Are we all gluttons for punishment?

[mcars]

The support post sale has been pretty lacking. I bought through a referral code. 3 weeks later I still don't have my supercharging miles. Support sends me to referrals, referrals never responds and gives no ticket to track. If this is what that experience is like, I can only imagine what additional requests for body work and other things would be like.

In truth, so much of this is growing pains. Because they've grown so fast and are trying to be a public company with all the demands from investors, they're pushing for sales before they're ready.

 

[pipestem]

I have to agree just from my experience picking up my model three. The person who greeted me was friendly and a felt like wanted to do good but she had no idea who anything worked. She literally tried to show me a feature and when it wasn’t working she said “I have no idea why that doesn’t work” on a couple of things.

The things that didn’t “work” was some sort of lighting bolt on the touchscreen that she thought was supposed to inform me me of superchargers around me. Her thought was that it wasn’t working because I had a model three and it wasn’t free to charge at superchargers (which is incorrect, since everyone has to pay at some point and Tesla makes some revenue from the stations and its ultimately in their interest for us to use them) and the other issue was that the update “changes” screen wouldn’t show up and she had no idea why.

It’s not huge things really but it made it apparent that there is not much training, despite the enthusiasm.


Owning a Tesla is ultimately an adventure. If you weren’t looking for an adventure a traditional auto manufac

I had pretty much the same thing. All the other local delivery people were fine, but the one showing me the car held up the 120 adapter and said it was for supercharging. No problem really, just funny. They also forgot to ask for the keys to my trade in; I think I could have kept it.

Fortunately I had no delays nor issues, but it's been going on long enough it is surprising there has been no obvious long term effort. It seems like their business operations operate in squirrel mode. It's like owning a Fiat in the 1980s.

 

[afadeev]

While I understand the "instant rejection" attitude, I have serious reservations about applying that here in Europe. As it is my car has taken some six months since configuration to arrive, and three years since reservation. If I reject it due to a couple of repairable issues I will be shunted to the back of the queue and could wait months before a replacement vehicle is shipped.

You have a fair concern, and our experiences with PITA Tesla post-sale service may, or may not, be representative of how a Tesla customer will be treated in other markets.
If you absolutely have to have a Model 3, production imperfections and what not, then your choice is clear - take delivery and deal with the consequences afterwards.
If your shopping preferences are flexible, you can always pass on the car that is offered to you now, and wait for a replacement. Depending on the market, that may take a few days (US is fully caught up with pre-orders, and Tesla inventory stock is growing), or longer over-seas.

On the other hand the nearest service centre is some 500km away and I can't see many mobile service vehicles on the ground in Europe. So what to do?

If I were you, and I had to drive more than 15 miles for multiple troubleshooting appointments after taking delivery, I would not do it.
Not for Tesla, not for McLaren, not for Ferrari.

What you do is up to you.

a

 

[timk225]

OP - it's okay to make sure things like dents, dings, and scratches are taken care of, just don't be a "panel-gapper".

"Panel-Gappers" is a term I created for the Tesla community. Panel Gappers are the ones who whine whenever they see the slightest variance in body panel gaps. Hey, the panels can be moved, loosen the bolts and adjust it yourself if it is so important to you. Panel Gappers are also the ones who whine about how their BMW has tighter gaps. So go buy a BMW then.

As much as I hate to have corporate automotive bean counters involved with Tesla, that's what they need, at least up to a point. Get the extra costs under control, they add up quickly.

 

[qdeathstar]

OP - it's okay to make sure things like dents, dings, and scratches are taken care of, just don't be a "panel-gapper".

"Panel-Gappers" is a term I created for the Tesla community. Panel Gappers are the ones who whine whenever they see the slightest variance in body panel gaps. Hey, the panels can be moved, loosen the bolts and adjust it yourself if it is so important to you. Panel Gappers are also the ones who whine about how their BMW has tighter gaps. So go buy a BMW then.

As much as I hate to have corporate automotive bean counters involved with Tesla, that's what they need, at least up to a point. Get the extra costs under control, they add up quickly.

Although I have no issues (all my panels are perfect) is there pictures of this being done that we could look at for interests sake?

 

[verystandard]

OP - it's okay to make sure things like dents, dings, and scratches are taken care of, just don't be a "panel-gapper".

"Panel-Gappers" is a term I created for the Tesla community. Panel Gappers are the ones who whine whenever they see the slightest variance in body panel gaps. Hey, the panels can be moved, loosen the bolts and adjust it yourself if it is so important to you. Panel Gappers are also the ones who whine about how their BMW has tighter gaps. So go buy a BMW then.

As much as I hate to have corporate automotive bean counters involved with Tesla, that's what they need, at least up to a point. Get the extra costs under control, they add up quickly.

"So go buy a BMW then" - I sure hope Tesla don't think that way! if "Go buy a BMW then" is the best thing they can come up with i think that would be a major problem, you are not being better but instead hoping customers expectation is going lower. The Halo effect for Tesla ( Created by social media either with facts or mixed with lies/false info) eventually will topped out and it will only go downhill if nothing changes because eventually reality will kicks in as more consumers were getting on board.

Also by hoping that the customer don't see/don't mind all those panel gap that they create during manufacturing and thinks "If the customer hate those gap, they can go back to the service center later on and deal with that themselves" is a flawed analogy. My car have panel gaps but the major issues that i got from my car is the rear passenger door not being flushed/aligned properly (Even my old corolla don't have that ) What holds me back by going to service center for repair is that i don't know how long it takes them to fix it, and they put me into a rental car (Hertz) instead of Tesla loaner.

From the panel gap issues, in my opinion, if they have issues with fitting/aligning a primitive body panel within reasonable tolerance/gap, I wonder what are the craftsmanship with the assembly/parts that we can't see?

If Tesla runs like a technology company, the design, software upgrade, the tech and the future FSD surely sounds exciting. But that does offsets with the lacking of quality control/quality assurance, customer support (the actual support instead of repeating "sorry that is the company policy" word), constant spare parts availability, cost of fixing, as well as the reliability/repair cost after the warranty were out (although they saids Model 3 is designed like a truck but only time will tell, what are the actual cost of repairs/services after warranty ends, where we can source a more affordable repairs, etc).

The FSD/AP and all those sensors were only good if the car is actually still running (instead of waiting inside the shop for months when waiting to get some expensive spare parts). In conclusion, Customer Service, QA/QC during manufacturing, after sales support and parts availability were the major issues for now and they need to focus on that instead of keep pumping hype in social media. At the end, I don't mind driving my Tesla now and I wish i can keep this car for 10 years, but if Tesla doesn't change from here, for my future purchase i will have to be more conservative about buying another Tesla again.

 

[afadeev]

"Panel-Gappers" is a term I created for the Tesla community. Panel Gappers are the ones who whine whenever they see the slightest variance in body panel gaps. [...] Panel Gappers are also the ones who whine about how their BMW has tighter gaps.

That's a highly condescending and patronizing way to treat fellow Tesla owners.
We are here to help each other with our EV ownership, and its challenges, not make excuses for poor manufacturing fit and finish by an automaker!

Hey, the panels can be moved, loosen the bolts and adjust it yourself if it is so important to you.

What an absurd suggestion!

Lets see how well it plays out in other areas of life:

1. You don't like that your Tesla wheels are pointing sideways? - go "adjust it yourself if it is so important to you."
2. You don't like your dentist's crooked install of your child's retainers? - go "adjust it yourself if it is so important to you."
3. You don't like that Tesla solar shingle are installed crooked and roof is leaking? - go "adjust it yourself if it is so important to you."

You sound like a candidate for

So go buy a BMW then.

Well, that's certainly one way to advertise yourself as a Tesla short-seller and FUD-er: Tesla manufacturing tolerances suck and that's as good as it gets; customer feedback is frivolous and should be denigrated as gripes by "Panel-Gappers".

Whose side are you on, anyway?

a

P.S.: My March production TM3P's panels' alignment is tolerable: better than Honda's, not as good as BMW's or Lexus's. But acceptable.
P.P.S.: If the Tesla vehicle offered to you for delivery shows signs of major panel mis-alignment - don't settle for half-assed build. Tesla can and does do better!

 

[OCR1]

Well, I guess I’m a panel gapper then. When I went to the service center on my first attempt to pick up my M3, the panel gaps were quite noticeable. I simply pointed them out to the delivery coordinator and asked him if they seemed like they were supposed to be that way. He said “definitely not”. He told me to wait for a better unit to come along and encouraged me to reject that one. There was no pressure to accept, and no attempts to promise to fix it with a due bill.

I almost wished he could have told me that it’s a simple fix and don’t worry about it because I hated having to leave the delivery center without my new car. But it was definitely good advice he gave me, and the next car I was assigned turned out to be perfect (or at least close enough for me to be very happy).

 

[verystandard]

Well, I guess I’m a panel gapper then. When I went to the service center on my first attempt to pick up my M3, the panel gaps were quite noticeable. I simply pointed them out to the delivery coordinator and asked him if they seemed like they were supposed to be that way. He said “definitely not”. He told me to wait for a better unit to come along and encouraged me to reject that one. There was no pressure to accept, and no attempts to promise to fix it with a due bill.

I almost wished he could have told me that it’s a simple fix and don’t worry about it because I hated having to leave the delivery center without my new car. But it was definitely good advice he gave me, and the next car I was assigned turned out to be perfect (or at least close enough for me to be very happy).

You are lucky, when i deliver my car back at March in Vancouver, the delivery specialist asked me to go inside and sign all the paperwork first. After that I went outside to meet the car and he told me that he only have few minutes to show me the car and ask me what i want to know, then he show me the basic functionality of the car and thats about it.

He didn't encourage me to check the car's physical condition before and after, and i do regret not to be more due diligent and point all those defect out (especially my rear RH passenger door misaligned badly) and now I have to go thru all those service center hurdles by myself later.

I admit i was blind sighted by all those hype online with Tesla and totally forgotten about basic facts and Tesla at the end is a automotive company and I'm still buying a typical car, I thought "This is a new car how bad can that be". So right now every person that I know who's looking into tesla, I will encourage them to find out the facts about all those upside and downside with the car before purchase, and check the car very carefully if they decided to pull the trigger. Everyone in Tesla appears to be "helpful and available" up until you signed all the papers and then they moved on with another customers.

 

[OCR1]

@verystandard,

Sorry to hear about your delivery experience. That is not how it should go. I have a few points of advice for anyone getting ready to take delivery of a Tesla:

1) Avoid home delivery if at all possible. It’s much easier to inspect the car at the service center and address any issues with it. If you find issues with the car at your home at best you will be notating them on some paperwork and chasing a due bill after the fact. You want to speak with a technician who can explain exactly what is involved with fixing anything that is wrong with the car before you decide whether to accept or reject it.

2) Don’t sign any paperwork until you finish inspecting the car.

3) Don’t give Tesla any money beyond the $2,500 deposit until you have accepted the car. If you have bank financing, have the bank overnight the check to you so you can bring it to the service center. Don’t let the bank wire or mail the funds directly to Tesla. Once they have your money it is out of your control. If they tell you that you have to pay in full prior to delivery, ignore them and show up anyway.

4) Don’t accept a car that will require rework unless you are prepared to spend a lot of time fussing with service center appointments. If there are paint issues you will be dealing with a third party paint shop. I would avoid this if at all possible. It will suck up a lot of your time, which is the last thing you need to be dealing with on a brand new car.

5) Don’t let Tesla rush you through the inspection process. If you need an hour, take an hour. You dictate how long you want to spend inspecting the car, not them.

 

[timk225]

That's a highly condescending and patronizing way to treat fellow Tesla owners.

You understand me.

And I'm not a Tesla short, I don't own any Tesla stock.

 

[Dante]

So, I understand your concern about being way too nitpicky (and I think Tesla stands to be taken advantage of by people who complain about things that they shouldn't complain about, because they literally don't seem to say 'no' to anything anyone brings up about the car.) However, panel gaps can be easily changed on delivery day it seemed (there were a few issues with mine, and they took it in for like 30 min and adjusted the panels then and there). However, I don't think having scratched windows, nicked and bubbled up leather is being nitpicky on a $60k car (or any car, unless they're giving you a discount). Also my point of posting here was both to let some steam off, and voice a concern about the incompetence of the repair process. Also to see if anyone has any opinions on what I should do (aside from being patient... which I'm starting to have a hard time doing).