My Model S 100D Broken Immediately After I Took Delivery

[Nadeshot]

Let me start off by saying that ever since I placed my order 2 months ago, I've been patiently awaiting yesterday's delivery with so much excitement. I've been a huge fan of Tesla for many years and to finally join the family upon delivery was thrilling. The delivery center I went to was brand new and I paid cash, so all I had to do was sign a couple forms which took about 5 minutes and then it was time to see my new Model S 100D! When they finally brought me to my car, my expectations were exceeded. The white interior complimenting the black exterior and 21 inch wheels was just beautiful. Add the carbon fiber to the list and the technology of the 100D and I fell in love immediately. We finished up talking and walking through the car and they pulled it around the front for me. I hopped into the drivers seat, put my seatbelt on and it was time to take my first drive back to my apartment... or so I thought. My first step on the pedal was so gratifying, I knew immediately that I made the right decision in buying a Tesla. My apartment was only 5 minutes away from the delivery center so I was going to drive home, grab a couple things and then get back on the road to see what my my new car could do. That's where my nightmare started. Not 3 minutes into my first drive, I was met with an error on the dashboard and center screen that said "Air Suspension Needs Service, Contact Tesla Service". I decided to drive back to the delivery center and show them, but they weren't able to fix it. So 30 minutes into ownership of my brand new 100D and I was already driving it to the service center. They took the car at around 4 PM and it's 10:30 AM the next day and haven't heard back yet. All around, I'm disappointed that my new Tesla already has issues that need to be addressed, but I'm optimistic that they'll fix this and I won't have to go back to the service center for a very very long time.


Have any of you ran into this issue before or have a similar story? Should I be worried?

 

[Big Earl]

I wouldn't be too worried. The air suspension isn't particularly complex and I'm confident that they'll be able to repair it for you quickly. Is there any possibility of getting a loaner vehicle while they're working on your car?

 

[DukeofURL]

My S100D did not have problems off the line, but my buddy just took delivery of his S100D last week, and his charging port lock was a little too tight, so that required a SC visit. From what I've heard you might have problems within the first 6mos of ownership, but Tesla for the most part should be eager to solve them, which is the most important thing. After those 6mos, once any kinks are worked out, you should enjoy much greater reliability.

Remember that the model S/X are still pretty exotic cars from a relatively new-to-the-game company. My personal opinion is that they didn't cut back on Model 3 options as much to save money, but to limit permutations so they could preserve quality assurance, as that seems to be the only thing lacking from the S/X (although getting better all the time), and a "car for the masses" cannot have exotic quirks.

 

[EV-lutioin]

It will all work out, our experiences with Tesla service have been fantastic. They really try hard to make their customers happy. Sorry this happened to you, but it will be resolved soon. Tip: I always get the service manager's cell phone number so I can send receive texts about the progress of my car.

 

[agloutney]

Happened to me on a new-ish 100D. I just did a scroll wheel reset (hold both scroll wheels down 30 seconds) and the issue never came back.

 

[Mediocrates]

Have any of you ran into this issue before or have a similar story? Should I be worried?

Worried, perhaps not, but definitely aware. Before I received my vehicle, I spent about a year reading these forums and gathering information. I went into the vehicle purchase expecting to have more problems with my vehicle than with any other vehicle I've owned, which turned out to be true.

I took delivery of my 100D in April of this year (2017). Within a week, I was notified that the battery had to be replaced. Apparently, some of the 100Ds received batteries that never should have been shipped from the factory, but they were. Mine was one such vehicle.

There are many such stories of major component failures within the first 6 months of ownership (I have multiple for my vehicle). Note that I'm not saying these are the common/typical delivery/ownership experiences. These stories are anecdotal evidence and cannot be used as a full set of data from which to draw conclusions. However, there are far more of these stories than there should be, which has earned Tesla a reputation of having a substandard build quality.

 

[bob_p]

Tesla continues to have a high customer loyalty rating - so while it's frustrating to have a problem immediately after delivery, if this was a typical situation, it's unlikely Tesla would have such high customer loyalty.

Compared to an ICE, Tesla cars have a relatively small number of moving parts. In our S 100D, shortly after delivery, the passenger seat controls stopped working - and it turned out to be something very simple, the connector underneath the seat had popped out - and was quickly fixed.

Even though we've had issues with our 2012 S P85 and a few minor issues with our 2017 S 100D (15K miles already), overall, compared to previous luxury ICE's, we're still visiting the service center less with Tesla than our other cars.

 

[dss33]

Let me start off by saying that ever since I placed my order 2 months ago, I've been patiently awaiting yesterday's delivery with so much excitement. I've been a huge fan of Tesla for many years and to finally join the family upon delivery was thrilling. The delivery center I went to was brand new and I paid cash, so all I had to do was sign a couple forms which took about 5 minutes and then it was time to see my new Model S 100D! When they finally brought me to my car, my expectations were exceeded. The white interior complimenting the black exterior and 21 inch wheels was just beautiful. Add the carbon fiber to the list and the technology of the 100D and I fell in love immediately. We finished up talking and walking through the car and they pulled it around the front for me. I hopped into the drivers seat, put my seatbelt on and it was time to take my first drive back to my apartment... or so I thought. My first step on the pedal was so gratifying, I knew immediately that I made the right decision in buying a Tesla. My apartment was only 5 minutes away from the delivery center so I was going to drive home, grab a couple things and then get back on the road to see what my my new car could do. That's where my nightmare started. Not 3 minutes into my first drive, I was met with an error on the dashboard and center screen that said "Air Suspension Needs Service, Contact Tesla Service". I decided to drive back to the delivery center and show them, but they weren't able to fix it. So 30 minutes into ownership of my brand new 100D and I was already driving it to the service center. They took the car at around 4 PM and it's 10:30 AM the next day and haven't heard back yet. All around, I'm disappointed that my new Tesla already has issues that need to be addressed, but I'm optimistic that they'll fix this and I won't have to go back to the service center for a very very long time.

Have any of you ran into this issue before or have a similar story? Should I be worried?

That's a real buzzkill, but I think you have the right attitude about it. Initial quality of the vehicles is way better than it was a couple years ago, but still leaves a lot to be desired. I'll echo that you'll find things in the first six months and you may be at the service center a handful of times, but just be sure they do their best to put you in a Tesla loaner and the car's time at the SC won't be nearly as bad. I've had nothing but super pleasant experiences while working out the kinks of the car and while we shouldn't necessarily have to spend our time on these things, the car as a whole is so damn amazing it's ultimately worth the trouble. Stick with it and don't let the initial snags get you too down. You'll get past those in no time...and know that Tesla's always going to do right where it matters.

 

[ReversePolarity]

For what its worth, so long as you can squeeze into the 2-4 week queue at the service centers, they take care of you and fix the cars fairly quickly... Normally the service center in my area has 2-4 week wait, but, as with your issue, 100D needed to go back to service the very next day after I picked it up (couldn't charge with UMC, go figure). They took it right in, got me setup with a decent rental car, paid for gas, and afew days later, its all fixed.

I guess what we can't avoid is to be their outsourced quality control/testing or a few extra hours burned while dealing with service, driving to, from, etc.

 

[Dugmel]

Picked up my new S100 D yesterday. So thrilled couldn’t wait to finish delivery process to drive it. Parked to have lunch, came out and car wouldn’t start. After two hours of trying to get help, dealer came with a loaner and the “roadside service” towed my new car back to service center. First, what a disappointment hours after picking car up, but be aware...”roadside service” is simply a tow to the nearest Tesla service. They do not arrive to try to solve problems, nor do the people on the phone service know how to fix problems remotely. Not a great start to my Tesla experience.

 

[Lex]

Sad to hear Dugmel and Nadeshot, what disappointing delivery stories but welcome to the forum anyway. The beginning of the experience is usually when folks (like me admittedly) are most active in the forums.

When I picked up my 70D in mid-2015, I charged it up, packed up, and took it on a 1600km+ road trip and survived. Hopefully they were able to provide a Tesla loaner to keep that experience going, it's so much more than just a great EV.

 

[mspohr]

Let me start off by saying that ever since I placed my order 2 months ago, I've been patiently awaiting yesterday's delivery with so much excitement. I've been a huge fan of Tesla for many years and to finally join the family upon delivery was thrilling. The delivery center I went to was brand new and I paid cash, so all I had to do was sign a couple forms which took about 5 minutes and then it was time to see my new Model S 100D! When they finally brought me to my car, my expectations were exceeded. The white interior complimenting the black exterior and 21 inch wheels was just beautiful. Add the carbon fiber to the list and the technology of the 100D and I fell in love immediately. We finished up talking and walking through the car and they pulled it around the front for me. I hopped into the drivers seat, put my seatbelt on and it was time to take my first drive back to my apartment... or so I thought. My first step on the pedal was so gratifying, I knew immediately that I made the right decision in buying a Tesla. My apartment was only 5 minutes away from the delivery center so I was going to drive home, grab a couple things and then get back on the road to see what my my new car could do. That's where my nightmare started. Not 3 minutes into my first drive, I was met with an error on the dashboard and center screen that said "Air Suspension Needs Service, Contact Tesla Service". I decided to drive back to the delivery center and show them, but they weren't able to fix it. So 30 minutes into ownership of my brand new 100D and I was already driving it to the service center. They took the car at around 4 PM and it's 10:30 AM the next day and haven't heard back yet. All around, I'm disappointed that my new Tesla already has issues that need to be addressed, but I'm optimistic that they'll fix this and I won't have to go back to the service center for a very very long time.


Have any of you ran into this issue before or have a similar story? Should I be worried?

I've had intermittent issues with air suspension warnings. They've never found anything to replace but different software versions have made it better (or sometimes worse).
One thing that seems to work is to put the car in Jack Mode and then take it out. It seems to reset some sensor.
Anyway, all the best, enjoy your new car. Don't worry about this problem. It will get sorted. I've had mine for three years and 60,000 miles and absolutely every time I drive it, I think it's the best car in the world. Incredibly comfortable, fast, nimble, beautiful.

 

[vraev]

When I picked up my car, I found the charge port to be too snug. It was a lot of effort to get the lock to latch on. I had to push with my whole body weight to get it to engage. The initial response from SC was that it should ease as the time passes, but when I took the car in after 3 months to get some little things ironed out, they ended up replacing the charge port free of charge and it is now buttery slick. Apparently a batch of those charge ports ended up being a bit too tight. So if you have one of those, take it in. Having a better port now, the Tesla chargers are very slick and do not require much effort to lock. If you have to put a lot of pressure to get it to latch, just get them to replace it.

 

[Russell]

Picked up my new S100 D yesterday. So thrilled couldn’t wait to finish delivery process to drive it. Parked to have lunch, came out and car wouldn’t start. After two hours of trying to get help, dealer came with a loaner and the “roadside service” towed my new car back to service center. First, what a disappointment hours after picking car up, but be aware...”roadside service” is simply a tow to the nearest Tesla service. They do not arrive to try to solve problems, nor do the people on the phone service know how to fix problems remotely. Not a great start to my Tesla experience.

Car wouldn't start? Please describe in more detail.

Who were you trying to get help from for those two hours? What did they tell you to do, what help did they offer?

Tesla doesn't have dealers.

 

[ChadS]

I have had four Teslas, and my wife and I have driven them about 175k miles. They were not only all good right after delivery, but none of them have ever failed to start, or broken down. They have been very reliable transportation.

Most new cars have a 1-5% failure rate. So the vast majority of owners are happy...but there are always an unlucky few that hit a major problem right away. Sorry about that.

 

[Snowstorm]

My first S100d delivered in March 2017 had a cracked a pillar, took it back in 3 days later and they gave me a loaner while it got sorted out. Everything worked out well in the end and I am driving the best car that i’ve Ever had or imagined to have. Tesla will want to work things out, just have to remain calm and work with them, you will not be disappointed.

 

[brianp6621]

Just took delivery of my S100D. Next day and AC doesn't work. Back it goes

 

[Buster1]

Same issue for me @Nadeshot . Active suspension warnings within a day or two of delivery. Tesla took care of me and found the issue. The car is perfect now.

Don’t be disheartened, it takes time to work out the bugs on these cars. But Tesla will bend over backwards for you.

 

[MDMGSO47]

Stuff happens. On all cars, you are more likely to experience a problem within the first week of delivery than at any other time (except for the week after your warranty expires).

 

[Sandollars]

Mine too. I had the car 3 days, they took it for 6 days. I have had it for another 3 days and the Air suspension warning came on this morning. I reset the car and it went away.... Time will tell. So far, we have been sharing custody, 50/50