Model 3 with 24 miles in 2weeks completely dead

[blackpearlt3]

Hi All,

I am looking for some recommendations for the problem I am facing with my recent Model 3 purchase. Placed custom order mid Nov and got delivery last week of Dec. Odometer showed just 04 miles when I took delivery.

After driving for just 20miles in 2 weeks (out for vacation during holidays so didnt get to drive much) my model3 just does not respond i.e. cannot open doors or start car. Emergency road side service towed vehicle to service center. At service center, technicians could not start or open doors or charge or do anything. Absolutely no response from car no matter what. It shows 90% charge so its not battery issue. It does not respond to jump start. It is just dead.

Service folks took 3 days to find that it is complex issue and they are trying to fix it by replacing left VC (so called left brain of the car) as well as some key central VC. Not sure if I got the technical issue right but it is definitely major issue.

I am surprised that the car passed quality control with such a big issue. Its not even a functional car so should not be released for delivery.

I want to return the car but sales and service teams say they cannot take return since it is past 7 days. They also say that I cannot purchase same model and trim until 1 year. I tried to explain that my case should be exception but they dont budge. Tried to speak to the sales person who sold the car but no use. Cannot reach customer support on main support number: (888) 518-3752. I am frustrated that they dont understand my request to get this car replaced. They insist on getting it repaired but I do not feel safe to drive it even after repair knowing that the car is severely defective.
I am looking to get return and purchase same trim (but with discount since I lost my federal tax credit and inconvenience).

Any ideas or suggestions please?

 

[cwerdna]

Since you say Belmont and you mention Federal tax credit, I'm assuming you're in Belmont, CA...

If so, all I can suggest now that you're past return period time is hope that you can eventually have enough other problems or time in the shop to qualify for lemon law. For CA, see page 7 of https://www.dca.ca.gov/acp/pdf_files/englemn.pdf for the criteria. Lemon laws differ by state.

Sorry to hear about your problems. I think a lesson learned is anyone who wants to buy/lease a Tesla and may take advantage of the 7 day return period (if eligible) should make sure to drive it every day.

 

[Lasairfion]

Since you say Belmont and you mention Federal tax credit, I'm assuming you're in Belmont, CA...

If so, all I can suggest now that you're past return period time is hope that you can eventually have enough other problems or time in the shop to qualify for lemon law. For CA, see page 7 of https://www.dca.ca.gov/acp/pdf_files/englemn.pdf for the criteria. Lemon laws differ by state.

Sorry to hear about your problems. I think a lesson learned is anyone who wants to buy/lease a Tesla and may take advantage of the 7 day return period (if eligible) should make sure to drive it every day.

I'm not American, but surely you guys have something akin to the Sale of Goods Act where all items must be "fit for purpose"?

If I buy anything and it doesn't work in the manner to which it is supposed to, i.e. it is not fit for purpose, then I can return it within a "reasonable" time-frame for a full refund. The time is not set as what is reasonable changes for different products. It is down to the courts to interpret reasonable, from the point of the average person (Wednesbury Reasonableness) if the vendor doesn't agree.

A car certainly should work within the first thousand miles and the first few months without going majorly wrong.

The only issue is that it has now been repaired. Under our laws at least, you have to state at the time that you want the car to be returned and refunded. Once you accept an alternative resolution from the vendor, your SOGA rights are kind of ended.

We have Distance Selling Regulations here that allow for return for any reason within 14 days if you bought online, but again I don't know if you have similar laws there, and I think you're past the 2 weeks now anyway.

If they've replaced the computer parts that were malfunctioning, then you will just have to hope that this was the issue, and that you didn't get a Friday Afternoon car. If it was just that "brain" then with a new part the car should technically be A-OK and you can be confident in going forwards.

As Cwerdna points out, at least in the USA you have Lemon Laws, so if there are further issues with the vehicle you may have some recourse there.

I don't suppose you bought it on a credit card and that perhaps you could reverse the charge somehow and force them to take it back?

 

[mattack4000]

I would return it and buy another one

 

[jmaddr]

Sorry to hear about your issues. If it is indeed just electronics that need to be replaced, that shouldn’t worry you about future reliability. Once they are replaced, it should be good to go for a long time. Even if they had found it at QC, they would repair it at the factory just the same as they are doing now at the service center and then selling it new, and you would never know the difference.

Give them a chance to make it right and see how it works. If you are out a vehicle without a loaner for some time, I think that’s ground for some sort of compensation, but see what they can do first. Look up the lemon law in CA as above to be prepared in case the repairs do not work.

 

[cwerdna]

I'm not American, but surely you guys have something akin to the Sale of Goods Act where all items must be "fit for purpose"?

If I buy anything and it doesn't work in the manner to which it is supposed to, i.e. it is not fit for purpose, then I can return it within a "reasonable" time-frame for a full refund. The time is not set as what is reasonable changes for different products. It is down to the courts to interpret reasonable, from the point of the average person (Wednesbury Reasonableness) if the vendor doesn't agree.

A car certainly should work within the first thousand miles and the first few months without going majorly wrong.

I'm not aware of anything like that mandated by US Federal or any state law applicable to vehicles. Long ago, I started this thread which states have a "cooling off"/return period on new cars? because of the amount of weird assertions people kept posting. When challenged to cite the law/mandate, they'd go silent or insult me.

The below California govt pages talk about there being no mandated cooling off period:
FFVR 26
FFVR 35
http://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=VEH&sectionNum=11709.2.

Notice in that thread, I never got an answer?

Here in the US, if a new car has a return policy at all, it's a perk provided by the automaker or retailer.

I don't suppose you bought it on a credit card and that perhaps you could reverse the charge somehow and force them to take it back?

Doubtful. I don't think Tesla allows payment of an entire car on a credit card. I've never heard of a dealer that allowed that due to the amount of credit card fees. Only a relatively small amount was allowed (maybe $1K or so, I forget).

I would return it and buy another one

He's already well past 7 days, somewhere past 2 weeks + 3 days now.

Also, note the ban (by policy: Return Policy) on buying another of the same model and trim for a year that he cites.

 

[jjrandorin]

I'm not American, but surely you guys have something akin to the Sale of Goods Act where all items must be "fit for purpose"?

If I buy anything and it doesn't work in the manner to which it is supposed to, i.e. it is not fit for purpose, then I can return it within a "reasonable" time-frame for a full refund. The time is not set as what is reasonable changes for different products. It is down to the courts to interpret reasonable, from the point of the average person (Wednesbury Reasonableness) if the vendor doesn't agree.

A car certainly should work within the first thousand miles and the first few months without going majorly wrong.

The only issue is that it has now been repaired. Under our laws at least, you have to state at the time that you want the car to be returned and refunded. Once you accept an alternative resolution from the vendor, your SOGA rights are kind of ended.

We have Distance Selling Regulations here that allow for return for any reason within 14 days if you bought online, but again I don't know if you have similar laws there, and I think you're past the 2 weeks now anyway.

If they've replaced the computer parts that were malfunctioning, then you will just have to hope that this was the issue, and that you didn't get a Friday Afternoon car. If it was just that "brain" then with a new part the car should technically be A-OK and you can be confident in going forwards.

As Cwerdna points out, at least in the USA you have Lemon Laws, so if there are further issues with the vehicle you may have some recourse there.

I don't suppose you bought it on a credit card and that perhaps you could reverse the charge somehow and force them to take it back?

For cars, in the US this is called "lemon law" and there are various hurdles that need to be met in order for a car to qualify under the lemon law legally (and its different state to state). In california, its 30 days of time vehicle being repaired, or the problem being unable to be fixed by the manufacturer repeatedly. The manufacturer is allowed to (at its option, not yours) repair the vehicle.

Im not a lawyer, but "car wont start so I dont feel safe" and is in for its first repair, is not something that normally can be lemon lawed. OP asks for options, they can contact a lemon law lawyer and see if they have any options, but I think they are stuck.

The only option I can see is escalating this within Tesla. Tesla will have to agree to take it back, otherwise OP is stuck with it. California has no "cooling off period" in car purchases, so even the 7 day return policy is all at tesla's whim. Once you buy a car in california (sign the contract), legally, its yours unless you were defrauded (and proving "fraud" would amount to something obvious like items being removed before pickup, etc).

If I was OP I would be trying to get the local service center manager as an ally, and "asking" for help from them. I would not be "demanding" anything because there is no legal right for them to do so (again, unfortunately).

 

[OCR1]

You need to find out what is wrong with it. If it’s just a bad computer part and they replace the part the car will be back to new again and you may never experience another problem with it.

But this is a good reminder why you should never buy a Tesla and then not drive it for the next 7 days. That 7 day window is your opportunity to make sure everything is OK.

 

[patrick40363]

Hi All,

I am looking for some recommendations for the problem I am facing with my recent Model 3 purchase. Placed custom order mid Nov and got delivery last week of Dec. Odometer showed just 04 miles when I took delivery.

After driving for just 20miles in 2 weeks (out for vacation during holidays so didnt get to drive much) my model3 just does not respond i.e. cannot open doors or start car. Emergency road side service towed vehicle to service center. At service center, technicians could not start or open doors or charge or do anything. Absolutely no response from car no matter what. It shows 90% charge so its not battery issue. It does not respond to jump start. It is just dead.

Service folks took 3 days to find that it is complex issue and they are trying to fix it by replacing left VC (so called left brain of the car) as well as some key central VC. Not sure if I got the technical issue right but it is definitely major issue.

I am surprised that the car passed quality control with such a big issue. Its not even a functional car so should not be released for delivery.

I want to return the car but sales and service teams say they cannot take return since it is past 7 days. They also say that I cannot purchase same model and trim until 1 year. I tried to explain that my case should be exception but they dont budge. Tried to speak to the sales person who sold the car but no use. Cannot reach customer support on main support number: (888) 518-3752. I am frustrated that they dont understand my request to get this car replaced. They insist on getting it repaired but I do not feel safe to drive it even after repair knowing that the car is severely defective.
I am looking to get return and purchase same trim (but with discount since I lost my federal tax credit and inconvenience).

Any ideas or suggestions please?

You didn't lose the tax credit. It is still yours to use since you took delivery in December.

 

[rickdogg82]

Let them fix it, it will be fine.

 

[dmurphy]

My take - if they can identify and figure out the problem - let them. That means you've got a car that's been thoroughly checked, diagnosed, troubleshot and you KNOW everything is 100% good to go.

If it takes an extended time - a few weeks - I think asking to exchange the vehicle as a lemon is a reasonable request.

But me, personally, I'd rather have a car that's been checked over twice and you KNOW is good to go because everything has been looked over with a fine toothed comb.

Replacing VCLEFT and VCRIGHT are pretty straightforward things. It's not major surgery like tearing a gasoline engine apart. It's just an electronic module.

So my take would be - ask them for a loaner (if they haven't given you one already) and let them go through the car. It'll be better than factory fresh!

Edited to add: Having worked in the technology industry for 4 decades (holy crap) ... there's a thing called "infant mortality"... Typically, electronic components either fail very early, or they last a very long time. Again, another reason to let them fix the car - you know your components will be solid for many years this way. (And yes, we need to think of Model 3 more as a computer than a car... it's basically a giant iPad with wheels!)

 

[AZjohnInCA]

I'm not American, but surely you guys have something akin to the Sale of Goods Act where all items must be "fit for purpose"?

LOL... America has no common sense laws. Culture is set up to screw over anybody you can. Lawyers and government make sure that greed is rewarded. Not saying that's bad or good, just the way it is here now. American consumers were protected years ago but that is history now.
I hope you appreciate that you still have consumer laws and protection in the UK
Cheers,
John

 

[Mo City]

Very sorry to hear this. Hope you are able to return the car.

Bear this one thing in mind: Assuming they resolve the problem, you may end up extremely happy about keeping the car.

Please keep us posted on what happens. Good luck!

 

[mreynolds767]

I would demand a Telsa loaner and let them fix it.
No reason to think it will continue to be a problem or have other issues.

Telsa replaces with new parts when there have been issues, they don't repair broken parts.

 

[mattack4000]

Didn’t see he was past 7 days, but you can file for lemon law after 30 in the shop. I got a new one that way

 

[ewoodrick]

I wouldn't really worry once they figure out the problem. Something this big is going to be a relatively simple fix, once they figure out where it is.
It passed QA because you got home

 

[boriszima]

If Tesla figures out with 100% certainty what caused it then you should be fine. If they say, we think it is this, then you got a problem on your hands as a problem can return. This is not like paint damage and whole car has to be repainted or getting a whole new battery which requires whole interior tear down.

 

[MP3Mike]

I am surprised that the car passed quality control with such a big issue. Its not even a functional car so should not be released for delivery.

Um, what? It was a functional car when you took delivery of it and drove it for 2 weeks right?
​

After driving for just 20miles in 2 weeks

The car worked when you got it, and so it would have passed a quality inspection... Things fail. Sometimes in 20 miles, sometimes in 200k miles...​

 

[VT_EE]

Who buys a Tesla and drives 20 miles in 2 weeks? That is sacrilege.

 

[OCR1]

Sometimes I find these posts a little hard to believe. First time poster, no follow up.