expedite glue failure nor be blamed for it.
I think this problem can be very real. A new steel formulation, new innovative manufacturing and design, etc. Watching this video makes me very concerned.




I think Tesla will have to address this and address this quickly. And it really does make my mind race thinking that the glue is just failing. Not to be too glib (but I just have to) - I remember Gilligan racing around telling everyone that the Professor’s glue was failing, only to be met with comical skepticism…

Good luck to all us CT owners.

 

[shopaholic]

This indeed seems like an issue for the CT. I don’t yet have the issue of panels coming loose - but I seriously wonder if and when I will. The glue may just not adhere with time, temperature variation, vibration etc. I just ordered a PPF wrap and I am now hesitant about installing it, as I don’t want to expedite glue failure nor be blamed for it.
I think this problem can be very real. A new steel formulation, new innovative manufacturing and design, etc. Watching this video makes me very concerned.




I think Tesla will have to address this and address this quickly. And it really does make my mind race thinking that the glue is just failing. Not to be too glib (but I just have to) - I remember Gilligan racing around telling everyone that the Professor’s glue was failing, only to be met with comical skepticism…

Good luck to all us CT owners.

Thanks for posting the video - this is scary. Forget the tax incentive, not ordering the truck till I positively hear or see a permanent fix. Adding more glue is not the answer.

 

[Gritted Cybe]

Actually it's bolted on. Are you sure your wrapper didn't take the nut off and forget to put it back on? This issue seems to only affect wrapped trucks. I wonder what the common denominator is.

The common denominator I'm seeing as well...

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