My Almost delivery in North Houston today - 2nd build

[Model S M.D.]

For all the flack I appear to be dumping on Tesla. I still want a Tesla MS, but even a 'young' car company should know that just about the ONE thing that will really affect the resale value of the car that CANNOT be fixed at delivery is the Paint. You re-paint large areas of the vehicle, you lose value - period. Just about everything else (assuming no accident prior to delivery) can be repaired without impacting the real value of the vehicle. The factory paint quality control on my vehicle was atrocious. There is no other word to describe it. The delivery DS agreed with me that my car was especially bad.

You could try contacting @JonMc the President of Global Sales/Service. Seems like you got dealt a really bad apple. I wouldn't accept that Model S either.

I had good experiences with Whitney as my DS for both of my Teslas and Dayan as my "day of" delivery specialist at North Houston.

 

[Kenriko]

You could try contacting @JonMc the President of Global Sales/Service. Seems like you got dealt a really bad apple. I wouldn't accept that Model S either.

I had good experiences with Whitney as my DS for both of my Teslas and Dayan as my "day of" delivery specialist at North Houston.

So far we've dealt with Whitney, Dayan and Monica. All have been very nice and easy to work with. I think it's important to remember the DS have very little control of what shape the cars are in when they arrive. Fremont / shipping seems to hold the majority of the blame in this case.

 

[JasJ]

Completely agree that the DS team and local manager are not to blame, but stuck between a rock and hard place. They have all been unfailingly nice, but not empowered to do much other than send it to a body shop for up to a three week visit. This is a brand new car, not a CPO.

 

[TexLaw]

I think it's important to remember the DS have very little control of what shape the cars are in when they arrive. Fremont / shipping seems to hold the majority of the blame in this case.

I agree and extend that to the SC manager, and I also believe that Fremont is putting them all in an impossible position. However, the DSs and managers can react in better ways. This "cut us some slack"/"rub some butter on it"/"do a lap and get over it" attitude is inexcusable. That goes double when it sounds like OP received a car that may as well have been painted in an old Earl Scheib shop.

 

[bob_p]

A few minutes ago, FedEx sent a notification that paperwork is being shipped overnight from Fremont. Hopefully that means the 100Ds have been released for delivery - and we'll be able to get ours on Friday... And see the quality of our car, built several weeks ago.

 

[JasJ]

Good Luck

 

[Vitold]

Completely agree that the DS team and local manager are not to blame, but stuck between a rock and hard place. They have all been unfailingly nice, but not empowered to do much other than send it to a body shop for up to a three week visit. This is a brand new car, not a CPO.

In my opinion, they would have been nice if they offered 3 year service for your car for your trouble...

 

[JasJ]

In my opinion, they would have been nice if they offered 3 year service for your car for your trouble...

Yeah, I asked for that nicely and was flatly rejected. Said I would take the car if they extended the warranty (only way to get a longer warranty on the re-painting past 4 years), also flatly rejected. I tend to keep cars a while, so I just want decent paint that I have some reassurance that Tesla will back. They claim it will be just like factory, so they should be willing to back that up. So far, they are not. I have hit a wall with the local manager as she does not appear authorized to do anything past offer some in-stock only store swag. I have asked her for the name of the regional manager, as well as reach out to @JonMc here as some have suggested.

 

[gekkota]

Come on Tesla managerial staff, we all know you are reading this thread just like the rest of us. Wake up and do something about it.

 

[brkaus]

They claim it will be just like factory

Sounds like that's the problem

 

[bob_p]

Looks like we could be a week or two away from delivery of our car. The FedEx envelope is only supposed to have the temporary plates - Tesla is still holding all 100D deliveries.

If our car is in condition similar to the OP's, it's unlikely Tesla could do anything to get us to accept that car, and would request they get us a replacement from the factory. If our car needed to be repainted in that many areas, it would always be a problem when trying to re-sell the car, and there's a risk that the paint job may never look right, no matter how hard the local body shop tries to get the colors to match.

And, if Tesla built a replacement, I might be tempted to fly out to the factory and inspect that car after it's built, so that if there were problems, I'd be at the factory instead of working with the local Service Center.

I still believe that if the OP can reach someone in more authority at Tesla HQ, that this can be worked out.

 

[JasJ]

You could try contacting @JonMc the President of Global Sales/Service. Seems like you got dealt a really bad apple. I wouldn't accept that Model S either.

Reached out via TMC to @JonMc, nothing so far, but I doubt he reads on a regular basis. He has people for that I would guess.

I have hit a wall with the local manager as she does not appear authorized to do anything past offer some in-stock only store swag. I have asked her for the name of the regional manager, as well as reach out to @JonMc here as some have suggested.

No regional manager name yet, local manager hasn't responded from yesterday after I asked for the regional manager name.

Come on Tesla managerial staff, we all know you are reading this thread just like the rest of us. Wake up and do something about it.

Nothing so far, but I hope you are right... I'm hoping to hear from someone, anyone at Tesla who can offer something other than just take it.

I still believe that if the OP can reach someone in more authority at Tesla HQ, that this can be worked out.

Still trying... going to call the general Tesla 800 # later today, can't hurt.

I've also reached out to the new Galleria store manager, Crystal, as my original 'sales advisor' (or whatever name they use in Texas) is no longer in that role to see if she can help or at least give me another name to find a solution.

Getting depressed that I have to ask the bank to claw back funds as I'm paying interest on a car I don't have since the beginning of this week and there are no other built cars with ventilated seats left.

 

[bob_p]

Jasj, if Tesla offers you a replacement without ventilated seats, my recommendation would be to take it. The combination of pre-cooling with the smartphone app, using vent on the sunroof (if you have that feature) and the new overheat protection, you can avoid having the seats get hot enough to get much benefit out of the ventilated seats.

Have you tried calling the Tesla North American sales line? Or the HQ Delivery group (their phone number was in the paperwork we received)? If the local Service Center isn't able to get you to someone at HQ, those are alternative paths to try.

A complication is that Tesla can't officially sell you a car in Texas - so if you can't get the resolution with the local staff, you really need to be talking with Tesla - in California - that is actually selling you the car.

I'm still hopeful that once you find someone who is in a position to help, that you'll get this worked out.

 

[JasJ]

@bob_p Thanks. As the song goes, I live 'deep in the heart of Texas', so ventilated seats are still something I desire.

Good news. I did hear from California upper management a little while ago and was told, "...I've assigned a person on my direct team to help out with your situation and help find a solution that works well for you. We'll be in touch shortly...."

Finger's crossed. Waiting and hoping for a good solution as I am paying daily interest on a car I do not have.

 

[alloverx]

Buy a Merc or a Lexus.

 

[JasJ]

Buy a Merc or a Lexus.

yeah, NO!

No news from California so far, fingers still crossed. It's my birthday, maybe Tesla will have a nice surprise for me.

 

[GoTzillaR]

yeah, NO!

No news from California so far, fingers still crossed. It's my birthday, maybe Tesla will have a nice surprise for me.

From what I know, the management team for our region is under restructuring. So it might take a bit longer and come from a new manager assigned to our region. How do I know it? Well, I have an X under rebuild and it happens to be the red as well.

 

[jelloslug]

If it were me I would cut your losses on the car and have them build you another. For what it's worth, my Model S had decent paint. I di find a few minor flaws in the door jams but that's about it. The BMW i3 I had before had a similar amount of paint issues and the Nissan LEAF had a few more.

 

[kash]

now i'm scared about my X delivery, its at the same place!!

 

[Kenriko]

Lots of Houston peeps here. We take delivery of our P85 tomorrow from North Houston. They already *fixed* everything (including bumper repaint) so fingers crossed it's smooth.