Hi Tesla Enthusiasts !
I am a new owner of a Model S Plaid, picked up from the Chicago Highland Park delivery center August 16, 2022.
I have a number of questions which I will search or post about, but my primary question is "what constitutes new?"...
My car was new, but I do recall the paperwork identifying some existing miles, and based on the odometer, it had 7 miles on it when I took delivery
Pretty excited, I had a nice long drive home to get acquainted. I tried out supercharging, lane keeping aid, auto lane change, etc. I babied it most of the way, with the exception of the initial on ramp where I learned that the accelerator jerked my neck back like Top Thrill Dragster (I looked it up, comparable 0-60).
After supercharging and setting some drive assistance modes, I tried lane keeping. It worked for a few miles, until it didn't. Good daylight, fine Interstate, well marked lanes... it would go on and stay for around 1 mile, and then DOINK, turn off. Also tried lane changing while in this mode, and it worked, until it didn't. A few times worked well, then refused to change lanes. Any clues or hints on this would be helpful. I use the auto pilot in my Volvo quite a bit, and it requires a little pressure on the wheel while engaged. Not sure if this is defeating the Tesla, or if something else is up.
Anyway, around 140 miles into the trip I got the dreaded emergency warning signal, pull over immediately, etc. I did so safely, and although the IP said that I should be able to proceed under limited power, the S would not budge. I'm new to this whole thing, so I looked it up on my phone, I read the manual, etc. Finally, I got out of the car, locked it, and walked around 50 feet away on the highway shoulder, gave it a minute to fully realize I'm not there anymore, and return. The car unlocked, started, into drive, problem solved. Until it wasn't.
10 miles later, same thing. This time VERY difficult to reset. I went around 15 feet, and got same emergency warnings after reset. So I used the 15 feet to get a little better situated on the shoulder, and made a roadside call.
Stranded for 2.5 hours on an interstate in my new $160k vehicle is NOT a good feeling, in fact, I feel like a big dummy at this point. Roadside service agent was great, knowledgeable, and went out of his way to be helpful. We dropped it off at Tesla SC in Grand Rapids, MI another hour later, after closing, so he gave me a ride to the airport for a rental car. See a photo of my new Model S Plaid attached, unfortunately being loaded onto a flatbed.
And there it sits. Over two weeks, never got it home. The SC diagnosed a bad high voltage harness, presumably connecting to the drive unit. They received it, replaced it, and called me to pick up the Plaid. I let them know that I still had a 2.5 hour trip home, and I did NOT want to get stranded again, so... please at least drive it for a mile before telling me it's all fixed. They did, and before I left home for the SC, they told me "never mind - still broken".
Now they are replacing the drive unit. We'll see how that goes.
So, I'm left with some questions on which I'd like to hear feedback:
a) Will I get "factory new" parts, or is this now some kind of Frankenstein vehicle, with reconditioned harnesses and drive units ? How can I tell ?
b) From your experiences, will my vehicle now be reliable after a full service appointment of over two weeks, or should I expect perpetual problems until I demand a replacement either through the service center or through lemon law remedies ?
c) How far should the SC "test drive" the fix, if my brand new car broke after 160 miles ?
d) What is the best process to be reimbursed for the rental car ?
Thanks in advance for your input.
I am a new owner of a Model S Plaid, picked up from the Chicago Highland Park delivery center August 16, 2022.
I have a number of questions which I will search or post about, but my primary question is "what constitutes new?"...
My car was new, but I do recall the paperwork identifying some existing miles, and based on the odometer, it had 7 miles on it when I took delivery
Pretty excited, I had a nice long drive home to get acquainted. I tried out supercharging, lane keeping aid, auto lane change, etc. I babied it most of the way, with the exception of the initial on ramp where I learned that the accelerator jerked my neck back like Top Thrill Dragster (I looked it up, comparable 0-60).
After supercharging and setting some drive assistance modes, I tried lane keeping. It worked for a few miles, until it didn't. Good daylight, fine Interstate, well marked lanes... it would go on and stay for around 1 mile, and then DOINK, turn off. Also tried lane changing while in this mode, and it worked, until it didn't. A few times worked well, then refused to change lanes. Any clues or hints on this would be helpful. I use the auto pilot in my Volvo quite a bit, and it requires a little pressure on the wheel while engaged. Not sure if this is defeating the Tesla, or if something else is up.
Anyway, around 140 miles into the trip I got the dreaded emergency warning signal, pull over immediately, etc. I did so safely, and although the IP said that I should be able to proceed under limited power, the S would not budge. I'm new to this whole thing, so I looked it up on my phone, I read the manual, etc. Finally, I got out of the car, locked it, and walked around 50 feet away on the highway shoulder, gave it a minute to fully realize I'm not there anymore, and return. The car unlocked, started, into drive, problem solved. Until it wasn't.
10 miles later, same thing. This time VERY difficult to reset. I went around 15 feet, and got same emergency warnings after reset. So I used the 15 feet to get a little better situated on the shoulder, and made a roadside call.
Stranded for 2.5 hours on an interstate in my new $160k vehicle is NOT a good feeling, in fact, I feel like a big dummy at this point. Roadside service agent was great, knowledgeable, and went out of his way to be helpful. We dropped it off at Tesla SC in Grand Rapids, MI another hour later, after closing, so he gave me a ride to the airport for a rental car. See a photo of my new Model S Plaid attached, unfortunately being loaded onto a flatbed.
And there it sits. Over two weeks, never got it home. The SC diagnosed a bad high voltage harness, presumably connecting to the drive unit. They received it, replaced it, and called me to pick up the Plaid. I let them know that I still had a 2.5 hour trip home, and I did NOT want to get stranded again, so... please at least drive it for a mile before telling me it's all fixed. They did, and before I left home for the SC, they told me "never mind - still broken".
Now they are replacing the drive unit. We'll see how that goes.
So, I'm left with some questions on which I'd like to hear feedback:
a) Will I get "factory new" parts, or is this now some kind of Frankenstein vehicle, with reconditioned harnesses and drive units ? How can I tell ?
b) From your experiences, will my vehicle now be reliable after a full service appointment of over two weeks, or should I expect perpetual problems until I demand a replacement either through the service center or through lemon law remedies ?
c) How far should the SC "test drive" the fix, if my brand new car broke after 160 miles ?
d) What is the best process to be reimbursed for the rental car ?
Thanks in advance for your input.
