Tesla has shipped some of its new Model 3 and Model Y vehicles without USB ports because of the global chip shortage, the electric car manufacturer has told new buyers, as customers who couldn't charge their devices blasted Elon Musk's company.
Since November 11, the number of complaints on the lack of USB-C ports from new Tesla owners on Facebook and Reddit, as well as on the Tesla Motors Club forum, has been on the rise.
However, it remains unclear how widespread the problem is.
The average price for a brand new Model 3 costs $43,990 while the Model Y starts at $54,990, though there is also a Performance version that carries a starting price at $61,990.
Tesla would not not comment publicly but new customers who have complained have said that the company blamed the missing feature on the global chip shortage.
'Just got a call from Tesla about my Model Y LR. I am set to take delivery tomorrow, and apparently there are no USB ports installed in the car due to shortage,' a Tesla Model Y owner wrote on Reddit. 'I guess I'm looking for reassurance that the car is actually ready to go and wondering if anyone else has taken delivery on an 'incomplete' car like this.'
Some new Tesla vehicles that were shipped in November are missing USB ports, according to social-media posts
The shortage has caused a major delay in manufacturing activity, with automakers cutting down on production and electronic device makers struggling to keep up with a pandemic-led surge in demand for phones, TVs and gaming consoles
Social media users said Tesla replaced the ports with holes without warning them. However its support team told them it's because of a global shortage of USB chips.
Tesla's missing USB ports issue is the supply chain challenges that the company has warned about for months, as the pandemic continues to make some parts difficult to source
In a more recent update, the Model Y owner said the USB-C port in the front and center console of their car was missing, but that some were located in the area of the back seats and a USB-A in the glove compartment.
Yet, the wireless charging pad, located between the two front seats didn't work. Without these ports, the wireless charging feature in the cars cannot be activated.
Some of the affected buyers were told about the issue ahead of time, while others only found out about it on their own, sometimes once they finally received
