1 week old Model 3 P - tire vibration - warranty?

[LakeForestM3]

on 5/25, I took delivery of a new 2023 Model 3 Performance.

To celebrate this, I took the car on a road trip the following weekend. I almost immediately noticed a vibration in the steering wheel under certain circumstances ano when I got home, I requested service via the Tesla app.

Tesla’s response was to require me to authorize up to (approximately) 195 dollars worth of work to balance the tire. When I questioned this, I was told that the only situation where they would waive the requirement for payment, was if I had notified them within the first 100 miles.

Well, no one told me about this, and it’s not stated anywhere in their basic warranty document. -This document also DOES list tires as excluded from basic warranty, and goes on to state “Tires, which have their own warranties and are subject to their own terms and conditions, which will be provided to you as applicable”.

The tire warranty terms and conditions were not provided with the car when I took delivery. I have requested that they provide those terms and conditions, but as of yet they haven’t done so.

Does anyone have a current (recent) copy of these terms and conditions that you can post or share?
Can Tesla really get away with enforcing such a requirement when it hasn’t been stated, written or communicated anywhere?

 

[brkaus]

Tires are not warranted from most OEMs, if that is the actual problem.

 

[jjrandorin]

Can Tesla really get away with enforcing such a requirement when it hasn’t been stated, written or communicated anywhere?

Considering that wheel alignment or tire damage can happen while driving, and not have anything to do with factory defect, yeah they can get away with that. I mean, they should take care of you since the car is only 1 week old, but I am fairly certain that for something like this or other things that can be damaged by simple driving (windows, other road hazard damage, etc.) they can get away with it.

 

[LakeForestM3]

@jjrandorin I hear you…. But it’s pretty hard to comply with a policy not known to exist.

Does anyone have a copy of Tesla’s tire warranty terms and conditions?

 

[jjrandorin]

They dont have a specific tire warranty I dont think. You can comb through their warranty document here:

https://www.tesla.com/sites/default/files/downloads/tesla-new-vehicle-limited-warranty-en-us.pdf

With that being said, I dont think tire balancing falls under that, it likely falls under this exclusion on the same page:

This page is the "Exclusions" page, so their warranty specifically calls out that wheel alignment and balancing is excluded.

 

[AS9.9.]

Did you by any chance drive through dirt/gravel roads? I cannot remember what Youtuber I was watching (someone that makes videos on Teslas), but they said they had a vibration when they had a good amount of dirt on their wheels, and after pressure washing them it went away. If I find the video I'll post it.

 

[LakeForestM3]

@jjrandorin Yup, that’s the part I have read. I guess it, to me, just sounds like there are additional terms and conditions… somewhere……

@AS9.9. No, I didn’t.

Like I mentioned in the original post, I felt the vibration almost immediately when I got the car, but thought “No, I don’t want to be a car-hypochondriac, lets see if the tires just need to wear in a little”.

 

[z0lt3c]

What should really happen, is they should charge you a 1-hour diagnostic fee to identify the source of the vibration.
It could very well be an out of balance wheel, or a number of other things.

If you really believe it's wheel balance, just take it to your local costco and balance the wheels for $50.

 

[LakeForestM3]

Mmm no. They should diagnose the issue and THEN if they find that the problem is caused by a bad tire, they should either charge me for the diagnosis, or suggest that I contact the tire manufacturer.

Requiring me to authorize work before I can even get an appointment to look at the issue is ridiculous and unacceptable.

 

[Soul Surfer]

on 5/25, I took delivery of a new 2023 Model 3 Performance.

To celebrate this, I took the car on a road trip the following weekend. I almost immediately noticed a vibration in the steering wheel under certain circumstances ano when I got home, I requested service via the Tesla app.

Tesla’s response was to require me to authorize up to (approximately) 195 dollars worth of work to balance the tire. When I questioned this, I was told that the only situation where they would waive the requirement for payment, was if I had notified them within the first 100 miles.

Well, no one told me about this, and it’s not stated anywhere in their basic warranty document. -This document also DOES list tires as excluded from basic warranty, and goes on to state “Tires, which have their own warranties and are subject to their own terms and conditions, which will be provided to you as applicable”.

The tire warranty terms and conditions were not provided with the car when I took delivery. I have requested that they provide those terms and conditions, but as of yet they haven’t done so.

Does anyone have a current (recent) copy of these terms and conditions that you can post or share?
Can Tesla really get away with enforcing such a requirement when it hasn’t been stated, written or communicated anywhere?

I would have a very polite, and respectful discussion with the service centre manager. This should have been tested prior to delivery. It is quite possible that this condition was always there, and went undiagnosed until you were driving it. The time lapse from your delivery to now is far too short for this to have occurred unless you would’ve Put the wheels out of balance by hitting some thing. I think you are right, and I would press the issue with the Tesla service center.

 

[z0lt3c]

Mmm no. They should diagnose the issue and THEN if they find that the problem is caused by a bad tire, they should either charge me for the diagnosis, or suggest that I contact the tire manufacturer.

Requiring me to authorize work before I can even get an appointment to look at the issue is ridiculous and unacceptable.

This is unfortunately not the way the Tesla service system works. Every service request will generate a quote, which must be authorized, and if the condition is found to be covered by warranty, it will be changed to no charge. Understand your desire here but this is how every warranty claim is handled (except for perhaps recalls).

 

[brkaus]

This is the same as I was treated at the Nissan dealer. Estimate. Waived if warranty issue identified. I think bmw was the same. I remember being angry at them over a warranty item on my bmw m3, but I don’t remember details.

 

[ewoodrick]

on 5/25, I took delivery of a new 2023 Model 3 Performance.

To celebrate this, I took the car on a road trip the following weekend. I almost immediately noticed a vibration in the steering wheel under certain circumstances ano when I got home, I requested service via the Tesla app.

Tesla’s response was to require me to authorize up to (approximately) 195 dollars worth of work to balance the tire. When I questioned this, I was told that the only situation where they would waive the requirement for payment, was if I had notified them within the first 100 miles.

Well, no one told me about this, and it’s not stated anywhere in their basic warranty document. -This document also DOES list tires as excluded from basic warranty, and goes on to state “Tires, which have their own warranties and are subject to their own terms and conditions, which will be provided to you as applicable”.

The tire warranty terms and conditions were not provided with the car when I took delivery. I have requested that they provide those terms and conditions, but as of yet they haven’t done so.

Does anyone have a current (recent) copy of these terms and conditions that you can post or share?
Can Tesla really get away with enforcing such a requirement when it hasn’t been stated, written or communicated anywhere?

Chill, they do that all the time, just in case it isn't covered and also to get a work release for the car. You probably won't get charged.

 

[LakeForestM3]

A brief update:

I sent a message to Tesla (via the app) asking them to provide a copy of the additional terms and conditions for tires, mentioned in their general warranty. They finally responded, that there are NO additional terms and conditions, other than what I've already read in the general warranty guide. they also told me that tires are warranted by the tire manufacturer as many here also have pointed out. Irritating that it had to take this much to get them to be clear.

I also got a very clear response from my attorney: They *MUST* honor the warranty the way it's written. The warranty guide is effectively a contract, so they can enforce whatever the warranty document(s) says, but they CANNOT make up requirements a la "Oh but you should have brought it in before you reached 100 miles" (and then try to enforce them) when that requirement is not stated in the warranty guide.

 

[LakeForestM3]

@ewoodtick I hear you, but this type of process really smells an awful lot like "We are going to bill you just because we can". There seems to be absolutely no recourse, no leverage for me, the customer. I find their attitude arrogant as hell.

 

[ewoodrick]

@ewoodtick I hear you, but this type of process really smells an awful lot like "We are going to bill you just because we can". There seems to be absolutely no recourse, no leverage for me, the customer. I find their attitude arrogant as hell.

If you assume that the world is against you, it will be.

MANY have driven away from Tesla Service Centers extremely happy.

Questioning the Service Center rep before they've seen the car isn't a great start.

 

[LakeForestM3]

I don't recall Tesla service acting this way on the first Tesla I had, and I have FOR SURE never experienced this on any other car I have ever had (and I've had far too many, just ask my bank, LOL!!)

And, to be honest: All I did was to request service on a brand new car. It was not me who responded to that by requiring an authorization for a potential payment on a 1 week old car, that was Tesla. I don't really feel that the world is against me, but I *DO* expect a small amount of courtesy and respect when I am leasing a (to me, at least) fairly expensive car.

Either way, the most recent message I received from tesla seemed to be written by someone other than the first person, just based on the "tone" of the message. I have acknowledged the kindness and insight from that person and provided them with as much detail as I can, to try to help them reproduce the issues.

 

[ewoodrick]

I don't recall Tesla service acting this way on the first Tesla I had, and I have FOR SURE never experienced this on any other car I have ever had (and I've had far too many, just ask my bank, LOL!!)

And, to be honest: All I did was to request service on a brand new car. It was not me who responded to that by requiring an authorization for a potential payment on a 1 week old car, that was Tesla. I don't really feel that the world is against me, but I *DO* expect a small amount of courtesy and respect when I am leasing a (to me, at least) fairly expensive car.

Either way, the most recent message I received from tesla seemed to be written by someone other than the first person, just based on the "tone" of the message. I have acknowledged the kindness and insight from that person and provided them with as much detail as I can, to try to help them reproduce the issues.

Many of the messages are now automated.

Just take the car in and get it fixed, they really can't say anything until they see the problem.

 

[t3sl4drvr]

When you fail to approve the estimate and have communicated on the chat that you do not approve the estimate, no-one at Tesla really cares or reacts. Instead you just arrive at the appointment and they'll do what they do. In case there is a disagreement in the end of it, you have in writing that you did not approve the charge.

(take screenshots of the messages, Tesla may just delete them)