Model 3 not built to last and very limited warranty coverage

Heavy_Birthday_811 | 2025-12-10 19:06 | 22 views

Hi community, I've seen a few posts here about the window controllers and steering wheels peeling. This has happened to my '23 Tesla, and the company indicated that it was normal wear and tear. BS. I am shocked they don't stand behind their product, or they leave it to the service center to determine if something is covered or not. I have an '17 old BMW i3, and this is not happening because they used quality materials. My car's warranty ended last month, so now I'm looking for an affordable way to fix these issues. I heard the window controllers can be "fixed" by adding decals. Anybody have a solution for the steering wheel peeling? It gets worse after using the heating element. I installed a leather cover for a few months, but the heating element did't work correctly, so I took it off. Any help is appreciated it.

Comments (15)

RawPeanut99 2025-12-10 22:50

Usually its due to hand sanitizer on an alcohol basis which causes the peeling. I gather your never let a service center check it out since you worded it that way? How do you imagine them determining what failed at a distance?

InformalParticular20 2025-12-10 23:03

I had a '19 and currently have a '23, I did 55k miles on the '19 and I'm at about 43k miles on the '23 and I have had no issues with the interior of this kind. Just my experience

WestCoastHopHead 2025-12-10 23:15

I also have a ‘23 and nothing is peeling.

SomegalInCa 2025-12-10 23:17

Fingers crossed my 2018 is just fine

AwarenessTop7773 2025-12-10 23:28

I have a 23 base and the window stopped sealing fully this morning immediately following the software update. Not coincidence. I am on the extended warranty. I have an appointment scheduled to have the window adjusted.

JVital2013 2025-12-10 23:36

How bad is it? It might just be winter protection, depending on where you live. If that’s not it, Did you try recalibrating the window yourself? Info on both the automatic cold weather protection and calibration can be found at https://www.tesla.com/ownersmanual/model3/en_us/GUID-B4E78C91-BCD3-4713-90AA-F3E2406158CC.html

slasher016 2025-12-10 23:39

My '18 was pristine when I traded it in for a '24. Lotions and hand sanitizer aren't great for the steering wheel.

AwarenessTop7773 2025-12-10 23:58

Central Florida, no winters here. I could do it myself. Might do that this weekend

OaktownCatwoman 2025-12-10 23:58

Some people have sweaty hands that cause steering wheels to get worn out. Put a $15 cover on it, preferably before it gets messed up.

LastAstronaut8872 2025-12-10 23:59

109k on my 2021 Model Y LR and still looks and drives like new. 🤷‍♂️

amoeba1126 2025-12-11 07:42

Get a new OEM wheel from eBay and install it? They usually aren't that pricey and fairly easy to install.

Heavy_Birthday_811 2025-12-11 15:06

I submitted a service request with photos and they came back with an estimate and indicated warranty wouldn’t cover either issue.

RawPeanut99 2025-12-11 15:07

Its a known issue. Sometimes when looking at it in person they can decide otherwise, but thats the best case scenario.

Heavy_Birthday_811 2025-12-11 15:09

I guess, I don’t place my hand at the top of the wheel where it is peeling. If it was hand sanitizer or sweat then I would it expect it to peel on the 9 and 3 positions.

Heavy_Birthday_811 2025-12-11 15:10

Thanks, I will check on eBay.

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