Today is officially Surrender Day. We are heading to the Tesla Upland center to hand over the keys to our 2023 Model X Plaid.
I’ve had mixed emotions leading up to this. On one hand, I truly love the performance and the comfort of the Plaid. On the other hand, after two buybacks in a row (first the 2022 Long Range and now this one), it was time to move on. We’ve spent the morning “moving out” of the car, and I wanted to walk you through the final steps of surrendering a Tesla and some last-minute technical tips for any of you going through a similar process.
Moving Out: Clearing the Gear
When you surrender a car, you realize just how much gear you’ve managed to pack into every nook and cranny. Here is a look at what we cleared out:
- The “Legacy” Mobile Connector: This originally came with our first Model X. Tesla doesn’t include these for free anymore, so we made sure to grab it for the Cybertruck.
- CCS Adapter: I keep this one handy for road trips where superchargers might be sparse. It was a lifesaver during our trip to Williams, Arizona!
- Removing the Residue: I had to remove some aftermarket accessories that used adhesives. Pro tip: Be careful with heat guns on interior plastics! I actually left a bit of a mark trying to soften the adhesive. Always use high-quality, automotive-grade adhesive if you’re sticking things to the dash.
The Final Inspection: Cream Interior & Tires
Looking at the cabin one last time, I still stand by my statement: Cream is the best interior color for the Model S and X. It’s elegant, warm, and holds up surprisingly well if you maintain it.
I also took a moment to look at the tires. If you saw my previous videos, you know we had a run-in with a pothole that destroyed one of our factory Continental CrossContact LX Sports. I kept the extra “spare” (which had 5,000 miles on it). Interestingly, you can see the internal foam liner that Tesla uses to reduce road noise. It adds about $20-$30 per tire but makes a noticeable difference in cabin quietness.
The Surrender Process at Tesla Upland
We caravanned to the Upland service center—Abby in the Model X and me following in the Cybertruck. Watching the Ultra Red Plaid roll down the freeway was a reminder of just how beautiful this car is, but seeing it drive away for the last time felt like a weight being lifted.
The Surrender Steps:
- Paperwork: The process is surprisingly fast. We brought the title and registration, signed a few transfer documents, and that was it.
- The “Buyback Relationship”: I joked with the service manager, Roel, that the only time I see him is for buybacks! Knowing the team at your local service center makes these stressful situations much easier.
- The Identity Wipe: One of my biggest priorities was the Factory Reset. Given that I’ve seen loaner cars with previous owners’ data still synced, I made sure to watch the factory reset process to ensure all our personal data, home addresses, and streaming logins were wiped.
- Insurance Swap: As soon as we left, I removed the Model X from our policy and officially added the Cybertruck. I’ll be doing a dedicated video on the insurance cost shift soon.
Moving Forward with the Cybertruck
While the Model X is gone, the “Plaid Studios” legacy continues in a new form. We’re already putting the Cybertruck through its paces and sorting out some Post-Delivery inspection items that the Upland team offered to look at for us.
Final Thoughts
Goodbye, old friend. You were fast, you were beautiful, but you were just a little too high-maintenance. To everyone who has followed our Model X journey from the first Long Range to the Plaid—thank you. Your comments and advice helped us navigate two complex buyback processes.
