You’re ready to buy a Tesla, right? I was back on April 1st, 2021, and this is my story! I will take you on a journey through my Tesla order experience. I have ordered and received my 2021 Tesla Model Y, nicknamed “StorMY,” on April 1st, 2021. With delivery taking place on May 29th, 2021. This has been a long time coming. I figure now is better than any to walk through my order process. Through all the ups and downs until I finally took delivery, I thought, “You’re ready to buy a Tesla, right?”
Test Driving and Dealer Experience
Tesla excels in this area, hands down. You can schedule a test drive from Tesla’s website. You pick the model you want. Unfortunately, you can not pick the trim level (LR vs. Performance) along with the location you want to test drive at. You show up at your allotted time, show your driver’s license and insurance card, and off to the car you go. The service advisor (SA) gives you a quick overview and sends you on your way for 30 minutes.
In that 30-minute timeframe, the world is your oyster as long as you don’t have an impromptu meetup with your local police agency. The Tesla store in Jacksonville, FL, had you drive on a pre-planned route on side streets and the highway. This way, you experience the car as if it were yours.
I was hooked after the test drive. I wanted one. If you know me, I was the first to say, “I will never own a Tesla!” Here we are, and I am drooling at wanting to purchase one. The SA in the store took my wife and me into what could be best described as a waiting room. At this point, they build the car you want on Tesla’s website and check inventory to see if there is a match.
The Order Process
I opted to order it at home since I had a neighbor’s referral code I wanted to use. I thanked the SA for his time, went home, and ordered the car. When I arrived home, I promptly ordered a 2021 Model Y Long Range in Midnight Silver Metallic (MSM) with a white interior, a tow hitch, upgraded 20″ rims, and the ever-controversial Full Self Driving upgrade. I paid my $100 reservation and received the following email:
I was set to receive my Model Y within 1-10 weeks! This is where our story starts to take a turn…
The Waiting Game
When I placed the order and took delivery on the car, my estimated delivery date must have changed 45 times. I could equate it to playing a bad game of ping pong. Or maybe riding the world’s longest and roughest roller coaster. The highs and lows of what I coined “The Waiting Game” drove me insane. I thought, “Hey Mike, why not join a Tesla group on Facebook? Perhaps someone can help you cope with your first-world problems of waiting for your car.” A cavalcade of “Tesla bashing” ensued on a Tesla Facebook page, the BLASPHEMY!
There was no in-between whether you were a far-right Tesla lover or a far-left, “The car is a pile of garbage on four wheels.” These groups have some great people, a few of whom I still keep in touch with today. The main reason for joining was to ease these delays. Honestly, it made me question the purchase a few times.
During this time, I checked in with my SA, who gave news but not the kind of news you wanted to hear. No one had any idea where my car was or where it was even on the production line. It is incredibly frustrating when you spend this kind of money on a car, and no one can tell you where it is.
Getting Close, or Are We?
We are now in the middle of May, with an estimated delivery date of “5-9 weeks from the order date.” What does this even mean? Panic sets in; I have a business trip coming up. Tesla will only hold a car for three days after it is received. If I am not there to collect, I am unmatched by the VIN. If that were to happen, my order would return to the Freemont blackhole.
I inquired about a more solid timetable. My SA, however, stays diligent: “You will have it soon.” At this point, I checked my order status more than 25 times per day, and I just gave up. My mindset was, “I will get it when I get it.” No longer was it fun or exciting anymore? I am starting to feel that “You’re ready to buy a Tesla, right?” is untrue.
Now I read an article on electrek.co, titled “Tesla stuck with over 10000 factory hold nightmare“. I think to myself, no way could this be my car. Tesla would have told me, right?
It’s Here, Finally!
After ages, I decided to check my order on Tesla’s site. I said I would not look anymore, but I went down to 1 time a day. A new screen appears, telling me about a change to my order. All cars produced after May 1st had a change; Tesla removed the front radar and transitioned to a full vision system. I blink and rub my eyes. No way, can this be true? Is my car finally ready? My options are to accept the change or decline it. The accept button was quickly pressed. Seeing the next screen invoked my feelings when my kids were born; I finally have a VIN! I finished the paperwork, submitted payment, and scheduled my pickup for May 29th at 1:30 PM.
The Pickup
I can describe my feelings about going to get the car as going on a first date. Will she like me, or wait, will I like her? I hope I am not being catfished. How do we want to raise our kids…..
I arrived 2 hours early! They took me right away and brought me to the car, and boy, oh boy, she was everything I dreamed about. If you know anything about Tesla deliveries, you know that sometimes cars come with alarming panel gaps, misaligned things, ripped interiors, dents, scratches, and the occasional leak. Some deliveries have been so bad you can google “Tesla Model Y Delivery Checklist” and be met with a slew of them. I know what I wanted to look at; I looked the car over and noted some issues with leftover tape from the plastic they put on for shipping. The Telsa person quickly cleaned it and answered any other concerns I had. They give you a 3-day or 100-mile grace period to report delivery issues.
Overall, the delivery process was flawless, and I am pleased to introduce you to StorMY!
The Wrap-Up
We have owned the car for three months, and I would never return to a gas car. The power, ease of charging, and overall experience are fantastic! I do have a few pro tips!
- Do not compulsively check your order. You will go insane!
- Get what you want ultimately, but seek input from other people. Do not let them sway your decision-making.
- Try not to put too much into whatever estimated delivery date you get.
- When you take delivery, ask any questions you have.
Did anyone else have this experience with Tesla? I would love to hear about it!