22% depreciation in 8 months [Update: sold it for 5.4% less than new price]

[Marius A]

I finally got a trade-in offer from Tesla on my 8 month old TM3 (LR AWD, Black/black, FSD, Winter tires). Super-short background, I'm handing it for its 5th service on December 11th, and I hate owning it. I ordered a new one and I'm handing in the old one. Because it's riddled with faults they never seem to be able to fix I can't actually sell it without taking a huge loss (who wants a TM3 where the app usually doesn't work?).

Tesla offered me $12,300 less than what I paid 8 months ago. I've begged them to help me with this transition, let me keep FSD, give me a better offer, throw in the winter tires for free. No such luck.
I explained this is the 4th repair with the same issue, and they replied:
"We couldn't identify the issues on 2 of the previous service appointments, so we don't classify them as faults".
I have dates, timestamps, pictures and videos of the issues, and asked if that really is their official position. I can prove a fault and they can't reproduce it, so that means it's all on me. They confirmed that it was.

So I'm warning all of you who are waiting for delivery: NEVER, EVER, EVER assume that they will fix things after delivery, hand that car in IMMEDIATELY if you find any flaws during the first 7 days of ownership. Awesome car, but customer service is a sh**show.

 

[quikshifter]

Lemon law it. You get full refund. Get a lawyer.

 

[Marius A]

Lemon law it. You get full refund. Get a lawyer.

Not applicable for Norway. I tried getting in touch with consumer rights services, but they are severely bogged down and I don't expect an answer between now and delivery at the end of December.

 

[quikshifter]

Ok tell us what issue you are having that they can't solve? Maybe they all have it.

 

[No42]

But why you think the new one is going to be any better?
It is simple, if you want quality, go with well known name brands,
If you want to be on the verge of new tech and sacrifice a bit, choose Tesla.

My 2 month old Tesla is peace of crap as well. I am considering lemon law, but still don't see me going back to BMW yet.

 

[Marius A]

But why you think the new one is going to be any better?
It is simple, if you want quality, go with well known name brands,
If you want to be on the verge of new tech and sacrifice a bit, choose Tesla.

My 2 month old Tesla is peace of crap as well. I am considering lemon law, but still don't see me going back to BMW yet.

I know it's better, because I've compared with the showroom car and a colleagues September delivery car.
One of the recurring issues is that I cannot contact my car. Even Tesla support cannot get a connection with it.

 

[Eno Deb]

Not applicable for Norway. I tried getting in touch with consumer rights services, but they are severely bogged down and I don't expect an answer between now and delivery at the end of December.

I don't know anything about Norwegian law, but according to this EU web page the seller must remedy faults "in a reasonable time". After several failed repair attempts you should have a good case. I would consider cancelling the order for the new car and waiting for the consumer rights service or even talk to a lawyer. Doesn't seem like a good idea to throw good money after bad if your experience has been this bad.

 

[UCF3]

I know it's better, because I've compared with the showroom car and a colleagues September delivery car.
One of the recurring issues is that I cannot contact my car. Even Tesla support cannot get a connection with it.

You try a new phone?

 

[quikshifter]

Sounds like a broken modem. Can't be that hard to diagnose and fix

 

[Marius A]

You try a new phone?

I tried the following ones:
S9, S10e, S10, Essential Phone, iPhone7, iPhone8, iPhoneX

I don't know anything about Norwegian law, but according to this EU web page the seller must remedy faults "in a reasonable time". After several failed repair attempts you should have a good case. I would consider cancelling the order for the new car and waiting for the consumer rights service or even talk to a lawyer. Doesn't seem like a good idea to throw good money after bad if your experience has been this bad.

All issues are minor. If they agree with me I will get a small monetary sum. I will get that even if I hand in my car. Also, I'm so tired of driving a new car to a service center, wasting money (I'm a freelancer), time and good night's sleep.
I know it's a choice I'm making more with my heart than my sensibility, but I've never been this sad about a car before.

 

[Kilotango74]

I know it's better, because I've compared with the showroom car and a colleagues September delivery car.
One of the recurring issues is that I cannot contact my car. Even Tesla support cannot get a connection with it.

If Tesla support can not connect with the car how is it your saying Tesla can’t reproduce the issue?

 

[Marius A]

If Tesla support can not connect with the car how is it your saying Tesla can’t reproduce the issue?

It doesn't happen all the time. It usually happens after the car has been sleeping for a while (over 1 hour at least), and only when it's not connected to WiFi and sentry is off. I've told them this, but I suspect that they haven't tried to do it without WiFi connected. Also, when they check the logs it says that the car isn't connected but there's nothing wrong, so they said it was because I was in an area without reception.
I gave them a list of 5 VINs of TMS and TMX in the same parking lot with excellent reception. Also, my car had reception when I parked (this happens all over, but most frequently at work)

 

[OCR1]

It sounds like a bad modem. I can’t imagine replacing the entire car and incurring a $12K loss rather than replacing the modem, even if they charge you for it.

 

[Marius A]

It sounds like a bad modem. I can’t imagine replacing the entire car and incurring a $12K loss rather than replacing the modem, even if they charge you for it.

There's more small stuff. I can't reliably unlock the car, the black interior causes allergic dermatitis (I have sensitive skin, the black is too hard and doesn't breathe), FSD has basically no worth in Norway, the screen sometimes blacks out and doesn't come back without rebooting, auto wipers don't work at all, additional road noise after they replaced the roof (can't prove, won't fix), summon doesn't work, doors are hard to close. All those small things add up, and by now I have so much bad blood with the car that I get upset whenever a colleague and I carpool in his TM3.

As I said, I don't have to take this $12k loss, it's a decision made most with my heart.

 

[OCR1]

There's more small stuff. I can't reliably unlock the car, the black interior causes allergic dermatitis (I have sensitive skin, the black is too hard and doesn't breathe), FSD has basically no worth in Norway, the screen sometimes blacks out and doesn't come back without rebooting, auto wipers don't work at all, additional road noise after they replaced the roof (can't prove, won't fix), summon doesn't work, doors are hard to close. All those small things add up, and by now I have so much bad blood with the car that I get upset whenever a colleague and I carpool in his TM3.

As I said, I don't have to take this $12k loss, it's a decision made most with my heart.

I still think you should slow down and think this through.

1) Many of us have problems unlocking the door with our phones. It may not even be a Tesla issue, it may be a phone issue. It’s a common problem.

2) FSD is close to worthless in the US as well. Eventually it will get better but at this point you’ve already paid for it so why worry about it.

3) My screen sometimes blacks out too, although a reboot always fixes it.

4) The latest software update is supposed to provide a huge improvement for the windshield wipers.

5) Summon doesn’t work reliably for me either.

6) My doors are hard to close and require more force than I’m used to, but not really a big deal.

I think you are likely to experience most of these issues with your next Model 3 and be even more disappointed since you will have spent an extra $12K and still have the same problems.

 

[WilliamG]

There's more small stuff. I can't reliably unlock the car, the black interior causes allergic dermatitis (I have sensitive skin, the black is too hard and doesn't breathe), FSD has basically no worth in Norway, the screen sometimes blacks out and doesn't come back without rebooting, auto wipers don't work at all, additional road noise after they replaced the roof (can't prove, won't fix), summon doesn't work, doors are hard to close. All those small things add up, and by now I have so much bad blood with the car that I get upset whenever a colleague and I carpool in his TM3.

As I said, I don't have to take this $12k loss, it's a decision made most with my heart.

How is getting a new car going to fix the seat issue for you?

 

[Marius A]

I still think you should slow down and think this through.

1) Many of us have problems unlocking the door with our phones. It may not even be a Tesla issue, it may be a phone issue. It’s a common problem.

2) FSD is close to worthless in the US as well. Eventually it will get better but at this point you’ve already paid for it so why worry about it.

3) My screen sometimes blacks out too, although a reboot always fixes it.

4) The latest software update is supposed to provide a huge improvement for the windshield wipers.

5) Summon doesn’t work reliably for me either.

6) My doors are hard to close and require more force than I’m used to, but not really a big deal.

I think you are likely to experience most of these issues with your next Model 3 and be even more disappointed since you will have spent an extra $12K and still have the same problems.

I'm comparing it with a new TM3, all the small things that are different make a big difference in total (to me).
1) 7 different phones, no power save, all permissions on
2) FSD in Norway gives you the ability to take an exit automatically. There is no smart summon, and the number of roads which is actually supported is a low figure (though the sales person said I could use it everywhere). Also, I'd rather have performance than non-functioning FSD
3) why do you accept this? Getting late to work because you can't see the Speedometer anymore is ridiculous
4) yes, but mine doesn't go at all. I have videos showing that it's close to impossible to see outside the window and the wiper just doesn't react. It's bad on other TM3s, on mine it's not working
5) reliably? I spent 10 minutes moving the car a couple of feet in an empty parking lot. Have tried 7 different phones.
6) in itself not a big deal, it's the combination of everything. My doors are noticeably harder than my colleague's, and the showroom car.
7) you didn't have this, but combine everything with the contact dermatitis and I'd spend a good deal of money just to don't have to cover all the parts with towels and seat protectors (this is definitely not on Tesla).

 

[Marius A]

How is getting a new car going to fix the seat issue for you?

The white seats are softer and breathe better, I have not had issues in my colleagues car.

 

[afadeev]

I finally got a trade-in offer from Tesla on my 8 month old TM3 (LR AWD, Black/black, FSD, Winter tires).[...] Tesla offered me $12,300 less than what I paid 8 months ago.

I'm sorry your new Model 3 turned out to be a lemon.

For reference, most new cars loose ~20% of the value when you drive off the dealer's lot (new vs. used pricing), so 22% drop in 8 months isn't bad at all. That is not to say that you should be happy about the situation, just a data point on depreciation.

There's more small stuff. I can't reliably unlock the car, the black interior causes allergic dermatitis (I have sensitive skin, the black is too hard and doesn't breathe), FSD has basically no worth in Norway, the screen sometimes blacks out and doesn't come back without rebooting, auto wipers don't work at all, additional road noise after they replaced the roof (can't prove, won't fix), summon doesn't work, doors are hard to close. All those small things add up, and by now I have so much bad blood with the car that I get upset whenever a colleague and I carpool in his TM3.
As I said, I don't have to take this $12k loss, it's a decision made most with my heart.

Reading the above list, I don't see how you can possibly be happy in another Model 3.
Plastic seats are crap, and wont get better with color change.
FSD, windshield wipers, screen crashes, summon, and road noise wont get any better in the new TM3.

Perhaps a closer look at Model S, Taycan, or something else is in order?

 

[justsomeguy]

This is the second "my model 3 is a gigantic piece of crap, so i bought another one" thread I've seen in a few weeks. What an odd thought process if you ask me. Especially when you consider your #1 complaint seems to be about awful service. Are you just hoping the new car is perfect so you never have to deal with them again?