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“I called Tesla to see if I could buy another panel to fill that spot, and they said no.”
Photo Credit: Reddit
One Tesla solar panel owner says a warranty repair that fixed one issue created another.
The man took to Reddit’s r/TeslaSolar community to tell his story. 
The homeowner described the issue on Reddit, saying a Tesla technician was called out after an inverter kept tripping. According to the post, a technician traced the problem to shading affecting a set of panels.
But once the technician addressed the problem, the homeowner was not pleased. The original poster wrote, “replacement was today and instead of 6 panels, they installed 5. They said the new panels are more efficient, so I’m actually getting more power than before… but it looks terrible!”
OP added, “I knew the panels were going to be mismatched, but now there’s a hole where a panel used to be, along with the mounting brackets for the old panels… I called Tesla to see if I could buy another panel to fill that spot, and they said no…. Any help would be greatly appreciated.”
The appearance was especially aggravating, he added, because the roof itself had been recently replaced and they were stuck in a 2-year contract.
Commenters focused on why they left the old mounts alone. In the thread, one commenter wrote, “The pucks are sealing your roof right now,” and explained, “You’ll need some replacement shingles put in and the bolt hole underneath sealed and covered by the underlayment + shingle to make it properly sealed.” A different commenter said the hardware may have stayed in place to preserve watertightness.
Among the suggestions in the replies, one wrote that the homeowner might get farther by contacting Tesla’s sales team than by relying on the crews sent to the house. Another commenter said OP could mount a panel strictly for appearance without wiring it into the system.
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One commenter even told OP that the array “Doesn’t look too bad to be honest.”
Tesla’s solar customers aren’t alone in feeling frustrated by service issues, contracts, and product limits. Other Tesla owners have raised similar complaints, including customer-service headaches, lawsuits, software disputes, and regulatory trouble tied to the company’s vehicles.
• Tesla is attempting to salvage its reputation as customer-service complaints keep piling up.
• Tesla owners say they are at the mercy of software decisions affecting battery performance.
• In China, Tesla’s Model YL is facing major criticism after early test drives.
Those disputes highlight how questions about support and control can linger long after the sale.
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© 2025 THE COOL DOWN COMPANY. All Rights Reserved. Do not sell or share my personal information. Reach us at hello@thecooldown.com.

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