Tesla is in a fantastic position in the market, recently lower the cost of it’s cars and offering several great options at competitive price points that are bringing more and more buyers to the Model 3, Y, and even S and X. As the market leader for electric vehicles, many new owners are coming to Tesla for the first time and may find that there are many differences from gasoline powered cars they’ve previously owned. Tesla has also reinvented the delivery experience, building out the direct to consumer experience and making it a fast, seamless, and no-hassle ordering and delivery process. Since this is so different from the typical car buying experience, I’m here to share my guide on picking up your brand new Tesla including what to look for when inspecting it and how to find typical issues that might arise when taking delivery.

Join me and we’ll talk about how you can best take delivery of your new (order used) Tesla. Let’s drive!

So the hard part is over. The waiting is done. You ordered a Tesla, probably a Model 3 or Y and after a few months, the day to take delivery has finally arrived. First off, your local dealership or delivery center representative should have reached out to confirm details with you such as the date and time you’ll be arriving, confirmed payment details, and let you know where to go. If not, make sure you reach out and confirm these right away before making the journey to pick up the car as it might be wasted if everything isn’t set.

Before heading to pick up your car, make sure you have the Tesla app installed, that you’re signed in, and that you see the details of your car there. You’ll need it to complete final steps and take final delivery. Make sure you also have your driver’s license and insurance info to complete the paperwork. If you are financing, bring the documents that show the details and that proves you have it finalized.

Many delivery locations, since the start of the pandemic, have moved to a contact free delivery where you do everything in the Tesla mobile app and don’t need to see a delivery member at all. Both my Model Y and Model 3 deliveries in 2022 were like these. I even signed the paperwork and just dropped it off in a drop box. This means that the delivery experience is largely self guided and it’s up to you on how much time you want to spend and how deeply you want to inspect the car. But just because no one comes to meet you, that doesn’t mean you can’t go seek their help, especially if this is your first delivery experience or if you need help for any reason. Don’t be afraid to reach out and seek their help.

Another thing to note is that the delivery itself may feel a bit rushed as they schedule a ton of deliveries in a short time. My Tesla dealership told me during my last delivery that they serviced several dozen deliveries an hour on weekends. That means that you may only have a few minutes with the delivery specialist. But that doesn’t mean that your time is limited. You can take as much time as you want to inspect the car before accepting and finalizing the delivery. Make sure you are completely happy with the car and that you can note any issues.

First off, once on site and near the car at your scheduled delivery time, the app will allow you to begin delivery and accept the car. Don’t rush through this and make sure to complete each step accurately. Don’t finalize the acceptance of the delivery until you have completed the inspection.

First off, you’ll want to verify that the car is actually the correct model and configuration. Ensure the color, trim level (if it’s a performance model, it should have a dual motor badge on the back with an underline), and of course that the model is correct. Verify that the VIN in the app and on the car match and that they are the same as your paperwork and your Tesla account. In the “about” screen inside the car, make sure that the details and options match what you actually ordered. Also make sure that the wheels and covers are all the same and match what you expected.

After validating that the car is actually yours, it’s time to inspect the exterior. Starting with the panels, make sure that there are no gaps or misalignments. Tesla has a reputation for poor quality with panel gaps, but in my experience, this has been largely overblown and I haven’t seen big issues in my three cars. Still, make sure that there are no obvious gaps or alignment problems at the front and rear bumpers, at the trunk opening and the arms that hinge up, the doors, headlights and taillights, and the charging port. Any issues will likely not be fixed before taking delivery, but you should note them and request an immediate service appointment before leaving if there are any issues you want taken care of.

While you’re inspecting the outside of the car, also check the paint for any scratches, color mismatches (the plastic bumpers and metal body are hard to match paint exactly, so make sure there isn’t a noticeable difference), and dings or other blemishes. Next, check the opening and closing of all doors, the trunk, and the frunk (front trunk). Make sure that everything operates smoothly, that there are no rattles and that there are no weird noises especially during closing. While doing this, also make sure that when opening the doors, the windows lower smoothly and quickly, and that after closing the door, they lift back up. For the trunk, make sure that the power lift and power close work correctly with the trunk buttons on the exterior and the interior as well as from the center screen. While you have the doors and trunk open, check that the paint on the inside of each is also acceptable.

Next up, check the glass on the windshield, the roof, all windows, and the trunk. You’ll want to check for any scratches or gaps in the seams. Also check the weather strips around the doors and windows. Now it’s time to sit down inside in the driver’s seat and complete the interior inspection.

From the driver’s seat, let’s start by testing all of the controls.

• All four windows
• Headlights, high beams
• Turn signals
• Windshield wipers
• Position the side mirrors from the settings, manually adjust the rear view mirror
• Fold and unfold the side mirrors
• Beep the horn!
• Check the sun visors including the lights
• Check the overhead lights by turning them on and off
• Adjust the driver and passenger seats with the power seat controls
• Check the air conditioning, heater, heated seats including the back seats, and the heated steering wheel
• Make sure that the radio and music streaming work and that the navigation maps are displaying
• Open and close the glovebox
• Check the center console storage areas - both of them
• Make sure that the wireless phone charger works, as well as the usb-c chargers in the front and rear
• Check hazard lights
• Connect your phone to bluetooth and ensure you can stream audio

Next up, you’ll want to make sure that the charging port door opens and closes correctly and that you have the J1772 adapter for charging at public L2 chargers. If possible, ask if you can check charging at the delivery center if there is a free charging station.

After completing this full inspection, you should be all set to complete and finalize the delivery in the app and by turning in your completed paperwork. Make sure that the app is correctly showing the full details of your car now and that you can access the remote controls like locking and unlocking the car. After that, you’re all set! Your new Tesla is ready for you to drive off and start enjoying. There are some additional things to check as you drive like the acceleration and autopilot which will only enable itself after driving a few miles for it to calibrate.

You may find some issues that you missed during the initial inspection or that only become apparent after driving. That’s completely fine and in my experience, Tesla has been great about addressing these even after driving off the lot by entering a service request with the specific details in service section of the Tesla app.

Hopefully you won’t find any issues and your new Tesla is to your satisfaction. Owning a Tesla for the first time is a fantastic experience and there is a ton to get used to. By following this guide, you should be able to ensure that everything will be to your satisfaction and you’ll have many miles of frustration free amazing electric driving ahead of you. But I want to know, how was your delivery experience. Let me know in the comments below how your experience went. Please also like and subscribe as it helps others find this video and channel and you’ll also find additional guides and reviews that will help you on your driving journey. With that, thanks so much for watching and I’ll see you out there on the road!