Is Tesla trying to become the absolute worst service organization?

[dapao]

I don't know if this is a same issue or not.

My friend used my referral code to book a car and eventually Tesla sales cancelled his reservation and get a new one. I didn't think that is a big deal. However, after my friend took delivery, my friend got the supercharging credit and I didn't get any. You know what that means. The Tesla sales used someone else's referral code instead of mine to get my friends' car.

I tried to complain to Tesla. Nobody really responded.

 

[Guy V]

So, I've had my Model S for just shy of 7 years now and I've seen quite a change in Tesla service. When I first got my car, they where top notch. Over the years however, I've noticed the service level go down, down, down to the point where it's just crap. Today, my onboard chargers suddenly stopped working and the car won't charge on ac. I can still charge at a supercharger, but not at home. I tried calling Tesla service but they want you to schedule using the phone app (does everything nowadays have to be done with a phone app?). The best I could do with the phone app was a mobile visit in a week. I also tried leaving a help email at their website and voice mail message at the local service center (they don't answer the phone), but after 3 hours I still haven't heard any response to either. I used to be very proud of my Tesla and wanted to show it off to everyone. Now I'm not so sure.

I have had great experience with the phone appointment feature because our local service team has called me back for each appointment to ensure they are clear on my issues and that the optimal type and timing is scheduled. I was worried how frustrating this could be if they weren't so responsive. I hope this is how Tesla meant it to be and not just our guys salvaging a corporate botch.

 

[vexige]

There’s no substitute for human interaction! Sorry for stating the obvious, but it seems like more than few on this forum don’t know that for the reasons one can only guess.
They’re talking about the bright, pollution free future, but they don’t understand that they won’t arrive there on the shoulders of unhappy customers- there simply won’t be enough.

 

[oneplusinc]

Model X for 2 years, Model 3 for 1. X came w/o trailer hitch (was on window sticker), took them 8-9 months to get part. X door sills cracked at seam, was told it was cosmetic and too low priority to fix and water ingress "probably" wouldn't hurt anything. X seams horrible. X 1st service $550 - nothing listed on bill (not a single service item), just a bill for $550. The service rep didn't know, couldn't figure out, and never called w/itemized list. Called to schedule 2nd service and was told by a disgruntled service rep there is no service/maintenance anymore. Huh? I didn't get that memo. Put $1,000 down on first day for solar roof. Cancelled one year later after zero communication from Tesla and zero response to my calls and emails about solar roof status. X needs tires after 2 years, called SC, left message, no call back. Keep getting calls from sales rep to upgrade to Raven. My $100k+ X is worth 50k 2 years on to buy another 100k X. Hmmm, is that a good cost per mile? Bought a 3 for the wife, rear seat seam stitching came apart in first month (she's the only one ever in the car). They replaced rear seat as a mobile visit. She still likes her car, me... I put a deposit on a Taycan. Leaving Tesla and never looking back. Porsche knows how to make a car and knows how to treat people.

 

[ICON]

Just sold my Roadster for this reason.
Support for old models is definitely one of their strengths.

 

[bluestreak]

So, I've had my Model S for just shy of 7 years now and I've seen quite a change in Tesla service. When I first got my car, they where top notch. Over the years however, I've noticed the service level go down, down, down to the point where it's just crap. Today, my onboard chargers suddenly stopped working and the car won't charge on ac. I can still charge at a supercharger, but not at home. I tried calling Tesla service but they want you to schedule using the phone app (does everything nowadays have to be done with a phone app?). The best I could do with the phone app was a mobile visit in a week. I also tried leaving a help email at their website and voice mail message at the local service center (they don't answer the phone), but after 3 hours I still haven't heard any response to either. I used to be very proud of my Tesla and wanted to show it off to everyone. Now I'm not so sure.

I am in Australia, have only had my P85D for 3 years but have seen same total collapse of service resources. They were obviously over-manned 3 years ago and the service people couldn't have been more friendly or proactive, now because of cost cutting they are just uncontactable and Tesla have closed the first showroom near us, coffee machine and lounge have gone from the supercharger (just hoping the Supercharger stations stay - they have closed down the one in central Sydney), and Tesla "presence" has evaporated. Still totally love my car, just hoping nothing serious goes wrong.

 

[ItsNotAboutTheMoney]

There’s no substitute for human interaction! Sorry for stating the obvious, but it seems like more than few on this forum don’t know that for the reasons one can only guess.
They’re talking about the bright, pollution free future, but they don’t understand that they won’t arrive there on the shoulders of unhappy customers- there simply won’t be enough.

That's not quite true. There's no substitute for _some_ human interaction.

You can do better than a lot of human interaction with good logistics and notifications. But Tesla doesn't seem to have that good underlying system either.

 

[vexige]

That's not quite true. There's no substitute for _some_ human interaction.

You can do better than a lot of human interaction with good logistics and notifications. But Tesla doesn't seem to have that good underlying system either.

I can argue that, but this is for a different thread -
What you are essentially saying that if logistics and notifications systems work, there's less need for human interaction... But still no substitute for it

 

[Puggle]

I am in Australia, have only had my P85D for 3 years but have seen same total collapse of service resources. They were obviously over-manned 3 years ago and the service people couldn't have been more friendly or proactive, now because of cost cutting they are just uncontactable and Tesla have closed the first showroom near us, coffee machine and lounge have gone from the supercharger (just hoping the Supercharger stations stay - they have closed down the one in central Sydney), and Tesla "presence" has evaporated. Still totally love my car, just hoping nothing serious goes wrong.

Hey Bluestreak, just so you don't feel alone (or crazy), there is definitely a crash in service in Australia. My car started in Sydney where service from St Leonards was always amazing. Loaners, timely information, walk in and talk to a human, all good things. I'm actually now in Melbourne and wow it's bad down here - it's sad the staff are probably over stretched and definitely hamstrung by corporate policy (like no loaners, no uber credits).

I'm devastated to hear that Sydney has gone that way; I was hoping the new Alexandria SC would be amazing but have you found it poor there too?

You are correct - pray nothing goes seriously wrong...but I don't understand how any of this is sustainable with the huge amount of 3s I'm seeing pushed out onto the road in Sydney and Melbourne. The number of disgruntled owners can only skyrocket from here unless funding is restored to SCs.

I cancelled my 3 order and now need an X as a second vehicle but am too hesitant to pull the trigger. I understand the fear of using a dealer model for sales, but surely they should allow 3rd parties to service these cars.

 

[Zextraterrestrial]

I will just say my current service experience is decent.
Super different now with the SMS scheduling but I have spoken to adviser and tech on the phone a couple of times.
out of warranty - broken rear subframe motor mount on my '12 S
+ given a loaner X

I see what they are trying to do to address the volume of cars & think it will probably work. They have changed the system a couple of times that I have seen & mobile techs are doing quite a bit more things now.
Service used to throw fixes around 'willy nilly' and that's not really good for a growing business trying to make money but makes customers super happy, they stripped that from service (+ free coffee etc.) because they need to grow. crappy problem but they don't have dealerships in just about every single city. still chicken / egg imo. need more quiche and BBQs'

 

[OkayThen]

I have had my M3P for 6 months now and I have to agree. Coming from BMW and Audi the service experience is horrible. I have a warp in my windshield that I was first told was going to be replaced under warranty. When I bring it in for the replacement they claim it is an acceptable defect and not in my line of sight. Not to mention all my major issues with my trade in that I am still fighting.

I’m sure many people have had worse issues with other manufacturers than I have with Tesla but I feel like the base level of service is much lower than you’d expect on a $70k car.

Like someone else here said... it makes me more sad than angry. I love the car and the tech but hate the company and the service. I will for sure be leaving Tesla for other options in a couple years because of all the issues. Assuming they stop devaluing my car every couple months by lowering the price...

This all sounds very familiar. Two Teslas in the family, and the recent one, a Model 3, has been the worst new car experience we've ever had--not even close. Most of the service people have been trying to help, but actually getting a response from HQ or getting them to take action is a lost cause.

It's really a shame that a great car is let down by such awful, careless support. As EVs spread from early adopters into the mainstream, customers will be less and less likely to forgive this inattention.

We're such fans that we would happily spend time with Tesla people to figure out what went wrong and how to prevent it for others, but there's no indication anyone from HQ cares. Here's hoping someone takes an interest.

 

[ItsNotAboutTheMoney]

I can argue that, but this is for a different thread -
What you are essentially saying that if logistics and notifications systems work, there's less need for human interaction... But still no substitute for it

Not correct. Modern productivity is built on automating out human interaction.

 

[SmartElectric]

First, you are doing it wrong. Call emergency roadside assistance. They will look up your car while on the phone and check the records confirming the changer failure code

I suspect an issue like AC charger not working, but supercharging works to be a reasonable work around for a one week period if the supercharger is local to you, and the appointment to fix the issue is convenient like a home (or work) visit without the need to bring the car in and deal with a rental etc.

I liken this to calling 911 for a non-emergency.

Of course, if the issue is serious enough (no heat in the car, -8C temperatures, dead of winter which happened to us on a road trip), then of course roadside makes sense.

 

[meomyo]

This all sounds very familiar. Two Teslas in the family, and the recent one, a Model 3, has been the worst new car experience we've ever had--not even close. Most of the service people have been trying to help, but actually getting a response from HQ or getting them to take action is a lost cause.

It's really a shame that a great car is let down by such awful, careless support. As EVs spread from early adopters into the mainstream, customers will be less and less likely to forgive this inattention.

We're such fans that we would happily spend time with Tesla people to figure out what went wrong and how to prevent it for others, but there's no indication anyone from HQ cares. Here's hoping someone takes an interest.

i see so many model 3 cars in the SC everytime i go there.

 

[Tim-in-CA]

For me Mobile service techs have been MUCH better than going into the Costa Mesa SC (which I dread). Each time I bring my car into the SC for something, they scratch/damage the interior of the vehicle. The mobile techs admitted that they do a lot of repairs to fix damage from the SC. Unfortunately, my vehicle is at the SC right now to fix an intermittent LTE issue. The only ray of light is that my car is getting HW 3 upgrade while its there (I paid for FSD during the brief discount period). So far the car is been there for a week, and no update on the real progress - they are texting me, but nothing meaningful. Meanwhile my charge has dwindled down to 50 miles (I never let it get this low). I requested that they charge it when it is eventually ready (last time they said that they don't charge anymore) … we'll see when it is finally done. I did get a loaner (no EAP of course so no TACC which is a requirement for driving in So Cal traffic) … but I guess beggars can't be choosers in this current environment.

Like others the whole service experience with Tesla has been terrible for a $100K car … I've had Aucra/Audi/BMWs in the past and never had service problems. Heck, I had a Volt for 1.5 years to dip my toe into EVs and the service at Chevy as compared to Tesla was as if I was at a luxury vehicle dealer (aka Aston Martin, RR, etc)! Tesla is in the dark ages of service … directing more people to the app and not answering or deflecting calls is not the solution. Rivian should be studying this closely to not repeat Tesal's mistakes!!! I don't plan on buying another Tesla.

 

[dethman]

Model X for 2 years, Model 3 for 1. X came w/o trailer hitch (was on window sticker), took them 8-9 months to get part. X door sills cracked at seam, was told it was cosmetic and too low priority to fix and water ingress "probably" wouldn't hurt anything. X seams horrible. X 1st service $550 - nothing listed on bill (not a single service item), just a bill for $550. The service rep didn't know, couldn't figure out, and never called w/itemized list. Called to schedule 2nd service and was told by a disgruntled service rep there is no service/maintenance anymore. Huh? I didn't get that memo. Put $1,000 down on first day for solar roof. Cancelled one year later after zero communication from Tesla and zero response to my calls and emails about solar roof status. X needs tires after 2 years, called SC, left message, no call back. Keep getting calls from sales rep to upgrade to Raven. My $100k+ X is worth 50k 2 years on to buy another 100k X. Hmmm, is that a good cost per mile? Bought a 3 for the wife, rear seat seam stitching came apart in first month (she's the only one ever in the car). They replaced rear seat as a mobile visit. She still likes her car, me... I put a deposit on a Taycan. Leaving Tesla and never looking back. Porsche knows how to make a car and knows how to treat people.

this is so Tesla in a nutshell.

 

[Pantoot]

I don't know if this is a same issue or not.

My friend used my referral code to book a car and eventually Tesla sales cancelled his reservation and get a new one. I didn't think that is a big deal. However, after my friend took delivery, my friend got the supercharging credit and I didn't get any. You know what that means. The Tesla sales used someone else's referral code instead of mine to get my friends' car.

I tried to complain to Tesla. Nobody really responded.

Hah, same exact thing happened to me. Original order cancelled by tesla sales. New order doesn't have my referral.
Oh well, not like I realistically thought my two chances to win a car would really get me a car.

 

[JerryEVall]

While I've only had my 2014 model s less than a year and have already taken it to the service center twice now, both experiences have been good. One entailed the complete replacement of the motor unit and uber credit for 3 days but everything was fixed when I got the car back and even got a free charging door replacement even though that was not on the issues list when I made the appointment. I think it really depends upon the location - been to the Buena park and Pomona sc and both did a good job with customer service.

 

[pinball_player]

I have owned my S for almost three years. The first two years were great. I could get a tech from the local service center on the phone for urgent issues, or I could make an appointment on the phone for non urgent issues. Now the non urgent appointments are very easy to make on the app, but the urgent issues are impossible to get taken care of.

My wife's brand new 3 had the issue where the rear panel on the bottom of the car (which is plastic) fell down because it was not attached completely. We had planned a night away and were going to take her 3. I could not get anyone from service on the phone, and the roadside unassistance department told me that it was not a warranty item so I would have to pay for the tow. We went away and came back the next day (which was a Saturday) and I attached the panel to the car using duct tape (what is not fixable with duct tape????) . We arrived at the service center about 1 PM (the hours were listed as 8-4 on Saturday and were told that the Service center was closed on Saturday even though there were techs there, etc. In walked one of the lead techs who knows me from my S service and he told me that they would take care of it now. Within 15 minutes we drove out with a new panel mounted.

So the issue was that unless I brought the car to the center and a person there who actually took ownership of the situation took care of me, I would have had to wait two weeks for an appointment made on the app.

Making service appointments on the app is great for non urgent issues, but Tesla still needs some sort of method to handle the urgent issues.

 

[Petrocelli]

My wife's brand new 3 had the issue where the rear panel on the bottom of the car (which is plastic) fell down because it was not attached completely. I could not get anyone from service on the phone, and the roadside unassistance department told me that it was not a warranty item so I would have to pay for the tow.

So let's get this straight: someone from Tesla told you that if a panel falls off a new car it is not covered under warranty?

Good grief. Tesla is really acting like a company that is running out of money.

Contrast this to my Mercedes experience: I brought in my c300 for service at 43,000 miles. There was a plastic thingy in the center console that covered a touchpad. Somehow, it developed a small crack that became a bigger crack. I thought it was going to cost around $100 to $300 to fix. But Mercedes replaced it no charge, under warranty