Drafty Cabin - Report issues here please!

[mcfadyena]

Thanks, Doug. That's what I would have expected.

I'm starting to feel like doing up a post with my complete Service History for consumption, including the repair fraud. But I'd be doing it out of anger, and it wouldn't really accomplish much, so I'll keep quiet and take a few deep breaths.

Deep breaths. I love my car. Deep breaths, it'll get looked after.

At 30 minutes it should be downright tropical in the cabin. Something is clearly wrong with the HVAC controls.

 

[Mayhemm]

Thanks for the info. I've had to sit and watch Tesla screw up since day 1 and I'm now just about finished with the entire process. I thought it had reached it's low point when I walked out to see the Service tech removing a part from the loaner and putting it on my car (and passing it off as new), but this is getting to be a bit much.

They said that the internal temperature reading on the iPhone app is a few degrees colder than in reality. When I said a few degrees still only gets the temperature after 1/2 hour up to 6 or 7 degrees, and then only up to 14 or 15 after 45 minutes. They explain everything away as normal, always, until I take the car back in and show them. Seeing is believing, I guess, which is why I shot the photos and sent them along.

I'm going to take them up on the new car. And hope beyond all hopes that it doesn't have issues. I really want this to work, because I love my car. But there is no way I'm going to go through this for however many years I plan on owning the car :-(

I admire your patience/dedication. Your service center sounds very shady; more like a back-alley auto shop than a Tesla SC.

Some of those people need to be severely reprimanded, possibly even fired. Lying to a customer regarding work done should not be tolerated. Tesla needs to step in and do some housecleaning.

Glad to see you took Tesla up on their offer for a new car. Your current car clearly has unresolvable issues and, had you kept it, you'd probably be constantly in and out of a service center for the whole life of the vehicle. Nobody wants that headache if they can avoid it.

I hope Tesla is following this very closely (which it sounds like they are). Stories like yours (quality issues, rotten service) are more damaging to the company than any fire.

 

[mnx]

Thanks for the info. I've had to sit and watch Tesla screw up since day 1 and I'm now just about finished with the entire process. I thought it had reached it's low point when I walked out to see the Service tech removing a part from the loaner and putting it on my car (and passing it off as new), but this is getting to be a bit much.

I don't really see a problem with this... If it's under warranty why the fuss?

I might have a problem with this of course if the parts were ancient and my car was about to go out of warranty, but the loaners are pretty much brand new, the tech was just working with the parts he had available no?

 

[mcfadyena]

The problem was that I asked if they were putting a new part on. He said he was. Then when I caught him in there switching the parts, he said it was because he forgot the new part in Toronto in his rush to bring the valet/ranger service. Tesla acknowledged that the violates all of their service policies, and is considered auto repair fraud everywhere. In and of itself, it's not a huge deal. But as part of the entire story, it's just another cut-corners approach to service. And it's a new car (Dec 20). I expect it to have new parts.

I don't really see a problem with this... If it's under warranty why the fuss?

I might have a problem with this of course if the parts were ancient and my car was about to go out of warranty, but the loaners are pretty much brand new, the tech was just working with the parts he had available no?

- - - Updated - - -

Thanks. My patience is still hanging in, but wearing very thin. I feel badly for my wife who has to deal with me everything I deal with Tesla.

And you're right - these stories don't really sell the brand. And I feel badly for that, which is why I haven't done a TESLA SERVICE post. I think the car is fantastic, electric vehicle is incredible, and I love the idea of the brand. But I do want to experience a problem-free vehicle. And a warm one.

I admire your patience/dedication. Your service center sounds very shady; more like a back-alley auto shop than a Tesla SC.

Some of those people need to be severely reprimanded, possibly even fired. Lying to a customer regarding work done should not be tolerated. Tesla needs to step in and do some housecleaning.

Glad to see you took Tesla up on their offer for a new car. Your current car clearly has unresolvable issues and, had you kept it, you'd probably be constantly in and out of a service center for the whole life of the vehicle. Nobody wants that headache if they can avoid it.

I hope Tesla is following this very closely (which it sounds like they are). Stories like yours (quality issues, rotten service) are more damaging to the company than any fire.

 

[mcfadyena]

OK.
Hopefully my final update on this thread.

Jerome connected this evening. They are starting the process to build me a new Model S. Without a draft

 

[wormhole]

Seriously?

 

[mcfadyena]

Seriously?

Yup. Seriously.

 

[mnx]

Seriously?

If you read back in this thread, there is a lot more to the story than a draft...

 

[mcfadyena]

If you read back in this thread, there is a lot more to the story than a draft...

Yes - vehicle is being replaced for a whole host of reasons, and has evolved since my first week of ownership. I was offered a buy back or a new car. And I love the car, the technology, the environment, the experience. All reasons I bought in the first place, so I declined the buy back and took them up on new.

 

[brianman]

Yes - vehicle is being replaced for a whole host of reasons, and has evolved since my first week of ownership. I was offered a buy back or a new car. And I love the car, the technology, the environment, the experience. All reasons I bought in the first place, so I declined the buy back and took them up on new.

I love stories that start sour and end like this. Very much like the "I killed the car" (be being stupid or getting unlucky) followed by "and I have a replacement reserved already."

 

[mcfadyena]

I love stories that start sour and end like this. Very much like the "I killed the car" (be being stupid or getting unlucky) followed by "and I have a replacement reserved already."

I agree. It's been a trying experience, but I am impressed that my concerns were heard and the process worked out for the best in the end. It would have been tough to continue to see the car needing service, but I bet I would have stuck with it regardless. It really is an incredible machine, and the company has shown it's willingness to ensure things are done right.

In the end, I'm still here, still excited to move ahead with Tesla, and will continue to be patient and positive about the entire experience!

 

[Duckjybe]

Yes - vehicle is being replaced for a whole host of reasons, and has evolved since my first week of ownership. I was offered a buy back or a new car. And I love the car, the technology, the environment, the experience. All reasons I bought in the first place, so I declined the buy back and took them up on new.

I do hope it works out for the better, but unless they have tweaked the design of the doors/windows since producing your existing car I am not sure you are going to see much change to the draft issue. I am sure your other issues will be resolved though. Hope for the best!! Its great to see Tesla really trying to please its customers.

 

[mcfadyena]

If I don't see much change, perhaps a visit to Oakville is in order ;-)

I do hope it works out for the better, but unless they have tweaked the design of the doors/windows since producing your existing car I am not sure you are going to see much change to the draft issue. I am sure your other issues will be resolved though. Hope for the best!! Its great to see Tesla really trying to please its customers.

 

[mcfadyena]

Just heard from Tesla. I explained that I was still hesitant to do a complete new build but he was very reassuring. When I told him I simply love the car I have (but hate the issues), he said they will build me a car I will love more. He said Tesla is a new kind of car company, and they want my car to be perfect, as much as I want my car to be perfect. The order has been put in and the process is moving forward. I was very impressed.

 

[techMology]

Just heard from Tesla. I explained that I was still hesitant to do a complete new build but he was very reassuring. When I told I'm I simply love the car I have (but hat the issues), he said they will build me a car I will love more. He said Tesla is a new kind of car company, and they want my car to be perfect, as much as I want my car to be perfect. The order has been put in and the process is moving forward. I was very impressed.

Wow. Really impressive. It certainly gives me some comfort as a future owner.

 

[Duckjybe]

If I don't see much change, perhaps a visit to Oakville is in order ;-)

As it turns out, after a long drive in the cold and wind, I have found my fix needs some tweaking. I am getting some draft from below to the left of where I placed the rubber weatherseal. I don think the sticky side stuck because of the cold. Back to the drawing board. But we are getting there.

I have also come up with a way to visually see where the drafts are coming from. Use a feather from a feather boa. I used some craft feathers that have fine down like filaments. Just lay it in the area of the draft and monitor for filaments moving. I tested the passenger side with the feather and it is much more drafty than the drivers side now.

 

[mknox]

Had a somewhat disturbing observation today. Being bright and sunny (but cold) I decided to take my car through a touchless car wash and I remembered the last time I did that I thought I had a draft from the triangle window area as I went through the blowers. So when my attention focused on that area, I noticed a white frosty looking substance creeping up the triangle window from the rubber seal at the bottom. Not much. About 1/8" or so across the bottom of the glass. At first I thought it was just frost being so cold and all, but when I ran my finger across it, it was gritty and sand-like.

It can only be one of two things: Road salt that has gotten inside the door panels or (and this is what I fear) it is corroding aluminum. It's way too cold outside for me to futz around trying to pull the door panel off and find out.

A second observation, more relevant to this thread, is that I noticed a draft through the door panel at the triangle window are both when the high pressure rinse sprayer went by and also as I passed by the air blowers.

 

[JakeP]

Oh yes, I get that soap/salt too. Just got my car back from service where they were supposed to address it, and they did some foam and taping of the brightwork...still drafty, and now unreasonably loud wind noise on the passenger side. I had to drive around with a cloth stuffed into the passenger triangle. It appears to be coming right through the leading angled edge, which just presses against the rubber lip seal around the inside of the door frame. No idea why it is so much worse on the passenger side.

 

[techMology]

Well, at least everyone gets a free replacement car. ;-)

 

[mknox]

Oh yes, I get that soap/salt too.

No, I should have mentioned whatever it is on my car, mine was there before I took the car through the wash. It was as I was waiting my turn to enter the wash that I sat there looking at the triangle window area. It hadn't been through a wash in over a month prior to today. It was definitely a gritty sand like substance, not soap, and seemed to be creeping up between the rubber (that is affixed to the glass) and the glass itself.