Finalize or not?

[retinadoc]

Currently I am coming up against the January 1rst deadline. While I do not mind being a beta tester for small engineering gremlins and omissions (except parking sensors), large ones such as fogging, 12v problems, and charging malfunctions are a serious concern. Anything that turns the car into a very expensive paper weight is a real issue.

I believe that Tesla will work diligently to address these "bugs" and a Model S six months from now will be a more refined car. Please do not mistake this post for bashing. I have definitely drunk the Kool Aid. I am just wondering if a little delayed gratification now will save a lot of frustration.

For those that have taken delivery, any regrets not waiting?

 

[dennis25]

Currently I am coming up against the January 1rst deadline. While I do not mind being a beta tester for small engineering gremlins and omissions (except parking sensors), large ones such as fogging, 12v problems, and charging malfunctions are a serious concern. Anything that turns the car into a very expensive paper weight is a real issue.

I believe that Tesla will work diligently to address these "bugs" and a Model S six months from now will be a more refined car. Please do not mistake this post for bashing. I have definitely drunk the Kool Aid. I am just wondering if a little delayed gratification now will save a lot of frustration.

For those that have taken delivery, any regrets not waiting?

My only regret is that i didn't get it sooner. no regrets..go for it.

 

[snapster]

From an engineering standpoint, sure you should logically wait. From an excitement standpoint, clearly you should move forward now. If you've regretted being an early adopter in the past, then wait. If you've felt excitement from pioneering and desire that feeling again, do it. You'll find 99% the latter here, otherwise why would they hang around?

 

[NigelM]

It's important to remember that while there is legitimate forum discussion of problems and issues, it's also fair to say that the vast majority of us have had little or no issues.

The joy of driving Model S daily hasn't worn off after 8 weeks and my wife continues to marvel that she hasn't been to a gas station in the last 2 months.

Conclusion: I continue to recommend the car to friends.

 

[stevezzzz]

Snapster and NigelM are in the right of it.

I'm an early adopter who doesn't regret getting the car before all the kinks have been worked out. YMMV...

 

[ElSupreme]

From an engineering standpoint, sure you should logically wait.

The problem with this statement is that is is always true. Better stuff is always around the corner. You eventually have to just get it done with what you have. I personally don't see any of the problems on this forum really being serious (there have been a few, but not lots of occurrences of them). And from what I can tell Tesla is handling the problems correctly.

So I say go ahead and get one before the price increase. Besides most of the fixes that come in the next 6 months will probably be warranty items on the car you get early anyway.

 

[ToddRLockwood]

Currently I am coming up against the January 1rst deadline. While I do not mind being a beta tester for small engineering gremlins and omissions (except parking sensors), large ones such as fogging, 12v problems, and charging malfunctions are a serious concern. Anything that turns the car into a very expensive paper weight is a real issue.

FYI, the fogging problem can be largely eliminated with windex, followed by rain-x. The interior glass surfaces apparently get coated with gassed residue from the new materials inside the car, attracting and holding water vapor.

 

[eelton]

I had the same concerns--the recent talk of stranded Teslas have been distressing--but I signed my paperwork last night. My hope is that Tesla will address the issues in an ongoing way, both for cars yet-to-be built and existing ones. Some of them will probably have to be, since they're potential safety issues (windshield wipers, fogging, and maybe doors that open on their own) that could lead to recalls.

 

[efusco]

I don't think anyone who is feeling that 1)They can wait, 2)Can afford the upcharge of the new pricing and 3)Is feeling distressed by the gremlins being report should buy right now. Why would you. If you're in no rush and these issues are going to bother you then bide your time. Model S v1.1 will likely be out soon with improvements and fewer gremlins as Tesla hones the process.

That said, if you're eager and don't mind being a beta tester, this car is fantastic and I absolutely, personally, wouldn't have waited even this long to finalize.

 

[GSP]

Finalize.

My Volt has been problem free and a joy to drive. Yet when I read gm-volt.com, there are as many problems listed there as for the Model S here; mostly minor, and some major. It is pretty much like the Model S problems reported here.

On boards like this most problems are logged, but no one posts every day "no problems again today." It makes things look worse than they are.

Since you don't mind being a beta tester, and aftermarket parking sensors are available: Finalize.

GSP

 

[Owner]

My experience being an early Roadster owner, that Tesla has done a great job fixing whatever minor issues come up.

 

[roblab]

We had a few bugs. Tesla immediately took care of everything. This car exceeds expectations.
Don't let your unproven fears stop you from stepping into the future.
We have never been stranded, and Tesla's Customer Care is far, far, FAR better than my experience with Toyota for the past 45 years. Every new car has bugs, every dealer will try to fix them. You will find you can't wipe the silly grin off your face.
Sign the paper. You'll never be sorry.

 

[Zextraterrestrial]

No problems today ;>


.....oh, 1 'major' problem (besides not being able to drive my S and get paid for it)... no o-**** handle! my wife hates it!
I might need to do something about that (not a new wife:wink

 

[Zythryn]

No regrets what so ever! Well, one, I regret our lease on our other vehicle so we can't buy a second Model S for a couple of years.
Many of these issues have already, or are currently being addressed. And they continue to provide great support.
As others have noted, you are far more likely to hear from people having difficulty on an Internet forum than those experiencing no difficulties.

 

[jerry33]

My Volt has been problem free and a joy to drive. Yet when I read gm-volt.com, there are as many problems listed there as for the Model S here; mostly minor, and some major. It is pretty much like the Model S problems reported here.

Forums always have a high problem-to-post ratio. Actually, this forum is better than many because there are more than the normal amount of "6 o'clock and all's well" posts.

There are three kinds of problems:

1. Real design/manufacturing problems that almost everyone experiences. (example: MFD thermal expansion failure in 2004 Prius)

2. Problems that a small percentage of cars have. (example: Poor alignment from the factory/knocked out of alignment during shipping--often not discovered right away)

3. Problems that have to do with the owner's attitude, expectations, and driving skills. (example: Problems with traction control)

Type 1 problems are generally covered under warranty aren't really an issue unless the manufacturer refuses to acknowledge them. Of course, if you have 25+ instances of this kind of problem, even if all are handled under warranty, you'll likely never buy a car from that manufacturer and tell anyone that asks not to buy.

Type 2 problems are more of a pain because it's a 50/50 chance that the owner will have to pay. A lot depends on the dealer in this case. I don't expect this to be a problem with Tesla because there is no dealer.

Type 3 problems generally can't really be solved except by getting a different car. These are often the problems that get the most visibility (and heated discussions) in the forums because they are as much subjective as they are objective, and a person with this kind of problem is usually convinced they are right. Whether they objectively are or not doesn't matter because subjectively they are right.

Myself, I'm finalizing on the 31st. That should get me far enough out that many bugs will already have been squashed and still have the current pricing.

 

[ChadS]

No problems in 3 months with the Model S.
Our Roadster has never stranded us in more than 3 years of service, either. (We had a couple small issues with that; nothing I couldn't live without having fixed).
We love both cars.

All cars have a certain percentage with problems. Whether the Model S rate is higher or lower than normal is IMPOSSIBLE to say by looking at forum posts - there is nowhere near enough data here. It's a new car from a new manufacturer; there is a good chance it is higher than average. But there's an awful lot of us with no problems at all, and any serious problems are getting taken care of very quickly. And the sooner you get one, the sooner you get the benefits. I'd go for it.

 

[Doug_G]

3. Problems that have to do with the owner's attitude, expectations, and driving skills. (example: Problems with traction control)

...

Type 3 problems generally can't really be solved except by getting a different car. These are often the problems that get the most visibility (and heated discussions) in the forums because they are as much subjective as they are objective, and a person with this kind of problem is usually convinced they are right. Whether they objectively are or not doesn't matter because subjectively they are right.

I don't agree with Traction Control as the example for this category. I think the Model S TC does need some tweaks for cold weather locations (perhaps a "snow mode" like my last car had). But TC on the Model S can be improved via firmware updates.

 

[jerry33]

I don't agree with Traction Control as the example for this category. I think the Model S TC does need some tweaks for cold weather locations (perhaps a "snow mode" like my last car had). But TC on the Model S can be improved via firmware updates.

I was trying to use non-Tesla examples. I should have been clearer about that (I was thinking about TC on the Prius).

 

[Brian H]

No regrets what so ever! Well, one, I regret our lease on our other vehicle so we can't buy a second Model S for a couple of years. ...

Others have referred to selling leases; is that an option?

 

[retinadoc]

Go back?" he thought. "No good at all! Go sideways? Impossible! Go forward? Only thing to do! On we go!" So up he got, and trotted along with his little sword held in front of him and one hand feeling the wall, and his heart all of a patter and a pitter.”
― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Hobbit

Finalize Button Clicked:biggrin: