Edmunds.com test car failure

[paco3791]

Thought I would post this here, I follow this blog fairly regularly since they have had some good (and some not so good) reporting on their long term test car.

http://www.edmunds.com/tesla/model-.../2013-tesla-model-s-stuck-on-the-freeway.html

Sounds like a pretty catastrophic failure, probably in the 12V system somewhere since the driver reported that he couldn't even get the car in neutral and the hazard lights died in less than an hour or so! Will be interesting to hear the follow up reports from Edmunds.

 

[tom66]

Have seen quite a few of these recently, it relates to battery or inverter failure usually. Still, with over 21,000 vehicles sold, you're going to have a few fail.

 

[Al Sherman]

Ouch.

 

[steve841]

I said it before and I'll say it again ... ... what a shame the MS's Achilles heel is a 12V battery.

 

[Alfafoxtrot1]

The race is on. If TM can get it fixed and back on the road quickly, we'll have some lemonade in the form of a good report on Tesla service.

 

[brianstorms]

Would love to know how old/new (read: what's the VIN) of the test car Edmunds was given.

One lesson for me at least from this story:

• Consider buying some flares.
• Consider buying some high-reflection hazard triangles

I kinda wish Tesla would include these things as a safety kit. Some European manufacturers do or at least used to.

 

[Stoneymonster]

Would love to know how old/new (read: what's the VIN) of the test car Edmunds was given.

I think they got it about this time last year, so probably in the low 4000's. They undoubtedly have many of the early issues, including the bad 12V. Since mine was just replaced at my annual service, it's conceivable this is what happened.

 

[stealthnhawk]

I think they got it about this time last year, so probably in the low 4000's. They undoubtedly have many of the early issues, including the bad 12V. Since mine was just replaced at my annual service, it's conceivable this is what happened.

Is the issue resolved now with latest release?

 

[Stoneymonster]

Is the issue resolved now with latest release?

Yes, the older 12V batteries were not appropriate for the charge/discharge cycle they were put through. The newer ones are much higher quality.
Telsa had been quite proactive for some people in getting them replaced, but others (like mine) were left in for over a year and multiple service
visits. It wouldn't surprise me if the Edmunds car still had the old one.

NOTE: I'm talking about the 12V accessory battery, NOT the traction battery. This is the cheap thing in the nose, not the expensive thing under your feet.

 

[100thMonkey]

with an early car about the same age as my first S, Edmonds is unfortunately getting a skewed sense of what Tesla has achieved. From what I can tell, after vins in the 8 K range, a lot of these issues went from quite common to quite rare. kind of wish they could start over their test with a car that is more representative of what Tesla is producing now.

 

[MassX1317]

So what would you do if your car stopped working in the middle of the highway with young children in the back?

If I were by myself I would ditch the car and go to the side of the road ASAP.

With my kids I would have to get out of the car, take them out of their car seats and carry them to the side of the road. Most of the time, my wife will be in the car with the kids and she wouldn't be able to take both kids at the same time.

With a lot of drivers frequently texting/browsing the internet and driving, it would be likely that the car would get hit from behind. This scares me a little bit. Hope this is fully resolved with the new builds.

 

[Stoneymonster]

So what would you do if your car stopped working in the middle of the highway with young children in the back?

I have a fuzzy memory of my mom making me climb the chain link fence beside I5 near San Juan Capistrano (this would've been the late 70's) to get away from the highway when our car (Impala, I think, or maybe a Camaro) dropped it's entire transmission.

 

[Thumper]

Looks like a good idea to always carry a self powered LED flasher and/or some old fashioned flares.

 

[efusco]

Hate to hear that...they had a pretty early version of the S, I wonder if they'd had the 12v battery update?

 

[huntjo]

Scary to have the car die on you like that. Happened in the middle of an intersection to me in 2012.
In my Dodge Dakota.
While still waiting for my model S to deliver.
Electrical systems completely and suddenly failed after 5 feet of acceleration and a nice bystander helped me push it like 100 yds. out of what we consider rush hour traffic in Fort Collins.

 

[yobigd20]

Yea really Edmunds just has a track record of bad luck with their Model S. They have only a fraction of the amount of miles I have on mine and yet I haven't had a single major issue...

 

[ckessel]

Yea really Edmunds just has a track record of bad luck with their Model S.

I've just about the same issues with my P2310.
- 12v died
- charge port stopped opening
- door handle stopped working
- pano roof noise/creaking
- side window triangle bar thing leaking air at highway speeds (twice, need to take it in again)
- replaced inverter
- replaced wheel hub thing (loud groaning noise while driving, not the same as lone droning at freeway speed, that was the inverter)
- pano roof leaving slime trails from too much goop/sealant
- loose visor clip caused it to be very noisy/rattle
- Missing/broken clip caused front fascia to pop out an inch or so

And that's just what I can recall off the top of my head...

I love my Model S, but I wouldn't remotely call it a high quality or reliable car at this stage in Tesla's life cycle. I've had more trouble with it in 1 year than 20 years of other cars.

 

[Trnsl8r]

Would love to know how old/new (read: what's the VIN) of the test car Edmunds was given.

One lesson for me at least from this story:

• Consider buying some flares.
• Consider buying some high-reflection hazard triangles

I kinda wish Tesla would include these things as a safety kit. Some European manufacturers do or at least used to.

In most (all?) European countries you are required by law to have a reflection hazard triangle in your car.

 

[Stoneymonster]

I fully expected to have many early adopter problems (VIN 3280 here). I have had some, most have been fixed and I'm ok with it. I think it's par for the course for the < 5000 copy off a new line from a new company. In fact, I'm amazed at the quality they did pull off. I had more serious and persistent problems with my year 2001 (year 3!) Audi TT (complete transmission rebuild, then replacement, repeated instrument cluster failures, soft top leak, electrical faults, etc. etc.).

 

[Plug Me In]

I have a fuzzy memory of my mom making me climb the chain link fence beside I5 near San Juan Capistrano (this would've been the late 70's) to get away from the highway when our car (Impala, I think, or maybe a Camaro) dropped it's entire transmission.

Maybe that yellow warning sign on I5 near Oceanside with the picture of the family running is really memorializing your childhood adventure.