So I, like many am excited for Tesla and their model 3 intro even if I don't decide to purchase. I am a prospective buyer of a 3 or an S. I have been on the forum for the past couple of weeks getting as much info as possible on the vehicles, and a recurring theme has been extremely long delays in repairs. Some caused by Tesla, others by their authorized shops etc. If its warranty work Tesla will provide a loaner, but if it was a collision you would only be entitled to a loaner per your insurance agreement. When it comes to the S many have other vehicles, but I am thinking the 3 might be replacing the only vehicle more often. Have you guys taken this into consideration, and if not you should? Please no fan boy responses about Tesla getting a pass because of its size, these are real issues for the customers.
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ummgood
Member
Honestly I don't consider a Tesla worthy of being someone's only transit. Thankfully we are a two car family (will have 3 when my daughter starts driving) so we can survive while the model 3 is in the shop. I can see some buyers having a Model 3 as an only car but if they are in a metro area with fairly good public transit. I just don't feel comfortable yet with having a Tesla as my primary transport.
Just for example I live in Austin. The closest service center is I think 240 miles away. What if I go on a long trip and it breaks down in the middle of the country. What would you do? At least with an ICE anyone could fix my car even though it wouldn't be ideal.
Just for example I live in Austin. The closest service center is I think 240 miles away. What if I go on a long trip and it breaks down in the middle of the country. What would you do? At least with an ICE anyone could fix my car even though it wouldn't be ideal.
Repair issues for the Model 3 are the big question. I've evangelized the Model 3 to a couple of people, and they've all asked "What if the car breaks down?". It's a big question, and Tesla will absolutely need to expand its service centers by the end of 2017. The current solution of picking up your Tesla on a flatbed is not scalable, and the last thing Tesla needs is people saying "Don't buy this car because if something goes wrong, you can't get it fixed".
So I think once the service center expansion is in full swing, reduced repair times come with it. And if the Model 3 is successful, independent shops will pony up the $3,000/year subscription to Tesla's technical services system, so we'll see the traditional repair model come into play as well.
So I think once the service center expansion is in full swing, reduced repair times come with it. And if the Model 3 is successful, independent shops will pony up the $3,000/year subscription to Tesla's technical services system, so we'll see the traditional repair model come into play as well.
The 3 month repairs are the outliers.
We have put over 130,000 miles on Tesla vehicles over 5+ years, the last 3 years as our only vehicles.
Never a concern, never had a repair that took over a day.
You are also assuming the same, extremely rare, 3 month repair for the Model S will hold true for the Model 3.
This is highly unlikely.
We have put over 130,000 miles on Tesla vehicles over 5+ years, the last 3 years as our only vehicles.
Never a concern, never had a repair that took over a day.
You are also assuming the same, extremely rare, 3 month repair for the Model S will hold true for the Model 3.
This is highly unlikely.
MiamiNole
Member
First question that I would ask is what caused the 3-month long delays? Parts? Service center availability? An issue that they had no solution for at the time? At any rate, assuming that the Model 3 will be heavily based on the Model S, I would hope that lessons learned would be utilized to minimize any significant downtimes. Tesla may be a relatively small and young company, but they aren't stupid. I don't think they'd march into Model 3 production without these contingencies already in place.
trinites1a
Cookie | X60D
Thank you. I feel like people take 3 month repairs to be a norm.. Hell this has happened to ICE cars.. You hear about the exceptions because Tesla is a smaller community but 3 month repairs are not a norm and in most cases i think they give you a loaner no?
If you look over on the S side of this forum there are a few 3+ month repairs, and sometimes its because some parts are on back order, such as rivets. Rivets aren't such a specialized part where there should be a wait. You only get a loaner if its a warranty issue. Your insurance company might provider a rental vehicle but only if you paid for that coverage and there are limits to the amount of time, or cost limits such as $900 for a given incident.
anticitizen13.7
Not posting at TMC after 9/17/2018
I wouldn't assume this. Model 3, being a smaller car than Model S, and optimized for lower manufacturing cost, will almost certainly use a completely new platform.
Even a car that uses the same platform as Model S, Model X, has only 30% or so parts commonality.
ChadS
Last tank of gas: March 2009
I'm fully in Zythryn's camp. I've been driving a Tesla for well over 6 years, and my wife and I have driven only Teslas for well over 3 years. I'm not at all worried about this.
I mean, sure, it can happen with a Tesla. It can happen with other car makes. I can also get hit by lightning or killed by a terrorist. It's just not common enough to worry about.
I mean, sure, it can happen with a Tesla. It can happen with other car makes. I can also get hit by lightning or killed by a terrorist. It's just not common enough to worry about.
ummgood
Member
Thanks! I wasn't aware of one. I tried to find one and the closest I found was in Houston. Is there things that cannot be fixed at that service center? I wonder if I had one of the search parameters wrong.
JimmyAZ
Member
I tend to agree with the other posters here. I can't imagine anything outside of a vehicle accident that would keep a car in the shop for that type of extended period of time. And do I ever think about that when I purchase ANY car? Nope. Reliability? Absolutely. And the Tesla has proven to be extremely reliable to me. Our S has been in the shop a few times for warranty issues like rattles, fitment, etc., and it's never gone more than a day.
If there are a few cases on the forum that's an indication it CAN happen, but with 1000's of Tesla's on the road this seems to be a minuscule percentage not worthy of any more scrutiny than what you'd give every other carmaker.
If there are a few cases on the forum that's an indication it CAN happen, but with 1000's of Tesla's on the road this seems to be a minuscule percentage not worthy of any more scrutiny than what you'd give every other carmaker.
SureValla
Member
Thank you for the previous owners chiming in. Reading this forum I too was getting the impression long wait times at service centers for anything was the norm.
What concerns me still is the lack of a public plan by Tesla to expand service centers. I can live with waiting up to a month to get an appointment. I am also extremely lucky that the one service center in CT is a 10-15 minute ride from me but with 500,000 cars being produced in 2020 you can't deny this won't put a strain on the current service centers. Obviously Tesla is going to fix this but I haven't heard what the plan is. Can anyone provide any information?
What concerns me still is the lack of a public plan by Tesla to expand service centers. I can live with waiting up to a month to get an appointment. I am also extremely lucky that the one service center in CT is a 10-15 minute ride from me but with 500,000 cars being produced in 2020 you can't deny this won't put a strain on the current service centers. Obviously Tesla is going to fix this but I haven't heard what the plan is. Can anyone provide any information?
Johan
Ex got M3 in the divorce, waiting for EU Model Y!
You better email Tesla. Since they haven't come out with a detailed roadmap for how, when and where they're going to build out their service infrastructure I'm sure they forgot all about it. Good thing you caught it early and can bring it to their attention. Because you're certainly correct that the current dimension of the service apparatus is going to be insufficient in 2020.
Sarcastic much? I am sure the people who bought cars in the cities that Tesla has been promising a service center in for years would find this to be a valid concern. See: New Orleans , etc
I don't know where you get your misinformation, but the closest service center to Austin is actually in Austin on Burnet Rd. and has been there for 3 years. A new larger one is being built at 183 & Pond Springs Rd.
in three years, the maximum amount of wait time to get to the SC was one week, and that was only because it was annual service, not something critical. I don't get where the three months comes from in Texas. Our other vehicle is a Leaf, but we've never had to rely on it because the Tesla is down for maintenance. If Denise didn't need a car, I'd have no problem with the Tesla being the only car.
SageBrush
REJECT Fascism
Since this thread and the OP is really about risk assessment and mitigation, I heartily recommend a defensive driving course. And a good night's sleep
