Got a 2016 Model X 90D. I had my compressor replaced in August of 2022. It looks like TESLA service center did replace compressor, dryer and desiccant at the time...also did a "flush" as recommended in their maintenance. The bill was 1800+. It's January 2023 now and my AC went down again. They will comp the new compressor, but still bill me for dryer, desiccant and flush! My bill is still almost 1400 bucks for dryer and desiccant and AC flush...those should still be under warranty! Isn't there anyone looking at prior repair logs? The question is: am I dreaming or is there anyone else out there that spends almost or over 1500 Dollars every 5 months for his/her TESLA? Btw...my TESLA service center in Tempe, AZ charges $205.00 an hour on labor...I don't even make that much in 4hrs!
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AC problems and outrageous billing attempts by TESLA
- Thread starter Grey Fox
- Start date
I realize this is a bit OT, but since this OP specifically did it, I will ask this OP (and anyone else who wants to answer).
Why do some people type "Tesla" as TESLA when they post online? A great example is this OPs first post. Every instance of the name of the company is typed in all caps for some reason. We are not typing a logo, and the word "Tesla" is not an abbreviation like BMW, its more like "Toyota" or "Ford" and people dont type Toyota as TOYOTA in forum posts, nor do they tend to refer to Ford as FORD.
I get why some people call Tesla "TSLA" because its the stock symbol. That makes sense when talking about it in the investment subforum, but not elsewhere (so when I see "TSLA" in regular subforums, its normally accompanied by either an extremely pro, or extremely anti take on whatever they are posting about.
Why TESLA, though? "My TESLA service center..." not "My Tesla Service Center".
Its normally typed in all caps when someone is upset about something, so is it supposed to signify shouting the name Tesla?
Why do some people type "Tesla" as TESLA when they post online? A great example is this OPs first post. Every instance of the name of the company is typed in all caps for some reason. We are not typing a logo, and the word "Tesla" is not an abbreviation like BMW, its more like "Toyota" or "Ford" and people dont type Toyota as TOYOTA in forum posts, nor do they tend to refer to Ford as FORD.
I get why some people call Tesla "TSLA" because its the stock symbol. That makes sense when talking about it in the investment subforum, but not elsewhere (so when I see "TSLA" in regular subforums, its normally accompanied by either an extremely pro, or extremely anti take on whatever they are posting about.
Why TESLA, though? "My TESLA service center..." not "My Tesla Service Center".
Its normally typed in all caps when someone is upset about something, so is it supposed to signify shouting the name Tesla?
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Moderator note: This post (plus one reply to it) was merged from a different thread.
I need some advice from any/all of you TESLA owners. I have a 2016 model X and was charged $1850.00 for a AC replacement in 9/2022, because the AC was blowing hot air. No DC charging reduced warning sign, nothing. Five months and 5K miles later, the AC is blowing hot air again...complete failure! TESLA will comp the AC unit, but refrigerant, "flush" and "searching for a leak" comes out to 1300 Dollars....adding up those two charges, it totals of 3100 bucks in 5 months...am I dreaming? It is my strong believe that if an "under warranty" compressor fails again, that all charges connected with the failure (flush, refrigerant, labor) should be covered by the warranty...or not? If not, the car will turn into a money pit! Wo tells me that the same thing will not happen again?...every 5 months a replacement of fluids and labor for $1300.00? ...where are we going with that? I can honestly tell you that the front counter staff at TESLA is very friendly...they seem to be helpful and they are very polite...but in the end of the day nobody gives a *sugar* and just wants to charge you their outrageous prices and add 600 Dollars plus more on service charges for stuff that is normally covered under a warranty! I even went to a different TESLA service center and showed them my repair bill from September 2022 and the estimate from January 2023 for THE SAME REPAIR AND PARTS - AC compressor!...They were even so rude to tell me to go back to the TESLA place that did the repair in the first place...it's not their problem! Nice going Elon or whoever hires service managers...great pick! So, I just cannot let this experience rest and wonder if I can get some advice on this forum where to go from here...
I need some advice from any/all of you TESLA owners. I have a 2016 model X and was charged $1850.00 for a AC replacement in 9/2022, because the AC was blowing hot air. No DC charging reduced warning sign, nothing. Five months and 5K miles later, the AC is blowing hot air again...complete failure! TESLA will comp the AC unit, but refrigerant, "flush" and "searching for a leak" comes out to 1300 Dollars....adding up those two charges, it totals of 3100 bucks in 5 months...am I dreaming? It is my strong believe that if an "under warranty" compressor fails again, that all charges connected with the failure (flush, refrigerant, labor) should be covered by the warranty...or not? If not, the car will turn into a money pit! Wo tells me that the same thing will not happen again?...every 5 months a replacement of fluids and labor for $1300.00? ...where are we going with that? I can honestly tell you that the front counter staff at TESLA is very friendly...they seem to be helpful and they are very polite...but in the end of the day nobody gives a *sugar* and just wants to charge you their outrageous prices and add 600 Dollars plus more on service charges for stuff that is normally covered under a warranty! I even went to a different TESLA service center and showed them my repair bill from September 2022 and the estimate from January 2023 for THE SAME REPAIR AND PARTS - AC compressor!...They were even so rude to tell me to go back to the TESLA place that did the repair in the first place...it's not their problem! Nice going Elon or whoever hires service managers...great pick! So, I just cannot let this experience rest and wonder if I can get some advice on this forum where to go from here...
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Thank you for answering...yes...the warranty period is 12K miles or 12 months. However - we have a discrepancy what warranty means. To me, warranty means that if an item fails and causes subsequent damage or fluid loss, it should be covered. For Tesla it seems that only the hardware is under warranty and if you need refrigerant and their world renowned (just kidding) "AC flush" for $680.00 you should pay for it...even though the loss of refrigerant could have been caused by an incorrect installation of the replaced AC parts....so..who is right?
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Dear moderator: You are absolutely right: I was SCREAMING at TESLA and the treatment that I've received. Going to another service center to get a different opinion and being told: that's not our problem...you've gotta go to the service center that performed the repair in the first place...? Where are we to be talked to like that when you're driving a hundred thousand dollar car? I'm just asking for fairness and respect! When I wrote a check for the purchase price, I was under the impression the respect goes both ways...for a long, long time...what has changed in 6 years?
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Bigriver
Member
Did the 2nd failure start with a compressor failure? Or if a leak was the initiating event, it seems that has nothing to do with the first repair. I wouldn’t think that the first repair gives you a complete warranty for the entire HVAC system. But I don’t pretend to know squat about a car’s HVAC system… so my reply is more of a way to follow this thread. I have a 2017 model X and always have my ears perked up to learn of possible issues/costs on the horizon.
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Thank you for your response. I had my first BMW in 1970, then a Mercedes in 1976, then another BMW in 1986, a Pontiac in 1988, a Nissan in 2000, another Nissan in 2006, a Buick Enclave in 2012, a BMW electric in 2016 and finally a Tesla in 2017. I have NEVER...NEVER seen hourly rates over 120 Dollars...not even on my electric Beemer. I don't know where you've paid $200/hr in 2004... but if that is the fact, you were overcharged my friend!
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Yes...the second failure started with the compressor. Same symptoms, same diagnosis as now.
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That was the rate at the BMW dealership here in Northern California. My family runs a car repair shop, and they charge must less then and today, but dealerships are known to be much higher. But certain things require dealer only repairs.
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The service should have started with system evacuation/dehydration/leak repair. There is not much point replacing the compressor and filter-dryer if there is still any leak or contamination, and those are common reasons for A/C failure.
I’m on OPs side here, Tesla probably did not do the first repair properly.
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I had the compressor replaced less than one year ago, including the desiccant and receiver dryer. It started blowing warm air again, so I brought it in for service. I was charged just over $400 to replace the desiccant and receiver dryer, and was told that it's a maintenance item that has no warranty! Wow!
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geordi
Mr Fusion V.1
They are idiots. The "receiver/dryer" IS the desiccant, otherwise it is just an empty can. It is also NOT a "maintenance" item, it is only replaced when the sealed AC system is opened up after being evacuated. Now if the system leaked out all the refrigerant, then they didn't do the labor correctly in the first place and YES, the dryer would need to be replaced again. But that was caused by their failure, not because it wore out.
A dryer and the beads within are normally able to last for as long as the system remains sealed - days, all the way to decades. It isn't replaced otherwise.
Oh: And the Tesla service centers in Florida think they are worth $300/hour for labor. For the same trash service and lying to the customer.
A dryer and the beads within are normally able to last for as long as the system remains sealed - days, all the way to decades. It isn't replaced otherwise.
Oh: And the Tesla service centers in Florida think they are worth $300/hour for labor. For the same trash service and lying to the customer.
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geordi
Mr Fusion V.1
"We recommend coming in to the service center and giving us $1200 every two years to do something COMPLETELY UNNEEDED that will be confirmed by any actual air conditioning tech as unnecessary, so that we can have an extra profit line AND have the opportunity to fork up your sealed-and-not-leaking system by introducing contaminants to it."
Seriously. Ask ANY automotive air conditioning specialist if this is a "maintenance" item or ONLY a replace-whenever-the-system-is-opened item. It's the latter. EVERY car has this same thing in it, and NOT ONE calls it a maintenance item. That's just silliness.
Seriously. Ask ANY automotive air conditioning specialist if this is a "maintenance" item or ONLY a replace-whenever-the-system-is-opened item. It's the latter. EVERY car has this same thing in it, and NOT ONE calls it a maintenance item. That's just silliness.
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houstonian
ಠ_ಠ
While I do not know if this is true one way or the other I will note the following: for my S I had the compressor replaced three times (that is I am on my 4th compressor) and only recently, 2022 IIRC?, did they add the system flush to ensure no metal debris or filings were present inside the system and therefore could damage the compressor.
Anyways the mode of failure was roughly the same: degraded cooling performance and a louder and louder sound, akin to a whine, coming from the compressor.
Between the 1st and 2nd, 2nd and 3rd, and 3rd and 4th (current) replacement there was a time span of about 12/14 months. The initial compressor lasted for about 3 years and I bought the car new.
When the compressor conked out for the 3rd time in summer of 2022 I was...pissed...to say the least. Had a good relationship with my service advisor, spoke with her, her manager, the techs, and the conclusion we came to was the prior failures were probably in part caused to not flushing the HVAC system to remove metal filings and/or whatever other garbage might be in the system. If memory serves Tesla did not add the flush to the 'normal' compressor replacement until 2022 - and when they did flush clean the lines in 2022 for my S - the tech reported metal filings in it.
Either way for those who have to replace their compressor, I strongly suggest the system be flushed to ensure there's no debris left in it. Know that accounted for at least one of my compressor failures and suspect, but cannot verify, it caused - or at least played a large part - in the failure of the other two.
Edited to add my prior post on the topic: How's Your AC Holding Up? My Compressor's Loud, Failed 3 Times in 3 Years, and Struggles to Cool. Also "same" repair jumped from $1,195 → $2,030.
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Just to add my recent experience with my 2016 MS 75D with 73k miles. I bought the car from previous owner, AC system had been replaced by them previously. I started getting error message "Air Conditioning Reduced. DC FastCharging/Supercharging rate may be reduced" a couple weeks ago, and AC went from noisy to weak to non-existent. Made appointment at SC and brought it in today. Estimate was $1200 for diagnosis and condensor replacement. I asked about leak testing and flushing and was told that is part of the "diagnosis." The SC manager called me a few hours later to say that the tech had found metal flakes in the desiccant bag and that would also need to be replaced along with some valves for another $1200. Since the car is useless without AC I agreed to the additional work and they are keeping it overnight. It definitely feels like the AC system has a major design flaw if it has to be replaced every 3-4 years, and gets metal flakes in the system if the condenser fails (this seems to be a theme in the posts on AC failures). The manager went on a bit about the load on the system between cabin and battery cooling as though that explained it. I suggested he make a call to Tesla's engineers to make sure they're aware of that... Will update when I get the car back.
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Depends on the type of dessicant. Here:
How Long Does Desiccant Last?
How long desiccant last depends on several factors, including the type of dryer, application, and the level of maintenance provided. For instance, with proper maintenance of pre-filters, activated alumina desiccant can last up to 5 years in heatless dryers, but only 2 to 3 years in...
www.vanairsystems.com
Note this:
ADSORBENT DESICCANTS
Adsorbent desiccants, such as activated alumina and silica gel, can last up to 3-5 years provided you maintain contaminant-free air entering the dryer. It is imperative to have a good single or dual-stage inlet filtration to remove any contaminants to prevent them from entering the regenerative dryer. If contaminants are allowed into the regenerative dryer, your desiccant will become contaminated as well and will no longer be able to function properly. If the desiccant bed becomes contaminated, you will need to replace the desiccant bed completely.
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The metal flakes almost always come from a compressor failure. The condenser failing would normally only be either a leak, or being clogged up from contaminants, i.e. metal flakes. Most likely they didn't replace the condenser and desiccant for the prior owner when the compressor failed originally. As a result the system failed again. (In ICE vehicles it is common to have to replace the condenser and dryer assembly, and flush the rest of the system, along with the compressor to have any warranty on the new compressor.)
Most likely your compressor will fail again soon, as it has likely been damaged by the metal flakes in the system. (Assuming that it isn't the source of the metal flakes.)
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All of that information appears to be about air drying systems, not AC/refrigerant drying systems.Depends on the type of dessicant. Here:
How Long Does Desiccant Last?
How long desiccant last depends on several factors, including the type of dryer, application, and the level of maintenance provided. For instance, with proper maintenance of pre-filters, activated alumina desiccant can last up to 5 years in heatless dryers, but only 2 to 3 years in...
Note this:
ADSORBENT DESICCANTS
Adsorbent desiccants, such as activated alumina and silica gel, can last up to 3-5 years provided you maintain contaminant-free air entering the dryer. It is imperative to have a good single or dual-stage inlet filtration to remove any contaminants to prevent them from entering the regenerative dryer. If contaminants are allowed into the regenerative dryer, your desiccant will become contaminated as well and will no longer be able to function properly. If the desiccant bed becomes contaminated, you will need to replace the desiccant bed completely.
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