Loaner program being eliminated?

[cameronr]

My car was due for "annual" service (already up to 20k miles in 7 months) and I had an error with the cooling system while supercharging in 100F heat so I made an appointment for 7/11 at the Palo Alto service center (they had the earliest availability) and indicated that I wanted a loaner. When I dropped the car off last Wednesday they said they were out of loaners but would get me one that evening and Lyfted me home. I assumed no big deal, I'll just get the loaner later. After not hearing anything more on Wednesday, I called on Thursday and was given the update that they're really short on loaners but they're trying to get one from another service center and they thought they'd get one today.

I didn't hear anything else on Thursday but when I called for an update on Friday, the guy that answered the phone (at the call center that you reach by calling the service center number and pressing 2 for service and then waiting on the line for "other" issues) said that they're really short on loaners because they're selling all of them and will be eliminating the loaner program next year. I tried to ask for more details but he said the fleet manager was out and he was just "the guy answering the phone".

Obviously, that was a surprise to me given the previous comments about Tesla loaners being fully loaded. If you're going to eliminate your loaner program, it'd be better to be direct with customers rather than setting the expectation that you're going to get a loaner and then consistently failing to deliver.

Was this guy crazy? Have other folks had trouble getting loaners? Has anyone else heard anything about the loaner program being eliminated?

 

[P85_DA]

If a Tesla loaner wasn’t available I always got an enterprise .....enterprise actually bought quite a few 75Ds by my SC so either way I get a Tesla loaner

 

[Super_Popular]

Tesla makes more money selling used than new, so they are off loading as many used this year as they can to earn some capitol. I have not heard that they are ditching loaners all together but they will be focusing more on Mobile Repair.

And I got an Enterprise jeep last week lol

 

[TaoJones]

How far they've fallen from promising fully-loaded P100Ds as loaners to "they're getting rid of the loaner program next year".

That's about as disappointing as it gets. Being forced to drive an ICE is just not an option in my mind. Certainly doesn't do much to differentiate Tesla Service from the stealership down the street.

Now, here's a thought. If you offload 80% of service that takes less than a day to the growing Mobile Service fleet (thus keeping people out of the SvC in the first place) and increase the proportion of jobs at SvCs that take more than a day (e.g., drive unit replacement stacked on top of an annual service), then maybe Tesla loaners would be prioritized for those multi-day servicings. There's some merit there insofar as encouraging people to work remotely from the waiting area for a half-day rather than taking a loaner at all....

But having to drive an ICE as the primary default option? No. Noooooo thanks. Not gonna do it (GWB voice). Wouldn't be prudent at this [or any] juncture.

 

[ItsNotAboutTheMoney]

How far they've fallen from promising fully-loaded P100Ds as loaners to "they're getting rid of the loaner program next year".

That's about as disappointing as it gets. Being forced to drive an ICE is just not an option in my mind. Certainly doesn't do much to differentiate Tesla Service from the stealership down the street.

Now, here's a thought. If you offload 80% of service that takes less than a day to the growing Mobile Service fleet (thus keeping people out of the SvC in the first place) and increase the proportion of jobs at SvCs that take more than a day (e.g., drive unit replacement stacked on top of an annual service), then maybe Tesla loaners would be prioritized for those multi-day servicings. There's some merit there insofar as encouraging people to work remotely from the waiting area for a half-day rather than taking a loaner at all....

But having to drive an ICE as the primary default option? No. Noooooo thanks. Not gonna do it (GWB voice). Wouldn't be prudent at this [or any] juncture.

I suspect loaner availability to be a function of profitability. Right now, no loaners, next year, maybe, hopefully.

 

[Axtrader]

If a Tesla loaner wasn’t available I always got an enterprise .....enterprise actually bought quite a few 75Ds by my SC so either way I get a Tesla loaner

I was at the Enterprise Rental Facility on Balboa today and saw a couple of MS 75s in the lot. One of the Enterprise staffers told me that they ordered another 13 MS 75s for the San Diego Service Center as loaners,

 

[tranzndance]

The last time I needed to leave my car for a few nights at Palo Alto, they could only offer a premium ICE. I got a Lyft home since I'd rather have no car for a few days, since I had managed a few years of not having a car.

 

[MGMDaware]

Just dropped off my car today. No loaners available. Enterprise on site gave me a VW Atlas (giant SUV thing). The rep told me they have 20 Tesla loaners available and approx 25 new service visits per day. You can do the math from there . . . . . It's a lottery. You might get lucky, you probably won't though. For the weekend, I couldn't care less. Of course, this was specific to my service center, so YMMV.

 

[dethman]

Same experience, no loaners available ahen i dropped off my 1 wk old MX and placed on wait list. Got a lyft home and i was advised i woukd be called later that day. No call just like you.

I actually texted back asking whats up and ended up with an enterprise loaner the next day. I dont think they can keep with loaners given how slow their service is. They say they have 75 appts a day. Im sure they dont have that many loaners.

My car has been in the shop for 5 days for things that could have been fixed in 2. Still no parts.

 

[deonb]

Reading this thread between the lines, it seems that the likelihood is that Tesla is outsourcing the Loaner program more and more to Enterprise.

Which makes sense for both companies - Tesla wouldn't have to continue to pay for increasing larger and larger parking lots. And Enterprise has a car that they can use both as a loaner and a general rental.

So it may be that Tesla is getting rid of their own loaner program, but it doesn't necessarily imply that you're not going to get a Tesla for a loaner.

 

[JSergeant]

I recently got a Model S loaner at the Springfield, NJ service center and was surprised to find the paperwork and transaction was handled by an on-site Enterprise person.

 

[fmm]

But having to drive an ICE as the primary default option? No. Noooooo thanks. Not gonna do it (GWB voice). Wouldn't be prudent at this [or any] juncture.

that would be GHWB (#41)

 

[pkodali]

They might also be trying to maximize deliveries before tax credit expiry by selling them as inventory

 

[nexusone]

I've had a ModelS loaner for 3 months. Given the increased number of cars they are selling, and the generally awful quality of what they sell it makes perfect sense that their available inventory of loaners would be near zero.

Many of the loaners are buybacks that can't be resold. Those aren't going anywhere.

 

[JohnnyG]

They might also be trying to maximize deliveries before tax credit expiry by selling them as inventory

I can't speak for the west coast, but the vast majority of loaners in Ohio are pre-owned; not inventory. This wouldn't affect the tax credit.

 

[ucmndd]

The “P100Ds for everyone” line always seemed like a bold-faced lie. That’s just not sustainable at the rate and speed they service cars. I got a loaner for the day a few weeks ago in Monterey - it was a beat to hell 2014 85, but it was a Tesla.

 

[cameronr]

I called the service center again this morning and they said they had a loaner all set for me which surprised me because no one had contacted me. In a twist of fate, I ended up with a brand new Model X P100D so now I’m not sure what to think. One thing I know for sure, tho, is I’m going to enjoy the car until my S is ready

 

[P90D]

The idea of an EV company that relies upon gas guzzlers as service loaners is absurd. They're quitting the gas fleet of ranger vehicles to run kitted out Model S's. They know how to solve this problem. They can spend money refurbishing a space capsule as a rescue submarine, they can build Model X and Model S service fleet loaners that don't dilute the quarter-end sales efforts with deep discount expectations.

 

[aesculus]

There's some merit there insofar as encouraging people to work remotely from the waiting area for a half-day rather than taking a loaner at all

That would be me. Best deal I get though is perhaps a bit faster service because they know I am waiting and an offer to run me over the local burger joint for lunch.

 

[TaoJones]

that would be GHWB (#41)

Oops. Quite right.

Dana Carvey, 41. Will Ferrell, 43.

Got it.