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How far from a Service Center?

How far is too far?

  • More than 25 mi

    Votes: 4 19.0%
  • More than 50

    Votes: 7 33.3%
  • More than 100

    Votes: 3 14.3%
  • Never too far

    Votes: 7 33.3%

  • Total voters
    21
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I live in Northern Vermont. Thinking about my first Tesla. The thing is I am 3 1/2 hours from a service center in Mass. Seems like a seriously long way to go if I have a problem. And if I have a breakdown will Tesla tow it down to Mass for me?

I have seen something on the internet about mobile service. How's that working?

Glad to hear any experience with Teslas outside of the big cities.
 
I bought mine 4 years ago, and the closest service center was about 2 hours away and it was a big concern of mine as well. In the end, it hasn't been a big deal. I drive to the big city on average once every couple of months anyway, and the few times I needed to go to the SC it wasn't a huge inconvenience. I did have a door handle break, and they sent out a mobile tech. It was awesome.
 
I am actually closer to the Tesla service center in Montreal Canada. I don't mind paying in Canadian dollars. Driving across the border doesn't seem too big a deal. But a Tesla on a flat bed could really be a hassle, I'm guessing. I wonder if mobile service can dispatch across borders. What are the odds?
 
...3 1/2 hours...

Although I live in California but my Service Centers are about 200 miles away and it would take that long as yours if I go to the nearest one but it has no big freeways.

It has been working out fine since 2012. In the beginning, Mobile Service would wait for enough calls from my neighboring regions and would come out in a few days to weeks. As there are more Tesla owners now in my region, Mobile Service would come out in a same day or next day.

As long as your car is covered by a standard or extended warranty, your tow is included.

They would give you a loaner if your car is disabled and towed away.

However, once your car is drivable, you need to drive to your Service Center to return the loaner and pick your car up.

If you want them to deliver yours, it'll cost $3 per mile.

I don't know about Canada but with free trade since 1994, it should be very easy.
 
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I live in Burlington. I got an alert for 12V battery. I made an appointment in Montreal via the app for June 3. Shortly afterward, I received an email saying that they were turning it over to Mobile Service and they canceled my appointment! (Cool I think). So, my wife being a worry wart, I called Tesla Roadside service. They looked up my car, checked the battery voltage and told me that it was at 13V, which is where they like to see it changed, but said that it was in OK shape to drive until Mobile Service called me.

Today, I was driving south and stopped at the Berlin VT SC for a quick charge. I noted that the charger was working well and that the new pre-condition programming was working well. A guy in a Tesla shirt walks up and says, "Hi, Are you Bill." I am a little surprised, "Yes" says I. "I see you need a new 12V battery and I am here waiting for a roadside service vehicle to come in, I can do it in 10 minutes."

So, 10 minutes later I was done! And, being an efficiency geek, his truck was so well organized, printer on the dash, CC reader. WOW... I love this kind of service! I went back to the charger, the M3 pulled in and the owner went for a bike ride while the Tech worked on his car!

I have 97,000 miles on my Model S. Only service has been changing tires and windshield wipers, a cracked windshield (stone off a truck) and a little sensor in the bumper that was also fixed by a mobile tech in 20 minutes about a year ago.
 
I live in Burlington. I got an alert for 12V battery. I made an appointment in Montreal via the app for June 3. Shortly afterward, I received an email saying that they were turning it over to Mobile Service and they canceled my appointment! (Cool I think). So, my wife being a worry wart, I called Tesla Roadside service. They looked up my car, checked the battery voltage and told me that it was at 13V, which is where they like to see it changed, but said that it was in OK shape to drive until Mobile Service called me.

Today, I was driving south and stopped at the Berlin VT SC for a quick charge. I noted that the charger was working well and that the new pre-condition programming was working well. A guy in a Tesla shirt walks up and says, "Hi, Are you Bill." I am a little surprised, "Yes" says I. "I see you need a new 12V battery and I am here waiting for a roadside service vehicle to come in, I can do it in 10 minutes."

So, 10 minutes later I was done! And, being an efficiency geek, his truck was so well organized, printer on the dash, CC reader. WOW... I love this kind of service! I went back to the charger, the M3 pulled in and the owner went for a bike ride while the Tech worked on his car!

I have 97,000 miles on my Model S. Only service has been changing tires and windshield wipers, a cracked windshield (stone off a truck) and a little sensor in the bumper that was also fixed by a mobile tech in 20 minutes about a year ago.

This story is so amazing its hard to believe. No wonder Tesla isn't making money. Service guys out on the road tracking you down when you head for a supercharger. Gives me a lot of confidence that the car will be maintainable even when far from a service center.

Also interested to hear that you can schedule service in Montreal. I'm used to cross border nonsense and expected that Tesla Canada would have to say no to a US car. At least for warranty service. Montreal is half the distance Boston is from where I live.
 
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Tesla service guy did not "track down" OP. He was simply waiting at that Supercharger for a roadside service vehicle to come to him.

Probably took the inititative to run the plates or had access to the OP's car and walked up to him to ask if he could do the job right there.

Very efficient, and saved Tesla a bunch of money in the process.
 
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I live in Northern Vermont. Thinking about my first Tesla. The thing is I am 3 1/2 hours from a service center in Mass. Seems like a seriously long way to go if I have a problem. And if I have a breakdown will Tesla tow it down to Mass for me?

I have seen something on the internet about mobile service. How's that working?

Glad to hear any experience with Teslas outside of the big cities.

You're too far from the nearest US service center. Have you checked whether they can handle your car in Montreal, which is closer? They probably can.

If you have a breakdown Tesla will tow it. However, anything less than a totally-unsafe-to-drive breakdown, and they will not.

Mobile Service can handle a lot of stuff, but things happen where they can't. When that happens, you'll be driving it to the service center, or paying a lot to have it hauled.