New door handle design

[mknox]

How did you get all 4 handles swapped? Did you have to pay for that?

I had reported that the rear driver's side door would pop open on it's own frequently, and the driver's door occasionally. I also reported that occasionally both of the driver's door handles would fail to retract.

When I picked up the car, they told me they replaced all 4. Apparently that is their practice now if someone reports door handle issues with the Gen 1 handles. I think in the past they were replacing them one at a time, and were finding customers coming back with additional failures on the older handles still present on the car.

EDIT: Covered under warranty and/or my Annual Inspection Plan.

 

[JerryNycom]

I had reported that the rear driver's side door would pop open on it's own frequently, and the driver's door occasionally. I also reported that occasionally both of the driver's door handles would fail to retract.

When I picked up the car, they told me they replaced all 4. Apparently that is their practice now if someone reports door handle issues with the Gen 1 handles. I think in the past they were replacing them one at a time, and were finding customers coming back with additional failures on the older handles still present on the car.

EDIT: Covered under warranty and/or my Annual Inspection Plan.

Is it true the NEW door handles, after you pull them to open, they go back in like 1/8 inch so at night the leds shining down are a little hidden? Can someone confirm this before I get mine replaced.....Thanks!

 

[mknox]

Is it true the NEW door handles, after you pull them to open, they go back in like 1/8 inch so at night the leds shining down are a little hidden? Can someone confirm this before I get mine replaced.....Thanks!

Consider it confirmed. You do get a little light on the ground, but about half of the opening that the light shines from is blocked by the door's sheetmetal. They should have moved the little hole a bit during the re-design.

 

[Doug_G]

Yes, I can confirm that replacement of all four is now standard practice if you report problems with first generation handles.
I think my own car might have contributed to the change in policy! It had one handle replaced, and when they went to return the car two other ones failed. So they replaced all of them before returning the car - ended up being a late evening for them. A couple of weeks later a Ranger told me it was now standard policy to replace all four.

The new handles definitely work better.

 

[EarlyAdopter]

I think they reuse the original door handle - the chrome part - and replace the mechanism inside with the redesigned parts and update the firmware to activate the 1/8" pull back. Hence the reason the light hole remains where it is. Presumably new cars from the factory have a modified handle with a shifted light hole, but someone with a recent VIN will need to confirm.

 

[Owner]

I had reported that the rear driver's side door would pop open on it's own frequently, and the driver's door occasionally. I also reported that occasionally both of the driver's door handles would fail to retract.

When I picked up the car, they told me they replaced all 4. Apparently that is their practice now if someone reports door handle issues with the Gen 1 handles. I think in the past they were replacing them one at a time, and were finding customers coming back with additional failures on the older handles still present on the car.

EDIT: Covered under warranty and/or my Annual Inspection Plan.

Well that wouldn't quite have worked for me. I had two pesky doors, and I lost count of how many door handles I went through but I think five? Three service calls. But all has been good now for several months.

Haunted Doors, Again | Tesla Owner

 

[Doug_G]

I seem to have a door handle failure again. I was at the Canadian Tire and when I returned to the car, all the handles were extended. It was supposed to be locked. The rear right door was ajar, and its handle was stuck at 100% open. Also the light is stuck on.

Maybe it's frozen? I have my doubts, but just in case I've brought the car indoors, to see if warming it up helps.

 

[montgom626]

I think they reuse the original door handle - the chrome part - and replace the mechanism inside with the redesigned parts and update the firmware to activate the 1/8" pull back. Hence the reason the light hole remains where it is. Presumably new cars from the factory have a modified handle with a shifted light hole, but someone with a recent VIN will need to confirm.

That is what they have done with my door handles x3.

 

[mknox]

I seem to have a door handle failure again. I was at the Canadian Tire and when I returned to the car, all the handles were extended.

I may have mentioned this elsewhere, but Service replaced all 4 of mine with the Gen 2 handles. When I arrived at the SC to pick it up, it was sitting there all shiny and clean with both drivers side handles out and both passenger side handles in! I went inside and pointed it out. There was much embarrassment all around, but an unlock/lock cycle with the fob fixed it and it hasn't done it again... yet.

I have had other minor glitches with the new handles: Sometimes a door won't open unless I lock and unlock the car. Sometimes I'll pull on a handle and it'll just snap back into the car and I have to lock/unlock to get it to work. I have not had doors pop open like before, so your comment that a door was ajar is concerning.

I still contend these handles are overly complex for the intended purpose. I really wish Tesla had applied the engineering time to something I might have found more useful like parking sensors (from the start), blind spot alert, adaptive cruise or something like that. In fact, these other features are already on the market and would likely have been "plug-and-play" as opposed to the "from scratch" door handles.

 

[AmpedRealtor]

LOVE the door handles. Plus they get oohs and aahs from everyone.

 

[Doug_G]

Yes, the door handles do get oohs and aahs. Hopefully they don't actually matter for aerodynamics because I'm driving around with it like this:

 

[montgom626]

I may have mentioned this elsewhere, but Service replaced all 4 of mine with the Gen 2 handles. When I arrived at the SC to pick it up, it was sitting there all shiny and clean with both drivers side handles out and both passenger side handles in! I went inside and pointed it out. There was much embarrassment all around, but an unlock/lock cycle with the fob fixed it and it hasn't done it again... yet.

I have had other minor glitches with the new handles: Sometimes a door won't open unless I lock and unlock the car. Sometimes I'll pull on a handle and it'll just snap back into the car and I have to lock/unlock to get it to work.

I have had the exact same experience. All documented by video when I email to the service center. TM has still not gotten back to me on the handle not opening the car.

Tesla Door Wont open DEC 18 2013 - YouTube

 

[mknox]

LOVE the door handles. Plus they get oohs and aahs from everyone.

Same here when they work. I also get a lot of "what the hell's" when a passenger is tugging on the handle and the door won't open. Doesn't happen a lot, but enough to be embarrassing.

 

[JST]

Hmm. My car this morning stopped auto presenting the left rear door handle. Other three work fine. This is on a late 11/30 build car, delivered about 4 weeks ago.

 

[Doug_G]

My stuck door handle randomly started working again a week after it failed. The car is currently at Montreal Service for its annual.

 

[jandkw]

"I still contend these handles are overly complex for the intended purpose. I really wish Tesla had applied the engineering time to something I might have found more useful like parking sensors (from the start), blind spot alert, adaptive cruise or something like that. In fact, these other features are already on the market and would likely have been "plug-and-play" as opposed to the "from scratch" door handles."

@mknox, I agree with you 100%. I realized on Day 1 that this type of handles will not last and cause problems eventually and mine has similar kind of issues, opened by itself and cannot open the door while the handle is opened, etc. The oohs and aahs last about one week for me and I wish Tesla can focus on the valued features like you described.

 

[Cosmacelf]

Yes the handles absolutely fail the number one requirement for door handles. Always be able to open an unlocked car. It shouldn't be that hard...

 

[PatP]

My stuck door handle randomly started working again a week after it failed. The car is currently at Montreal Service for its annual.

I'll do my annual in March but considering our cars were produced at the same time, I'm curious to know what they'll do to your car. There must be a long list of Service Bulletins to apply.

 

[Doug_G]

I'll do my annual in March but considering our cars were produced at the same time, I'm curious to know what they'll do to your car. There must be a long list of Service Bulletins to apply.

I've already had most of the bulletins; there's just a couple on the list this time. Adding a washer on the front lower control arms, and something else really trivial that I can't remember right now.

They're also going to try and fix my perennially-sticking pano roof.

 

[JST]

Interestingly, mine will pop out if I open the door from the inside door handle.