Model 3 Servicing in remote places

[Pandalus]

With the recent news about the eye-popping safety statistics on the Model 3, I'm finally considering making the leap. Problem: I live in one of the places in North America that is most hostile to EV ownership: St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador.

Nearest service centre is Montreal - days of driving away, plus a ferry. This car will probably never see a supercharger - there aren't even level 3 chargers on the island.

So, I'm willing to take on the challenge but need some comfort about access to servicing. I've seen all kinds of conflicting information about whether the ranger service still exists, and if it does exist, how much it costs.

Does anyone have any insight into this? There was another thread about Tesla ownership in Newfoundland but it's two years out of date.

 

[voip-ninja]

With the recent news about the eye-popping safety statistics on the Model 3, I'm finally considering making the leap. Problem: I live in one of the places in North America that is most hostile to EV ownership: St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador.

Nearest service centre is Montreal - days of driving away, plus a ferry. This car will probably never see a supercharger - there aren't even level 3 chargers on the island.

So, I'm willing to take on the challenge but need some comfort about access to servicing. I've seen all kinds of conflicting information about whether the ranger service still exists, and if it does exist, how much it costs.

Does anyone have any insight into this? There was another thread about Tesla ownership in Newfoundland but it's two years out of date.

You should check into owner's clubs in your area, there are certainly some Model S/X owners in the area that can tell you how Tesla service is handling things.

They use mobile technicians for minor repairs and I believe those techs even do long distance drives to remote areas. Another thing that they appear to do is picking up cars with a flatbed and taking them to service, then returning them.... assuming that the problem is a Tesla failure.

Now, my opinion probably not a popular one, but I would not get a Tesla in your situation. You can go to the most remote parts of North America and you can typically throw a rock and hit someone that is able to fix an ICE or a diesel. Additionally you can probably get the majority of parts you need via Federal Express and have them in a day or two.

With Tesla you are not only dealing with the fact that Tesla are the only ones that can service your vehicle (and that there isn't a Tesla service center within hours of where you are at) but you are also dealing with the fact that Tesla will refuse to sell any parts you might need. Think for a minute about what happens when you have some minor failure like a power window or seat motor that a mechanic could typically fix for you in a couple of hours with a $100 part. This now turns into a multi-day adventure for you to get it sorted it out. No thanks.

 

[neroden]

With the recent news about the eye-popping safety statistics on the Model 3, I'm finally considering making the leap. Problem: I live in one of the places in North America that is most hostile to EV ownership: St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador.

Nearest service centre is Montreal - days of driving away, plus a ferry. This car will probably never see a supercharger - there aren't even level 3 chargers on the island.

So, I'm willing to take on the challenge but need some comfort about access to servicing. I've seen all kinds of conflicting information about whether the ranger service still exists, and if it does exist, how much it costs.

Does anyone have any insight into this? There was another thread about Tesla ownership in Newfoundland but it's two years out of date.

Don't buy the car until there's a nearer service center. It looks like it's finally going to happen. Customers yelling at everyone conceivable within Tesla for five years about the lack of service center geographic coverage didn't manage to get through to Tesla management ...
... but finally Musk bothered to look at a map.

Just reviewed Tesla’s service locations in North America & realized we have major gaps in geographic coverage! Sorry for this foolish oversight. Tesla will aim to cover all regions of NA (not just big cities) within 3 to 6 months.

5:30 PM - 16 Oct 2018

Elon Musk on Twitter

In other words, wait a year.

 

[Pandalus]

Hmm. Thanks for the advice. Quebec City is the closest service centre - which is at least a two-day commute, assuming they actually enable the Model 3 to work with CHAdeMO chargers (since there are no superchargers in Nova Scotia). If they don't then it's a three-day commute on level 2 charging.

I spoke to the guy at the service center in QC and he said that I'd have to bring the car in physically every two years.

Guess I'm stuck with my Volt for a while longer...

 

[FolkheroZ]

I wonder how the 3’s body would hold up in your extremely corrosive winters. When I moved to Nova Scotia from the Prairies, I couldn’t get over the rust on <10 y/o cars!

 

[Pandalus]

I wonder how the 3’s body would hold up in your extremely corrosive winters. When I moved to Nova Scotia from the Prairies, I couldn’t get over the rust on <10 y/o cars!

This worries me too. The ridiculous volumes of rock salt they use just destroy cars here. One perk of the Model S was the aluminum body... but I just don't have the $$$ for the S.

 

[coleAK]

We are in Alaska. The closest service center is ~2200 miles (3500km) away. Farther than Atlanta to Los Angeles. We had a model S for 4 years and just sold it to get a model 3. We had service come up to fix a door rattle and other than that just tires and front break pads that my local auto repair shop did just fine. We also have no super chargers in the state and only one 3rd party charger anywhere. Anyway to answer your question, we live in an extremely remote area and are buying another one so... no issues.

Last I checked there are around 100 Tesla’s scattered around AK. I talked to a guy last month who has a RWD 3 in Healy which is 150 miles from any form of civilization

 

[neroden]

This worries me too. The ridiculous volumes of rock salt they use just destroy cars here. One perk of the Model S was the aluminum body... but I just don't have the $$$ for the S.

Used early model S costs about the same as a new Model 3 at this point, FWIW.

I'm about 5 hours drive from the nearest service center and I find the situation frustrating. I got the lovely "unlimited ranger service" plan back when they were offering it (they're not any more). But I really expected them to have a closer service center by now (5 years later). Hopefully next year.

Service Center employees really do their best to help you. They'll pick your car up if it's undriveable even if they have no legal obligation to. But without unlimited ranger service, your service costs will be through the roof being so far from the nearest service center -- just for transporation to the service center -- the cars *do* have things break. You really should just wait until there's a closer service center.

I'd pull the trigger at the point when you could get to the nearest service center in 4 hours, personally. But you can decide for yourself how long a drive is manageable if you have to take the car in for a fault which doesn't render the car undriveable. Some people would only tolerate 1 hour, some would tolerate 8 hours.

Looking at the map of the ferries -- well, it's not as bad to be on a ferry as it is to actually be driving. If they get a Halifax service center, I'd probably go for it. (Obviously, get a Long Range car!)

 

[Vitold]

Used early model S costs about the same as a new Model 3 at this point, FWIW.

Which poses interesting dilemma: buy 3 with warranty that is expensive to use or used S that you will have to fix yourself.

 

[neroden]

Which poses interesting dilemma: buy 3 with warranty that is expensive to use or used S that you will have to fix yourself.

You can't fix a lot of things yourself (because Tesla has been seriously unhelpful to do-it-yourselfers) so with an out-of-warranty car, you'd end up with Service Center costs *and* transportation costs to the service center.

 

[Pandalus]

We are in Alaska. The closest service center is ~2200 miles (3500km) away. . Anyway to answer your question, we live in an extremely remote area and are buying another one so... no issues.

Last I checked there are around 100 Tesla’s scattered around AK. I talked to a guy last month who has a RWD 3 in Healy which is 150 miles from any form of civilization

Thanks for this - telling me what I want to hear - that this is doable! LOL

(But I appreciate all the comments on this thread, including the skeptical ones)

 

[coleAK]

And do they really still salt roads in Canada? Alaska stopped using salt >10 years ago on the roads and sidewalks due to the negative environmental impact

 

[SMAlset]

Jeff Dahn, Tesla's battery researcher, came from Dahhousie University of Nova Scotia. No doubt there are Teslas driven in that area and so sure there are people in that general vacinity that might be helpful.

 

[roblab]

Hmm. Thanks for the advice. Quebec City is the closest service centre - which is at least a two-day commute, assuming they actually enable the Model 3 to work with CHAdeMO chargers (since there are no superchargers in Nova Scotia). If they don't then it's a three-day commute on level 2 charging.

I spoke to the guy at the service center in QC and he said that I'd have to bring the car in physically every two years.

Guess I'm stuck with my Volt for a while longer...

Yeah, I'd stick with the Volt. Since I've not needed or wanted service in six years with Tesla, and have never been in for service, I don't understand why anyone would take their non-gas car in for service. I don't think Tesla requires service, and if they do, they haven't told me. The only thing that bothers me about your situation is lack of superchargers. I have never tried plugging in my 3 to a Chademo, but if you say they don't work, I guess so. The 3 has a 300 mile range, though. You must really be far out.

 

[harry]

They use mobile technicians for minor repairs and I believe those techs even do long distance drives to remote areas. Another thing that they appear to do is picking up cars with a flatbed and taking them to service, then returning them.... assuming that the problem is a Tesla failure.

None of the above is correct at this time. We're in Prince Edward Island and have owned three Model S Signatures over a six year period. Initially and for several years all of the above was true and we benefited from all those methods of getting our cars fixed. That changed completely a couple of years ago. Now Montreal (the closest SC) wants $3k to transport the car to their SC. They want a fee for Ranger Service which is "by the kilometer" and works out to almost exactly the same. They still won't sell ANY parts.

These are policies of the Canadian management of Tesla. They are in direct conflict with promises Elon made concerning service all those years ago.

There are work arounds on parts. The Dedham, MA SC will sell you parts, and there is an active market in used parts. However, many parts require the car to be paired with the replacement, and so you're out of luck in those cases.