Tesla’s Wrap Quality Might Be As Bad As Its Paint Finishes

Photo: @DennisCW / X

A Tesla Model Y was spotted clad in the electric automaker’s new colored paint protection film. The SUV in a forest green wrap was photographed by Tesla YouTube content creator DennisCW at Tesla’s location in Buena Park, California. The film was poorly applied to the vehicle, with several noticeable defects. Even ignoring the quality control issues, the finish itself was nothing to write home about.

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The photos show tiny bald patches at the edges and slight bubbling on the $8,000 forest green wrap. There are even open seams where adjoining film pieces didn’t overlap. And despite being advertised as a gloss finish, the forest green has a duller shine than expected of a typical gloss coat. It’s difficult for any Tesla owner to justify the steep price point when there are cheaper, higher-quality alternatives.

A local auto body shop could likely wrap your new Tesla significantly better for a much lower price. According to J.D. Power, the average cost to wrap a compact crossover is $3,500.

If you own a 2023 Model 3 or Model Y and still want Tesla to wrap your car, you can do so at one of the automaker’s two participating service centers in West Covina and Carlsbad, California. Just be aware that it can take up to seven business days with no provided loaner vehicle to use in the meantime.