Just canceled my MX order - here's why

[manitou820]

++++++++++++

The use case for this car is 75% a mother driving kids around.

"Problems? What problems?"

The sticky thread of "Model X Reset Techniques" has SEVEN PAGES of content.

Sounds like CR is more accurate than some of the deniers give credit.

But every car has threads like this. When I had my Porsche GT3, they had major finger follower issues requiring complete engine replacement with less than 10k miles. Older 996 models have the notorious IMS issues that grenade engines. All cars have issues plain and simple. The Model X may have more than many new cars, but it also offers tech and an experience that no other car can match. Plus many of the issues are minor and related to the new tech. The most reliable car on the list you posted is the Lexus GX. That’s based on a Toyota 4-runner, has no advanced driving aids, gets 15mpg, and probably has 10-20 year old tech. It’s reliable partly because it’s using old proven designs, nothing innovative or ground breaking.

 

[thegruf]

The CR report is recent - since I've placed my order, in fact.

okay - i'll bite

so you dropped $2500 on a $120,000 car having done all the research you could to confirm that, for this substantial budget, this was indeed your car of choice, including of course the plethora of internet resources that unfailingly compliment Tesla vehicles for being flawless.
Then, out of the blue, this CR report comes along, and to your utter shock and amazement, suggests that Tesla's are not perfect after all, summarized in one histogram chart that paints the MX as a disaster that nobody in their right mind would touch (apologies to all the delighted owners out there).

This of course from an entirely impartial outfit that states:

"With its lineup of electric vehicles, Tesla is an unconventional company that thrives on throwing normality out the window. And while breaking the mold can benefit consumers, the benefit is questionable if it goes too far. And that, pretty much, sums up the Model X SUV. Filled with enough gee-whiz gizmos to give William Gibson a thrill, the X seemingly sacrifices practicality and pragmatism for the purpose of showboating"

Jeez. Seriously?

Let's face it - the only reason you posted on here is you changed your mind, and now feel the need to justify it by garnering support from like minded folks to your case, otherwise why post? Sorry to burst your bubble but you might find that a tricky task given most here (and yes there are exceptions as there would be with any brand) will very happily count themselves in the 95% satisfaction rating.

nonetheless each to their own and good luck with your next purchase even if you are polluting the air that our children breathe.

 

[mswlogo]

By the way, if he doesn't have a VIN number assigned he should have no trouble getting his $2500 back. Might take a while though.

We all know there are some risks here. But those that did decided to jump in evaluated those risks (WELL before CR report) and decided to go for it given the risk/reward.

John is just trying to justify his choice to bail. I almost did last minute (on a Model 3) due to zero communication up to the day before delivery. But I'm glad I stuck it out. It's a fun vehicle. EAP is a bit of disappointment, but I hope long term that improves.

My other, fairly modern, 2017 Jeep Summit seems so archaic now. Lethargic, horrible handling, gas eating, fume making machine.
I kind wish I traded that in for the X now.

People are so friendly and excited at the Superchargers. Many like minded folks.

 

[Darren Donovan]

Becoming friends does not mean I see him all the time, did you never take your ICE in for an oil change or service.

Oil changes, maybe 4 times in 20 years. I do them myself. I like tinkering with cars, modifying them, stuff like that. Service, yes, very rare. My 2006 Z06 had the recall done on the delaminating roof, (there was a TSB for it), got that thing replaced, that's it for that car. Truth is, the ICE vehicles have been very reliable, not needing much of anything except the routine maintenance, none has ever stranded my family due to poor quality. Did get towed a few times due to flat tires. I must say that I do like Tesla a lot and wish them the best. I'll be attending the upcoming test drive event this weekend to check out all the models on hand.

 

[john85775]

I do have a VIN number assigned, 5YJXCBE28JF134xxx.

I spent quite a bit of time on the phone today with the manager of the local Tesla showroom.

He was very apologetic about not having the order not being updated and for the lack of communication. He is committed to a November 12 build date with a delivery date of November 21.

I asked him to speak candidly about the end of Q3 builds, along with the typical service issues he gets with the model X. He admitted that the first couple of years were pretty rocky with the vehicle, but everything over the past 12 months has been extremely solid. A few issues here and there just as the typical poster here would say.

I had an open conversation with my wife about the path forward if we were to go through with the Tesla ( to expect an amazing experience with the car, but some residual issues that will likely need to be ironed out) . She shared that she is open and willing to deal with a few issues for the first couple of months, but then her tolerance and patience will wear thin ( actually, mine because I will be the one dealing with it) .

Thanks to this forum, I will keep the order on track and not execute the cancel process after all.

Thanks everyone for talking me off the ledge. I think.

 

[mswlogo]

That's great to hear.

I think we all wish you the best experience.

Post pictures and your experience here when you get it.

 

[Pandamoanium]

I do have a VIN number assigned, 5YJXCBE28JF134xxx.

I spent quite a bit of time on the phone today with the manager of the local Tesla showroom.

He was very apologetic about not having the order not being updated and for the lack of communication. He is committed to a November 12 build date with a delivery date of November 21.

I asked him to speak candidly about the end of Q3 builds, along with the typical service issues he gets with the model X. He admitted that the first couple of years were pretty rocky with the vehicle, but everything over the past 12 months has been extremely solid. A few issues here and there just as the typical poster here would say.

I had an open conversation with my wife about the path forward if we were to go through with the Tesla ( to expect an amazing experience with the car, but some residual issues that will likely need to be ironed out) . She shared that she is open and willing to deal with a few issues for the first couple of months, but then her tolerance and patience will wear thin ( actually, mine because I will be the one dealing with it) .

Thanks to this forum, I will keep the order on track and not execute the cancel process after all.

Thanks everyone for talking me off the ledge. I think.

Give it a shot and see. We have a 2016 X and the first six months or so was bad but since then it’s been small things. They took care of us but it’s also that early adopter mentality. Honestly with all the crap in our X and lemoned S; were still considering Tesla again and plan on getting something soon. The drive is awesome and hopefully will make you both not enjoy ICE cars as much anymore.

 

[gangzoom]

++++++++++++

The use case for this car is 75% a mother driving kids around.

I do 99% of nursery drop offs as its on my way to work, and as I've mentioned already for a family car the X is simply unbeatable. My daughter loves it, and the amount of cargo space in the back is crazy, IVe even moved a fully built cot bed in ours without having to move the child seat, try doing that in a RX .

Our X had been back to the shop twice in 18 months, but its also done 26K verusus just 9k for the Lexus. Our X is very firmely our default car to go out in as a family, that is not something I would say if I had any concerns the car was going let us down in the middle of a family road trip!!

If I didn't have a family I probably would feel the X is a massive waste of space/money, and would be driving a roadster or ordered an roadester 2.0. But since kids aren't just for Christmas I couldnt be happier the X exists, otherwise I would be driving a minivan, as someone whos always loved cars and that is a very very depressing thought!!

 

[gangzoom]

Thanks to this forum, I will keep the order on track and not execute the cancel process after all.

Keep us posted on how you get on!!

As you can tell most of us love our cars, most of us also aren't stupid/gullible, afterall any Tesla isn't exactly cheap. So ask your self is it likely all us owners love throwing our money away on a bad product??

The amount of garbage written about Tesla is crazy, am 100% Tesla are lossing sales because of stuff like the CR article, which sadly is the mandate for many.

Ignore all the white nosie around Tesla and look fowards to owing one of the best cars on this planet regardless of price!!!

 

[thegruf]

...

Thanks to this forum, I will keep the order on track and not execute the cancel process after all.

Thanks everyone for talking me off the ledge. I think.

Well sir, this is now where I have to be big enough to apologize to you for lambasting you in the way that I did.

There's just too many threads on here clearly from trolls and the anti-Tesla brigade that try to stir up negative headlines for other journals that it is easy to get caught up. All of here now have to pray to our various gods that you don't get a lemon after all this!

fwiw I am often asked what I think of my Tesla, my answer to them is "it is completely brilliant, but has taken away one aspect of the fun out of car ownership for me". Previously on buying a nice new car I would think "wow, this is a great car ... I wonder what I will get next"
Now I know.

And I just love that I can drive down the road in the vilage, past the school knowing that I am not spewing pollution into the local environment around me. Driving other cars now is like stepping back to ancient times.

...and did I mention it goes like a scalded cat if I let it off the leash ...

A few sleeps now and you will have a grin as big as said cat (before it got scalded)
welcome to the club, there's a great crowd here.

 

[manitou820]

Glad to hear John!

This thread prompted me to double check with my wife (the Model X will be primarily her vehicle) that she was okay with more issues than normal and dealing rebooting the system etc. She's good with it and extremely excited about the X. I've never seen her this passionate about a vehicle before.

 

[SSonnentag]

As long as you can periodically hold in two scroll wheels for a few seconds, the model X is not going to leave you stranded any more often than the most reliable of vehicles. You may have nit-picking or nagging QA/QC issues, but the X will always start up and get you where you need to go, barring a flat tire, which is true of any vehicle that doesn't come with a spare, something that is all too common today.

 

[Uncle Paul]

Classic issue of FIA (forum induced anxiety).
When people are interested in a car, they tend to research the heck out of it, especially on the internet.
Of course some posts will be favorable, but the unfavorable posts tend to be much louder and more fear inducing.

Consumer reports seems to have takes some of these unfavorable posts into consideration as well, when ranking the vehicles.

For the most part, Tesla has a good rep for their service centers getting everything well sorted out quickly. They have the ability to remotely survey your vehicle and can send you fixes and updates over the air, while your car is parked in your garage (amazing actually).

As an example, since I received my X 19 Months ago I have received numerous autopilot updates, automatic windshield wipers and headlights have been added. They doors now open and close 50% faster, the 0-60 performance has been improved from 6.0 to only 4.9. T
Never before have I gotten a vehicle that has gotten better with age.

I see you have a Corvette. If people depended on great forum chatter, nobody would ever buy a Corvette, still they are pretty great cars.

Take a deep breath. Waiting for your ordered Tesla to be produced is often loaded with anxiety, but the joy of driving one of the finest cars in the world soon brings joy.

 

[Merrill]

I agree with Uncle Paul, not to many people who visit the forum talk about all the good stuff you generally hear mostly problems. When we decided to buy our second Tesla the X for my wife she said she loves her Mercedes suv and not sure she wanted to part with it. We took delivery June of 16 and with in a couple of weeks she says I do not miss the MB and love this car, it is hard for me to pry it away from her.

 

[Darren Donovan]

I do have a VIN number assigned, 5YJXCBE28JF134xxx.

I spent quite a bit of time on the phone today with the manager of the local Tesla showroom.

He was very apologetic about not having the order not being updated and for the lack of communication. He is committed to a November 12 build date with a delivery date of November 21.

I asked him to speak candidly about the end of Q3 builds, along with the typical service issues he gets with the model X. He admitted that the first couple of years were pretty rocky with the vehicle, but everything over the past 12 months has been extremely solid. A few issues here and there just as the typical poster here would say.

I had an open conversation with my wife about the path forward if we were to go through with the Tesla ( to expect an amazing experience with the car, but some residual issues that will likely need to be ironed out) . She shared that she is open and willing to deal with a few issues for the first couple of months, but then her tolerance and patience will wear thin ( actually, mine because I will be the one dealing with it) .

Thanks to this forum, I will keep the order on track and not execute the cancel process after all.

Thanks everyone for talking me off the ledge. I think.

That's great to hear. Wishing you the best. I can't wait to check out/drive it this weekend at the Tesla promo event.

 

[Meagain]

I suggest you had buyers remorse and changed your mind. You could've refused delivery if the car was messed up.

 

[Meagain]

And complaints on car forums are like health forums. You get diagnosed with something and go find forums and every single person is complaining, miserable, and going downhill. Very depressing. Until you realize the vast majority are NOT on the forums and out there living life, over it, and having fun.

 

[jeffnhelen]

From what I heard the CR report covered issues that have been resolved for a while now like the Falcon wing doors. Like someone else said if you look at their symbol of reliability then you will be living in a vehicle that hasn’t evolved in decades. Tesla is still a car company in its infancy but sets itself apart because it can resolve a lot of small, but broad, issues with a simple over-the-air update without you even needing to go to a service center. Also mentioned, majority of disabling issues occur with power trains — I don’t recall seeing issues with Tesla’s motors or batteries preventing or being dangerous to drive (outside of those rare occasions where it caught fire — but one-in-a-million senario can/does happen to any manufacturer).
Overall I just feel there is way to much FUD created by the media against Tesla. Based on the customer satisfaction numbers and brand loyalty/support someone is not telling the truth and my bet is on the media with big oil and ICE manufacturers keeping an eye on their bottom line.

 

[john85775]

Overall I just feel there is way to much FUD created by the media against Tesla. Based on the customer satisfaction numbers and brand loyalty/support someone is not telling the truth and my bet is on the media with big oil and ICE manufacturers keeping an eye on their bottom line.

How is CR biased against EV companies? They gave Tesla their highest rating ever when the MS was first tested. They have consistently pointed out the customer sat of Tesla's products. The ding is on reliability, specifically for recent builds.

The thing that makes sense shared previously is the even weighting given to all problems, and the lack of accounting for speed of resolution + lack of accounting for recurrence of said issue. Data can be crude.

 

[jeffnhelen]

How is CR biased against EV companies? They gave Tesla their highest rating ever when the MS was first tested. They have consistently pointed out the customer sat of Tesla's products. The ding is on reliability, specifically for recent builds.

The thing that makes sense shared previously is the even weighting given to all problems, and the lack of accounting for speed of resolution + lack of accounting for recurrence of said issue. Data can be crude.

My FUD comment was ranting about overall media and not directly at CR. I may have received some bad info on the CR reliability rants, but historically their reliability scores are based on prior not current year model data so that would skew results to the early years where they were still working out production and QA issues for a never been made before vehicle. Again, I didn’t read the article so don’t know for sure what production dates their reliability score covers.
As far as the other things you mentioned I have heard it is something Tesla is aware of and working to fix as time goes on. The level of production for spare parts being one of the biggest complaints I’ve seen but that shouldn’t discount the vehicle itself.