New Model S owner, a few things that bother me...

Purchased a used 2020 Performance Model S a few weeks ago, the guy who attempted to kill his family is what got me interested in potentially buying a Tesla, I wanted my family in a car that safe, I was already setup to charge at home so it was sort of a no brainer, initially was considering a Model 3 but that went out the the door when I found out I didn't qualify for the tax credit 😑, used prices in the 70's seemed reasonable to me so I decided to go for it, my thoughts so far...

1. Tesla employees in the sales department are horrible
2. Their process to buy a used car sucks
3. I'm dreading dealing with their service department in the future
4. Where the hell is the front camera and why can't I see in front of me when I park
5. When I get out of the car to run in a store or something and I leave my wife and kids in the car it turns off
6. So glad I did a chrome delete within 3 days of picking up the car
7. I love being able to adjust the amperage on the charger thru the app
8. The climate control is not easy to use
9. Why did I think white interior would be ok with a 10 & 13 year old
10. I love the AWD and Ludacris mode

 

[TLLMRRJ]

11. It's a pretty car.

 

[Tam]

...4. Where the hell is the front camera and why can't I see in front of me when I park...

It's rumored to come with the upcoming Hardware 4 cars.

5. When I get out of the car to run in a store or something and I leave my wife and kids in the car it turns off

Yes. It does time out. Your family can touch the display screen to turn it back on.

Alternatively, you can turn the HVAC on "keep" or "camp" mode.

 

[NewbyMaybe]

There's an affordable front cam diy described very well on this forum.
Use the talk button to adjust the climate control or tell it to keep on.

 

[vcor]

Congrats on your car! On 1 & 2 - it depends on what you want. With other automakers I hate dealer salesmen hounding you to buy, scamming you with pricing, spending hours haggling to try and get the price others might have gotten, and pushing worthless overpriced options. I love not having to deal with anyone and doing the transaction entirely on the web. I also like the prices are clear and everyone at the same time is getting the same price as I do. Used cars do make for a more difficult transaction if the car is not nearby where you can check it out, but Tesla does include an additional warranty.

My experience with service has always been great - but that may vary with your locality. Mobile service, when available, is really brilliant.

 

[Modes]

Purchased a used 2020 Performance Model S a few weeks ago

Why did you purchase it if you had a bad sales experience and you dread the service? Was it because nothing else in the marketplace met your needs? I'm curious what cars you shopped against. I'm not getting on your case here. Genuinely curious.

 

[turbolxstang]

I was buying a car not an experience, but unfortunately the experience sucks, most of the people I dealt with weren't very helpful, I'll try to lay out some of my issues...

1. Had to put a $500 deposit to secure car I liked without seeing an photos, if I didn't, someone else could've bought it

2. After placing the deposit I wasn't allowed to drive the car

3. I put up the $500 just to actually see the car in person and everyone there thought it was strange I wanted to see the car, seriously still weird, I don't care for the normal car dealership experience either, I just didn't this either

4. The minimal interaction was great, but the interactions I had weren't very good, hopefully that makes sense

5. I got phone calls from at least 3 different people telling me to come pick up the car, I told them I just wanted to come see the car, one person in particular who called and was going over some script about what options the car had, I interrupted the script and asked about air suspension, afterwards his response was, "can I finish now", all of it minor and possibly petty still didn't sit well with me when I'm spending this amount of money, I think the fact that most of the employees were younger that's just what you get with the new generation of workers, I'm in my early 40's

6. The car has been good so far, I like the auto raise suspension based on location, that is sort of what got me wanting the S over the 3, the Ludacris mode is impressive, on the test drive for a long range S, I was told you had to go into park to switch modes, in conversation with someone else I learned that wasn't the case, that's a good thing

7. Tesla insurance customer service is a joke, phone wait times longer than the IRS, you can't get a quote until you enter a purchase agreement, I ended up going thru my agent and getting a great policy thru Progressive, Tesla wanted $248 a month for insurance, perfect driving record, my assumption is they purposely offered low rates initially to get more buyers, if I didn't get the rate I got with Progressive I wouldn't have bought the car, the Tesla added $60 per month to my current cost I had with AAA and I ended up with 100/300 coverage over the minimum I was carrying

 

[turbolxstang]

I was interested in a possibly looking at a Lexus LS460 or a S63 Convertible, most all of my cars have always been really low maintenance, that scares me away from the Mercedes, no way would I ever pay 200+ so used at around 100 was the only option but expensive service seemed likely so I passed, the Lexus is still a great looking car IMO nowadays, but my wife will be using the car to drive my son to high school that's roughly 27 miles from home, with the new amount of driving we are doing the cost to operate the Tesla would be much lower than the Lexus which would require 91 fuel, no trips to the gas station are a huge plus, living in the Bay Area so many gas stations are too sketchy nowadays and hate to have my wife have to stop and get fuel, I'm hoping the Tesla is truly a low maintenance car

 

[amallah]

3 yep, this forum is the support group..
5 if they tap the screen, it will turn back on. You can also tell it to "Stay On" as part of the climate control before you exit the vehicle.

 

[TLLMRRJ]

Don’t get your hopes up too much on the low maintenance.

There’s exactly all the same things to break on an EV and the same things that need maintenance. Most ICE cars just need an oil change every year for the first 100k miles, so that’s all you can expect to save on an EV. Batteries, their charging system, electronics and motors do fail as well.

 

[Modes]

Don’t get your hopes up too much on the low maintenance.

There’s exactly all the same things to break on an EV and the same things that need maintenance. Most ICE cars just need an oil change every year for the first 100k miles, so that’s all you can expect to save on an EV. Batteries, their charging system, electronics and motors do fail as well.

I would disagree with that. Air filters, brake pads, at an absolute minimum would also need service within 100k miles. As for motors and power electronics, it reasonable to expect trouble-free operation for the life of the car. Toyota has mostly achieved that on the electrified portion of their drivetrains.

 

[TLLMRRJ]

I would disagree with that. Air filters, brake pads, at an absolute minimum would also need service within 100k miles. As for motors and power electronics, it reasonable to expect trouble-free operation for the life of the car. Toyota has mostly achieved that on the electrified portion of their drivetrains.

As someone that has owned a number of EV's and and incredible number of ICE cars, let me tell you, I wish you were correct!

Trust me that many Tesla 3/Y owners would happily do the very easy engine air filter replacement every 5 years over the extremely painful cabin filter replacement every 6 months because of musty smells. And they would also be more than happy to change out some brake pads for $50/axle a little more often than have to replace much more expensive "quiet" tires in half the normal mileage of their previous ICE.

And you know who doesn't agree with this statement even one tiny little bit? "As for motors and power electronics, it reasonable to expect trouble-free operation for the life of the car."

All the manufacturers of EVs! Otherwise they would give you a lifetime warranty on those parts instead of just 8 years. The AVERAGE age of a car on the road today is 11+ years, and they won't even warranty to the average age, much less the potential "life" of the car! LOL

 

[CaptUAL]

It’s a very cool glorification of a golf cart…have fun with it as a toy. God knows it certainly is not a luxury car. Buy a RAV4 if you want to really go somewhere for a bad weather weekend.

 

[Modes]

And you know who doesn't agree with this statement even one tiny little bit? [...]

All the manufacturers of EVs!

I disagree that there is an ironclad link between warranty terms and reliability. As a counterexample, unreliable car brands have been known to provide the longest warranties. Anyway, you are looking at it through the lens of EVs to date and even then, you seem to be blind to the impressive reliability record of Toyota inverter/converters and Toyota power split devices which have two built in motors.

 

[Crutonius]

There's a lot less fluids to change on a regular basis which is nice.

To be honest though, based on what I know, I strongly suspect that a well designed and well maintained internal combustion engine will outlast any battery pack.

I know. It's depressing.

 

[Crutonius]

I was buying a car not an experience, but unfortunately the experience sucks, most of the people I dealt with weren't very helpful, I'll try to lay out some of my issues...

1. Had to put a $500 deposit to secure car I liked without seeing an photos, if I didn't, someone else could've bought it

2. After placing the deposit I wasn't allowed to drive the car

3. I put up the $500 just to actually see the car in person and everyone there thought it was strange I wanted to see the car, seriously still weird, I don't care for the normal car dealership experience either, I just didn't this either

4. The minimal interaction was great, but the interactions I had weren't very good, hopefully that makes sense

5. I got phone calls from at least 3 different people telling me to come pick up the car, I told them I just wanted to come see the car, one person in particular who called and was going over some script about what options the car had, I interrupted the script and asked about air suspension, afterwards his response was, "can I finish now", all of it minor and possibly petty still didn't sit well with me when I'm spending this amount of money, I think the fact that most of the employees were younger that's just what you get with the new generation of workers, I'm in my early 40's

6. The car has been good so far, I like the auto raise suspension based on location, that is sort of what got me wanting the S over the 3, the Ludacris mode is impressive, on the test drive for a long range S, I was told you had to go into park to switch modes, in conversation with someone else I learned that wasn't the case, that's a good thing

7. Tesla insurance customer service is a joke, phone wait times longer than the IRS, you can't get a quote until you enter a purchase agreement, I ended up going thru my agent and getting a great policy thru Progressive, Tesla wanted $248 a month for insurance, perfect driving record, my assumption is they purposely offered low rates initially to get more buyers, if I didn't get the rate I got with Progressive I wouldn't have bought the car, the Tesla added $60 per month to my current cost I had with AAA and I ended up with 100/300 coverage over the minimum I was carrying

Yep. Some research here would have helped you out. Tesla's used car buying experience is bafflingly terrible. The cherry on top is that they'll strip out any goodies like FUSC and lifetime data. Buy a used Tesla from literally any other place than Tesla.

 

[turbolxstang]

Had a blowout last night on one of the front tires, could happen on any car, but there goes my fuel savings, looking at wheel selections in 19 and 20 now

 

[csteskal]

Don’t get your hopes up too much on the low maintenance.

There’s exactly all the same things to break on an EV and the same things that need maintenance. Most ICE cars just need an oil change every year for the first 100k miles, so that’s all you can expect to save on an EV. Batteries, their charging system, electronics and motors do fail as well.

2015 P85D - Lowest maintenance car I have ever had. First 100k miles:
After 2 years:
1) Tires at 60k miles - lots of highway miles so lasted longer. Had a Tesla referral so had $1000 credit used toward purchase.

After 6 years:
2) 12v battery finally gave me warning it needed replaced ($200) - never actually stopped working and while talking to the mobile tech changing it out he told me about the MCU2 upgrade, which I then got (optional so not maintenance - $1500 inclusive).
3) Tires (second set) around 97k miles - less highway miles but still lasted 4 years (had done at same time as MCU2 upgrade)

Over 100k miles:
After 7 years:
1) Driver window popped off track and needed to part (mobile tech fixed total just under $300),
2) Charge port door sensor not recognizing the charge port door was closed, but charge port still operated normally (only issue was the error notification which was easily dismissed/ignored). I waited months to replace until something else needed to be repaired since it was a non-issue (mobile tech fixed total $300).
3) Rear passenger handle not sensing hand to open (mobile tech fixed $280 had done at same time with charge port repair).
4) First time car ever broke down at 116k+ miles and 7.5 years old - main battery contacts and fuse bad - covered under warranty, but Tesla determined my Battery Healer/Cooler not working properly so replaced same time ($900 total). Tesla also noticed clicking sound from my steering. I advised it has made the sound since the recall 3 years prior - they goodwill replace the entire steering system no charge. Also, the HV battery going bad killed my 12v battery, which I had replaced because an error said the 12v battery needed to be replaced even though it was only 1 year old. Cost me extra $200 for the second 12v battery. Tesla Service admitted the HV battery going bad kills the 12v so the 12v should have been free, but since they worked with me on waiving diagnosis fee and the goodwill steering replacement, I figured I wouldn't argue over the $200 at that point.

So now almost to 8 years and 117k+ miles total out of pocket maintenance besides tires (all cars use) and the MCU2 optional upgrade: Was just under $2200, which the first 6 years being $200, and the last two years ~$2000.

 

[Featsbeyond50]

Purchased a used 2020 Performance Model S a few weeks ago, the guy who attempted to kill his family is what got me interested in potentially buying a Tesla, I wanted my family in a car that safe, I was already setup to charge at home so it was sort of a no brainer, initially was considering a Model 3 but that went out the the door when I found out I didn't qualify for the tax credit 😑, used prices in the 70's seemed reasonable to me so I decided to go for it, my thoughts so far...

1. Tesla employees in the sales department are horrible
2. Their process to buy a used car sucks
3. I'm dreading dealing with their service department in the future
4. Where the hell is the front camera and why can't I see in front of me when I park
5. When I get out of the car to run in a store or something and I leave my wife and kids in the car it turns off
6. So glad I did a chrome delete within 3 days of picking up the car
7. I love being able to adjust the amperage on the charger thru the app
8. The climate control is not easy to use
9. Why did I think white interior would be ok with a 10 & 13 year old
10. I love the AWD and Ludacris mode

View attachment 908883

That's one gorgeous AI right there.

 

[TLLMRRJ]

2015 P85D - Lowest maintenance car I have ever had. First 100k miles:
After 2 years:
1) Tires at 60k miles - lots of highway miles so lasted longer. Had a Tesla referral so had $1000 credit used toward purchase.

After 6 years:
2) 12v battery finally gave me warning it needed replaced ($200) - never actually stopped working and while talking to the mobile tech changing it out he told me about the MCU2 upgrade, which I then got (optional so not maintenance - $1500 inclusive).
3) Tires (second set) around 97k miles - less highway miles but still lasted 4 years (had done at same time as MCU2 upgrade)

Over 100k miles:
After 7 years:
1) Driver window popped off track and needed to part (mobile tech fixed total just under $300),
2) Charge port door sensor not recognizing the charge port door was closed, but charge port still operated normally (only issue was the error notification which was easily dismissed/ignored). I waited months to replace until something else needed to be repaired since it was a non-issue (mobile tech fixed total $300).
3) Rear passenger handle not sensing hand to open (mobile tech fixed $280 had done at same time with charge port repair).
4) First time car ever broke down at 116k+ miles and 7.5 years old - main battery contacts and fuse bad - covered under warranty, but Tesla determined my Battery Healer/Cooler not working properly so replaced same time ($900 total). Tesla also noticed clicking sound from my steering. I advised it has made the sound since the recall 3 years prior - they goodwill replace the entire steering system no charge. Also, the HV battery going bad killed my 12v battery, which I had replaced because an error said the 12v battery needed to be replaced even though it was only 1 year old. Cost me extra $200 for the second 12v battery. Tesla Service admitted the HV battery going bad kills the 12v so the 12v should have been free, but since they worked with me on waiving diagnosis fee and the goodwill steering replacement, I figured I wouldn't argue over the $200 at that point.

So now almost to 8 years and 117k+ miles total out of pocket maintenance besides tires (all cars use) and the MCU2 optional upgrade: Was just under $2200, which the first 6 years being $200, and the last two years ~$2000.

Wow, that's a lot deferred maintenance! No cabin filter changes, no wiper blade changes, not brake fluid changes, no drive unit fluid changes, no A/C desiccant bag changes. I wonder if you have any suspension components that needed to be changed, but you're just living with it. Scary.