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Brand new Model S quality issues take months to resolve

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I couldn't handle having to drive an ICE.

I agree with this 100%

If someone is going to read these forums and think complaints like this thread represent average owners (or higher proportions of issues than other luxury car brands) then they don't deserve to own a tesla, they should stick with a horse and carriage. I hope they cancel their reservation so the smarter people who realize this and are waiting on line behind them can get a tesla.

Sorry if this sounds harsh but Darwin's law is too.


No -- wrong. Your Lexus "without a doubt will be at the service centre" or you will void your warranty if you don't change that dirty oil.

The only "doubt" is whether a Tesla will need service at all.

People with problems post them on forums. No one comes here and posts "no problems -- all is well". At the same time, Tesla is not Lexus. Lexus (Toyota) has been around since the 1930's and Tesla has only been building cars very recently. If you are looking for perfection when it come to fit and finish, you are best off looking elsewhere. If you are looking for what is, in my view, the best driving experience available -- being instant fast torque, near silent acceleration, and no spewing of toxic fumes, plus no concern about throwing the mileage out the window because you drive with a lead foot, the supercharger network, and so much more -- then say goodbye to all of that with your Model 3 cancellation and enjoy the fine finish of your Lexus.

To each their own.

But to the OP -- this post is no excuse for Tesla and I hope all of your problems get fixed and fast.
 
You know, considering how many more sales are happening, I don't think these issues are coming up that often.

I'm sure Tesla is having some growing pains and they are to be expected. But, the forum isn't full of thousands of complaints and 25,000 cars were delivered this quarter. So just remember, if you hear some more complaints, the denominator is much higher.

May 2015 - one dealer visit for a loose armrest. Took an hour. Next day appt. Still haven't serviced car - 28k miles. So no ICE car has ever been this convenient for me.

But sadly in bodyshop for a non Tesla issue until Friday. :mad:
What you fail to account for is that these forums account for a TINY amount of owners.

The vast majority of Tesla owners do NOT hang out on "fora". I generally do not.

My "classic" (VIN 3xxx) is in the SC for problems that they have yet to diagnose. While there, at least 6 other owners in the waiting area were quietly complaining about how incredibly nice the staff were but how useless the ability to fix problems were.

That will not cut it. Today, I cannot recommend the car as a buy unless you really want OFF gas but will put up with Tesla's (more than occasional) ineptness.

They HAVE to build more service facilities. If you drive between Miami and Minnesota, the only service facilities are Tampa, NE Atlanta, Nashville, Indi, Highland Park. Hundreds of miles between them,.

Off the subject. sorry for hijacking; tomorrows new product??? I could care less. Delivery what you already announced first!
 
I'm not sure what it is with Tesla. After all your problems one would think they would make sure it is fixed properly. Ok, it's only a trunk seal and an easy fix but that's the point. They are so busy that the repairs seem rushed. There is just no way possible for Tesla to expand fast enough to cover Model 3 issues, whatever they are.
 
The fiasco continues after the car has been with Tesla for the third time and going back for yet another visit. After the hood got damaged at Tesla, Chilton's have painted a new hood for me which has been really shoddy so has been sent back. Then they fixed it, came back to Tesla, my advisor checked it and sent it back straight away to Chilton's. After another fix, I got the car back with a misaligned hood, scratchy paint with visible marks under the clear coat. This means I will be requesting another new hood and another paint job and will hope that it ends the story. In the meantime, almost all items on the original list have been ticked off and I also got a tire replaced out of courtesy because it had a nail in it.. My service advisor (Mr. Estes) is super nice and does everything within his power, but i'm very close to calling a lemon lawyer at this stage... So disappointing...

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At this point, anything that was repainted should be presented to you in a condition that would impress a Rolls Royce paint technician...

If you're being sarcastic, that's your position. If you check out the pictures, especially the fourth, that is not even one even color, there is shading, questionnable white peeling stuff and rough surface on the hood. Would you accept that on a brand new item? If you would, then clearly you won't understand my position. If not sarcastic, sorry, I misunderstood...
 
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If you're being sarcastic, that's your position. If you check out the pictures, especially the fourth, that is not even one even color, there is shading, questionnable white peeling stuff and rough surface on the hood. Would you accept that on a brand new item? If you would, then clearly you won't understand my position. If not sarcastic, sorry, I misunderstood...
Nope, I was being genuine. With the history of your car, they (the Tesla SC) should not present you with your car in any condition other than perfect.
 
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Nope, I was being genuine. With the history of your car, they (the Tesla SC) should not present you with your car in any condition other than perfect.

When I picked it up and saw the misaligned hood, I said you know what guys, I will learn how to align a hood and I will fix it myself. But since, I've noticed the broken plastics and the shoddy paint job and so I won't be able to fix it without their help, yet again :(
 
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I think you've given it way longer than enough. Tell them if they can't fix it perfectly this one last try then you want a new car. At this point a new car will be much improved on the original and perhaps that will make up for your trouble.

As much as I want to support Tesla and LOVE the car, I think you're right... I will make sure to document everything (as I've been doing in the past), and give them the very final chance before I involve an attorney. :(
 
Update on the case is that the owner of Chiltons personally came down to see the car in Sunnyvale. He apologized for the finish and actually most artefacts seem to be only surface ones and not under the paint. He offered to personally take care of the car in January and have it detailed to the highest standards. In the meantime, Tesla ordered the broken plastic part and they'll replace in January at the same time we do the paint correction. Hopefully this is the end of it.
 
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Update on the case is that the owner of Chiltons personally came down to see the car in Sunnyvale. He apologized for the finish and actually most artefacts seem to be only surface ones and not under the paint. He offered to personally take care of the car in January and have it detailed to the highest standards. In the meantime, Tesla ordered the broken plastic part and they'll replace in January at the same time we do the paint correction. Hopefully this is the end of it.

Hope so. I would still make it very clear that this is the last chance before you demand a new one, preferably voluntarily on their part.
 
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Unfortunately I don't expect quality to improve anytime soon -- I actually expect it to keep getting worse until it's so bad that demand suffers, for the simple reason that Tesla's current behavior continues to be rewarded with new orders.

The service center people are genuinely caring and attentive but I think I'm with you on this, the quality of the supply chain (both in terms of timing and quality of parts supplied - if even the right part is supplied) is worrying. There could be ways around it, but since Tesla controls the whole system and keeps it closed, they create a problem for themselves...
 
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