Get All Access for $5/mo

Elon Musk Admits Tesla 'Dropped the Ball' on Model X The Tesla CEO took to Twitter to duke it out with a disgruntled customer.

By Emily Rella Edited by Jessica Thomas

Justin Sullivan | Getty Images

Never one to back down from an argument online — and often one to start them — Elon Musk handled a disgruntled Tesla customer surprisingly well on Twitter Wednesday, even calling his company's decision-making process "idiotic."

Sawyer Merritt, a Tesla owner and investor, took to the social media platform to air his grievances on the less-than-smooth rollout of Tesla's recently refreshed Model X.

"Here's a criticism, the refreshed Model X rollout has been horrible & the lack of communication to customers who have been waiting for a year or more for their car & keep receiving delays is disappointing," Merritt wrote. "I know the global supply situation is f**ked, but some comm would be nice."

Related: Elon Musk Slams Elizabeth Warren, Calls Her 'Senator Karen'

Though he wasn't tagged, Musk replied back to Merritt, seemingly regretting the company's decision to stop production of the vehicle while it worked on the new model.

"We dropped the ball badly regarding new Model X production ramp & still haven't fully recovered," the Tesla CEO admitted. "Was idiotic to stop production of old X in Dec 2020 when there was still plenty of demand!"

This past December, Tesla told customers that it was no longer accepting orders for Model X vehicles outside of North America, with deliveries of the vehicle in other markets slated to start the second half of this year.

It has been reported that wait times for Model X vehicles in Europe are more than a year.

The last original Model X was delivered in 2020.

Merritt quipped back at Musk thanking him for his "transparency" and hoped to get some answers from the billionaire as to when delivery times might lessen in length.

Related: Emails: Musk Talked About Losing Son With Bereaved Parent

"Any idea when ramp might smoothen out and catch up with demand?" he tweeted at Musk. "I know there's some stuff not under your control (supply chain issues/shortages for example)."

Musk responded quickly.

"Model X is an extremely difficult car to build," he explained. "Most complex passenger car ever. Limiting factor is interior trim."

Tesla, like every other automotive company, has been rocked by supply chain shortages and disruptions due to the pandemic and its related effects.

This was not Musk's first run-in with Merritt on the social media platform.

Last month, Merritt tweeted out a notice on his account that he would no longer be posting Musk's travel plans and location and encouraged others to do so too, in the name of the billionaire's safety.

"Yeah, unfortunately this is becoming a security issue," Musk seconded.

As of Thursday afternoon, Tesla was up 14% year over year.

Related: Elon Musk Sinks Tesla Shares With Contentious Twitter Poll

Emily Rella

Entrepreneur Staff

Senior News Writer

Emily Rella is a Senior News Writer at Entrepreneur.com. Previously, she was an editor at Verizon Media. Her coverage spans features, business, lifestyle, tech, entertainment, and lifestyle. She is a 2015 graduate of Boston College and a Ridgefield, CT native. Find her on Twitter at @EmilyKRella.

Want to be an Entrepreneur Leadership Network contributor? Apply now to join.

Editor's Pick

Leadership

From Crisis to Control — How to Lead Effectively in High-Stress Scenarios

From the eye of the storm to the heart of leadership: How BELFOR's Sheldon Yellen's approach to the disaster recovery industry is revolutionizing resilience in business.

Business News

Southwest Airlines Is Switching Up Its Boarding Policy and Assigning Seats for the First Time Ever

The airline, known for its unique open seating model, will assign seats for the first time in company history.

Growing a Business

You'll Never Satisfy Your Customers — or Grow Your Business — Without Doing These 3 Things

Customer feedback can be used to drive sustainable growth. Here are three approaches to how you can move past measurement to drive improvement and ultimately grow your business.

Growing a Business

5 Lessons Nonprofit Leaders Can Learn from Big Tech

Nonprofits can do more good by adopting a few key lessons from tech companies — like focusing on efficiency and using data for strategic decision-making.

Operations & Logistics

3 Reasons Why Your Business Should Start Digitizing Payments

Customers will continue to demand more digital payment options and expect convenience, security and simplicity — and businesses will need to adapt or struggle.

Business Solutions

Amp up Productivity with MS Office 2021 for Just $60

Unlock the full potential of your business with a lifetime license to the suite of beloved apps.