Mechanical Design Engineer Interview Experience - Palo Alto, California
Process
I applied online for the Mechanical Design Engineer role and was contacted by the recruiter within a week.
The first step was a phone screen, where I was asked about:
- My background
- CAD skills (CATIA V5, Siemens NX, SolidWorks)
- Specific projects that demonstrated GD&T, tolerance stack-ups, and DFM/DFA practices.
They also wanted to understand my experience with FEA tools like ANSYS/Abaqus and my ability to collaborate with cross-functional teams.
Questions
In your experience, what are the biggest design-to-manufacturing challenges the team faces?
How does this role contribute to solving them?
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Interview Statistics
The following metrics were computed from 28 interview experiences for the Tesla Mechanical Design Engineer role in Palo Alto, California.
Success Rate
Tesla's interview process for their Mechanical Design Engineer roles in Palo Alto, California is very selective, failing most engineers who go through it.
Experience Rating
Candidates reported having very good feelings for Tesla's Mechanical Design Engineer interview process in Palo Alto, California.
Tesla Work Experiences
- 5.0Fast-paced, Challenging And RewardingMechanical Design Engineer • Current EmployeePalo Alto, California, United StatesOctober 2, 2025Pros: Fast pace, competitive environment, challenging work.Cons: No obvious cons at all.
- 4.0A Good Place to Learn Cutting-Edge TechMechanical Design Engineer • Former EmployeePalo Alto, California, United StatesAugust 30, 2025Pros: Good medical benefits & Great peopleCons: No work-life balance at all.
- 4.0Highly rewarding workMechanical Design Engineer • Current EmployeePalo Alto, California, United StatesJune 12, 2025Pros: You feel like what you do really matters for the product and company.Cons: Long work hours, instability of the company.
Tesla Interview Questions
