Am I The Only One - Love My Car - Hates Tesla?

[Dharrisoncmo]

The experience has been miserable from the start.
1) Picking Up The Car... maximum 5 minutes review; no time for questions (which I had many). Didn't have time to even get my wife connected.

2) Defects Found... multiple cosmetic defects. Shop fingerprints in various part of the interior. Marks from the robot that placed the windshield. At first - was told unlikely they'd cover any of it. Why? I had been away on a trip after picking up the car - only 150 miles on it (getting it home) was now 8 weeks later - and didn't notice at first until a University student of mine came over to see the car - and was shocked.

3) Could Not Reach Service Person To Discuss... sales person/manager tried - but he shared that he has zero input with service. Finally got a remote person assigned - fixed some of it - but shared that some was not fixable by him - and if it were him - unacceptable.

4) Now a few months later, got an appointment scheduled. BUT - I live 1 1/2 hours away. Note said that there likely would not be a loner car - and they'd need the car for 2-3 days. NEVER has that happened to me at Toyota, Honda or Lexas (my least 6 cars). So guess what? I have to cancel the appointment - and LIVE with the defect.

5) First longer trip - and realized my "315" miles on a full charge is closer to 210! Are you kidding me? I called - and was told that I need to run the car down to 25 miles left - and charge 100% = and do this 3 times. That should make it better. Are you kidding me?

6) I was so much looking forward to getting this car. I am so much regretting the arrogance and poor service I've received ever since. Now, wishing I bought a hybrid for now and get a car from a company cares - in the future.

Anybody else having similar experiences? This has been HORRIBLE. (My only "revenge" is that I teach over 1,000 MBA students a year - and - guess what is being added to my curriculum? Strategic Service. And guess who my new example is? I'm guessing - given that they are all working MBA's - and word of mouth - I'll have some satisfaction that I can't help that I've been treated miserably - but - I can respond some.

(Note: if you happen to be near one of the Tesla Sales offices in the next few weeks - I'm planning on parking my car nearby with lemons hung all over it - and a sign with my phone number. Given their arrogance, it won't help me. But maybe it will help at least a few customer question their choice of what really is a great car - BUT - with HORRIBLE service behind it.)

 

[aspushkin]

I am with you Car is overpriced a lot, and we pay big money for software updates that push new games and TikTok. My 6 y.o. mazda had rear cross-traffic avoidance, and this 55K car promises it to people that paid extra 10K to maybe have that feature, sometime.
Gaps, rattles, bugs in infotainment. Never again for sure.

 

[kadify]

Not to be rude but your unhappiness boils down to issues with the car you picked up, then not being able to get them fixed in a reasonable amount of time because you live far away from a service center, and finally because the highway range is low?

The first two notes regarding issues, call your service center, ask to speak to a manager, they'll put you in contact with one there. Specifically tell them you are coming from far away and DO NOT want to sit in an uber for that amount of time to get home/anywhere else. Stress that you understand they are short on loaners but what you are asking is that your next service visit they schedule, to make sure they save one when one comes in for you as you specifically need one. I did this and have gotten a loaner every time I get service done.

If they refuse to fix certain things I'm not sure what to do. You can try a different service center if there is another nearby.

Regarding the highway range, I agree the car is advertised with 300+ miles range which is great but it's 300 miles city driving range which is really unrepresentative. The only people driving 300 miles in the city on one charge are people who don't have access to a charger at home/work and need to do weekly supercharger stops. Otherwise everyone else who sees that number is assuming they can do regular road trips in the car which you can't. I think maybe you just weren't aware of this when you bought? I don't blame you at all but there are plenty of articles and areas on this site even that discuss the decreased road trip/highway range. Unfortunately we just aren't at a place yet where any car is capable of 300 miles on the highway on a single charge. Maybe the upcoming plaid+ model S... that car is also 150k though.

 

[InternetDude]

There is a large club of folks like you

 

[WADan]

I am sorry for the unacceptable lousy service you received. No excuse there.
But, I am confused as to how it could’ve happened as we all know Tesla has fit&finish issues.
I told my SA upfront that I would not accept the car unless I have enough time to inspect, and they gave all the time I needed.

 

[EchoDelta]

I am sorry for the unacceptable lousy service you received. No excuse there.
But, I am confused as to how it could’ve happened as we all know Tesla has fit&finish issues.
I told my SA upfront that I would not accept the car unless I have enough time to inspect, and they gave all the time I needed.

I think the point was that you shouldn’t need to be confrontational and be put in a position of conflict just to want to inspect an expensive car you are about to buy. That whole “5 min to inspect” is nonsense and the folks doing it are probably junior people not knowing how to operate under pressure.

 

[WADan]

I think the point was that you shouldn’t need to be confrontational and be put in a position of conflict just to want to inspect an expensive car you are about to buy. That whole “5 min to inspect” is nonsense and the folks doing it are probably junior people not knowing how to operate under pressure.

Nope, no confrontation at all. I simply made my terms/conditions clear upfront, and it’s not negotiable!

 

[mswlogo]

If your car is already reading 315 there is no reason to run the battery down. Typically if that reads low on a full charge your calibration is off and running it down a couple times can get it to read 315 (what ever it’s supposed to). But you are already reading correctly. You need to learn about what the real ranges are and how to deal with it. There is nothing wrong with your car. There are dozens of threads like it.

It’s pretty well known that loaners are a crap shoot.

It’s not their fault you were gone for 8 weeks.

Most people have got as much time as they wanted to inspect. But touchless COVID might be making things a little harder on everyone.

Every Tesla has the robot marks on the windshield. They showed up when things fog up, right? I had to Polish them out. Actually it’s not marks from the robot. It’s actually the only clean spots on the windshield. And it’s the rest of the windshield that needs to be cleaned. Yes it’s annoying, but that’s Tesla. Get over it. Have a detailer clean them up if you don’t want to tackle it. First world problems, I know. Your windshield is fine. There are a few threads on the topic and a few options to resolve it. Easier to resolve yourself than deal with SC.

Couldn’t reach Tesla, on the phone? That’s new. Everything is through the App. I like it. Just don’t expect instant responses.

 

[S4WRXTTCS]

The experience has been miserable from the start.
1) Picking Up The Car... maximum 5 minutes review; no time for questions (which I had many). Didn't have time to even get my wife connected.

2) Defects Found... multiple cosmetic defects. Shop fingerprints in various part of the interior. Marks from the robot that placed the windshield. At first - was told unlikely they'd cover any of it. Why? I had been away on a trip after picking up the car - only 150 miles on it (getting it home) was now 8 weeks later - and didn't notice at first until a University student of mine came over to see the car - and was shocked.

3) Could Not Reach Service Person To Discuss... sales person/manager tried - but he shared that he has zero input with service. Finally got a remote person assigned - fixed some of it - but shared that some was not fixable by him - and if it were him - unacceptable.

4) Now a few months later, got an appointment scheduled. BUT - I live 1 1/2 hours away. Note said that there likely would not be a loner car - and they'd need the car for 2-3 days. NEVER has that happened to me at Toyota, Honda or Lexas (my least 6 cars). So guess what? I have to cancel the appointment - and LIVE with the defect.

5) First longer trip - and realized my "315" miles on a full charge is closer to 210! Are you kidding me? I called - and was told that I need to run the car down to 25 miles left - and charge 100% = and do this 3 times. That should make it better. Are you kidding me?

6) I was so much looking forward to getting this car. I am so much regretting the arrogance and poor service I've received ever since. Now, wishing I bought a hybrid for now and get a car from a company cares - in the future.

Anybody else having similar experiences? This has been HORRIBLE. (My only "revenge" is that I teach over 1,000 MBA students a year - and - guess what is being added to my curriculum? Strategic Service. And guess who my new example is? I'm guessing - given that they are all working MBA's - and word of mouth - I'll have some satisfaction that I can't help that I've been treated miserably - but - I can respond some.

(Note: if you happen to be near one of the Tesla Sales offices in the next few weeks - I'm planning on parking my car nearby with lemons hung all over it - and a sign with my phone number. Given their arrogance, it won't help me. But maybe it will help at least a few customer question their choice of what really is a great car - BUT - with HORRIBLE service behind it.)

Sadly I think your experience happens fairly often.

#1 - They do try to rush you, but you don't have to be rushed. I pushed back on this as I needed more time to review the car. It's always a good idea to have a checklist when getting any kind of vehicle, but its super important with a Tesla.

#2 - They knowingly try to deliver vehicles with cosmetic defects. It's as if they think people are so desperate for a Tesla that they're willing to overlook embarrassing paint defects, and body defects. The key is to simply reject the car. Sadly I didn't do this when I picked up my Model 3 back in September of 2018. Instead I accepted their promise to fix the blemishes in a later service appointment. I wish I would have rejected, and kept my Model S (which didn't have any of the defects). The rationality for rejecting would be to push Tesla to deliver higher quality vehicles to customers. They're way to hit and miss. Even Sandy Munro pointed out this inconsistency problem. What's really embarrassing is supposedly the Chinese Tesla's are better made.

#4 - I don't think I'd recommend a Tesla to someone who lived so far away. The lack of service loaners makes this basically a no go. Plus people who live so far away miss out on one of the best things about Tesla service, and that's mobile service.

#5 - Ha, yeah. The difference between EPA rated miles and actual miles is pretty bad with a Tesla. People are discovering this when they compare actual vs. rated with various cars, and Tesla doesn't do so great. I would consider Tesla's numbers to be extremely optimistic like the right temperature, the right speed (as in slow), etc.

#6 - It really just comes down to trade offs. Like I think you would have had a better time with a Mustang Mach-E, but then charging on the Electrify America network would cost more. It's also supposedly not as fun.

I'll probably go from my Model 3 to either a Rivian or an E-Tron GT. Yes, I realize they're completely different kinds of vehicles, but for me a vehicle is an adventure.

One of the great things about Tesla is they'll turn more, and more people into EV owners. It's not that they'll continue owning a Tesla, but they'll refuse to buy anything other than an EV. I think we see that with the success of the Taycan.

The really sad/funny thing about your post is Elon hates MBA's, and you teach MBA's. Haha.

 

[CyberGus]

Never let anyone pressure you into making a $50,000 purchase decision in 5 minutes. That's like, $10k/min

 

[Srad600Volt]

Are you the only one who Hates Tesla...Nooo absolutely not. My wife detests the company. This is the first car I've bought that she refuses to drive...solely on principle! (She's also an educator...humm). Anyway, sorry about your bad experiences. I've had a few of my own, but so far (knock on wood) the good has outweighed the bad. Like others have posted, in a few years time I'll be giving Rivian a good hard look before I consider another Tesla.

 

[IA_TESSIE]

The experience has been miserable from the start.
1) Picking Up The Car... maximum 5 minutes review; no time for questions (which I had many). Didn't have time to even get my wife connected.

2) Defects Found... multiple cosmetic defects. Shop fingerprints in various part of the interior. Marks from the robot that placed the windshield. At first - was told unlikely they'd cover any of it. Why? I had been away on a trip after picking up the car - only 150 miles on it (getting it home) was now 8 weeks later - and didn't notice at first until a University student of mine came over to see the car - and was shocked.

3) Could Not Reach Service Person To Discuss... sales person/manager tried - but he shared that he has zero input with service. Finally got a remote person assigned - fixed some of it - but shared that some was not fixable by him - and if it were him - unacceptable.

4) Now a few months later, got an appointment scheduled. BUT - I live 1 1/2 hours away. Note said that there likely would not be a loner car - and they'd need the car for 2-3 days. NEVER has that happened to me at Toyota, Honda or Lexas (my least 6 cars). So guess what? I have to cancel the appointment - and LIVE with the defect.

5) First longer trip - and realized my "315" miles on a full charge is closer to 210! Are you kidding me? I called - and was told that I need to run the car down to 25 miles left - and charge 100% = and do this 3 times. That should make it better. Are you kidding me?

6) I was so much looking forward to getting this car. I am so much regretting the arrogance and poor service I've received ever since. Now, wishing I bought a hybrid for now and get a car from a company cares - in the future.

Anybody else having similar experiences? This has been HORRIBLE. (My only "revenge" is that I teach over 1,000 MBA students a year - and - guess what is being added to my curriculum? Strategic Service. And guess who my new example is? I'm guessing - given that they are all working MBA's - and word of mouth - I'll have some satisfaction that I can't help that I've been treated miserably - but - I can respond some.

(Note: if you happen to be near one of the Tesla Sales offices in the next few weeks - I'm planning on parking my car nearby with lemons hung all over it - and a sign with my phone number. Given their arrogance, it won't help me. But maybe it will help at least a few customer question their choice of what really is a great car - BUT - with HORRIBLE service behind it.)

Lemon pics or GTFO

 

[Maxpilot]

Elon needs to hire someone that knows how to run a company, address customer service concerns and quality issues then relingquish operational control to that person.

 

[mark95476]

My experience has been wonderful.

You probably already know this, but any "animosity" will be mutual. I'm sure Tesla is especially worried about the legions of MBAs and their hot takes. Their automotive competitors are generally run by MBAs and are surely coming to crush them any day now.
/SARCASM

Comment: So many first time posters complaining, generally with the same theme so it makes me wonder. It's so easy to post pictures, but they hardy ever do.

The experience has been miserable from the start.

Anybody else having similar experiences? This has been HORRIBLE. (My only "revenge" is that I teach over 1,000 MBA students a year - and - guess what is being added to my curriculum? Strategic Service. And guess who my new example is? I'm guessing - given that they are all working MBA's - and word of mouth - I'll have some satisfaction that I can't help that I've been treated miserably - but - I can respond some.

 

[DanDi58]

We need a 'Noob Bitching Thread' so we're not cluttering the entire forum with first-time posters who obviously didn't do any research before buying...

 

[qdeathstar]

We need a 'Noob Bitching Thread' so we're not cluttering the entire forum with first-time posters who obviously didn't do any research before buying...

Or maybe Tesla should work on their service....

 

[X Fan]

Op: 32159 zip is in the Villages, just north of Orlando. That’s where you live?

If so, there’s no way you are only getting 200 miles on a 315 range mile battery.

I regularly drive between Naples and North Carolina and the worst I’ll get at high speed/hot temps is 20% loss between certain supercharger points. Other point to points are 10-15%. Btw: If you are driving local you range loss will be minimized and in fact in many drives you will range gain.

 

[Carbonfiber]

Happy with the car so far. I’ve only encountered the poor planning and execution on the solar energy side. It’s been a headache. Wished customer service was more responsive and there is supposedly a project advisor assigned to my project. Never even spoken to the guy. Tried calling and emailing, nothing.

Also took a survey about my experience and gave them a bad score. There was a Tesla rep who followed up on the survey with an email apologizing for the negative experience and stated “please know you can contact me with any further thoughts and concerns! My personal contact information is listed below.” I responded back to that email and heard nothing back. Tesla customer service is a joke!

 

[qdeathstar]

Op: 32159 zip is in the Villages, just north of Orlando. That’s where you live?

If so, there’s no way you are only getting 200 miles on a 315 range mile battery.

I regularly drive between Naples and North Carolina and the worst I’ll get at high speed/hot temps is 20% loss between certain supercharger points. Other point to pints are 10-15%. Btw: If you are driving local you range loss will be minimized and in fact in many drives you will range gain.

idk. If you and your partner are topping 250lbs each I think in the winter it is doable....

 

[polyphonic54]

Some good points, some areas where a little more homework would have helped. The EPA/WLTP range estimate is a combined figure. It's not 315 miles at 80 mph.

I think your students deserve better than being a captive audience to rants about your car.