Hi all, I'm normally a pretty patient guy and have typically glossed over the small issues on our X that everyone has (MCU Yellow border, body control module issues, paint and interior quality challenges, window and door alignment, FSD/EAP features, lack of AP for the first x months, etc.). However we've had a recurring problem that I unfortunately cant gloss over and I'm looking for advice.
First the background:
Dec 2016 AP2 build/delivery X90D with everything (no Performance but everything else, including FSD and EAP) - about $130k out the door
In July 2017, about 7 months after we bought the car, while in the middle of a road trip thru Arizona, the A/C stopped working. Shutting the car down completely (e-brake/shutdown menu) and walking aware for about an hour reset it and it would sometimes start working again. (so intermittent issue). When it stopped, both front and back would blow hot air. Needless to say this was not ideal. When we got back we took it in for service. It was "fixed". But it wasn't. Issue re-occurred. a Month later, in for service again to fix it. But they didn't, issue re-occurred within 2 weeks. At this time, because the issue was intermittent and clearly hard to diagnose and because the weather was getting cooler (less need for the AC), we decided to deal with it when something else broke or it became a bigger issue. This is also due to both Dublin and Fremont's loaner fleet being in general Model S60 enterprise loaners or enterprise ICE vehicles. We have 3 car seats and bought the X for a reason. It is also our only car besides a large diesel truck. Every time we take it in for service, they sit on it for 3-5 days and we're left packing 3 kids into the truck. Similarly, we have the yellowing around the MCU screen, but haven't had it dealt with for the same reasons.
In February, it got warm, A/C issue reappeared intermittently. Then in June, The rear A/C stopped working completely. This is a big issue in the X with kids back there as it gets very warm very fast under the back glass. So we had to schedule service and take it in.
We called and scheduled what we were told would be a same day service appointment with Fremont (Dublin was several weeks out), and we were told that because it was Fremont, any parts should be easily available. We dropped the car in Fremont June 12th. At drop off I was informed that they couldn’t repair it that day, but they would have it done by the end of the week (it was Tuesday). On Friday we called and where informed it had not been looked at and they hoped to look at it “early next week”. They finally looked at it the following Monday and determined that it needed parts, parts that they couldn't get locally. Because of this they ultimately were not able to get the car back to us until the following Tuesday (June 26th), two weeks after we dropped it off and 8 days from when they determined it needed parts. Not exactly what i was looking for when I called and was told same day.
On Weds (the day after we got the car back) the air conditioning stopped working completely and a message on the dash was displayed to call service. This time my wife insisted on speaking to a manager and would not wait for a call back. She informed the manager that at this point this was the 4th attempt to fix this issue and we’re starting to consider our options with regards to a lemon claim. The manager asked for one more chance to fix it. The managed dispatched someone Thursday to pickup the car, take it to Fremont, fix the issue and bring it back. The fix was an O ring TSB that “should have been fixed long ago and was probably causing the A/C issues from the beginning”. We got the car back Thursday night (6/28). On Monday (7/2, yesterday) we noticed the rear air conditioning was again blowing hot air. The front A/C is currently working fine. Today (Tuesday 7/3) we called Fremont service and where told we could take it in today (which would be the 5th time for this issue), but the earliest they could look at it would be Friday or Monday.
So I'm at a cross roads. 4 unsuccessful attempts. Without the car for close to a month out of 18 months of ownership on a car that's incredibly expensive. I'm not a super wealthy guy, so buying this car was a stretch and we went from 2 cars down to really 1 to make it work. Yes I don't have the door issues, or body shop issues some have. But the wife is done with this, and i have to admit, I'm pretty much there myself.
Given our experience, the apparent lack of interest and the past conversation about giving them one more chance we are considering starting the process of buyback. Unfortunately, on a $130,000 car, having a working air conditioner is apparently too much to ask for. The Model X is What is the next step for the buyback? We've asked the Fremont service center and they claim their starting the process, whatever that means. Does anyone have experience with this? Car has about 34k miles on it now, had 16k when it went in for the issue the first time at 7 months (after a 5k mile road trip).
If we do go with something else, any other SUVs that come close? (Looking at a Navigator L or Cadillac Escalade ESV in order to have the 6 seats and cargo room the X has. Used to have a Navigator L before the X, so yes, I know its a big pig).
I love Autopilot (not the nags, but meh...) I want to stay on the journey, but I don't trust this can be fixed after 4 tries, and with all the new 3's, I don't know how long until Tesla can get service up to where it needs to be for this level of cost. Are the new X's perfect from the factory? (I doubt it just going by all the things on mine that aren't AC related that I've chosen not to make a deal out of).
Also, the escalate issue to executive feature on the Tesla website is conveniently broken today...
First the background:
Dec 2016 AP2 build/delivery X90D with everything (no Performance but everything else, including FSD and EAP) - about $130k out the door
In July 2017, about 7 months after we bought the car, while in the middle of a road trip thru Arizona, the A/C stopped working. Shutting the car down completely (e-brake/shutdown menu) and walking aware for about an hour reset it and it would sometimes start working again. (so intermittent issue). When it stopped, both front and back would blow hot air. Needless to say this was not ideal. When we got back we took it in for service. It was "fixed". But it wasn't. Issue re-occurred. a Month later, in for service again to fix it. But they didn't, issue re-occurred within 2 weeks. At this time, because the issue was intermittent and clearly hard to diagnose and because the weather was getting cooler (less need for the AC), we decided to deal with it when something else broke or it became a bigger issue. This is also due to both Dublin and Fremont's loaner fleet being in general Model S60 enterprise loaners or enterprise ICE vehicles. We have 3 car seats and bought the X for a reason. It is also our only car besides a large diesel truck. Every time we take it in for service, they sit on it for 3-5 days and we're left packing 3 kids into the truck. Similarly, we have the yellowing around the MCU screen, but haven't had it dealt with for the same reasons.
In February, it got warm, A/C issue reappeared intermittently. Then in June, The rear A/C stopped working completely. This is a big issue in the X with kids back there as it gets very warm very fast under the back glass. So we had to schedule service and take it in.
We called and scheduled what we were told would be a same day service appointment with Fremont (Dublin was several weeks out), and we were told that because it was Fremont, any parts should be easily available. We dropped the car in Fremont June 12th. At drop off I was informed that they couldn’t repair it that day, but they would have it done by the end of the week (it was Tuesday). On Friday we called and where informed it had not been looked at and they hoped to look at it “early next week”. They finally looked at it the following Monday and determined that it needed parts, parts that they couldn't get locally. Because of this they ultimately were not able to get the car back to us until the following Tuesday (June 26th), two weeks after we dropped it off and 8 days from when they determined it needed parts. Not exactly what i was looking for when I called and was told same day.
On Weds (the day after we got the car back) the air conditioning stopped working completely and a message on the dash was displayed to call service. This time my wife insisted on speaking to a manager and would not wait for a call back. She informed the manager that at this point this was the 4th attempt to fix this issue and we’re starting to consider our options with regards to a lemon claim. The manager asked for one more chance to fix it. The managed dispatched someone Thursday to pickup the car, take it to Fremont, fix the issue and bring it back. The fix was an O ring TSB that “should have been fixed long ago and was probably causing the A/C issues from the beginning”. We got the car back Thursday night (6/28). On Monday (7/2, yesterday) we noticed the rear air conditioning was again blowing hot air. The front A/C is currently working fine. Today (Tuesday 7/3) we called Fremont service and where told we could take it in today (which would be the 5th time for this issue), but the earliest they could look at it would be Friday or Monday.
So I'm at a cross roads. 4 unsuccessful attempts. Without the car for close to a month out of 18 months of ownership on a car that's incredibly expensive. I'm not a super wealthy guy, so buying this car was a stretch and we went from 2 cars down to really 1 to make it work. Yes I don't have the door issues, or body shop issues some have. But the wife is done with this, and i have to admit, I'm pretty much there myself.
Given our experience, the apparent lack of interest and the past conversation about giving them one more chance we are considering starting the process of buyback. Unfortunately, on a $130,000 car, having a working air conditioner is apparently too much to ask for. The Model X is What is the next step for the buyback? We've asked the Fremont service center and they claim their starting the process, whatever that means. Does anyone have experience with this? Car has about 34k miles on it now, had 16k when it went in for the issue the first time at 7 months (after a 5k mile road trip).
If we do go with something else, any other SUVs that come close? (Looking at a Navigator L or Cadillac Escalade ESV in order to have the 6 seats and cargo room the X has. Used to have a Navigator L before the X, so yes, I know its a big pig).
I love Autopilot (not the nags, but meh...) I want to stay on the journey, but I don't trust this can be fixed after 4 tries, and with all the new 3's, I don't know how long until Tesla can get service up to where it needs to be for this level of cost. Are the new X's perfect from the factory? (I doubt it just going by all the things on mine that aren't AC related that I've chosen not to make a deal out of).
Also, the escalate issue to executive feature on the Tesla website is conveniently broken today...
