Aly Song/Reuters
- Some new Tesla vehicles are missing USB ports, according to social-media posts.
- Reddit users said Tesla support told them it's because of a shortage of USB chips.
- One user said customer support told them Tesla would fit the USB ports for free after delivery.
Tesla has delivered some new Model 3 and Model Y vehicles without USB ports, with the car maker citing chip shortages as the reason, customers claimed on social media over the weekend.
Three posts on Reddit and three on the Tesla Motors Club forum mentioned new Teslas arriving without USB-C ports. Electrek first reported on the posts on Friday.
Teslas come with USB-C ports fitted in the front compartment of the center console, as well as on the rear of the console.
One Reddit user uploaded a photo on Saturday that they said showed two missing USB-C ports in the center console of their new Model 3. They also wrote in the post that the wireless charging function wasn't working.
The Reddit user wrote that they rang Tesla's support team and were told by an employee that the lack of USB ports and inactive wireless charging in new vehicles was due to a shortage of USB chips.
The user said that Tesla's support team told them that the chips were expected to arrive in mid-December.
Another Reddit user posted on Friday that Tesla contacted them to say that their new Model Y Long Range would be delivered the following day without any USB ports because of a "shortage." The user said the vehicle was only missing the ports in the front compartment of the center console, and that the wireless charging pad didn't work.
One Reddit user posted a screenshot of what they said was a conversation with a Tesla support employee. The employee said the company would retrofit the USB ports in the vehicle for free, according to the screenshot.
Insider contacted the Reddit users, but did not immediately hear back.
One member of the Tesla Motors Club forum said their Tesla Model Y was delivered on Wednesday with empty holes in the front compartment of the center console where the USB-C ports were supposed to be. Wireless charging also wasn't working, the member said in the post.
Two other members reported the same issue on Saturday.
Tesla didn't immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.
This isn't the first time Tesla has run into potential supply shortage problems. CEO Elon Musk said during the company's earnings call in April that Tesla had "insane difficulties" with its supply chain over the first quarter of 2021.
