TikToker Jessica Tran (@jtmobiledetailing)’s takedown of Tesla’s infamous build quality went viral this week. We’ve seen plenty of panel gaps and poor paint from the American electric car company before, but something about Tran’s delivery resonated a little harder than most.
Tran, a car detailer who shares tips and insights to over 1 million TikTok followers, popped up on a lot of peoples’ radar with a series of posts about a Model 3 she was working on detailing. I think her personality and blunt “call it as I see it” candor, made even the most non-car person heed her pointed critiques about the electric car brand.
In less than two minutes, Tran systematically goes through a client’s Model 3, lambasting the electric sedan’s poor fit and finish, and wildly inconsistent panel gaps. She makes a point to mention the Tesla’s thin paint, especially compared to her 1991 Honda Accord which, arguably also didn’t have too thick of a paint job from the factory!
Remarkably, the response online seems to have been incredibly positive so far, especially from normies who don’t pay attention to whatever the Tesla Twitterati do. Tran’s video has been shared and liked more than nine million times on TikTok, as of October 12. Most non-car people seem to acknowledge that maybe, Tesla’s fit and finish hasn’t been all that great.
This didn’t even start as a Tesla takedown. Trans’s video was a video reply to a comment on her video of her detailing a Tesla because people kept asking so damn much. From there, her reply took on a life of its own, amassing millions of views between TikTok and Twitter.
“My friends wanted me to start a TikTok, I had no intention of doing one. But after like a year I caved and made one.” Tran told me, via Instagram Direct Message. “The appeal with it now is that I genuinely enjoy teaching about car detailing, but I also like fucking around by roasting cars and cracking jokes.”
Tran’s content is funny, offering sacrificial looks at car culture with a queer, POC twang. I had been following Tran for a while, when her multi-part series analyzing what kind of people drive and own the cars that she’s detailed. It’s funny, she’s hilarious, and if you’re looking for some quality detailing information, and some laughs, give Jessica Tran a follow. If you’re not into TikTok, you can find her on Instagram as well.
