New battery pack on a three week old car

[jpd1004]

Picked up my new Model 3 on 11/23. On 12/8 error message told me the vehicle could not be charged. Brought into service 12/13 and found today, 12/16 that I need a new battery pack. By the time it gets here and the repair is done. approximately three weeks according the very nice service center rep, I will have had a Tesla loaner longer than I have had my new Tesla.

Feel like I've made a huge mistake. Near impossible to get a human to talk even when you can find a number to call. Thoughts?

 

[jpd1004]

Its going to be a very long wait. Right now, your M3 RWD can charge at any Tesla SC station, any J1772 L2 public charger and any CCS1 DCFC station (with the CCS1 to Tesla adapter), such as Electrify America, which I used last night in Lordsburg NM. Tesla cars have the best of both worlds at this moment in time, and for the foreseeable future.

Tesla has honoured their warranty and provided you with a no cost loaner. Your car will be returned to you with a new battery pack. What could any other manufacturer do differently?

Respectfully, Tesla was given approx $50k in exchange a working car. Three weeks after delivery it stops working and I'm supposed to be grateful they are fixing their broken product under warranty while loaning me a car with years of age and 80k miles hanging on it? No thanks, this is one cup Kool Aid I will not drink. You ask what could be done differently. How about offering to take back the car I've only had for 21 days and supply me a new one, or, a full refund with an apology? Or maybe an upgrade loaner relative to my M3? Re: the wait. No problem. This moment in time will pass and the competition has already started closing the gap.

 

[jjrandorin]

How about offering to take back the car I've only had for 21 days and supply me a new one, or, a full refund with an apology

There is no other manufacturer (including lexus) that would do that. Expecting something like that is where you start to lose people as far as reasonable requests.

 

[jpd1004]

Your situation is rare but being handled under warranty. It also sounds like you spoke to a service advisor. You can text service in the app and I have found they are responsive using that method. They are good cars. I bought 2.

The Tesla service rep has been very nice. No issues there.

 

[jpd1004]

There is no other manufacturer (including lexus) that would do that. Expecting something like that is where you start to lose people as far as reasonable requests.

If this had only happened in the first three days I would have been covered by buyer's remorse. From everything I've heard and read lately expecting anything from Tesla is unreasonable. If my suggestions appear unreasonable maybe that is because I haven't heard anything from Tesla with their suggestions other than waiting from three weeks to repair a new car.

 

[jpd1004]

Your situation is rare but being handled under warranty. It also sounds like you spoke to a service advisor. You can text service in the app and I have found they are responsive using that method. They are good cars. I bought 2.

Your situation is rare but being handled under warranty. It also sounds like you spoke to a service advisor. You can text service in the app and I have found they are responsive using that method. They are good cars. I bought 2.

Glad to hear that it is rare. My service advisor has been very nice.

 

[outdoors]

If this had only happened in the first three days I would have been covered by buyer's remorse.

Actually I don't think you would be covered. Your car sale did not take place Door-to-door and also was not a real estate contract. I don't think you can apply your 3-day buyer remorse situation in the state of New Jersey like you would like.

Can I Cancel My Car Purchase? I was Ripped Off by a Car Salesman or Sold a Bad Car!!!!

Call (732) 709-7277 - Jonathan Rudnick is dedicated to serving our clients with a range of legal services including Consumer Law and Lemon Law cases. Can I Cancel My Car Purchase? I was Ripped Off by a Car Salesman or Sold a Bad Car!!!! - New Jersey Consumer Law Lawyer

www.consumer-attorney.com

Many people think they can cancel any contract within three days when they buy a car at a dealership or they finance a car at the dealership however this is not accurate. This is not a recitation of New Jersey law. But this is a common misunderstanding or misapprehension of what the contract rules are New Jersey under New Jersey Law.

So before you sign a contract need to fully review the contract read it and understand it.

 

[Danzr]

I do have a lot of empathy for your position here jpd1004, for something major to go wrong so early is incredibly unfortunate - and given how unfortunate it is Tesla should be being a little bit more proactive with their handling of the situation for you.

You've done nothing wrong and got a bit of a lemon - fair enough you have a loaner and it's being fixed for free but there is still inconvenience on your part and you're being deprived of enjoyment of your new vehicle.

Feels a bit odd that people are suggesting you're looking for a handout or for a manufacturer to kiss your rear... you just want what you paid for - that 'new car' feeling is something you won't get again until you get your next car and that's what you've been deprived of.

 

[brkaus]

My friend has similar with a BMW drivetrain. Within the first month something went wrong and took out the motor. They ended up replacing the motor & transmission. Took about 3 weeks. They were polite. They provided him a loaner. That was it.

A battery is a much more straightforward replacement.

 

[stopcrazypp]

If this had only happened in the first three days I would have been covered by buyer's remorse. From everything I've heard and read lately expecting anything from Tesla is unreasonable. If my suggestions appear unreasonable maybe that is because I haven't heard anything from Tesla with their suggestions other than waiting from three weeks to repair a new car.

I see a lot of people believe the 3 day myth, but as been pointed out, it does not apply to car purchase contracts. IANAL, but this seems to be generally true across most states.

Autotrader - page unavailable

Even in a consumer friendly state like California, there is only a cooling off period for used cars and only if you pay extra for the option.

Car Buyer's Bill of Rights - California DMV

www.dmv.ca.gov

It simply is not reasonable to expect to be able to return a new car unless this had been established as part of the contract (like when Tesla used to have 7 day returns).

The applicable law are lemon laws, but all lemon laws give the opportunity for the manufacturer to remedy the situation with a repair, which it sounds like they are doing.

 

[Gauss Guzzler]

How about offering to take back the car I've only had for 21 days and supply me a new one, or, a full refund with an apology?

Yeah, this is entirely on you, sorry. Your expectations and assumptions are simply wrong, and this is likely a contributing factor to your frustration. That's not the way car companies work, it never has been, and it never will be, for any car company.

Cars break, sometimes you get a loaner, sometimes not. My local Lexus dealer is often out of loaners and sometimes all they offer is to comp the rental of a Chevy Malibu or similar. My BMW service advisor recently drove me over to Enterprise, pointed at the lot full of junky rentals, and told me I could choose any car I wanted, except the BMW. I don't know why they do it. It seems like providing a nice loaner would cost them less and generate more future sales. And a fully loaded loaner hardly costs any more to manufacture, yet it provides them with a much greater depreciation tax credit. Dumb.

But I do know why Tesla is tight with loaners, they simply can't make cars as fast as they sell them. That's why they sometimes take the unusual approach of borrowing cars from the used-car lot to re-purpose as loaners. Or offer rentals or Uber credits instead.

 

[cubicalclang]

@jpd1004 Our 2019 Mazda CX-5 developed a strange noise six months in with about 7,000 miles, after a cross-country move. We took it in for service and it turns out the transmission was failing. I got a loaner; the transmission was replaced entirely. Little different situation, wasn't a few weeks in, but you have to realize something: nothing you're experiencing is unique to Tesla, and it has nothing to do with folks having drank Tesla Kool-Aid. Manufacturing defects happen. If you make 1,000,000 widgets and have a 99.9% reliability rate (incredibly unrealistic in any mechanical thing but using it to prove a point) then that's still 1,000 people dealing with a broken thing. Yeah, it sucks to be one of those 1,000 (or more likely the 10,000 or 100,000 who have some kind of issue), but that's why there are warranties, and service departments, and loaners.

 

[jpd1004]

Actually I don't think you would be covered. Your car sale did not take place Door-to-door and also was not a real estate contract. I don't think you can apply your 3-day buyer remorse situation in the state of New Jersey like you would like.

Can I Cancel My Car Purchase? I was Ripped Off by a Car Salesman or Sold a Bad Car!!!!

Call (732) 709-7277 - Jonathan Rudnick is dedicated to serving our clients with a range of legal services including Consumer Law and Lemon Law cases. Can I Cancel My Car Purchase? I was Ripped Off by a Car Salesman or Sold a Bad Car!!!! - New Jersey Consumer Law Lawyer

www.consumer-attorney.com

Many people think they can cancel any contract within three days when they buy a car at a dealership or they finance a car at the dealership however this is not accurate. This is not a recitation of New Jersey law. But this is a common misunderstanding or misapprehension of what the contract rules are New Jersey under New Jersey Law.

So before you sign a contract need to fully review the contract read it and understand it.

Regardless, no hope that Tesla would take the car back under any circumstance.

Yeah, this is entirely on you, sorry. Your expectations and assumptions are simply wrong, and this is likely a contributing factor to your frustration. That's not the way car companies work, it never has been, and it never will be, for any car company.

Cars break, sometimes you get a loaner, sometimes not. My local Lexus dealer is often out of loaners and sometimes all they offer is to comp the rental of a Chevy Malibu or similar. My BMW service advisor recently drove me over to Enterprise, pointed at the lot full of junky rentals, and told me I could choose any car I wanted, except the BMW. I don't know why they do it. It seems like providing a nice loaner would cost them less and generate more future sales. And a fully loaded loaner hardly costs any more to manufacture, yet it provides them with a much greater depreciation tax credit. Dumb.

But I do know why Tesla is tight with loaners, they simply can't make cars as fast as they sell them. That's why they sometimes take the unusual approach of borrowing cars from the used-car lot to re-purpose as loaners. Or offer rentals or Uber credits instead.

A lot of positive passion for all things Tesla. Anyone wanting to make an offer on a three week old 383 mile M3?

 

[Gauss Guzzler]

No thanks, sounds like your car is really messed up.

 

[jpd1004]

No thanks, sounds like your car is really messed up.

Single greatest truth contained in this thread,...and good night.

 

[stopcrazypp]

Regardless, no hope that Tesla would take the car back under any circumstance.

Not true. If Tesla can't fix the problem with multiple attempts, you can claim lemon law.
https://www.njconsumeraffairs.gov/News/Brochures/Lemon-Law-Road-to-Relief-Brochure.pdf
However, you have to give Tesla a chance to fix it, which if it's just a battery pack problem should be able to be addressed with just that replacement.

You may want to read that brochure now as some of the process you may even be able to start now, if you believe you have a lemon. Again, IANAL.

A lot of positive passion for all things Tesla. Anyone wanting to make an offer on a three week old 383 mile M3?

I doubt anyone will want to put in an offer, when the car haven't even been fixed yet and it's not clear yet what is the problem.

I totally understand you feeling upset, but your expectation for them to just take it back is simply not reasonable nor how the law apparently works in your state. If I were in your shoes, I would wait for Tesla's outcome (I had more minor problems with my car too when I got it new and Tesla fixed them).

 

[blackT3$!@]

Feel like I've made a huge mistake. Near impossible to get a human to talk even when you can find a number to call. Thoughts?

It is an electo mechanical device which even under the best manufacturing conditions can still break/malfunction when put into service. My wife's friend bought a brand new 2022 Chevy Camaro and on the drive home from the stealership, the engine froze. Cheverolet installed a brand new motor on a vehicle with less than 50 miles. It happens to all vehicles. Tesla does not have a premium service center experience like Lexus, BMW, or Mercedes. You bought a smartphone on wheels from a company that wants to automate the entire purchase/maintenance process. The last time I took my 2021 3LR in for a wheel alignment, I never spoke to one person. I dropped it off, took an uber to panera bread, was notified via the app that it was done, uber'd back to the SC and drove away. If you want a neck massage and a cup of coffee in a swanky service center waiting room, sell your Tesla and buy a Mercedes.

 

[BigNick]

Specifically this is my first Tesla EV experience. A huge letdown compared to my 15 year Lexus experience. Fairly confident Lexus will have an EV by the time I buy my next car which puts Tesla to the curb.

Tesla is ahead of the rest of the market in a lot of ways, but, that won't last with poor quality and lousy customer relations.

Toyota is bringing up the rear when it comes to full-BEV electrics. They're still all-in on Hybrids, and the one BZ4EV or whatever it was got recalled quickly for a very unlike Toyota quality issue (wheels falling off.)

 

[stopcrazypp]

Toyota is bringing up the rear when it comes to full-BEV electrics. They're still all-in on Hybrids, and the one BZ4EV or whatever it was got recalled quickly for a very unlike Toyota quality issue (wheels falling off.)

I think they ended up buying back the faulty vehicles because they never figured out a fix. Basically a disaster of a launch for Toyota, especially given their reputation for reliability (no one expected wheels falling off would be a problem Toyota would have).

I came from an almost all Toyota family, and I gave up waiting for them, especially when their CEO continued to naysay about EVs (which he still did recently). They want too much to milk their hybrid cow.

 

[blackT3$!@]

They want too much to milk their hybrid cow.

In the near term this is a viable strategy especially since hybrids are Toyota's strength. They are waiting for the EV marketplace and charging infrastructure to mature then transition to a bland/reliable "Prius" like EV experience. Just my $.02.

 

[3sr+buyer]

In the near term this is a viable strategy especially since hybrids are Toyota's strength. They are waiting for the EV marketplace and charging infrastructure to mature then transition to a bland/reliable "Prius" like EV experience. Just my $.02.

Toyota also bet big on hydrogen fuel cell over battery EV.