So how did you get them to actually address the issues once they tried to get rid of you?
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I need to know about your rattles....
- Thread starter voip-ninja
- Start date
So how did you get them to actually address the issues once they tried to get rid of you?
I have a creak from somewhere in the trunk or passengers seat area when I being accelerating or at the end of my deceleration. Super annoying. It's louder and more prominent the slower I accelerate or decelerate.
I also have a rattle from what sounds like my driver side backseat pillar area. This rattles during normal driving speeds. Also super annoying.
I drive it as hard as I can whenever I can.
I also have a rattle from what sounds like my driver side backseat pillar area. This rattles during normal driving speeds. Also super annoying.
I drive it as hard as I can whenever I can.
At first, through constant persistence, documented everything, refuted their arguments with video and photo proof and technical demonstrations.
In the end though, I failed, despite bending over backwards and accomodating their indolence and incompetence to a level that has everyone around me amazed at how much effort I’ve invested in it.
The outcome is that my E-Tron order is in and we’re in the process of putting this pathetic fiasco behind us.
The first one is what they call “chassis bolts”. Essentially, your suspension is not properly attached to the body (needs to be torqued and greased). With a normal manufacturer, that would be a recall and all vehicles on the road would be verified and tightened properly. With Tesla it’s “eh, the suspension’s a bit loose, whatevs”.
I had mine in for that and suspension clunks twice, problem still present. I asked them in disbelief why they would not verify all corners for the same problems, they looked at me like I was a lunatic and told me they only work on the specific things the customer points out and they can reproduce. What that translates into is that I had to PROVE to them (with a test drive) that there’s an issue. Any less insane company would do what’s called a multipoint inspection, i.e. put the car up on the lift and have a tech spend a few minutes verifying everything. Not Tesla!
The super ironic thing is that, as I had the Tesla in for the umpteenth time for, among others, suspension issues, I took one of my Audis in for an inspection. This was one of those “I heard some funny noises a couple of times, can’t hear them anymore, but please make sure it’s alright”. They came back in half an hour with a diagnostic, identified an applicable TSB and HOURS later I had my car back with new wishbones on both sides. That was it, a coffee, a free shuttle ride, a few hours and zero dollars.
Tesla kept my car altogether for months for much simpler issues that, to this date they have failed to fully resolve.
That is seriously depressing. I was under the impression that you had gotten your issues resolved.
I drove in this morning on ice packed roads, so the ride was rougher than normal. The driver side of the car was quiet but the entire passenger side was making a ridiculous amount of noise. I had to concentrate on the road so there was really no opportunity to record it but it was pretty obnoxious.
I'm at the point now where I'm almost ready to look into some kind of split L/R microphone setup I can use to record really good audio in the car of the things it is doing. I would clip one to each head rest and make a stereo recording of what it is doing and then put it on Tesla to fix it.
Tesla service has been a real let down for me. I had small noise issues with both of my BMWs and BMW bent over backwards to get them resolved. When the door seals were squeaking on my 340i the service manager who supervises all of the technicians did a test ride with me and immediately started talking about the remediation steps they would need to take, which included replacing all of the door seals with a revised part and if that didn't resolve the issue then they would spend a couple of hours installing 3M tape along the entire frame of the car to quiet the squeaking... ultimately that is what they had to do. They were always courteous, provided me a loaner and the service was always completed to my complete satisfaction, there was never a need to "verify" the work done and not once in 30 years of car ownership have I gotten a car back from a repair from a dealer shop and had new problems introduced from when I gave them the car.
The worst part is that I really like driving this car when it is not annoying the f&**k out of me. If Tesla hadn't destroyed my resale value I would honestly be approaching the point where I would be doing an executive escalation and try to get them to buy me out of this car and put me in another one.
None of the five Model 3's I have driven have had any squeaks or rattles. With both Model S, Model X and Model 3 I have had rattles from my hard sunglass case which I invariably think is the car, then find the culprit and cure the problem.
Yeah, it's certainly awesome when someone tells me their car is solid. All that does is make it more frustrating because service doesn't seem to put the same priority on getting this sorted out that I do.
In evaluating the car for noise I removed every foreign object in the car. I also check seat belt latches and all the usual culprits. The technician who did the ride-along (and ultimately failed to fully address the initial noise problem he just masked it) acknowledged there was for sure something in the car making noise and he suspected it was in the door panel.
The new noise is now in the headliner.
If I knew how to take the headliner apart without risking damage I'd be inclined to take it apart and try to fix it myself. I now have quite a bit of confidence that I'd do a better job of fixing these issues than Tesla but it seems absurd for me to spend my own time and risk breaking parts of my car fixing a brand new vehicle that is under warranty.
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I just ordered a Zoom iq7 external iPhone stereo microphone with gain control as well as a gorilla pod.
The plan now is to mount my phone close to ear level off of the driver seat and make recordings of the noises with a higher quality microphone than the one that is built into my phone.
If nothing else this can be used as a reference point if Tesla gives up on fixing my car and we get to the point where I have to seek a court litigated resolution.
The plan now is to mount my phone close to ear level off of the driver seat and make recordings of the noises with a higher quality microphone than the one that is built into my phone.
If nothing else this can be used as a reference point if Tesla gives up on fixing my car and we get to the point where I have to seek a court litigated resolution.
Arizona Willie
Member
No rattles or problems with my 2019 M3 mid range either.
I just wish they did some sound deadening in the wheel wells so we didn't hear so much tire noise.
I just wish they did some sound deadening in the wheel wells so we didn't hear so much tire noise.
I have no rattles - 7 months and 7k miles.
I developed two creaks on accel/decel.
The first creak was caused by the driver's seat being all the way back and the plastic stoppers rubbing. I'm very tall. The problem was solved by bringing the seat forward just a tiny tick.
The second creaking is much quieter and probably comes from the suspension, which may need to be retorqued. I've only noticed it in the cold weather of the winter, and it seems to get worse when it's colder. It's barely noticeable, and far too minor for me to do a service call. I'm curious to see if it goes away when the car is warm in the summer. I may ask about the issue if I have reason to do some other service call, otherwise it will definitely wait until I'm doing scheduled annual service or something.
I developed two creaks on accel/decel.
The first creak was caused by the driver's seat being all the way back and the plastic stoppers rubbing. I'm very tall. The problem was solved by bringing the seat forward just a tiny tick.
The second creaking is much quieter and probably comes from the suspension, which may need to be retorqued. I've only noticed it in the cold weather of the winter, and it seems to get worse when it's colder. It's barely noticeable, and far too minor for me to do a service call. I'm curious to see if it goes away when the car is warm in the summer. I may ask about the issue if I have reason to do some other service call, otherwise it will definitely wait until I'm doing scheduled annual service or something.
StealthP3D
Well-Known Member
No noises in either of our two Model 3's. But I will say it's pretty common on any auto forum of any brand/model of car for there to be a few "squeaky wheels" about hard to pin down or mysterious sounds, rattles, clicks and clunks. Sure it's frustrating if you happen to be the one having the issue and it can be difficult to step back and understand that the vast majority of owners find the Model 3 to be more solid and more rattle free than other cars in general. Which is amazing because one would expect a quiet EV to actually have more noises than a gas car with the engine and exhaust vibrations to mask sounds. It's embarrasing if the problem get's traced back to work the owner did or perhaps a pebble stuck in the wrong spot.
For people who find they are extra sensitive to extraneous sounds, something like a six-microphone array that allows you to switch the headphone audio to any of six pre-placed microphones while you drive on a bumpy road is a good tool to keep your sanity. By switching between microphones you can quickly isolate where the sound is originating from. If going this route, look for a setup with magnetic microphones too, that can ease placement:
https://www.tooltopia.com/steelman-...ZLkpVNfQKXooEOXWKh95LDm-xX4eyhkhoCU04QAvD_BwE
super20g
Member
I don't know when you bought, but wouldn't the current lower prices allow you to do a buy-back and get into a new build for similar money?
I am close to looking into that as well, but not really for the rattles but just always some new issue with the car that I am getting more than tired of spending too much time documenting, waiting months, and having Tesla to fix (usually messing something else up in the process) only to repeat over and over, perhaps due to this being an August build where they were ramping up production too fast too quick.
No, I paid $62,000 for my car + taxes and registration fees. It's worth perhaps $45,000 or less after the re-pricing so I would take a $18,000+ bath just to get out of it. If I took that money and poured it into a car with the same configuration as mine then the bath goes down to about $10K which is still a massive depreciation for a six month old vehicle.
Buying another Tesla at that point is just me sending good money after bad and it's rewarding Tesla for both shoddy initial workmanship in building my vehicle and their incompetence at resolving issues.
For me, if Tesla can't resolve the problems then I will grind my teeth and live with it while approaching other options whether they are legal ones or trying to get out of this rattle trap and into something else.
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Run a poll and see if that is true even among the Tesla illuminati that make up the bulk of TMC membership. I don't know what your source for this is, but even Consumer Reports scores on the Model 3 indicate it is below average in this area.
So please stop propagating your BS and presenting it as FACT when it's nothing but your opinion.
I know the Model 3 can be as quiet as an ICE car since I rented one that was pretty much free of these defects but I know based on my own experience and that of other members that noises are not necessarily atypical. The loaner car I had presented a few minor noises that I could have lived with if it had been my personal vehicle but it was still not as quiet as competitor vehicles in that same price segment.
What you fail to point out in your complete whitewash job is how seriously Tesla takes resolving these issues. Tesla does not take them as seriously as other premium manufacturers in my experience and is simply interested in putting the minimal effort forward to get rid of complaining customers.
Both the service tech and assistant service manager I spoke with when I dropped off my car commented "yeah, sometimes they have little rattles or noises but people say they can forgive that because of how great it drives" which tells me a TON about their approach.
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StealthP3D
Well-Known Member
Apologies, I forgot the "In my opinion". My bad. But it is my strong impression from having driven and ridden in a number of Tesla, spoken to 5 or 6 local Model 3 owners and having combed the forums. So, yes, it's my opinion but not one founded on nothing. And can we agree that your characterization of my comments as "BS" is not fact, as you stated it, but your opinion?
I understand you feel like a pressure cooker coming to a full boil over these noises that you're hearing but do you have to be so abrasive? And what about my $99 suggestion to track them down yourself with the six microphone array? Yes, that shouldn't be necessary but how much is your sanity worth?
super20g
Member
If you had a good enough case for a buy back, you would generally get your original purchase price back, perhaps minus mileage adjustment? If it has been out of service enough days to meet your states lemon criteria, you'd have a better case. Mine is out of service > 30 days which meets my states requirement. I have another service Monday and hopefully they move the world and fix all my issues, but if not it puts it more solidly into plenty of days out of service to raise a buy-back request and my estimate has me getting into a new build for a real similar price all said and done thanks to the price drops.
StealthP3D
Well-Known Member
I totally agree with that. Even though the OP is going to lose money on this, you can't put a price on your sanity. And it would be a win-win to get him in a car that he likes as much as most of us like our Model 3's. Since it sounds like his local service department has already blown him off as a crank, I think that's his best option.
What is your sanity worth?
Priceless!
I'm not sure what state you are in but pursuing lemon law is excruciatingly difficult in most places. My car has been out of service for a total of 10 days but not for the same problem. Lemon law where I am states the car has to be out of service for 30 days for the same problem not just in general and it also indicates the manufacturer has x amount of tries to fix a problem before it can even go to arbitration.
Additionally the problem is that noise problems are extremely subjective. What will drive one person crazy won't even register on another person's radar. My wife drives around with a giant purse sitting next to her that makes a crap-ton of noise and she doesn't even care about it.
StealthP3D
Well-Known Member
I think we're getting somewhere now! What does she have in there? A disassembled Erector Set?
While complaining about noise; both of my Tesla's and all the others I have driven have high apparent wind and road noise. Honestly I think that is mostly due to the absence of engine and transmission noises but it still is a source of constant frustration.
From days when I operated aircraft I recall active noise cancellation (ANC) for the entire airplane created a blissfully quiet environment from a noisy and obnoxious base case. I think I recall that having been done in some cars. Were that to be available for Tesla Model 3 I would rush to buy. For those of you who do have offensive squeaks and rattles, active noise cancellation isolates the problem instantly. In any event it did so for an offensive but undiagnosable noise in a King Air I owned; post ANC the problem was obvious and easy to fix (lack of proper lubricant for rudder controls). In another case in another aircraft one exhaust outlet flange had broken.
Even though I have zero experience with Tesla odd noises I have had several others in cars. Porsche: suspension bushings; Mercedes: air suspension pump; BMW: exhaust pipe mount failure.
If those are indicative of the types of things that make some odd hard to find noises it seems to me careful diagnosis is essential. I'm sure they are rarely serious, but all the ones I remember in my own life were. Anyway:
I am 100% with @StealthP3D :
And what about my $99 suggestion to track them down yourself with the six microphone array? Yes, that shouldn't be necessary but how much is your sanity worth?
It is not easy to diagnose strange noises. Anything one can do to identify, clarify and amplify the odd noise increase the probability of finding it and solving the problem. We all want the service people to know, find and cure the problem. If the problem is common service people usually know, as in door seals, dash attachments, wheel bearings/bushings. If unusual, service people need all the help they can get.
I recognize that my attitude towards such problems is probably influenced by my habitual early adopter behavior plus my habit of being in places where service competence is famously inadequate.
From days when I operated aircraft I recall active noise cancellation (ANC) for the entire airplane created a blissfully quiet environment from a noisy and obnoxious base case. I think I recall that having been done in some cars. Were that to be available for Tesla Model 3 I would rush to buy. For those of you who do have offensive squeaks and rattles, active noise cancellation isolates the problem instantly. In any event it did so for an offensive but undiagnosable noise in a King Air I owned; post ANC the problem was obvious and easy to fix (lack of proper lubricant for rudder controls). In another case in another aircraft one exhaust outlet flange had broken.
Even though I have zero experience with Tesla odd noises I have had several others in cars. Porsche: suspension bushings; Mercedes: air suspension pump; BMW: exhaust pipe mount failure.
If those are indicative of the types of things that make some odd hard to find noises it seems to me careful diagnosis is essential. I'm sure they are rarely serious, but all the ones I remember in my own life were. Anyway:
I am 100% with @StealthP3D :
And what about my $99 suggestion to track them down yourself with the six microphone array? Yes, that shouldn't be necessary but how much is your sanity worth?
It is not easy to diagnose strange noises. Anything one can do to identify, clarify and amplify the odd noise increase the probability of finding it and solving the problem. We all want the service people to know, find and cure the problem. If the problem is common service people usually know, as in door seals, dash attachments, wheel bearings/bushings. If unusual, service people need all the help they can get.
I recognize that my attitude towards such problems is probably influenced by my habitual early adopter behavior plus my habit of being in places where service competence is famously inadequate.
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