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Every service experience makes me want to sell my Model S

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I have a 2017 Model S100D. Purchased new - paid $120k back then. It's been a great car, albeit with many service issues. At first, Tesla service was exceptional. They would drive 60 miles each way from the Gigafactory 1 to Lake Tahoe to perform onsite service. And the mobile technicians were great. But it's all gone to hell in the past year.

Summary: Tesla doesn't put the customer first. Their service decisions are based on expedience and lowest cost for Tesla; not the customer's best interest. They creatively interpret their warranty to their own benefit - setting aside the reasonable rights of their customers. Their service advisors are pompous and self-righteous - knowing that that I have no alternatives and my only recourse is suing. They act as if they don't care (I can't tell if they do care). This is no way to retain customers. You can make a great product, but if you treat your customers like sh*t, they won't come back.

Examples:
MCU1 with yellow border. Fixed it the first time with replacement screen. OK for < 1 year. I reported my yellow screen today and they said that they don't replace them anymore. They just treat the symptom with UV light and the symptom goes away for a while while underlying problem still exists. Just long enough for my warranty to expire - no doubt. They further told me that they would do this UV treatment once for free. But after that, I had to pay to have it done again regardless of my warranty coverage. They acted as if they were doing me a favor. Tesla equips the car with a defective product, replace it once with a product they new was still defective before they installed it, then they say they won't replace it again despite my warranty coverage. WTF???

Squeaks and rattles. Took my car into service for a few squeaks and rattles. Unlike every other car costing $120k, they say that squeaks and rattles aren't covered under the warranty and I have to pay for it. Verified it in the warranty statement (last time I don't read the warranty!). $200 later, fixed at my cost.

AP3 upgrade. I inquired about that today and they said that while they've completed the replacement on a bunch of cars, they've mostly been Model 3s. So I pay $7,000 up front for FSD 3 years ago, and they upgrade the cheaper 1 year old models first. WTF??? They don't get it that for $120k, customers expect more than if they pay $60k.

I get it that in purchasing a Model S back then, I was on the bleeding edge. I paid a lot of money for my car and watched Tesla depreciate it by $30k solely through price reductions in the first 6 months. I've come to terms with that. But Tesla service is worse than that of Chevy. It's really pathetic.

I've decided to sell my car before the warranty runs out. As much as I love the car, I hate the service experience so much that I refuse to deal with it anymore. And short of dramatic improvements in Tesla service, this will be my last Tesla. So sad.
 
It doesn't sound like a Tesla is a vehicle for you. As you've pointed out, it's not meeting your expectations any longer (may have at one point, but not any more). That's a totally acceptable feeling.

If you feel like you're entitled to a certain level of service and support based on vehicle price, and clearly you're not happy with what Tesla is now able to offer you in terms of service and support, there are other vehicles and manufactures who can provide that for you.

Beyond the service and support, hopefully you have enjoyed your 2017 Model S.
 
Cool story. Good luck with sale!

All of these issues are covered in great detail here. The UV treatment for the screen has proven incredibly effective, with no reports that I'm aware of of recurrence. Some of us with similar vintage cars to yours are out of warranty now and have actually done the UV repair with a $30 light from Amazon with near 100% success. The default line on having to pay to have it done again is stupid, certainly agree - but someone pressed how much that actually costs out of pocket and they were told it's about $30. To date I haven't heard a single story of anyone having to pay to have it done.

Many car companies put a reasonable limit, usually 12 months, on squeak and rattle warranty claims.

The AP3 computer upgrades haven't started for cars of your vintage due to hardware compatibility issues that need to be worked out. I'm sure they'll get to it. But since you're selling I guess you probably don't need to worry about this one any more.
 
It doesn't sound like a Tesla is a vehicle for you. As you've pointed out, it's not meeting your expectations any longer (may have at one point, but not any more). That's a totally acceptable feeling.

If you feel like you're entitled to a certain level of service and support based on vehicle price, and clearly you're not happy with what Tesla is now able to offer you in terms of service and support, there are other vehicles and manufactures who can provide that for you.

Beyond the service and support, hopefully you have enjoyed your 2017 Model S.

It's a shame that such an another amazing car is so compromised with subpar service. I do expect it all. My bad in this case.
 
Like you, I'm scared whenever I have to take my car in for service given the debacle I had the last time.

I've been paitintly waiting for over a year to fix the defective MCU with the yellow border :(

But what can you do? You can either continue to own your Tesla and have the best car you can buy with the current state of service or buy another car with better service but not the best technology.

The Porsche Taycan is perhaps the closest you can come to having a great EV with decent service but I'd still opt for a Model S even with the current state of service.

I really wish they'd do something to fix the current state of service.

90% of the service problems can be fixed by adding humans who care and are empowered to help and interact with customers. Right now I feel like everyone does whatever they feel like with zero accountability.

Tesla service needs humans who care that customers can reach so individual concerns can be addressed and resolved. They'll save so many headaches for everyone and even save money by having humans at each service center that customers can reach.

The current text message based service is an order of a magnitude worse than calling an Indian call center for tech support. With text messages, they only reply to your text message if they feel like replying to it.
 
It has nothing to do with paying a lot and expecting superior service and care for that premium (although I totally understand why some would say this should be expected) price tag as some here are indicating. At this point I would settle for the level of customer service we got on our Kia Optima. That was a $35k car back in 2011 and the customer service was on another level compared to what we get from Tesla. Let's start with expecting customer service that Kia customers get (which Tesla can't currently offer) and then we can talk upgraded expectations for a premium price tag.

If you think the shorts had fun making up negative stories to parrot about Tesla previously, just wait until the numbers come out on where Tesla's customer approval rating is heading this year. They'll have a field day. The made up stuff was effective enough so I can only imagine what the real thing does for Tesla's image among the masses.
 
One big problem is that many bought Tesla's and paid a premium price based on the exceptional service experience others (or they) had gotten in years prior. In the last few years the service has dropped dramatically. You can debate all day long if it is more appropriate to other cars today than it was but you cannot debate the service is better or even the same as it was when they made the purchase. On top of that Tesla has even updated the warranty of the cars after the fact (see battery, noise, display, ...).

So telling someone the Tesla of today may not be for them is moot when they bought the car from the Tesla at the time.

FWIW on the points the OP posted IMHO:
  1. The display should be treated under warranty. Whether they repair it with UV or replace it, it should be supported for the warranty period, including post treatments even out of warranty if the problem occured during warranty for a reasonable amount of time
  2. Squeaks and Rattles are a problem with most Teslas. I personally believe they should treat these under warranty too and use the experience to improve newer generation of cars. I have basically taken care of my own and don't have any left. Having said that I have had some noises (clunks) that would have been dismissed if I had not changed my terminology. They were definitely suspension issues. So be careful here how you describe them.
  3. AP1/2 > AP3: This was stated above as a WIP so if you have it in writing you just need to be patient. If not I would press for it in writing.
On another note you were using GF1 people using Mobile Service. Now that there is a Reno service center could/does that help any?
 
One big problem is that many bought Tesla's and paid a premium price based on the exceptional service experience others (or they) had gotten in years prior. In the last few years the service has dropped dramatically. You can debate all day long if it is more appropriate to other cars today than it was but you cannot debate the service is better or even the same as it was when they made the purchase. On top of that Tesla has even updated the warranty of the cars after the fact (see battery, noise, display, ...).

So telling someone the Tesla of today may not be for them is moot when they bought the car from the Tesla at the time.

FWIW on the points the OP posted IMHO:
  1. The display should be treated under warranty. Whether they repair it with UV or replace it, it should be supported for the warranty period, including post treatments even out of warranty if the problem occured during warranty for a reasonable amount of time
  2. Squeaks and Rattles are a problem with most Teslas. I personally believe they should treat these under warranty too and use the experience to improve newer generation of cars. I have basically taken care of my own and don't have any left. Having said that I have had some noises (clunks) that would have been dismissed if I had not changed my terminology. They were definitely suspension issues. So be careful here how you describe them.
  3. AP1/2 > AP3: This was stated above as a WIP so if you have it in writing you just need to be patient. If not I would press for it in writing.
On another note you were using GF1 people using Mobile Service. Now that there is a Reno service center could/does that help any?
It's the service staff in Reno that are the problem. I've still found mobile service people to be amazing, within the limits of the authority they are granted by Tesla corporate.
 
Cool story. Good luck with sale!

All of these issues are covered in great detail here. The UV treatment for the screen has proven incredibly effective, with no reports that I'm aware of of recurrence. Some of us with similar vintage cars to yours are out of warranty now and have actually done the UV repair with a $30 light from Amazon with near 100% success. The default line on having to pay to have it done again is stupid, certainly agree - but someone pressed how much that actually costs out of pocket and they were told it's about $30. To date I haven't heard a single story of anyone having to pay to have it done.

Many car companies put a reasonable limit, usually 12 months, on squeak and rattle warranty claims.

The AP3 computer upgrades haven't started for cars of your vintage due to hardware compatibility issues that need to be worked out. I'm sure they'll get to it. But since you're selling I guess you probably don't need to worry about this one any more.

fair post.

FWIW: my almost 2 yr old X received the HW upgrade last month. 3’s are not the only vehicles receiving the upgrade.
 
Many car companies put a reasonable limit, usually 12 months, on squeak and rattle warranty claims.

I think the point is how much the service experience has changed, especially after the 3 was released. I bought my S at 48k miles and all rattles were fully addressed at no cost before hitting 50k. This was on a 3.5 year old car at the time. I realize the newer cars have different warranty language, but that is also a part of the degraded service experience.
 
Between the S and the 3 that we have, we have the same 3 issues that you have. We paid much more (combined) for both cars than you did for your S100D, so we should be unhappy like you? On the contrary, we love our Teslas. We value the cars' safety, EAP features, fun to drive quality and look forward to each new updates. If customer service experience is all you are looking for, then you are better off with other brands.
 
Between the S and the 3 that we have, we have the same 3 issues that you have. We paid much more (combined) for both cars than you did for your S100D, so we should be unhappy like you? On the contrary, we love our Teslas. We value the cars' safety, EAP features, fun to drive quality and look forward to each new updates. If customer service experience is all you are looking for, then you are better off with other brands.

Yeah, screw OP for wanting respect and reasonable customer service from Tesla.

He should be happy he even gets to own the car in the first place.
 
Tesla has a monopoly on their service - thus they and their employees have zero market-based incentive to compete for your business or keep you happy.

The answer is not more Tesla owned service centers, but independent service centers allowed to work on Tesla's (and stock parts!).

Competition solves price and customer service issues when people vote with their feet.
 
I think the point is how much the service experience has changed, especially after the 3 was released. I bought my S at 48k miles and all rattles were fully addressed at no cost before hitting 50k. This was on a 3.5 year old car at the time. I realize the newer cars have different warranty language, but that is also a part of the degraded service experience.

I think it was fully naive to think the service experience wasn't going to change as the company grew. The over the top gestures and great expense required to hand hold early adopters simply doesn't scale, even at the price point we're talking about.

Before someone runs with the above and makes a comment about how BMW and Mercedes can do it - keep in mind they're selling you what is essentially a $25,000 piece of machinery for $60,000. Tesla doesn't enjoy anywhere near the same margin - you're buying emerging technology from a company pouring all of their margin into infrastructure expansion, not owner ego fluffing.


I don't disagree that the experience has likely degraded too far - I sure miss the days when Tesla would drive 150 miles to drop me a brand new car, take mine back to the service center, and then reverse the process when they were done. Growing pains are real, and there's definitely some good to go along with the bad (for example, I now have a service center 30 miles away instead of 150, but they don't have a single loaner).
 
I think it was fully naive to think the service experience wasn't going to change as the company grew. The over the top gestures and great expense required to hand hold early adopters simply doesn't scale, even at the price point we're talking about.
Did you see this? I am not totally sure what drove this (efficiency of staff by only working on one vehicle type or giving S/X owners better service based on the margin they paid for their cars).

Tesla tests specialized Service Centers that are tailored to specific vehicle models

There is no doubt OC represents a huge number of Tesla vehicles.
 
Did you see this? I am not totally sure what drove this (efficiency of staff by only working on one vehicle type or giving S/X owners better service based on the margin they paid for their cars).

Tesla tests specialized Service Centers that are tailored to specific vehicle models

There is no doubt OC represents a huge number of Tesla vehicles.

It's an interesting concept, and I think some manner of "pay to play" is a perfectly valid solution to the problem provided it's rolled out and managed effectively. Market it as an added benefit for stepping up to an S/X. "Model S and X owners enjoy extra benefits including dedicated service centers (where available), guaranteed loaners, priority appointment availability, free popcorn, breath mints, and the ability to speak and interact with a real live human!"
 
Good Luck!

Tesla's service needs improvement in MANY areas. Too bad we haven't received it yet. It seems like they could take lessons from basically every other brand out there on customer service. Those over the top things they used to do are long gone along with the "goodwill" services. People (like OP) are selling because after a while you get sick of being treated like trash after you've purchased a $100k+ vehicle and instead of constantly taking the BS you get rid of the problem at hand which is owning the car.

OP I hope you enjoy your new vehicle!
 
I have a 2017 Model S100D. Purchased new - paid $120k back then. It's been a great car, albeit with many service issues. At first, Tesla service was exceptional. They would drive 60 miles each way from the Gigafactory 1 to Lake Tahoe to perform onsite service. And the mobile technicians were great. But it's all gone to hell in the past year.

Summary: Tesla doesn't put the customer first. Their service decisions are based on expedience and lowest cost for Tesla; not the customer's best interest. They creatively interpret their warranty to their own benefit - setting aside the reasonable rights of their customers. Their service advisors are pompous and self-righteous - knowing that that I have no alternatives and my only recourse is suing. They act as if they don't care (I can't tell if they do care). This is no way to retain customers. You can make a great product, but if you treat your customers like sh*t, they won't come back.

Examples:
MCU1 with yellow border. Fixed it the first time with replacement screen. OK for < 1 year. I reported my yellow screen today and they said that they don't replace them anymore. They just treat the symptom with UV light and the symptom goes away for a while while underlying problem still exists. Just long enough for my warranty to expire - no doubt. They further told me that they would do this UV treatment once for free. But after that, I had to pay to have it done again regardless of my warranty coverage. They acted as if they were doing me a favor. Tesla equips the car with a defective product, replace it once with a product they new was still defective before they installed it, then they say they won't replace it again despite my warranty coverage. WTF???

Squeaks and rattles. Took my car into service for a few squeaks and rattles. Unlike every other car costing $120k, they say that squeaks and rattles aren't covered under the warranty and I have to pay for it. Verified it in the warranty statement (last time I don't read the warranty!). $200 later, fixed at my cost.

AP3 upgrade. I inquired about that today and they said that while they've completed the replacement on a bunch of cars, they've mostly been Model 3s. So I pay $7,000 up front for FSD 3 years ago, and they upgrade the cheaper 1 year old models first. WTF??? They don't get it that for $120k, customers expect more than if they pay $60k.

I get it that in purchasing a Model S back then, I was on the bleeding edge. I paid a lot of money for my car and watched Tesla depreciate it by $30k solely through price reductions in the first 6 months. I've come to terms with that. But Tesla service is worse than that of Chevy. It's really pathetic.

I've decided to sell my car before the warranty runs out. As much as I love the car, I hate the service experience so much that I refuse to deal with it anymore. And short of dramatic improvements in Tesla service, this will be my last Tesla. So sad.

I feel you pain and I hope my new 2020 does not have those types of issues in the future......I do have one question though: If you have had things repaired or replaced under warranty two times or more, are they still under the original issues warranty even though the warranty expired, right.....it means they have never fixed the original problem and it should be fixed no matter how long it takes....I do not believe they can just band-aid until the clock tick down to zero and then say, oops, sorry not under warranty anymore