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While Tesla may produce some of the most popular EVs in North America, that doesn’t mean everyone is thrilled with their purchase.
Drivers have complained about everything from the cars randomly accelerating and braking to perceived quality control issues, such as panel gaps and sparse, cheap-feeling interiors.
Still, many love driving their Tesla cars—until something unexpected happens to them. Recently a Miami-based user on TikTok says that the front of her Tesla fell off, and it was all thanks to a simple puddle.
How Did A Puddle Break This Tesla?
Across two videos, TikTok user Kristina Santa (@kristina.santa) explains how her “entire bumper came off [her] [expletive] car.”
“It’s raining and I went through a puddle, and I heard (crashing sound),” she explains.
She then shows the rear bumper of her car, which is resting on the ground disconnected from the vehicle.
“Elon, c’mon, bro,” she continues in the follow-up video.
After a cop arrived on the scene, Santa asked if he had ever seen something like this before, to which the officer responded that he hadn’t.
“I didn’t hit anything, nothing,” she explains. “It just came off my car.”
Can A Tesla’s Front Bumper Come Off In The Rain?
While it’s unclear exactly which year and model of Tesla Santa has, this has happened to other Tesla drivers across several models.
One user on the Tesla Motors Club forum alleged that the bumper on their Model Y “almost ripped off” after driving through water in the rain.
“The bumper of my 2022 Model Y Performance did not fully come off; however, the rear fascia detached due to the high drag from the water and folded itself back behind the car, popping/pulling the rear bumper partially out from the body,” the user wrote.
Another user on Reddit claimed that the rear bumper on their Model Y came off after similarly driving through deep water.
Tesla has previously admitted that this could happen to particular models of a certain time.
“In rare instances, certain components on Model 3 vehicles built at the Fremont Factory before May 21, 2019, might be damaged when driving through standing water on a road or highway with poor drainage or pooling water,” the company wrote in a statement. “In these rare instances, the rear fascia might detach from the vehicle and harnesses and/or body fasteners/mounts might also be damaged.”
Commenters Are Divided
In the comments section, some users supported Santa’s anger and frustration, while others countered that it was her fault for driving through water.
“You did hit something. You hit deep water going too fast. The water pressure pulling back on the bumper combined with your speed was too much pressure for the brackets holding it on,” wrote a user.
“She does something she probably shouldn’t and then blame somebody else,” echoed another.
“Tesla design flaw. Too much water. They’re only held on by plastic snaps. We all need to be reimbursed on what we spent to fix it,” shared a third.
“Average tesla experience,” joked a further TikToker.
BroBible reached out to Tesla via email and Santa via TikTok and Instagram DM for comment.
@kristina.santa Wait for it trust me #teslaproblems #tesla #elonmusk