Tesla CEO Elon Musk finally admits that the Model 3 had its flaws

Just a heads up, if you buy something through our links, we may get a small share of the sale. It’s one of the ways we keep the lights on here. Click here for more.

Disgruntled owners and car critics have been ragging Tesla’s Model 3 since its release for quality issues, and it seems that even Elon Musk agrees with them now. In a recent interview with Sandy Munro, one of Tesla’s harshest critics over the years, Musk told him, “I thought your criticism was accurate.”

See, way back in 2018 when the Model 3 was ramping up production, Munro physically tore apart a Model 3 to assess its production quality. He didn’t like what he saw, leading to an interview with Autoline where he said “I can’t imagine how they released this.”

The issues found included uneven gaps between body panels, paint job inconsistencies, and more. That seems pretty consistent with the media reports of flawed Tesla vehicles at the time, with a mix of cosmetic and mechanical problems.

Musk also admitted that the period right after release, when the factory is in “ramp-up mode,” for any Tesla vehicle might not be the best time to buy. Musk’s advice? Either pre-order so you get it right at release, or wait until production has reached a “steady state,” as the pace of the production ramp can lead to missed quality controls.

It’s pretty refreshing to see a CEO speak so candidly about their company’s failings, especially when that CEO is known to not take criticism kindly. Hopefully, that self-awareness can translate into fewer quality issues in the upcoming Cybertruck when that starts production later this year.

Have any thoughts on this? Let us know down below in the comments or carry the discussion over to our Twitter or Facebook.

Editors’ Recommendations:

• Elon Musk put #Bitcoin in his Twitter bio and prices shot up 15 percent
• A billionaire paid SpaceX for a multi-day trip around the Earth and he’s taking 3 people for the ride
• The FCC is throwing $886 million at SpaceX in hopes it brings high-speed internet to rural areas
• Tesla is recalling nearly 135K vehicles to fix their touchscreens

Joe Rice-Jones

Maker, meme-r, and unabashed geek with nearly half a decade of blogging experience at KnowTechie, SlashGear and XDA Developers. If it runs on electricity (or even if it doesn't), Joe probably has one around his office somewhere, with particular focus in gadgetry and handheld gaming. Shoot him an email at joe@knowtechie.com.