--- title: "Tesla Model Y Owner Finds Scary Cracks in Gigacast Front End" description: "A Tesla Model Y owner found a scary crack in the front casting of his car but Tesla's service center said it was safe." date: "2023-08-27" modified: "2023-08-27" authors: - name: "Nico DeMattia" job_title: "Contributing Writer" link: "https://www.thedrive.com/authors/nico-demattia" url: "https://www.thedrive.com/news/tesla-model-y-owner-finds-scary-cracks-in-gigacast-front-end" categories: - "News" - "News by Brand" - "Tesla News" tags: - "Electric Vehicle" - "Model Y" - "Tesla" --- # Tesla Model Y Owner Finds Scary Cracks in Gigacast Front End ![]() *Twitter | Nizar Kamel* Back in May, [Tesla Model Y]() Nizar Kamel read that some cars built at Tesla's new Austin, Texas factory could have missing brake fluid caps. You don't have to know much about cars to know that isn't good. So he immediately took the plastic cover out of the front trunk to check his own brake fluid reservoir. Thankfully, the cap was there. Unfortunately, he found an even bigger problem—a sizable crack in a front aluminum casting. Kamel told *[Auto Evolution]()* that he immediately reached out to [Tesla](), to have the car checked out by service technicians. However, he unfortunately wasn't able to bring the car in to be checked until July, due to personal obligations. When Tesla finally did see the car, they reportedly told him that the car is safe to drive and didn't fix it. Since then, Kamel has been white-knuckle driving, hoping the crack doesn't get worse with every bump and pothole in the road. Since Tesla's service center wouldn't help, Kamel took to social media, in an attempt to raise some public awareness and get Tesla's attention that way. He posted photos and videos, showing the crack and its severity. It isn't just hairline crack, either. There's a gap big enough to fit the tip of a metal pick and light can be seen shining through, as the video below shows. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Aspt2QM7waM Tesla's Austin "Giga Texas" factory makes Model Y's a bit differently than other Tesla models. Rather than each suspension subframe being made from several pieces bonded and welded together, each one is made from a massive single aluminum casting. The idea was to eliminate more than 100 welds, simplify manufacturing, and reduce weight. However, since each casting is one piece, a crack such as this can jeopardize the structural integrity of the entire thing. Naturally, skeptics asked Kamel if the car was in a crash of any kind, which may have damaged the casting. However, he claims the car is only five months old, was never in any sort of accident, nor was it ever driven on anything other than normal roads. Plus, the Giga factory has been[ rumored to have issues ]()with making these massive castings. https://twitter.com/Nizzysaurus/status/1694804241909436558 There aren't any other known instances of cracked castings from customers but that doesn't mean there aren't more affected customers. Anyone who owns a Model Y that was built at the Giga factory in Austin should check their car themselves, by [removing the plastic cover ]()in the frunk. And if you do find a crack in yours, take your car to a service center as soon as possible. ***Update 8/27/23 8:11PM:** A previous version of the story claimed that the Tesla service center wouldn't see Kamel's car until July. However, Kamel had prior obligations which prevented him from bringing his car into service until July. The story has been updated to reflect that.* *Got tips? Send 'em to tips@thedrive.com* ## Author Nico is a writer and reviewer from New Jersey who probably thinks he’s a lot funnier than he actually is. His love of cars began when he was just a kid playing Gran Turismo 3, grinding out enough race wins with a Mazda Miata to save up for an in-game RUF 911. That passion for small, lightweight sports cars drove his desire to learn more about the industry, get his hands on as many cars as he could, and bring those experiences to life on the page. He cut his teeth writing about BMWs, Volkswagens, and Audis, mostly, and has owned far too many of each. He’s on his fourth 3 Series sedan, but all of his old, cheap German cars have forced him to learn more about car maintenance than his mechanical capability can handle. Too many late nights have been spent scrambling to get a car running by morning so he could get to work. For some reason, he never seems to learn that old Bimmers probably aren’t the best daily drivers. But he loves more than just old German cars. He’ll gladly drive and discuss anything with four (or even three) wheels. Cars aren’t his only passions, though. Nico is also a big nerd and loves movies, video games, comic books, and cares far too much about the New York Giants. So don’t be surprised if you see football references or dumb, obscure movie quotes in any of his car reviews. ### Author social links [Instagram]() [LinkedIn]()