Loaded cars produced first...

[ModelNforNerd]

Not. After reading many authoritative posts here about how Tesla will roll out the Model 3, it was entertaining to learn from Elon that in fact high performance including AWD will not be available for months. I guess he didn't consult this forum.

No offense, and if you take offense....oh well....

but this is what is known around the internet as a (poop)post.

 

[SureValla]

I don't know that anyone but Tesla knows the answer to this. It also depends on how you define failure. Personally, I define failure as stranded on the side of the road or an incident that occurs while driving that places you at risk.

To my knowledge, there were relatively few of this type of failures reported. There were many owners who experienced excessive amounts of noise coming from the drive unit and had it replaced. My failure was intermittent, had periods of reduced power or brief power cut that was remotely diagnosed by service as symptoms of drive unit issues. There also seemed to be more of these issues early in production years than more recently but without knowing the exact number and types of problems, it is hard to say.

I would define failure as anything that results in a replacement or service of the unit. I see it used to be high as recently as 2015 with a quick google search but it appears this has come down some. I'm questioning this because concerned about maintenance costs to me. Avoiding AWD therefore might be a way to keep those costs down.

 

[ModelNforNerd]

I would define failure as anything that results in a replacement or service of the unit. I see it used to be high as recently as 2015 with a quick google search but it appears this has come down some. I'm questioning this because concerned about maintenance costs to me. Avoiding AWD therefore might be a way to keep those costs down.

They also know their margin for error at Service Centers is going to be razor-thin for a while....so putting out defective vehicles is not an option, unless they want to completely overwhelm their SC staff.

 

[DFibRL8R]

I would define failure as anything that results in a replacement or service of the unit.

That's fine but I look at it as various degrees of failure. A car's main purpose is to get you from A to B safely and (ideally) comfortably. There are many electronic bells and whistles on the model S and they have a failure rate just like any other car. If it's a minor issue, it can simply be fixed at the next regularly scheduled service without much hassle. If your backup camera goes out, you can still back up right? Sure it's a failure but having them swap out a cheap camera at the next service is no big deal.

Tesla swapped out my drive unit for a new one in one day and I had a loaner Model S (that was better equipped than my car brought to my home when they brought mine in for service. This gets even easier when the future autonomous car will drive itself to the service center while I sleep at night or am at work in the day...

 

[SureValla]

That's fine but I look at it as various degrees of failure. A car's main purpose is to get you from A to B safely and (ideally) comfortably. There are many electronic bells and whistles on the model S and they have a failure rate just like any other car. If it's a minor issue, it can simply be fixed at the next regularly scheduled service without much hassle. If your backup camera goes out, you can still back up right? Sure it's a failure but having them swap out a cheap camera at the next service is no big deal.

Tesla swapped out my drive unit for a new one in one day and I had a loaner Model S (that was better equipped than my car brought to my home when they brought mine in for service. This gets even easier when the future autonomous car will drive itself to the service center while I sleep at night or am at work in the day...

Under warranty sure no problem but I'm in this for the long haul (8+ years and 200k+ miles) and don't want my drive unit breaking even at 90k miles when I'd be on the hook for those repairs.

not to get sidetracked but I am not ok with my 35-50k $ car driving itself to the service center without my supervision

 

[FirstSea]

Honestly, I'm not sure how to feel about this.
I want/need AWD, but that will push my order well into next year, which might make me miss the rebate, BUT I'll have more time to save up and maybe push for a P, also by the time I get my car most glitches and bugs will have been dealt with....

So, I will have to wait a few more months, but I'll get a better car than early buyers.

 

[techmaven]

Honestly, I'm not sure how to feel about this.
I want/need AWD, but that will push my order well into next year, which might make me miss the rebate, BUT I'll have more time to save up and maybe push for a P, also by the time I get my car most glitches and bugs will have been dealt with....

So, I will have to wait a few more months, but I'll get a better car than early buyers.

To be clear, Tesla likely crosses the threshold to trigger the expiration process for the $7,500 federal tax credit at the beginning of Q1, 2018. The full tax credit is then available through the end of Q2, 2018. And then it has 50% of that tax credit in Q3 and Q4 of 2018. And finally, 25% of that tax credit in Q1 and Q2 of 2019. To completely miss the tax credit, assuming Congress doesn't mess with it, is to not take delivery until Q3 of 2019. There is a very small chance that Tesla crosses that threshold in Q4, 2017, but likely Tesla will just ship more cars outside the U.S. to prevent that from happening.

 

[DFibRL8R]

Under warranty sure no problem but I'm in this for the long haul (8+ years and 200k+ miles) and don't want my drive unit breaking even at 90k miles when I'd be on the hook for those repairs.

not to get sidetracked but I am not ok with my 35-50k $ car driving itself to the service center without my supervision

Remember also that Model S has an 8 year UNLIMITED mile warranty of the battery and drive unit. Not sure what model 3 will have but I would predict something similar to address the concerns buyers such as yourself are expressing.

As for the self-driving to the service center, Tesla is going to have to work out the liability with self driving and my guess is they will end up offering insurance to their owners since your typical insurance company won't get it right away and might even start to charge more for a self driving car despite documented decreased collision rates. If the Tesla mothership commands the car to come to service and return to my home or office, why would I care if I was there to supervise? Not unlike allowing a Valet or mechanic to drive the car. If something happens, that's why there is insurance.