Mindset Regarding Quality From Model S Owner

[MiddKid]

I'll qualify this post with a very clear disclaimer. This is my opinion only. It can be exhausting reading the problems shared in this forum and I wanted to provide my own personal perspective after owning a Model S for 3 years and 50K miles.

3.5 years ago I read the Model S forums obsessively and became concerned about the quality issues I was going to potentially face with my ordered Model S. Some of those turned out to be true over the last three years, others never came to be. Here is the list of what I've had repaired/replaced:

• Nosecone replaced
• Entire motor replaced due to high-pitched squealing sound that started after 2 years
• Dash pad replaced
• Dashboard screen replaced twice
• Passenger seat and driver's seat both replaced (two years apart for completely different issues)
• AC fans replaced
• Countless rattles attempted to be fixed
• Tailgate pieces replaced as I had significant water intrusion into the tail light assemblies causing one of the tail lights to fail completely
• Two chrome pieces needed to be glued back on
• The infamous frunk dent
• Rear seat belt replaced
• Replaced battery coolant heater after getting "Car may not restart" warning

And here I find myself with a Model X on order. Here's the funny thing...I had another brand car in my past that arguably had far fewer issues than this and I swore I'd never purchase a car from them again. So why would I have a Model X on order? Why would I give Tesla more of my business? Why am I reading TMC? Despite the above repairs I can honestly tell people my MS was one of the best purchases I've ever made. Let me try and come up with the reasons:

• It feels so good not constantly spewing pollutants into the air (and the majority of my electricity is hydro generated...hoping to go solar). It just completely changes your perspective on all those ICE vehicles on the road. I find myself actively trying to avoid my wife's car. I pulled up to the kids' school the other day and they had a sign out front asking people to turn off their car (see attached). Felt so good. And then it gets amplified when my kids' friends hop in the car and they go nuts that it's electric. I'm hoping it's my little part that my kids can breathe in the future. The kids get it. It makes sense for a 10 year old to plug in a car just like a phone!
• Everyone from sales to service has been amazing at Tesla. Some of the above repairs were actually proactive on their part. Some of the repairs went way beyond what I would have expected...one one of the seats being replaced was because I pointed out an issue with the leather. Bam...seat replaced. With the other car I mentioned that I swore off the brand I was fighting with the dealer (and corporate) over every single issue.
• I have the early adopter mindset. I'll buy the newest gadget and fight with it for a few weeks (years?)...there's something to be said for that in owning a Tesla. I honestly can't recommend that my Dad get a Tesla. He has owned BMW 7-series for the last 20+ years. While he has no clue how to use iDrive and resorted to naming all his phone favorites with "AAAA" "AAA" "AA" in front of the names so that he sees them first, he would not put up with rebooting the dashboard or dealing with other issues. His mindset is not there. I agree that long-term Tesla needs to get beyond this to attract new customers but I'm ok with it for now.
• Just darn fun to drive.
• All the little things that ICEs can't do. I can keep my dog climate controlled in my car on a hot day. Sure I can "remote start" my wife's Volvo and do the same...but only for 15 minutes and I better hope no one is standing near the exhaust! Firmware updates with new features (I laughed when the Volvo tech told my wife's XC90 could NEVER do over-the-air updates..."no car company would do that due to the risk of a failed update").

I think I'll step down from the soapbox now. Excited for my X to arrive. I'd much prefer to have normal doors and folding seats but oh well...

Just thought I'd add my 2 cents after reading so many posts about issues. Hope it puts some potential owners at ease!

 

[RichardD]

Fantastic outlook..

 

[jelloslug]

I attribute the amount someone will "put up with" as a function of how much satisfaction the vehicle gives the owner. If quality issues dictated repeat customers, several car companies would go out of business tomorrow....

 

[Zextraterrestrial]

I think I am in the same 'boat' somewhat except I can't afford an X and don't really want one.but this is an X thread....
My S has had many issues over the years, fortunately nothing bad recently, knock on lacewood...
I would not recommend this car to many people, some 'elders' specifically, but I do not like to drive anything else, ever! Agree with the OP on most comments
It is a bit hard when people ask if I have had any problems, because, yes there have been many but all taken care of by very nice people although there was a bit of time involved - I guess it would be similar to having a sick kid. you don't just stop loving your kid and when they are better you probably love them even more.

 

[AB4EJ]

A lot of people who have had a higher-end car have "put up" with a lot of problems with the car. Take a look at vehicle reliability ratings, and see that Tesla is in the vicinity of Mercedes, Volvo, Cadillac, Porsche, etc.; this is not to mention brands that are known to spend more time in the shop than on the road (I won't mention names, but they know who they are!). If reliability is your main car selection criterion, then, Toyota is the only option. Still I must say... I've had excellent service and no problems from my 2016 MS; and if it had to go back to the shop a lot (which is 225 miles away), I would be a whole lot less sanguine about it...

 

[AnxietyRanger]

Nice post, good luck with the X @MiddKid.

 

[ecarfan]

@MiddKid thanks for your post. I have a similar perspective but have not had nearly as many issues and repairs as you have had.

I've owned my S85 for 3 years plus 3 months and 57K miles. In that time:

• Drivers IC display replaced proactively (I never had a problem with it)
• Chrome trim at rear of rear windows re-glued because it had lifted up a few millimeters (common issue with early cars)
• Moisture leaking into tail lights repaired with new seals and chrome trim piece
• Motor replaced due to whine noise (I had a Tesla service person listen to it, after less than 2 seconds underway he scheduled me for a replacemement even though the whine was very faint and only on acceleration)
• The charging cable on my HPWC was replaced. Not the cable that came with the car, that's been fine.

That's all I can remember right now. Maybe something else will come to me, but I would say my Model S has been the most troublefree car I've ever owned. Some might disagree and say that I had a "drive unit failure" but I think that is a distortion: I heard a faint noise while accelerating that wasn't there when the car was new. That is not a "failure". It's a noise and it never prevented me from driving the car wherever I wanted to go whenever I wanted to go there.

My next car will be a Tesla. Of course. Right now it's looking like it will be an X because next year my wife and I are buying a 17 ft camper trailer and we need a tow vehicle.

 

[stefan.bc]

Motor replaced due to whine noise

Can you give more details on this? I might have the same thing. At certain speeds/power outputs(~50mph) I get some sort of constant whistling which is similar to the one I get when the regen kicks in.
Also in the loaner I have right now, there is a constant whine noise which is very annoying when not listening to music.

 

[earlyretirement]

Great post. Thanks for sharing. I too had quite a few issues with my Model S P85. However, I took delivery of a Model X back in August 2016. I was thrilled that the build quality is much better than when I took delivery of my Model S back in mid 2013. I haven't had to take it in yet which I'm really thrilled about.

 

[rainforest]

I completely agree and am in the exact same position as you. My father would also never put up with so many issues, and I agree that Tesla has to rectify this with the Model 3.

BTW, if you want folding seats, go with the 5 seater X.

 

[MiddKid]

Thanks all!

Can you give more details on this? I might have the same thing. At certain speeds/power outputs(~50mph) I get some sort of constant whistling which is similar to the one I get when the regen kicks in.

@stefan.bc For me it was the fact that the noise changed significantly. For 2 years it was a very subtle, almost unnoticeable, sound from the motor (one benefit of not having a "D"). Then I started to hear something very different...much louder...and most importantly it wasn't consistent. During the test drive with the tech he said sounds are normal. But then he noticed mine was coming and going and much louder than he was used to hearing. They replaced the drive unit.

BTW, if you want folding seats, go with the 5 seater X.

@rainforest No can do...I've got three kids! We're always driving around with kids and friends! ;-)

 

[Kreid]

As an S owner since 2014 that recently picked up a new X, let me assure you the quality of their production and delivery has skyrocketed. Picking up my S felt like picking up a used car from an average dealer. It was dusty, full of paint imperfections, scratches, and a handful of mechanical issues off the bat. The X however has been flawless.

 

[Rodolfo Paiz]

I'll chime in here. My Model S was traded in last Friday after exactly four years of ownership. It was S/N 6649, early enough to still lack parking sensors and folding mirrors. Performance, loaded, driven hard and put away wet though not many miles. I had little stuff break: the plastic clips on the vanity mirror covers, for example. And Tesla fixed everything, proactively and aggressively, with a vengeance to make sure their cars were always great. But mostly, my car was flawless and trouble-free. Visibly and markedly unlike BMW and other brands I've owned before. I guess we all have different experiences.

However, I'll tolerate a lot of issues from Tesla. Because they always give a damn, they take ownership, they fix it (and then improve it on newer cars), and they never give me grief. Tank mode, the seat belt recall, and so many other examples of Tesla just having a different attitude to other brands. So I'm confident that, whatever happens to my car, Tesla's got my back. And that, my friends, is all the peace of mind I'll ever need.

 

[SocalMS]

Depends on how long your car is in the shop and what kind of loaners they give you..

If you're stuck w/ old/cheap rentals.. then no thanks...

No way would I put up w/ all those PROBLEMS.

 

[DriverOne]

Fair enough. My S had its fair share of issues, but often I got a better spec'ed S as a loaner, which made the whole experience pretty awesome. The X I've replaced it with will hopefully be more solid - feels like it is.

 

[OBX John]

Pretty much spot on. Tesla.... there is no substitute!

My windshield has a subtle distortion right where the car in front tends to be, had the high pitched whine once, a few fit and finish issues, but I think we're about to buy another S since my wife has taken mine and doesn't want to give it back... at least her gas guzzling Suburban is off the road!

 

[stefan.bc]

Because they always give a damn, they take ownership, they fix it

Pls tell me how are they fixing the ghosting issues on both X and S. If they do give a damn why not this issue?
And why are we told that the windshields are within specs when clearly they are not, as many of us tested multiple models and the ghosting varied.

 

[tinc]

Just picked up my X, a completely different car from the S. I have had the S since Jan 2015. A very well equipped S85, I am very happy with the car except two things. The build quality could've been better considering it was a $100k+ car and the seats. For a high end electric car, the seats needed to be infinitely better. It was stiff and uncomfortable compared to my old Lexus RX400 hybrid and even more old 86 Mercedes 300D Turbo Diesel.

The X seats are up to par although I haven't really driven it much because I'm waiting to get it wrapped with Xpel Ultimate before it hits the road. I was going through the checklist and I have to say the quality build for the X is much better than when I went to pick up the S from the SC.

It is definitely a different driving experience between the two cars, I prefer the handling and driver experience of the S but it's comparing a sports car to a SUV (apples to oranges). The X will take a little getting used to but what I'm truly excited is when the full driving capabilities gets released, that's going to truly set Tesla cars from the rest.

 

[earlyretirement]

Thanks all!


@stefan.bc For me it was the fact that the noise changed significantly. For 2 years it was a very subtle, almost unnoticeable, sound from the motor (one benefit of not having a "D"). Then I started to hear something very different...much louder...and most importantly it wasn't consistent. During the test drive with the tech he said sounds are normal. But then he noticed mine was coming and going and much louder than he was used to hearing. They replaced the drive unit.


@rainforest No can do...I've got three kids! We're always driving around with kids and friends! ;-)

Yep. I had to also get the drive train on my Model S replaced. Here is a cut/paste from my repair order.

Diagnostics show the drive unit is not functioning appropriately. Isolated HV and 12v system. Removed and replaced the drive unit, pushed updated firmware to ensure proper communication, perform coolant air purge, 4-wheel alignment and function tested to confirm concern has been rectified.
toolbox session # 152423

Parts Replaced or Added
Part Quantity

ASY,P-TRAIN,SPORT,MECH,COMPLETE 1 (1002633-01-Q)

AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION FLUID - 1 DEXRON VI - SYNTHETIC 212B (1031106- 00-A)

ETHYLENE GLYCOL COOLANT - 50/50 MIX 1 - 1 gallon (1029320-00-A)

 

[DDotJ]

I have a late 2014 Model S, and it has had a ton of quality issues. I still have rattles that are being addressed by Tesla Service to this day. I could write a book with the numerous issues I've had with my vehicle. Thankfully none of them were major issues that prevented me from commuting every day or left me stranded. And Tesla Service has been fantastic the whole way through. And I love my Model S, despite all of its little imperfections. And I completely understand, Tesla was a brand new manufacturer at the time and was getting the kinks of manufacturing worked out.

Despite this, I ordered a Model X in December and it was delivered this past Friday. I was worried that I was going to have issues with this car as well, seeing it was much more complex compared to the S.

What a pleasant surprise, I had almost no issues (other than a charge port door misalignment). Tesla has come a LONG way in the quality/fit and finish department. The interior quality has improved leaps and bounds, and the fit and finish of the car is almost perfect. When I was driving my 2014 S from delivery to my house, there was a TON of wind noise, rattles, creaks, and pressure buffeting issues that I immediately noticed.

This past weekend, we took the Model X on a road trip and stress tested the car, driving on all types of road surfaces at various speeds for hours on end. Absolutely no rattles or squeaks, the car is rock solid. The premium ultra white seats are absolutely fantastic, they are so soft and comfortable my family calls them "Marshmallow Seats".

Tesla has come so far as a manufacturer, it's quite astounding to see the improvements they have made to their vehicles. I have zero regrets buying Model S, it has been wonderful being at the forefront of technological innovation and sustainable transport, all the while supporting Tesla and their mission to accelerate the world to sustainable transport. And that Model S has shown all doubting friends, family, and neighbors that an electric vehicle is truly a practical (and in my opinion, superior) option. We're ecstatic to have added a Model X into our family, and we're over the moon excited for Model 3 to join our family in the next year as well.

A huge thank you and best wishes to Tesla and the entire Tesla team. I'm certainly looking forward to being part of the Tesla family for years to come.