- Nov. 20th 2019 6:19 am PT

Tesla is going to start offering free “all-weather protection kits” with mud flaps in regions with tough climates after some paint issues were reported by Model 3 owners after last winter.

In places with tough winters where they use salt and sand on the road, some Model 3 owners have reported surprisingly fast paint degradation behind the wheels.

Like with other cars, Tesla Model 3 owners turned to aftermarket products like Xpel paint protection film and even mud flaps.

Now Tesla plans to offer mud flaps for free to new and existing Model 3 owners in most of Canada as part of a new “All-Weather Protection Kit.”

The automaker has released a memo to its retail and service staff to inform them of the new product:

For owners in Canada, excluding BC, where heavy salt, sand, or gravel is used to improve winter road conditions, we will be providing the All-Weather Protection Kit at no cost.

In the memo, Tesla confirmed that the free kit is to help protect against paint problems:

The All-Weather Protection Kit is the recommended way to protect your paint from stone chips that can accelerate wear and tear.

Tesla will provide the front mud flaps and installation hardware for free for both new cars and existing owners who will have to install them themselves.

In some cases, Tesla delivery centers might install them pre-delivery for the customers.

We contacted Tesla about the new program and asked if they plan to make the kit available to other markets with tough winters, like the Northeastern United States.

This is the right thing to do, and I commend Tesla for doing it.

I have seen reports from owners who have seen some significant paint damage, like pictured above.

To be fair, it is not uncommon in places with harsh weather who use sand and salt on the road, but it seemed to be happening even faster with the Model 3.

My Model 3 is in Quebec where the winter is basically as hard as it gets, and I haven’t seen any significant paint damage after a full winter, but I was considering adding some Xpel paint protection film at the bottom of the car and third-party mud flaps behind the wheels for the upcoming winter.

That’s on top of all the other winter preparations. I posted an article earlier this month about how to prepare your Tesla Model 3 for winter with tires, mats, and some tips.

Now I am going to check out this protection kit from Tesla, too.

Hopefully, the company makes it available in more markets with tough winters. It’s not clear why they excluded BC. They certainly have a more temperate climate than the rest of Canada, but they also get some snow and use sand and salt in some regions.

We will update when Tesla releases more information about the kit.

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Tesla is a transportation and energy company. It sells vehicles under its 'Tesla Motors' division and stationary battery pack for home, commercial and utility-scale projects under its 'Tesla Energy' division.

The Tesla Model 3 is the first vehicle built on Tesla's third-generation platform. It aims to reduce the entry price for electric vehicles while not making any compromise on range and performance. The Model 3 starts at $35,000 in the US and deliveries to employees and company insiders began in mid 2017 - customer deliveries begin in late 2017.

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