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Bad Service Center Experience

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This is the second time I've had to deal with my local Service Center (Austin, TX), and it's 0 for 2 now.
I just bought a brand new Model 3, about 2 months ago (this is my 4th Tesla). and I had to contact them once for a weird Vibration/Buzzing that was occurring under the front console. I came into the center, on the day of my appointment, and was sent home, without inspecting the car, because I was not able to replicate the sound on command.
So, my car might be broken, but just because they can't see it on their computers, or because I can't replicate it - it's not broken, and they won't inspect it.

Strike one.

Today I noticed that the spoiler that I paid them $865.00 for, installed, is coming off from one side. It's not that bad, but enough to notice. The other side is fine. So, I took some pictures and tried to talk to them by scheduling an appointment. They responded on the app by practically saying "It's not so bad. If we take it off, it'll damage the trunk lift gate. So, contact us again WHEN it get worse."
So, not only is this bull-***, it's unsafe. If it's so bad that it's coming off, there's a likelihood that it will come off while driving 70mph on the freeway, and go flying into someone else's windshield and impale them like Medieval times. But what's even worse is that before I could even respond, he canceled the appointment, and won't respond to my questions anymore.
I asked "honest question, HOW MUCH does it need to come off in order for you to come and re install it?" I wasn't trying to be snarky, or anything. But he just didn't respond at all after that.
So, not only did I overpay for the stupid spoiler by going the "officially from and by Tesla" route (which is widely considered unnecessarily expensive), but they didn't even do a good job at that "unnecessarily expensive" work.

In all my years dealing with Tesla, the main reason why I've seen their Service Center and overall Customer Service decline in quality is because they're not matching the cost of their products and services with the quality thereof. Things were pretty great pre-2016 or so, for me. I got my first Tesla in 2014. The service was INCREDIBLE. Like nothing I had experienced before. And I guess at one point, they thought that it was costing too much to provide that level of quality of service, so it took a dive, for the worse, increasingly so over the years.
I've owned lots of cars. I've owned a lot of BMWs, and one thing that they have, down pat, is that they KNOW their vehicles are expensive, so they KNOW they have to meet the Quality of the Service with how expensive their products are. I know Mercedes Benz is the same way. My girlfriend owned Cadillacs for a while, and they practically roll out the red carpet for ANY service center appointment.

I wish Tesla took into consideration that lots of us care about the fact that we're spending exorbitant (relatively) amounts of money for the love of these products, and I know a big number of owners are at a point, financially, where the most expensive Model X is chump change. I get that. But lots of us are not in that position - so it matters a little more when we're paying for something that we deem "expensive". We expect the quality of the service, and the way they deal with the products under warranty, to match the "cost" for us.

-R.

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My X Plaid was delivered new with a cracked windshield, a bumper that needed to be replaced, a door which wouldn't open, among several other issues. They did a contactless delivery and when I noticed all these things I texted the delivery person before she left the neighborhood. She simply replied, "service center will take care of it, make an appointment." Yeah right. I paid $130k for a car in this condition. Six weeks later, I still don't have my car. There are no windshields for replacement for the X in the US they said. After replacing the bumper there is now an error code regarding the suspension, so that will further delay the car's return to me. No apologies from anyone regarding the delivery experience. The service center employees could care less. If you need service for these cars, set your expectations very low. With regard to Ron's rattle, every other car I have owned with an intermittent problem would be kept at the service center for a couple of days, and the mechanic might drive it home to try an replicate it. They wouldn't just say get lost like they did to you.
*sugar* sorry to hear that.

That's why you NEVER EVER do drop off delivery and DO NOT make your last payment in the App until you see the car!!
 
That's why you NEVER EVER do drop off delivery and DO NOT make your last payment in the App until you see the car!!
Wouldn't it be wonderful if one could trust a company selling to consumers? Maybe there could even be some legislation that would protect consumers from companies operating like this?

(Tesla would not be able to pull this *sugar* in the most European countries due to legal systems actually protecting the buyer and process for enforcing the laws being consumer friendly)
 
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You hope so, but it is a business that choose to operate like this. Also we have the right to reject the car if we do not like it.

That's why you never pay or accept remote delivery, you go, you see it, you like it and you take it home. otherwise leave without and wait for the next one. If more do this MAYBE we can make a change.

I have friend in the UK and they say their Tesla's are much better than the mess we have here because they have high standard and I bet you EU and Germany will hammer Tesla down if they do the same *sugar* in GigiaBerlin that comes out from Fremont. (I doubt it because the German work ethics are second to none)
 
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Is there an official quality control thread here or on reddit that could help gain Tesla's attention? They are talking about stock splits and confidence on their bottom dollar, meanwhile thousands of customers are sitting with jacked up quality control and terrible service center issues for their brand new car.
 
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For sure. What bugs me the most is that as I said, I'm not ignorant when it comes to mechanical /electrical /electronic things. So I did my very best to describe the problem in ways that would very easily lead them to a conclusion based on THEIR knowledge of the car. The fact that THAT didn't matter to them at all was what bugged the crap out of me. It felt at if they were about to tell me "it's all in your head". It wasn't a discussion, it wasn't a conversation. It was a "we know what we're talking about, WE know there's nothing wrong with your car because my laptop tells me so. We don't care what you heard."

It felt very condescending and dismissive.

If it was my service center, my response would have been "well let's try to figure out where it could have come from", and proceeded to ask detailed questions about the circumstances. They didn't even do that. All they were concerned with was "is it doing it right now?" and "are you able to reproduce it."

Again, I see and understand their reasoning, but I'm not their friend. I'm not their buddy. I'm a customer who just spent a large amount on a car that is brand new, and I don't expect any abnormal sounds coming from said car. They should have at least tried to investigate, even for a couple of minutes what could have happened and what it is I heard. But that was not their intention at all.
When I owned a Gen 1 Volt, after about 30k miles it developed some clicking sound from the front end whenever I slowed down via regen braking. I book an appointment for it and the service tech came out to me in the waiting area and said he couldn't repeat the clicking sound despite driving around a little. He asked if I could reproduce the sound, and I agreed and we drove out to some quiet neighborhood about a mile from the dealership. I told him he should be able to hear it better if he was outside the car, so he hopped out and I drove up and slowed down right where he was standing. It was then he said he could hear the clicking sound and that he'd be able to submit the repair as a warranty claim. I think they ended up replacing the wheel hub or something like that.

I seriously doubt a Tesla service rep would offer to do the same. They are obviously overloaded with work compared to their staffing levels. Until Elon decides to make the service issue an issue he actually wants to take care of, nothing will improve. With 6-12 month backlogs for car deliveries, what incentive does he have right now? Probably 0 from a fiscal standpoint.
 
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When I owned a Gen 1 Volt, after about 30k miles it developed some clicking sound from the front end whenever I slowed down via regen braking. I book an appointment for it and the service tech came out to me in the waiting area and said he couldn't repeat the clicking sound despite driving around a little. He asked if I could reproduce the sound, and I agreed and we drove out to some quiet neighborhood about a mile from the dealership. I told him he should be able to hear it better if he was outside the car, so he hopped out and I drove up and slowed down right where he was standing. It was then he said he could hear the clicking sound and that he'd be able to submit the repair as a warranty claim. I think they ended up replacing the wheel hub or something like that.

I seriously doubt a Tesla service rep would offer to do the same. They are obviously overloaded with work compared to their staffing levels. Until Elon decides to make the service issue an issue he actually wants to take care of, nothing will improve. With 6-12 month backlogs for car deliveries, what incentive does he have right now? Probably 0 from a fiscal standpoint.

My M3 had some vibration and the service tech did the same.

I agree they need more service centers... they don't seem to be scaling service to match their vehicle sales. It seems likely to me that the service centers are profitable. Elon is aware of the problem, he has tweeted about it.
 
Well, I'm no mechanic, but I have worked on lots of cars before, I do fix some things around the house, and I have put together some electronics. The first thing I'd do, is inspect a component that I know is in the area, that might be loosely-mounted - which is exactly what I described the sound like, and exactly what I told them they should look for. I told them what I thought it was, a motor of some sort, that winds and probably rotates, as the car starts up - as best I could think from all the times working on cars and ac systems. They just didn't want to bother doing it. Probably, pragmatically, it would have been too difficult in their end to take apart the car enough to "try" to find the sound. But the problem was more in the fact that they didn't want to do ANYTHING at all. I had to practically beg to have them do an in - car diagnostic.
I don't think that's acceptable at all.

About the spoiler, it's only been about a week and a half. I know for a fact that it wouldn't be that difficult to take off without damaging the paint - I did it myself for my last Model 3. The only way it might be riskier is if they used VHB, and it was a brand new spoiler, which does not have VHB. I told my girlfriend I would have just bought one off ebay and installed it myself, like with my last Model 3-but she insisted on paying for it so I wouldn't go through the hassle.

That's what I get for trusting, huh?
Noise issues like that buzzing are almost impossible to fix. Not impossible, but very, very difficult, and you need an experienced tech to sort it out.

That spoiler isn’t going to impale anyone.

It’s plastic (or CF, like the one for my 3P, which I never installed, as it’s just cosmetic).
 
Man, am I glad I learned to drive a wrench and a screwdriver when I was a teen. I have little doubt that I'd have the spoiler fixed in ten minutes. So many people are simply at a loss when it comes to simple repairs, and it's sad.

Being able to handle small repairs means I don't have to deal with my service center.
The spoiler is not bolted on. It’s fixed with strong adhesive tape. Extremely difficult to remove and reinstall, and there is a risk of damage to the paint on the deck lid.

Not a wrenching issue.

Or a screwdriver-ing one.
 
Tesla build quality issues and service system is a very frustrating combination that people do not realize they would need to deal with when they buy the car. Unfortunately, when you end up needing to deal with the service for the 10th time (to fix the quality issues), it is too late. This would not need to be so: Tesla service was pretty good a few years back, but has been going downhill since that.

Now I cannot recommend Tesla any more.

This is sad - Tesla cars are very good when they work. Not sure what car to replace my Model S with next, but all the hassle I have had to go through with Tesla - it needs to be another brand.
My car is nearly perfect in fit and finish. I just looked it over again, today, because everyone here seems to have the worst car ever made.

Only the people that have problems post here.

Not the hundreds of thousands that don’t have any significant issues.

I’ve had one issue with mine (a 3P). The left-rear window did not auto-up or down. Still worked, just not auto.

The tech came to my home (huge advantage with Tesla) and corrected the issue in about three minutes.

He brought my CF spoiler, which was not available when the car was built.

He also did two upgrades while he was here, and fixed an issue I didn’t even know I had.

No charge. Have a nice day. Awesome.

No other car manufacturer has ever done that for me, and I’ve been buying cars for 50 years.
 
Tesla knows their customers will overlook quality and still buy their product. I don’t think this is anything new. I’ve never purchased a car that’s had so many quality issues prior to my M3P. It also amazes me how forgiving people are for all the flaws these cars have. You’re paying to be in the club. It’s like buying a Harley but way more expensive and way poorer quality control.
My M3P is nearly perfect in fit and finish. I’m quite picky, and an old fart, so I’d be the first to bitch if it weren’t.

And Harley’s quality is mostly excellent now.

But yes, it used to be crap. Leaking oil on the floor in the dealer showroom was not uncommon.
 
Well, I'm no mechanic, but I have worked on lots of cars before, I do fix some things around the house, and I have put together some electronics. The first thing I'd do, is inspect a component that I know is in the area, that might be loosely-mounted - which is exactly what I described the sound like, and exactly what I told them they should look for. I told them what I thought it was, a motor of some sort, that winds and probably rotates, as the car starts up - as best I could think from all the times working on cars and ac systems. They just didn't want to bother doing it. Probably, pragmatically, it would have been too difficult in their end to take apart the car enough to "try" to find the sound. But the problem was more in the fact that they didn't want to do ANYTHING at all. I had to practically beg to have them do an in - car diagnostic.
I don't think that's acceptable at all.

About the spoiler, it's only been about a week and a half. I know for a fact that it wouldn't be that difficult to take off without damaging the paint - I did it myself for my last Model 3. The only way it might be riskier is if they used VHB, and it was a brand new spoiler, which does not have VHB. I told my girlfriend I would have just bought one off ebay and installed it myself, like with my last Model 3-but she insisted on paying for it so I wouldn't go through the hassle.

That's what I get for trusting, huh?
Why do you need a very expensive spoiler that does not serve any functional purpose? They are silly. Mine is still in my garage, uninstalled. You could have saved $900, in my opinion.
 
This is the second time I've had to deal with my local Service Center (Austin, TX), and it's 0 for 2 now.
I just bought a brand new Model 3, about 2 months ago (this is my 4th Tesla). and I had to contact them once for a weird Vibration/Buzzing that was occurring under the front console. I came into the center, on the day of my appointment, and was sent home, without inspecting the car, because I was not able to replicate the sound on command.
So, my car might be broken, but just because they can't see it on their computers, or because I can't replicate it - it's not broken, and they won't inspect it.

Strike one.

Today I noticed that the spoiler that I paid them $865.00 for, installed, is coming off from one side. It's not that bad, but enough to notice. The other side is fine. So, I took some pictures and tried to talk to them by scheduling an appointment. They responded on the app by practically saying "It's not so bad. If we take it off, it'll damage the trunk lift gate. So, contact us again WHEN it get worse."
So, not only is this bull-***, it's unsafe. If it's so bad that it's coming off, there's a likelihood that it will come off while driving 70mph on the freeway, and go flying into someone else's windshield and impale them like Medieval times. But what's even worse is that before I could even respond, he canceled the appointment, and won't respond to my questions anymore.
I asked "honest question, HOW MUCH does it need to come off in order for you to come and re install it?" I wasn't trying to be snarky, or anything. But he just didn't respond at all after that.
So, not only did I overpay for the stupid spoiler by going the "officially from and by Tesla" route (which is widely considered unnecessarily expensive), but they didn't even do a good job at that "unnecessarily expensive" work.

In all my years dealing with Tesla, the main reason why I've seen their Service Center and overall Customer Service decline in quality is because they're not matching the cost of their products and services with the quality thereof. Things were pretty great pre-2016 or so, for me. I got my first Tesla in 2014. The service was INCREDIBLE. Like nothing I had experienced before. And I guess at one point, they thought that it was costing too much to provide that level of quality of service, so it took a dive, for the worse, increasingly so over the years.
I've owned lots of cars. I've owned a lot of BMWs, and one thing that they have, down pat, is that they KNOW their vehicles are expensive, so they KNOW they have to meet the Quality of the Service with how expensive their products are. I know Mercedes Benz is the same way. My girlfriend owned Cadillacs for a while, and they practically roll out the red carpet for ANY service center appointment.

I wish Tesla took into consideration that lots of us care about the fact that we're spending exorbitant (relatively) amounts of money for the love of these products, and I know a big number of owners are at a point, financially, where the most expensive Model X is chump change. I get that. But lots of us are not in that position - so it matters a little more when we're paying for something that we deem "expensive". We expect the quality of the service, and the way they deal with the products under warranty, to match the "cost" for us.

-R.

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Dang. Sorry about that. I wish tesla service was better. The service center near me is a fantastic, but the ones in bigger cities usually suffer due to lack of employees etc.
 
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Man, am I glad I learned to handle a roll of duct tape when I was a teen. I have little doubt that I'd have the spoiler fixed in ten minutes. So many people are simply trying not to use duct tape when it comes to simple repairs, and it's sad.

Bring able to use duct tape means I don't have to deal with my service center.

I'll bet the spoiler is held on with tape...Aerospace grade 3M UHB, like many other parts in the car.

If anyone at Tesla read the instructions for said tape, firm pressure for 60 seconds and no load for 24 hrs, the problem would be solved.
 
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