Dead car

[Tysto]

Came out to my 3-month-old S 75D Sunday afternoon to find it completely unresponsive. Wouldn't unlock, would let me disconnect the charger, nothing. Called Tesla, and the tech said the car had registered alerts about the 12-volt battery, but I hadn't gotten any. I got lunch with it on Saturday and parked it back in the garage with a nearly 90% charge with nothing unusual.

A Ranger came out today and got it up and running. He replaced the 12-volt, thinking it had a bad cell, but after driving it around for a while, he did some more testing and now fears it has a bad module or fuse or something. He's going to look into seeing if it is really a firmware issue but, barring that, will arrange for it to be towed to the nearest Service Center (2.5 to 3 hrs away).

So, it's working now and might be okay with a firmware update, or it might become unresponsive again at any time. Yikes. This is the same car that had an unresponsive driver's door handle just a few weeks ago fixed by the same Ranger. Nice guy. Seems very competent, just in a tough spot.

 

[randvegeta]

You know reliability issues was always one of my main concerns before buying my Model S.

Living in Lithuania, there is no Tesla presence, and no service centres. Instead we have some enthusiasts and hobbyists and a couple of guys coming down from Norway sharing their know-how when it comes to maintenance and repairs.

With that being said, I've been driving my 2nd hand 2014 Model S for almost a year and a half, and other than the batteries in the tire pressure sensors all failing at the same time, I haven't had a single thing go wrong with it. Natta!

There are a few irritating squeaks and rattles now and then (depending on the temperature), but it's been surprisingly trouble free.

So far it's more reliable and cheaper to run than my VW Golf.

 

[Tysto]

Yeah, it's disappointing to have two serious problems (and both the sort you wouldn't see in another car) in three months, but as long as they can be taken care of under warranty and mostly by a guy who comes to me instead me going to them, it's not too bad. If it ends up in the shop for a week and I'm given a nice loaner, still not too bad.

My mother's Toyota Avalon felt weird and discomforting for two days. I don't want to go back!

 

[randvegeta]

Yeah, it's disappointing to have two serious problems (and both the sort you wouldn't see in another car) in three months, but as long as they can be taken care of under warranty and mostly by a guy who comes to me instead me going to them, it's not too bad. If it ends up in the shop for a week and I'm given a nice loaner, still not too bad.

My mother's Toyota Avalon felt weird and discomforting for two days. I don't want to go back!

I know what you mean. I'm in the UK visiting family now. Currently driving an Audi A8 while I'm here. Given I drive a Model S every day, the size and power of the Audi's 4.2L engine is really a non issue. But it just feels so weird. The lack of responsiveness, the selecting of the right gear to get the right power level, the sounds and rumbles it all makes, it's actually quite disconcerting. I know that's how ICE cars work, but it you start questioning "is that normal?". I'm looking forward to getting back into my MS

 

[Stiction]

After driving a Telsa, an ICE car seems like a tractor

 

[randvegeta]

After driving a Telsa, an ICE car seems like a tractor

Especially Diesels.

 

[eschummer]

You nailed it! I own both, and the temptation to replace the diesel with another Tesla is great - alas the pocketbook couldn't handle the stress right now..(kids in college..)