Kim Komando staff article-very pessimistic in nature

[Red Sage]

Archive link so you can avoid the click bait and advertising.

Tesla's long list of blunders goes on and on - is it doomed? | Komand…

@Roamer: Thanks for alternate link. Seeing the byline is the incredibly generic and sufficiently anonymous 'Komando Staff' leads me to wonder why no one had the cajones to sign their own name to it. It sure would be nice if such publications would have the courage of their convictions, and simply state flat out that they hate Tesla Motors, don't believe in the company or its leadership, and can't wait for them to die. But it seems they would rather hedge their bets, just in case they end up leaving behind evidence of terminal stupidity -- such as that which persists against Jim Cramer on the internet.

"...its cars still have low production numbers..."

To me, 'low production numbers' would be a phrase I would apply toward an automobile company that builds less than 30... Less than 300... Or less than 3,000 units per year. Numerous successful automobile builders have survived, and thrived, for decades at those rates. Quite a few are luxury and sporting brands that are well respected. So much so, that some that have grown in Production may wish they had preserved their perceived exclusivity by not doing so, no matter the financial rewards.

At over 100,000 units on the road in barely 3-1/2 years... And pressing forward to Deliver over 30,000 from 2014 on...? Tesla Motors is certainly not a 'low production' automotive firm anymore, as they were with the Tesla Roadster. And really, since they outsold all direct US competitors in 2013, the first full year of Model S Production... They should not be marginalized at all.

"...individual owners have come forward with a host of other problems..."

And most of these were pretty much expected by those this article refers to as 'early adopters'. They paid their money and took their chances. Then Tesla Motors took care of them -- as expected.

"If it has these kinds of problems at that scale, it could put the company out of business."

Blah, blah, blah... Now we get to the heart of the matter: Standard issue Fear, Uncertainty, and Doubt, disguised as Concern, Caution, and Ample Warning. Well, Tesla Motors could be put out of business by a gigantic earthquake, a severe tidal wave, an invasion by Godzilla, or a massive meteorite demolishing Fremont. Each is just as likely as the company going out of business for 'quality issues' on the Tesla Model ☰. Heck, General Motors managed to survive another 32 years beyond the introduction of the Chevrolet Chevette.

Did I mention this entire article is a bunch of [BOLSHEVIK]?

 

[Luke42]

If you decide to walk away from the M3, will you buy another car instead? If so, which one? IOW, what is your backup plan if the M3 doesn't work for you?

Several cars on my radar:

• Chevy Bolt and Volt
• 2016+ Honda Civic
• Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid

Depending on our exact needs at the time. And also the reliability record of those cars once they're in the public's hands (I'm mostly concerned about the Pacifica).

Note the conspicuous absence of anything from BMW and friends. Those cars just aren't my thing.

 

[Tiberius]

Here's my sequence of thoughts when seeing this topic:

1. Who is Kim Komando?
2. Isn't that a disney character?
3. Why would a cartoon comment on Tesla?
4. I better Wiki this
5. OOOOHHHHH, she's an antique radio host
6. That explains why I've never heard of her
7. <dismiss>

This is a near perfect lame thread demolishing post. Why the thread kept going after this, I have no idea.

 

[AZ Desert Driver]

I have this image that Tesla builds the most advanced cars in the world, and supports them with customer service beyond approach. (Consumer report says "best car ever") and I am buying into that fantasy.

Now- comes the naysayers and nitpickers. They have (somewhat) eroded my fantasy. I am looking at laying out $50,000 - and what else could I do with that? Some say I am paying twice as much for the same transportation if I buy Tesla vs competition.
Am I interested in hassling with cords and crowded chargers and difficulties in finding summertime apartments? Is the EV carbon footprint worth the effort and inconvenience? hmmm.

I test-drove a MS, and realized it was not a run-of-the-mill car. Comparisons to competition seem inappropriate. From the WOW factor, to the early adopter bragging rights, to the feel-good about the environment, to the economics of electrons vs octanes...There are indeed intangibles that escape engineering analysis.

For me - I can wait 15 months. If I need to wait longer to have them Get-It-Right, month 18 will look just like month 15. Will the reality be perfect - or just damn good? I'm still in line. No deal killers yet.