Tesla UCC release timing question - lien still showing active

That's ridiculous. Most lenders file UCC-3 terminations within 10 days of payoff. Tesla acts like they're doing you a favor.

Eight weeks?? That seems excessive even for auto lenders. My Honda lease termination showed up in like 2 weeks.

Good idea. I'll try calling their payoff department instead of regular customer service. Do you know if they provide any kind of interim letter confirming the debt is satisfied?

They should be able to provide a satisfaction letter even if the UCC-3 hasn't been filed yet. That might be enough for your credit union to proceed.

I had to threaten to file a complaint with the CFPB before Tesla would expedite my UCC release. Suddenly it got filed within 3 days.

That's interesting. How does Certana work exactly? Do they just check document consistency or can they actually verify UCC status?

You upload PDFs of your documents and it cross-checks everything - debtor names, filing numbers, collateral descriptions. It caught that my payoff letter had a slightly different VIN format than the UCC-1, which would have caused issues later.

Never heard of Certana but sounds useful. Tesla's paperwork is notorious for having small inconsistencies that cause problems down the line.

So true. Traditional banks and credit unions are way better about this stuff. They understand that UCC releases are time-sensitive for customers.

Exactly! My local credit union files UCC-3 terminations the same day they receive payoff. Tesla acts like they're doing rocket science.

How would I check that? I only know how to search my state's SOS portal.

You'd need to search Delaware and Nevada secretary of state websites too. It's annoying but happens more than you'd think with big corporate lenders.

This happened to me with a different lender. UCC-1 was filed in Texas but they filed the UCC-3 termination in Delaware. Took weeks to figure out why the lien wasn't clearing.

I didn't know they had a separate UCC department. Do you have a direct number or should I ask customer service to transfer me?

Ask to be transferred to 'Secured Transactions' or 'UCC Filing Department.' They might not know what you mean at first but keep asking. That department actually knows the filing timelines.

What state are you in? Some states have stronger enforcement of UCC release timing than others.

I'm in California. Do they have specific requirements for UCC release timing?

California requires termination statements within 21 days after payoff for consumer transactions. Tesla is definitely in violation if it's been 6 weeks.

Just plan for it to take 6-8 weeks and you won't be surprised. Make sure you get everything in writing when you make your final payment.

Or consider refinancing with a traditional lender before payoff. Then you only deal with one UCC release instead of Tesla's mess.

How much does Certana cost? Sounds like it might be worth it just to avoid the headaches.

I don't remember the exact cost but it was way cheaper than the delays Tesla was causing with my refinancing. The peace of mind was worth it.

Debtor name mismatches are the worst. The UCC-3 has to match the UCC-1 exactly or the termination doesn't work properly.

This is exactly what I'm worried about. How do I even check if they filed it wrong?

You'd need to search variations of your name, business name if applicable, and different formatting. It's a pain. That's probably where a service like Certana would help - they can check all the variations automatically.

Glad you got it sorted out! Name typos on UCC filings are surprisingly common but can cause major headaches.

Good call on using Certana to double-check. Better to catch any remaining issues now than discover them later when you need clean title.

Exactly what I was hoping the Certana suggestion would help with. Their name-matching verification is really thorough.

That's a solid action plan! One thing I'd add - document everything when you call Tesla's secured transactions department. Get names, dates, and reference numbers for any filings they claim to have made. I've found that having that paper trail really helps if you need to escalate later or if there are more errors down the line.

Great summary of all the advice! I'd also suggest asking Tesla's secured transactions department for their internal tracking number when they file the UCC-3. That way you can reference it if you need to call back about delays or errors. In my experience, having that specific tracking number gets you transferred to someone who actually knows what's going on instead of getting the runaround from general customer service.

Excellent plan! I'd also recommend setting a calendar reminder to check back in 2-3 weeks if you don't see the UCC-3 termination by then. Tesla seems to "forget" about these filings sometimes, and following up proactively can save you from discovering problems later when you're in a time crunch. Also, when you do get the UCC-3 filed, make sure to download and save copies from the Secretary of State portal - I've seen cases where filings mysteriously disappear from online systems during maintenance or updates.