Frustrating experience at Discount Tire - HELP!

[Silicon Desert]

I think there can be good and bad shops within any big chain, it doesn't seem fair to paint all Discount Tire locations with the same broad brush. Your results may vary, of course, so due diligence is always required, expecially if you are new to the location. Even if you've been going to a tire shop for years, there is alway turnover of managers and employees, so it's an ongoing battle to educate them, but I think we're winning and it's getting better.

Absolutely agree. Some will say "I'll never shop at XXXXX again" because of bad experience at one location. My experience mirrors your comment; there are good and bad shops of the same big chain even in the same big city some times. It's unfortunate about the OPs experience. My example is that up here in Sparks, the Discount Tire I go to is VERY knowledgeable about Teslas. Maybe it'ss because the gigafactory is here or maybe not. I recall recently when I went in there to purchase a specific set of tires, he looked out the window, saw my MX, and told the guy behind the computer exactly the staggered tire sizes to enter into the computer without even looking it up. I asked about the procedure they use to jack the car and replace the tires: He told me how they set jack mode, jack it up, then asking if I had jack pads I wanted to use, or do I want them to use the ones they had on hand for the Tesla. There was one guy that worked only on EVs and oversaw the whole process. So I was really impressed. And for what it is worth, they only wanted to use the jack points, not raise it from the pack. I watched them do everything and pleasantly surprised. Having said that, I have visited other DT and Big O stores in the past whom didn't have good knowledge or processes.

Furthermore, they were $310 cheaper (per set of 4) than the same exact tires and services as Big O tires. That is not to slam Big O. It's just in this particular case, the price was better as Big O didn't carry those tires and needed to order them. I have gotten Big O tires for wife's ICE car at decent prices.

Bottom line is I choose a particular shop for their knowledge AND prices, and don't bypass a whole chain based on an inferior past experience in one location. And EVERY time I go, I make sure they know what they are doing, else I would go to another shop. Also to say, you can also get different price quotes for the same tires and services at the same big chain in the same city.

 

[TuxedoM3]

FYI, Discount Tire damaged my Performance Model 3 back in October. They lifted it with 4 floor jacks, but the rear passenger side slipped off (wasn't even on the lift point) and crushed (what would normally be called the rocker panel) under the rear passenger door. I left them instructions on the seat and talked to the crew as they pulled my car into the bay to start working on it. I then stood outside and saw it happen.

I had to take it to a body shop and finally got it repaired about 3 1/2 months later. They paid for the repairs and a rental car for part of the time it was in the shop, but that was it...barely an apology, and no monetary refund or discount (pun intended!) on the tires. I WILL NEVER SHOP AT DISCOUNT TIRE AGAIN. Pretty sad, since that had been my go-to tire store for quite a while.

I regret the whole ordeal....I rushed my plan to put on all seasons when the weather turned cold, nearest service center is an hour away, and Tesla had no winter tire package for performance at the time. I now know that Tesla will install 3rd party wheels/tires, and I will either have them do tire/wheel stuff or do it myself (hope to get a second set of wheels to put my original summer tires on).

What was the exact extend of the damage here? Was it just the plastic panel or more than that?

From the looks of your pictures, it seems like something similar happened to mine while getting new rims / tires at a well reputable tire shop in SoCal. Long story short, got the new set installed 3 weeks ago and wouldn’t have guessed anything happened. However, when I dropped off my car for PPF today, the installer noticed damage nearly identical to this and called me immediately. Just contacted the wheel / tire shop and will be meeting with them later this week.

 

[299792458]

What was the exact extend of the damage here? Was it just the plastic panel or more than that?

From the looks of your pictures, it seems like something similar happened to mine while getting new rims / tires at a well reputable tire shop in SoCal. Long story short, got the new set installed 3 weeks ago and wouldn’t have guessed anything happened. However, when I dropped off my car for PPF today, the installer noticed damage nearly identical to this and called me immediately. Just contacted the wheel / tire shop and will be meeting with them later this week.

Nearly $10,000 to repair. Luckily only damaged the outermost body layer, penetration past that would have been worse and possibly unrepairable. Tesla body shop cut out and rewelded maybe 16 inches of length in the affected section (the entire side of the car is essentially one piece) and of course repainted. Tesla shop did a great job and they were excellent to work with.

Didn't even get a discount on my tire purchase from that store, barely an apology.

 

[TuxedoM3]

Nearly $10,000 to repair. Luckily only damaged the outermost body layer, penetration past that would have been worse and possibly unrepairable. Tesla body shop cut out and rewelded maybe 16 inches of length in the affected section (the entire side of the car is essentially one piece) and of course repainted. Tesla shop did a great job and they were excellent to work with.

Didn't even get a discount on my tire purchase from that store, barely an apology.

Wow, that’s insane! At least they took ownership of it and paid for the repair.

Here’s the extent of my damage...

 

[299792458]

Wow, that’s insane! At least they took ownership of it and paid for the repair.

Here’s the extent of my damage...

From what I can tell, your damage isn't structural and probably just cosmetic if it's the plastic piece only. I hope that's the case for you, that would be a much easier and less stressful repair.

 

[TuxedoM3]

From what I can tell, your damage isn't structural and probably just cosmetic if it's the plastic piece only. I hope that's the case for you, that would be a much easier and less stressful repair.

Yeah, I had it inspected by a body shop yesterday, and they said that I would need to replace the plastic rocker panel cover and have the full quarter panel re-painted.. all in was ~$2k.

I’m hesitant to get the full panel repainted, so I also had a a few paintless dent techs look at it... 2 said that they couldn’t operate in an area that small and the other 2 said that it shouldn’t be too much of a problem.

 

[WilliamG]

I hate to be a broke record, but what is the consensus on decent jack pads to keep in the car for the Model 3?

 

[electricar]

I got these for my Model S and like them a lot - they also make them for the Model 3. Here is a link to the company -https://Kmotorperformance.com/

 

[WilliamG]

I got these for my Model S and like them a lot - they also make them for the Model 3. Here is a link to the company -https://kmotorperformance.com/

Thank you. Are there any that take up less room in the trunk?

 

[electricar]

Thank you. Are there any that take up less room in the trunk?

The case measures 7"x7"x2.5" and is fabric so it won't roll around in the trunk like some of the jack pads made by other companies which come stored in a plastic tube - I don't think you will find a smaller one.

 

[WilliamG]

The case measures 7"x7"x2.5" and is fabric so it won't roll around in the trunk like some of the jack pads made by other companies which come stored in a plastic tube - I don't think you will find a smaller one.

Yeah I think I’d prefer a tube, since I can put it in the slot next to the trunk, or in my sub-trunk organizer.

 

[TSLA Pilot]

Just FYI for the OP.

I used to be VERY concerned about using that "pad" style lift on our first Tesla . . . but that was 9 Model S's ago.

Here's why I no longer care, but I DO watch the process:

A. Those four pads provide a very large surface area. Even if there was a stone in one of them, it would compress into the 1/2" or 1/4" pad well before it would penetrate the pack. (THAT SAID, I do look it over before I let them left it, or I ask them to see if there are any rocks in it, first.)

B. It's arguably safer and far, far more stable than the "hand jacks" noted in other posts. How many of those regular jacks have caused damage? Likely far more--they're almost an "oops" waiting to happen. Few (any?) Teslas have ever been harmed by the drive-up, four pad, lifts . . . AFAIK.

Seriously, they've been changing tires at Discount Tire on Teslas for a very long time now; if that lift was a problem, they would have stopped using them on Teslas by now.

p.s. For those with Air Suspension, be sure to set the car to "Jack" Mode first, AND set it to the highest suspension setting too!

 

[Silicon Desert]

[QUOTE="TSLA Pilot, post: 5018736, member: 12822"
Seriously, they've been changing tires at Discount Tire on Teslas for a very long time now; if that lift was a problem, they would have stopped using them on Teslas by now![/QUOTE]
yes, probably right, but I wonder if it varies by location. The local Discount Tire place up here in Sparks had pads on hand to lift the car and change my tires. They didn't use the lift without them.

 

[silentcorp]

I've only had good experiences at my local Discount Tire location, they use 4 jacks and they even have their own pads they use now. Two years ago I had to bring mine with but they got their own after a while.

 

[qingshan]

My local America's Tire (same chain as Discount Tire) sees lots of Teslas (...this is the SF Bay Area). When I bring in our Teslas, I hand them my 4 hockey pucks (keep them in a Ziplock in the trunk well). They pull the car into an empty (read: no lift) bay and use 4 floor jacks to lift the car. All good. FWIW they don't use the side rail lift as in the OPs photo upthread for the reasons noted.

Just what they did for my car except they had pucks and had me drive it in - Covid

 

[boiler81]

Whenever I've done business with Discount Tire, I've had no problem, but I tell them it's a Tesla, and to use floor jacks and the Tesla jacking pads. The store I use has a set, but I take my own and put them in the drivers set, so they can't miss'em when the pull the car in. I also watch the operation from outside the bay.