Damage from tire rotation, Tesla's fault!!

[Webeevdrivers]

Here’s a set identical to mine at a much lower price than I paid 18 months ago. Amazon.ca:

https://www.amazon.ca/Seven-Sparta-...9Y2xpY2tSZWRpcmVjdCZkb05vdExvZ0NsaWNrPXRydWU=

Thank you.

 

[Maaz]

Lol my car came with that trim not popped in place. Just pop it back in and relax.

 

[Fresnel]

At least with mobile service you can watch them and when you see them doing dumb stuff tell them to back the f up.

 

[OCR1]

What does Tesla charge to have mobile service rotate your tires?

 

[cappy2112]

After Tesla mobile service came to rotate my tires. I see the trim is damaged. Not sure how to fix it, if Tesla will fix it and not sure if the battery is damaged...

Very upsetting because I paid 2-4x normal tire rotation price to avoid risk of damage. But the tech didn't use jack pads and just balanced it all on the middle of the car to save time.

How could there be battery damage from rotating the tires?????????

 

[TLLMRRJ]

How could there be battery damage from rotating the tires?????????

Uh, you have to get the car off the ground to rotate the tires. To get the car off the ground, you have to jack it up. The whole floor is a battery, so if you jack on the battery, you can damage the battery.

 

[texas_star_TM3]

that's scary and frustrating. Tesla mobile techs not knowing how to properly lift the vehicle... I'll probably go the Discount Tire route where i can see the tech and talk to them OR if I do mobile service i will stand there while they do it. On a side note: when the Service Center replaced my windshield - they busted EVERY single frunk clip (holding the frunk cover in) and just called it a day. Saw it later and mobile service replaced the frunk clips.

 

[cappy2112]

Uh, you have to get the car off the ground to rotate the tires. To get the car off the ground, you have to jack it up. The whole floor is a battery, so if you jack on the battery, you can damage the battery.

I'm a new owner, so that's something I didn't know.
If I were you, I'd report that to Tesla, we can't have that kind of crap happening.

 

[Bill Foster]

They all absolutely have to take shortcuts due to their pay structure. They try to take the shortcuts that you can’t see or prove. It’s that way at every dealer, which is why dealers do some of the worst repair work and often charge for things they don’t do like brake fluid changes. You’ll only know they didn’t do it if you change the brake fluid right afterwards and they know you won’t or you wouldn’t have paid them to do it in the first place. And you’ll never pin a brake system failure on them years down the road.

It’s a very bad system that promotes bad behavior for increased profits. If you don’t do your own work, you’re getting scammed guaranteed. Lots of youtube videos of undercover cameras proving it happens all the time.

Plus there is absolutely no checks and balances. No independent inspectors to review work in progress and most make sure you aren’t able to confirm what they are and aren’t doing even if you know what you’re doing.

As someone who has worked in the service side of automotive for 15+ years I can assure you at high line dealerships it's not like this at all.

Techs dont get paid for come backs, so yes they want to fix it right the first time. Also their pay can be dependent on survey scores, so there is more motivation to do it right.

Also, wall jobbing (in reference to your brake fluid change) is not something that happens as often as you might think. In 15 years I saw one tech get fired for it. He said he did a brake fluid change, and the QC tech noticed the bleeder screws were dry. This tech had worked there for 5-10 years, was a team leader and had a spotless record. He was fired that night without question. Not a reputation you want following you as you apply at another dealership.

Also, Tesla (at least when I talked to them) had an hourly rate for techs, not flat rate.

 

[TLLMRRJ]

As someone who has worked in the service side of automotive for 15+ years I can assure you at high line dealerships it's not like this at all.

Techs dont get paid for come backs, so yes they want to fix it right the first time. Also their pay can be dependent on survey scores, so there is more motivation to do it right.

Also, wall jobbing (in reference to your brake fluid change) is not something that happens as often as you might think. In 15 years I saw one tech get fired for it. He said he did a brake fluid change, and the QC tech noticed the bleeder screws were dry. This tech had worked there for 5-10 years, was a team leader and had a spotless record. He was fired that night without question. Not a reputation you want following you as you apply at another dealership.

Also, Tesla (at least when I talked to them) had an hourly rate for techs, not flat rate.

Well, you need to watch the youtube videos of high line dealerships like Mercedes getting caught in the act with dashcams. BMW has started insisting that dashcams be removed from the car before they will work on your car so they don't get caught.

You missed my whole point about how techs are not stupid. They know what they can skip that will cause a comeback and what they can get away with that they won't get a comeback. If you thought I was suggesting that they would charge to put on a new set of tires, and not do it and think you're not going to notice, you're way off from understanding my post. But a transmission fluid change, or brake fluid, or making sure you lube the pins on the brake calipers, etc etc etc, they know they won't get nailed for not doing it.

As for Tesla, and how they are paid, I don't think their pay is the issue. The problem is the company's culture that is not focused on customer service from the top. It's the polar opposite of a company like Amazon that focuses on the customer first, while Tesla is product first.

 

[Flatbat]

Lol my car came with that trim not popped in place. Just pop it back in and relax.

Same here. Noticed that trim adrift in two places on my brand new car at delivery. Took the Tesla mechanic 10 seconds to whack The clips back in to place with the palm of his hand.

 

[Bill Foster]

Well, you need to watch the youtube videos of high line dealerships like Mercedes getting caught in the act with dashcams. BMW has started insisting that dashcams be removed from the car before they will work on your car so they don't get caught.

You missed my whole point about how techs are not stupid. They know what they can skip that will cause a comeback and what they can get away with that they won't get a comeback. If you thought I was suggesting that they would charge to put on a new set of tires, and not do it and think you're not going to notice, you're way off from understanding my post. But a transmission fluid change, or brake fluid, or making sure you lube the pins on the brake calipers, etc etc etc, they know they won't get nailed for not doing it.
.

Based on your comments, I won't change your mind. In my experience, at multiple high line dealers, over 15 or so years, techs do exactly what they are paid for. You can have your opinion based on a TV program, but I did it for a living.

yes there might be bad apples (as in any profession) but I've never seen it personally.

And in the example I provided, it shows why techs do what they are paid to do, because the repercussions and maintaining the high dealership standard is enough to keep them in line.

And for the dash cams, yes lots of places are taking them down. But how are you going to see someone not do a trans service on a newer trans, or lube brake caliper pins from your dash cam?

 

[TLLMRRJ]

Actually, this is another reason to buy a spare tire. If I get a nail, I'll remove the tire and either put the spare on to drive to a tire shop or use the spare to hold up the car while I take the bad tire to a tire shop.

Just make sure you know how to change a spare or learn how to dial 911 with your toes:

Woman calls 911 with her toes after her hands get crushed while changing tire

 

[Dolemite]

After Tesla mobile service came to rotate my tires. I see the trim is damaged. Not sure how to fix it, if Tesla will fix it and not sure if the battery is damaged...

Very upsetting because I paid 2-4x normal tire rotation price to avoid risk of damage. But the tech didn't use jack pads and just balanced it all on the middle of the car to save time.

What do you mean balanced it all on the middle?

 

[mswlogo]

This is why I do my own work, at least as much as I reasonably can. Even the "pros" will try to take shortcuts.

Exactly. And some of the "Pro's" just finished there 1 week of training a week earlier.

 

[mswlogo]

It's one thing to not use jack pads, but another entirely to disregard Tesla's jacking instructions and use the middle of the pack. There are only 4 points this car can be lifted from.

In the future, get the pucks and use discount tire (or other). Ask them to jack up the car on the pads.

I jack all my cars under the suspension.

If you jack from the front jack points the whole side of the car will lift (both wheels). Probably less stress to put the jack in the middle

I avoid the silly jack points (which are really for a lift). I carry jack pads in case of emergency service that needs to use a LIFT.

Model 3 manual does not mention "Jacking" one corner. It describes how to position lift arms with jack pads only.

 

[Dolemite]

I jack all my cars under the suspension.

If you jack from the front jack points the whole side of the car will lift (both wheels). Probably less stress to put the jack in the middle

I avoid the silly jack points (which are really for a lift). I carry jack pads in case of emergency service that needs to use a LIFT.

Model 3 manual does not mention "Jacking" one corner. It describes how to position lift arms with jack pads only.

Where on the suspension?

 

[mswlogo]

Where on the suspension?

For front, under the lower control arm.
This is my testing my Porsche aluminum emergency jack on the Model 3.

What’s nice about under suspension is you don’t have to jack it so damn high. Car looks barely out of level. You’re also lifting way less weight being further to the corner and not lifting so high. You’re not lifting half the car like at “lift points” (made to lift the whole car). It’s like the car is going over a bump vs a cliff.

This is jacking up the rear of my Model X. No battery or body trim to booger up near here. Look Ma no jack pads to mess with either.

I’ve jacked up every car I’ve owned this way for 40 years.

Jacking the “body” instead of just the “wheel” seems kind of dumb.

 

[Dolemite]

For front, under the lower control arm.
This is my testing my Porsche aluminum emergency jack on the Model 3.

What’s nice about under suspension is you don’t have to jack it so damn high. Car looks barely out of level. You’re also lifting way less weight being further to the corner and not lifting so high. You’re not lifting half the car like at “lift points” (made to lift the whole car). It’s like the car is going over a bump vs a cliff.

This is jacking up the rear of my Model X. No battery or body trim to booger up near here. Look Ma no jack pads to mess with either.

I’ve jacked up every car I’ve owned this way for 40 years.

Jacking the “body” instead of just the “wheel” seems kind of dumb.

I've heard that jacking up by any suspension components is a huge no-no, especially on aluminum components (not sure what the TM3's are). I've seen far less bend the arms on a Boxster. Never done it myself.

But I would disagree with there being any issue whatsoever lifting on any one of the jack points. The service techs do it all the time & I, too, have already done it several times. Zero problems.

 

[mswlogo]

I've heard that jacking up by any suspension components is a huge no-no, especially on aluminum components (not sure what the TM3's are). I've seen far less bend the arms on a Boxster. Never done it myself.

But I would disagree with there being any issue whatsoever lifting on any one of the jack points. The service techs do it all the time & I, too, have already done it several times. Zero problems.

If you do it wrong, sure, like in the middle of the control arm, of course it will bend. I use jacks that can get right up to the tire so I can put it under where the control arm mounts. There might be some suspensions that it's just not doable but it's been fine on all my cars. VW, Audi, Jeep, GM, Tesla. You need to use some common sense.

Yeah, service techs do it all the time, just like in the OP. No thanks. I've also seen posted photos where Tesla mobile jack the car up like foot in the front so that the rear is intentionally high and do tire rotation front to back. Again, no thanks.

If I use the lift points, for suspension work, I use two jacks.