How far will Tesla go to fix alignment issues (doors, chrome trim, etc.)

[KaiserSoze]

The sad thing is that the service loaner Tesla have us cannot be legally driven by the caregiver that drives our children to school, so it's of no use to us. We returned it as it was just sitting in our driveway. We've been paying for a Tesla that we've been unable to use for almost a month.

My wife is now afraid, not unreasonably, of more critical safety issues with the drivetrain, brakes, or autopilot.

 

[KaiserSoze]

Remaining issues (besides the door).

 

[systemcrashed]

View attachment 177484 View attachment 177485 View attachment 177479 View attachment 177480 View attachment 177481 View attachment 177482 View attachment 177478 View attachment 177477 View attachment 177475 View attachment 177476 Remaining issues (besides the door).

No good, try contacting a regional Service manager.

 

[ModelXBoy]

View attachment 177484 View attachment 177485 View attachment 177479 View attachment 177480 View attachment 177481 View attachment 177482 View attachment 177478 View attachment 177477 View attachment 177475 View attachment 177476 Remaining issues (besides the door).

Besides the bumper poped out problems, I have everything else exactly the same as your X. The service center might be able to fix as many and as closest to alignment as possible. The reality of it is our cars (early deliveries) were not put together to fit exactly the way it should be. If you find 10 misalignments to fix, you might end up having more misalignments somewhere else. My suggestion is to fix the obvious ones to the specification of your personal acceptance level and don't look further. The more I look at those misalignment issues on this forum, the most problem i find with my X. lol!

 

[Mark Z]

Check out my post about the hidden wire harness improvement with my seat replacement. The quality difference is appreciated and does demonstrate how Tesla Motors improves the vehicle over time.

3rd Row Seats Replaced: New Unlatching Procedure?

 

[KaiserSoze]

Besides the bumper poped out problems, I have everything else exactly the same as your X. The service center might be able to fix as many and as closest to alignment as possible. The reality of it is our cars (early deliveries) were not put together to fit exactly the way it should be. If you find 10 misalignments to fix, you might end up having more misalignments somewhere else. My suggestion is to fix the obvious ones to the specification of your personal acceptance level and don't look further. The more I look at those misalignment issues on this forum, the most problem i find with my X. lol!

That's a very positive attitude to take. I'm having a hard time bringing myself around to it. I thought that after four years of development, seven months of production, and 4,500 copies, I could expect that the X was of reasonable quality--or at least that any problems found could be fixed. Now I feel like a fool.

But most of all, I admit I'm rather upset to pay $1700 for a month's worth of car sitting in the service center (mainly for a defective spoiler and door), all with the offer of a loaner that we can't use--we bought the car for the kids commute to school, and our caregiver can't drive it. The door issue, in particular, has been known for months with no recall AFAIK.

 

[Dr ValueSeeker]

That's a very positive attitude to take. I'm having a hard time bringing myself around to it. I thought that after four years of development, seven months of production, and 4,500 copies, I could expect that the X was of reasonable quality--or at least that any problems found could be fixed. Now I feel like a fool.

But most of all, I admit I'm rather upset to pay $1700 for a month's worth of car sitting in the service center (mainly for a defective spoiler and door), all with the offer of a loaner that we can't use--we bought the car for the kids commute to school, and our caregiver can't drive it. The door issue, in particular, has been known for months with no recall AFAIK.

You make some very valid points. Lemon law was created exactly for these reasons to protect the consumers. To save its quality image, recall is the last thing Tesla wants to do. Instead, it likes to make recall repairs secretly, so no one knows.

Why can't you drive the loaner? Is it unsafe for kids?

 

[KaiserSoze]

Why can't you drive the loaner? Is it unsafe for kids?

Apparently the loaners cannot be driven by third parties. The X is the kid car, which means our nanny drives it during the week. Because she cannot drive the loaner we cannot use it. My wife commutes with our second car (which can't hold all the kids) and I bike or take the bus.

 

[ModelXBoy]

Apparently the loaners cannot be driven by third parties. The X is the kid car, which means our nanny drives it during the week. Because she cannot drive the loaner we cannot use it. My wife commutes with our second car and I bike or take the bus.

It's awesome that you have the X as the kid car. But this concerns me because X is a very complicated and high tech car just to pick up kids from and to schools, the nanny might not know how to open the door, close the door with proper procedure and guideline. For example, underground parking with beam might cause damage to the FWD, auto presenting door is little glitchy etc. My suggestion to you is to have a regular ICE car or a model S as kid car and you personally take care of the X. The price of the X is not the problem here for nanny, it's the technologically advanced features and early problems that make the X unsuitable to be driven by anyone else beside yourself IMHO.

Model X needs at least 1-2 years of road test by various people with various daily uses to fully test the reliability of the car. At the time with my current X, I just don't feel very comfortable having my wife drive it let alone having her drive the car with my newborn daughter.

 

[KaiserSoze]

I fully agree with you--for most people this arrangement makes no sense.

In our case, the situation is constrained. My wife's electric car is leased and it won't fit all of our kids, so we can't give it to the nanny, or get rid of it. More importantly, the kids commute twenty miles on the highway each day, and safety is important to us. Besides the HEPA filter shielding the kids from particulates, due to the conservation of momentum, etc. heavier cars are safer, and the X is the heaviest (and biggest) electric car. My wife and I feel very strongly that we should reduce our carbon footprint and in Seattle electricity is 100% carbon free due to plentiful hydroelectric generation. We haven't driven an ICE in more than three years.

Thus, the only choice is the X, but I fully expect a minor accident or two within the next few years, with at least one coming from me!

 

[Dr ValueSeeker]

Apparently the loaners cannot be driven by third parties. The X is the kid car, which means our nanny drives it during the week. Because she cannot drive the loaner we cannot use it. My wife commutes with our second car (which can't hold all the kids) and I bike or take the bus.

That's a real bummer!

 

[ModelXBoy]

I fully agree with you--for most people this arrangement makes no sense.

In our case, the situation is constrained. My wife's electric car is leased and it won't fit all of our kids, so we can't give it to the nanny, or get rid of it. More importantly, the kids commute twenty miles on the highway each day, and safety is important to us. Besides the HEPA filter shielding the kids from particulates, due to the conservation of momentum, etc. heavier cars are safer, and the X is the heaviest (and biggest) electric car. My wife and I feel very strongly that we should reduce our carbon footprint and in Seattle electricity is 100% carbon free due to plentiful hydroelectric generation. We haven't driven an ICE in more than three years.

Thus, the only choice is the X, but I fully expect a minor accident or two within the next few years, with at least one coming from me!

Totally understandable! As long as our Xs are not giving us any problems that can possibly strand us, we should be good. X is the safest SUV and also the cleanest. I just wish I can trust it strong enough even after all those problems I have went through with my X. My X right now is good, doors are behaving nicely, everything else is also working as they should. Just don't look at the misalignments, if i count the misalignments, the car probably will be in SC for months.

 

[Dr ValueSeeker]

Totally understandable! As long as our Xs are not giving us any problems that can possibly strand us, we should be good. X is the safest SUV and also the cleanest. I just wish I can trust it strong enough even after all those problems I have went through with my X. My X right now is good, doors are behaving nicely, everything else is also working as they should. Just don't look at the misalignments, if i count the misalignments, the car probably will be in SC for months.

MXB, Are you still getting a new X or keeping the original one?

 

[ModelXBoy]

MXB, Are you still getting a new X or keeping the original one?

Still waiting for the replacement. The current X will be sent back to Fremont, therefore there is really no need to bring back to SC to fix all the misalignments etc. Really hope the current X can handle itself well until the replacement X is here. There is no rush for the replacement, I do not want a fix upper X again, the quality has to be better, that is why I am so eager to see the improvements Tesla made for some of the later build qualities of the model Xs.

 

[MonsterCarter]

I noticed some paint issues(chips with horrible touch up) and minor alignment issues a few days after pick up. They sent the vehicle to a certified body shop in Fremont.

http://www.brooksmotorcarsfremont.com/

 

[WATTS-UP]

Years ago I purchased a 450 SL and I violated one of my primary rules of car buying, I took delivery a night. The next day I noticed scratches in the hood and some paint problems, needless to say it when back to the dealer. After two re-paints and month at the dealership the car still had problems. Eighteen months down the road and going up the chain of command ending with phone calls to Germany my car was no better then when first delivered.

Rule one - Never take delivery at night

Rule two - Inspect the car before signing any papers

Rule three - Never purchase year one of a production run

I know that this don’t help, however, maybe we can stop the next person form avoiding the problems that you are currently having. When I picked up my “S” it was parked in front so I had a chance to look at it before we did the paper work. I would highly recommend inspecting the car before you sign anything.

 

[Dr ValueSeeker]

Still waiting for the replacement. The current X will be sent back to Fremont, therefore there is really no need to bring back to SC to fix all the misalignments etc. Really hope the current X can handle itself well until the replacement X is here. There is no rush for the replacement, I do not want a fix upper X again, the quality has to be better, that is why I am so eager to see the improvements Tesla made for some of the later build qualities of the model Xs.

Good luck. Do you have a written promise about your replacement? Tesla is notorious about walking back on its promises, ranging from unlimited ranger service to unlimited supercharging to many other things.

 

[Drivin]

It's awesome that you have the X as the kid car. But this concerns me because X is a very complicated and high tech car just to pick up kids from and to schools, the nanny might not know how to open the door, close the door with proper procedure and guideline.

If a person trusts someone with their kids, I am sure they could trust them them with their X

Nannies aren't stupid. Ours knew more about tech than we did. I am sure that they can learn how to open doors.

 

[ModelXBoy]

Years ago I purchased a 450 SL and I violated one of my primary rules of car buying, I took delivery a night. The next day I noticed scratches in the hood and some paint problems, needless to say it when back to the dealer. After two re-paints and month at the dealership the car still had problems. Eighteen months down the road and going up the chain of command ending with phone calls to Germany my car was no better then when first delivered.

Rule one - Never take delivery at night

Rule two - Inspect the car before signing any papers

Rule three - Never purchase year one of a production run

I know that this don’t help, however, maybe we can stop the next person form avoiding the problems that you are currently having. When I picked up my “S” it was parked in front so I had a chance to look at it before we did the paper work. I would highly recommend inspecting the car before you sign anything.

Totally agree! Who would have thought that after 2 years and some change Tesla still managed to mess up the X so badly. I just made the same mistake again with Model 3. I guess i will go through all the trouble again just because i love Tesla so much.

 

[Coolcarx]

Totally agree! Who would have thought that after 2 years and some change Tesla still managed to mess up the X so badly. I just made the same mistake again with Model 3. I guess i will go through all the trouble again just because i love Tesla so much.

Even with all the fit/finish issues no one else is even close to making an EV this cool. Come on Tesla, just build them with more quality.