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2 week old Model X Plaid and Left Rear Drive Unit Failed

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Dozzi26

New Member
Supporting Member
Oct 14, 2022
4
1
East Greenwich RI
I took delivery of a 2022 Model X Plaid 2 weeks ago. On my drive home, the car was shaking so badly that I turned around and drove right back to the dealer. They set up a service for the following week to balance the tires. They could not get the tires to balance and ended up replacing the 2 rear tires and it finally balanced. 6 days later, I got in the car, heard a very loud POP under the drivers side door and then a bunch of warnings and the car completely shut down. I couldn't open any doors. Car had to be towed out of my garage. After 2 days, I got a message that the Rear Drive Unit has failed. Has anyone ever faced this? Do I fight to have the car replaced? Is this an east fix?
 
They probably won't get your car replaced and replacing the bad drive unit with a new one is probably what they should do. I will probably ask for the detail of the issue. Sometimes it can just be an improper installation causing the problem. Feeling bad for you man.
Thank You. They ordered the part. Hopefully coming this week. Definitely not the start I was looking for.
 
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Man, the rear drive unit failing on a brand new vehicle! So bad. I took delivery of MXP in Aug 2022 and brought it in for service on some very minor issues. The way that was handled was so horrible that I sure hope I do not need to bring it in for anything more serious. Tesla service (Raleigh, NC) is the absolute worse imaginable. Car was there for 4 days and they were only able to resolve 1 out of 4 issues. Tesla must do something to fix their service departments (also their quality). Currently they are fortunate to have so much demand but once people start experiencing the poor quality and horrendous service experience, they will opt out. This is my second Tesla (2020 Model S and 2022 MXP) and will surely be my last.
 
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Man, the rear drive unit failing on a brand new vehicle! So bad. I took delivery of MXP in Aug 2022 and brought it in for service on some very minor issues. The way that was handled was so horrible that I sure hope I do not need to bring it in for anything more serious. Tesla service (Raleigh, NC) is the absolute worse imaginable. Car was there for 4 days and they were only able to resolve 1 out of 4 issues. Tesla must do something to fix their service departments (also their quality). Currently they are fortunate to have so much demand but once people start experiencing the poor quality and horrendous service experience, they will opt out. This is my second Tesla (2020 Model S and 2022 MXP) and will surely be my last.
Totally agree. They have gotten away with the terrible service but it has to change.
 
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Man, the rear drive unit failing on a brand new vehicle! So bad. I took delivery of MXP in Aug 2022 and brought it in for service on some very minor issues. The way that was handled was so horrible that I sure hope I do not need to bring it in for anything more serious. Tesla service (Raleigh, NC) is the absolute worse imaginable. Car was there for 4 days and they were only able to resolve 1 out of 4 issues. Tesla must do something to fix their service departments (also their quality). Currently they are fortunate to have so much demand but once people start experiencing the poor quality and horrendous service experience, they will opt out. This is my second Tesla (2020 Model S and 2022 MXP) and will surely be my last.
At least you got an issue resolved. Last month I hesitantly took my 2018 X to the Buena Park, CA SC after one of the mobile techs said that they could fix several issues I brought up with him when he replaced the 12V battery. The SC failed to fix any of the issues I had and I gave up caring as the warranty was expiring and I didn't want them to make things worse. I had a dying keybob replaced at that visit and Tesla effectively insinuated I dropped the keybob in water stating there was corrosion. I paid $200 for a new keyfob and took the dead one home and pulled it apart - no corrosion whatsoever (and I'm decent with electronics as my dad was an EE).

2 weeks later and I kept getting emails stating I haven't paid for a service invoice of $200 (the keyfob). I went back to the SC and 2 managers said it shows paid but they said there was nothing they could do - I would have to email back Tesla and show them proof of my credit card payment. I sent that email and I'm still getting invoices. At this point I really want to do a chargeback.

I made a thread about a wobble I noticed right after that service visit. When inspecting my car I noticed the front right trim around the wheelwell is not snapped into place properly. I'm not sure what they did at the SC when reprogramming the keyfob but something possibly happened during those 4 hours (yes 4 hours for a new key). I signed up for Tesla solar during that SC visit but had I known then what their behavior would be like I most certainly would not do so.

It's a great vehicle with absolutely horrid support. Even Best Buy would have better customer support on an unpaid invoice for a $5 item.
 
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The front drive unit failed on my 22 MX within the first week after delivery in August. It took a while for them to diagnose the problem and the process of getting the part and scheduling the repair was not handled well at all, most especially their communications. I heard other customers complaining about that as well and the Tesla personnel knew this is a real problem. One guy said, "When people ask me what I do for a living I tell them I'm a human punching bag".

But they did replace the part and I haven't had a minute of problems since. This is my 3rd MX and the '22 is superior by orders of magnitude. The bottom line is no one would tolerate their customer service if they didn't make such wonderful cars.
 
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The front drive unit failed on my 22 MX within the first week after delivery in August. It took a while for them to diagnose the problem and the process of getting the part and scheduling the repair was not handled well at all, most especially their communications. I heard other customers complaining about that as well and the Tesla personnel knew this is a real problem. One guy said, "When people ask me what I do for a living I tell them I'm a human punching bag".

But they did replace the part and I haven't had a minute of problems since. This is my 3rd MX and the '22 is superior by orders of magnitude. The bottom line is no one would tolerate their customer service if they didn't make such wonderful cars.What
What were the symptoms of that front drive unit failing? I am assuming you are referring to the front motor or was it something more in the front end.
 
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They referred to it as the "front drive unit" which I believe is separate from the motors themselves but I can't swear to that.

In any event, within a couple of days after taking delivery, as I was slowing down to make a turn I heard what sounded like a police or fire engine siren somewhere in the vicinity--a high pitched whine that varied in pitch. I looked around but didn't see anything. After that, I heard it more and more often--first when decelerating, and then both accelerating and decelerating.

I searched this forum and saw other people had complained about similar sounds and were told it was "normal" and wasn't masked by the noise of a gas engine. That's a common excuse for lots of things and is mostly BS.

The car exhibited no other symptoms until warning messages started to appear that the fluid level in the front drive unit was low, advising me to schedule service but saying the car was OK to drive. I scheduled service and ultimately was told--as I learned from searching online--because this is a factory sealed unit, the only fix is replacement. They ordered the part but because it would take a week or more to arrive, we agreed I'd continue to drive the car until the part arrived.

Things continued pretty much as they had before, except the noise was becoming more frequent and progressively louder. Although things were obviously going downhill in there, the noise and warning messages were the only symptoms until one day on the expressway when I accelerated I felt a shudder and heard a nasty metal crunching sound. After that, whenever I accelerated even slightly I heard terrible metal on metal grinding noises accompanied by vibrations throughout the car. Fortunately, I was able to nurse it to the dealer before it failed altogether.

The part arrived a day or two later and once it was replaced everything was and continues to be fine. I absolutely LOVE the car and can't begin to describe how much of an improvement it is over my 2019, which I obviously liked enough to get a new one....
 
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Man, the rear drive unit failing on a brand new vehicle! So bad. I took delivery of MXP in Aug 2022 and brought it in for service on some very minor issues. The way that was handled was so horrible that I sure hope I do not need to bring it in for anything more serious. Tesla service (Raleigh, NC) is the absolute worse imaginable. Car was there for 4 days and they were only able to resolve 1 out of 4 issues. Tesla must do something to fix their service departments (also their quality). Currently they are fortunate to have so much demand but once people start experiencing the poor quality and horrendous service experience, they will opt out. This is my second Tesla (2020 Model S and 2022 MXP) and will surely be my last.
Tar Heel-

FWIW: our family has had great interaction with Raleigh service center with our family’s 5 vehicles (my first X is older, 6 years old). You didn’t mention what the issues were but assuredly, they will get it right.

btw: Drake Maye is my Heisman candidate.
 
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The front drive unit failed on my 22 MX within the first week after delivery in August. It took a while for them to diagnose the problem and the process of getting the part and scheduling the repair was not handled well at all, most especially their communications. I heard other customers complaining about that as well and the Tesla personnel knew this is a real problem. One guy said, "When people ask me what I do for a living I tell them I'm a human punching bag".

But they did replace the part and I haven't had a minute of problems since. This is my 3rd MX and the '22 is superior by orders of magnitude. The bottom line is no one would tolerate their customer service if they didn't make such wonderful cars.
Thanks for the note. I am hopefully getting mine back today or tomorrow. It has been 3 weeks. I hope I have the same results that you did.
 
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Thanks for the note. I am hopefully getting mine back today or tomorrow. It has been 3 weeks. I hope I have the same results that you did.
Imagine how few MXP’s are built. Tiny percentage of Tesla’s total build. The fact that a brand new car needs to be in for these issues (let alone for 3 weeks) is astounding. My 2022 MXP was in for 4 days and I was totally PO’d. If they can’t get it right on their “top-of-the-line” vehicle, then I am not very optimistic as a shareholder and a customer.
 
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They probably won't get your car replaced and replacing the bad drive unit with a new one is probably what they should do. I will probably ask for the detail of the issue. Sometimes it can just be an improper installation causing the problem. Feeling bad for you man.
My two month old Tesla X plaid, 2022 is in the shop rn. One of the Drive units failed. Locked me out of my car. Had to get it towed. Was a nightmare. I want a whole new car but they’re waiting on the part and I’m in an old x loaner for god knows how long. Not sure how to proceed. Management will NOT communicate with me at all.
 
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My two month old Tesla X plaid, 2022 is in the shop rn. One of the Drive units failed. Locked me out of my car. Had to get it towed. Was a nightmare. I want a whole new car but they’re waiting on the part and I’m in an old x loaner for god knows how long. Not sure how to proceed. Management will NOT communicate with me at all.
Such a bad thing when a brand new vehicle is out-of-commission like that. Feel for you! How many mies did you drive it before the failure? I to have a 2022 MXP, 5 months (4k miles) old. Plenty of problems; mainly air suspension. I am going to sell it and be done with Tesla. Had a 2020 MS previously and constant problems. What infuriates me the most is the seeming incompetence of Tesla Service (Raleigh, NC). I am moving back to ICE- looking at BMW X7.
 
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