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Out of curiosity, what do you hate about your Tesla?
- Thread starter incrediwoah
- Start date
I, too, think the entertainment system is a very weak link. I have the UHF system, too, and it sounds worse than the factory JBL system in my 2005 Highlander. And the constant "loading errors" and the kludgey way that files on my USB drive are presented and browsed. It could be way better. Plus, it has a REALLY annoying tendency to forget what source I have selected and switches to a radio station my wife likes, even if I've just left the car and returned to it a couple of hours later.
pp61
Active Member
I dislike the navigation system and the poor USB (music) integration, all old stuff and looks like time stood (almost) still since my first Tesla of March 2015.
I forgot one more candidate for the (pseudo) hate list -- I hate the fact that I leased my Model S, and in September or a bit before I have to decide what to do -- buy out the leased car (everyone seems to think that is inherently a bad deal), buy (or lease) the Model 3 I have on reservation if I like it when i can get a good long test drive, and once AWD is available, or buy something else -- used S? or maybe even some other EV. Terrible dilemma!
I hate the fact that Tesla puts more effort into preventing owners and indy shops from working on the cars than they do adding features.
I hate that I can't replace the majority of the components in the car, as I don't have the Tesla Toolbox.
I hate that Tesla won't even sell a lot of parts to an owner.
Other stuff is much more minor: The nav view resets everytime I get in the car. The insane vampire drain. The lack of speed sensitive volume. The fact that half the frunk is now taken up with an air filter I don't want. The web browser that was supposed to be updated 1.5 years ago. The stupid stupid door handles that are always breaking. The slow power lift gate.
I hate that I can't replace the majority of the components in the car, as I don't have the Tesla Toolbox.
I hate that Tesla won't even sell a lot of parts to an owner.
Other stuff is much more minor: The nav view resets everytime I get in the car. The insane vampire drain. The lack of speed sensitive volume. The fact that half the frunk is now taken up with an air filter I don't want. The web browser that was supposed to be updated 1.5 years ago. The stupid stupid door handles that are always breaking. The slow power lift gate.
I tend to hate aspects of anything I love. Way more so than if I'm lukewarm about it.
My hate list
1.) The Center Screen has no option to turn it off completely. Like a power down mode where I can touch it once to turn it back on.
2.) Too many squeaks/rattles, and road noise for a car of this price.
3.) All the fit and finish issues that are especially noticeable when washing.
4.) Blind Spot Monitoring is terrible (it's AP1).
5.) The sometimes glitchy Nav that tried taking me to California when I was Supercharging in Bandon, OR and wanted to go to Grants Pass.
6.) The non-adjustable seat belts (they work fine for me, but not some passengers so I had to get an adapter thing)
7.) Occasional gremlins that require a computer reboot. They only happen when they maximize the annoyance factor
My love list
1.) Quietness of the drive itself
2.) Instant torque
3.) One Pedal driving, and how simple it is.
4.) Adaptive cruise control is excellent
5.) Not having to go to the gas station in the morning before work
6.) The guilt free freedom of travel it offers
7.) Relaxing drive with the supercharger network
8.) When passengers make comments about how much it feels like being in a Spaceship
9.) Being able to transport a 65inch OLED TV home without even having to take it out of the box.
10.) Connectivity - Being able to check in on the car
11.) Heated Steering wheel - Although technically it was a Range Rover that I first experienced this bliss
The vast majority of the stuff on the love list is absolutely critical. Hence the stuff that allows me to be lazy. That stuff is non-negotiable for any future car that I get. Gotta cater to my laziness.
My hate list
1.) The Center Screen has no option to turn it off completely. Like a power down mode where I can touch it once to turn it back on.
2.) Too many squeaks/rattles, and road noise for a car of this price.
3.) All the fit and finish issues that are especially noticeable when washing.
4.) Blind Spot Monitoring is terrible (it's AP1).
5.) The sometimes glitchy Nav that tried taking me to California when I was Supercharging in Bandon, OR and wanted to go to Grants Pass.
6.) The non-adjustable seat belts (they work fine for me, but not some passengers so I had to get an adapter thing)
7.) Occasional gremlins that require a computer reboot. They only happen when they maximize the annoyance factor
My love list
1.) Quietness of the drive itself
2.) Instant torque
3.) One Pedal driving, and how simple it is.
4.) Adaptive cruise control is excellent
5.) Not having to go to the gas station in the morning before work
6.) The guilt free freedom of travel it offers
7.) Relaxing drive with the supercharger network
8.) When passengers make comments about how much it feels like being in a Spaceship
9.) Being able to transport a 65inch OLED TV home without even having to take it out of the box.
10.) Connectivity - Being able to check in on the car
11.) Heated Steering wheel - Although technically it was a Range Rover that I first experienced this bliss
The vast majority of the stuff on the love list is absolutely critical. Hence the stuff that allows me to be lazy. That stuff is non-negotiable for any future car that I get. Gotta cater to my laziness.
Cfinck -- Tesla is the last car you'll ever own?
My 2015 P90D Model S is the last Tesla I will ever own.
When I first got it, I was overwhelmed by the driving experience of the electric propulsion and regenerative braking. But then it dawned on me that Tesla gets zero credit for them. Electric motors with the instant torque and smooth power have been around for 100+ years. I know engineers who worked on electric subway cars with regenerative braking back in the 1970, so Tesla gets zero credit for that also.
I was also amazed at the dynamic cruise control and the ability for the car to (sometimes) stay in the middle of the lane. Then I learned that this was technology that Tesla licensed from an Israeli firm, as do other major manufacturers around the world, so Tesla gets zero credit for developing that. I also liked the air suspension, but then learned they source the parts from Mercedes.
Then the problems and disappointments started, which Tesla is squarely responsible for.
They failed to include coat hooks in my $120,500 luxury 4 door sedan. Kia's have coat hooks and when I quizzed a service person a few weeks after getting the car, the guy rolled his eyes and said that had gotten tons of complaints about that. That was over 2 years ago, and despite all the customer complaints, the brand new Model S still lacks coat hooks. Tesla just doesn't care about the customer.
Six months into ownership the main battery failed. Despite being only 6 months old, corporate policy refused to give me a replacement battery, saying that my battery had to be shipped back to CA and be re-manufactured, and in the mean time, they'd install a loaner battery. Then when my battery was done, I'd have to bring the car back a 2nd time to have the battery reinstalled. The estimated time to have all of this completed was 4 - 6 weeks, depending on how backed up their re-manufacturing process was. Take note of the words "how backed up". This was all very inconvenient, but another instance where Tesla just doesn't care about the customer.
It was 6 months (yes, months -- not a typo) before my battery was re-manufactured and returned.
Then when they installed it and ran diagnostics, they found that it was again faulty and wouldn't hold a charge. They didn't have the good common sense to run the diagnostics before sending the battery back. After some very serious talks, Tesla management agreed to authorize my getting a new battery, versus them remanufacturing it a 2nd time. Good on their part, but it shouldn't have gotten to that, but then again, Tesla just doesn't care about the customer.
From day 1, when I open or close a car door, on a random but frequent basis my radio comes off mute and starts to play. I've complained about this repeatedly and am told "It's a known problem". And it's still a problem in cars that they are making today. I recently had a brand new 100D loaner car for 9 days and it did the same thing.
From day 1, if I end a phone call, my radio comes off mute and starts to play. "It's a known problem" I'm told.
They've had these "known problems" for years, but choose not to fix them. Tesla just doesn't care about the customer. Instead they waste their development agenda on stupid stuff like cowbells, Rainbow Road and HO HO HO. Have you tried HO HO HO? Stupid, but the infuriating part is getting it to stop. I called Tesla central and asked what to do, and the young man said yes, that's a problem, and the only way he knew to get it to stop was by rebooting the screen using the steering wheel buttons.
Around this past Thanksgiving, my driver door handle failed to extend and had to be replaced, so they gave me a loaner car. When I went to get my car back, the fellow mentioned that my car was 1 of 5 where they had replaced door handles that day.
A few weeks ago the airbag indicator light came on. The wiring harness had failed shutting down the airbag system. I was in a loaner for 9 days because they couldn't find the correct wiring harness. While in the car, I put on the seat warmers and soon had to turn them off as the seat bottom was getting really warm. When I got my car back I realized I wasn't getting any noticeable heat from the seat cushion, but then again, it had been that way since day 1. So, I took it to the dealership and asked if it was due to the newer cars having a much stronger heating element, or my seat not working. They ran diagnostics and determined that my seat cushion wasn't working and that it was going to require them replacing the entire seat, not just the bottom seat cushion. When I asked the gal how much that would cost if not covered by warranty, she said she didn't know, that all the ones they'd done were covered by warranty. "All the ones" is the operative phrase in that sentence. I was also advised that it would probably take 4 - 6 weeks for the seat to come in.
But that also raises 2 potential problems. First, the design of the current performance seats appear to be a bit different than the ones installed in my car, and if so, the seats won't match. Also, my car has a gray interior, and Tesla discontinued that color a while ago. So who knows? Maybe I'll get one in black, and that's ok with me because when my lease is up in a few months I'm turning the car back to them and it's then their problem selling a car with different color seats.
But to give credit where credit is due, there are 2 things for which I'll give Tesla full and absolute credit. First, it is incredibly convenient to pull into my garage, hook up the cable and walk away and have the battery charge, versus having to go to a gas station. Second, and in my mind the greatest achievement of all is that Tesla proved to the world that a long distance electric car could be made and there was a market for them. Now, every single major car manufacturer in the world is spending **billions** of R&D dollars to create a line of all-electric cars. That one thing is profoundly important, and I'll give Elon full credit for making it happen, as it has world-changing ramifications.
-Vampire drain is really bad during the winter
- windows freeze so they don't retract and opening and closing your doors makes you wonder if you will accidentally shatter your window.
-30 to 40% more battery usage during sub freezing temp is also really annoying.
-I also wish the car was less wide and possibly a little shorter.
-Also a lot of squeaks rattles and pops due to poor fit and finish worse than many 15k cars
- windows freeze so they don't retract and opening and closing your doors makes you wonder if you will accidentally shatter your window.
-30 to 40% more battery usage during sub freezing temp is also really annoying.
-I also wish the car was less wide and possibly a little shorter.
-Also a lot of squeaks rattles and pops due to poor fit and finish worse than many 15k cars
I don’t like the fact that the drivers profile does not recognize the drivers key fob. If my wife gets near the car first, it always set the seat to her profile.
I also don’t like the charging tIme function. In my Volt, I can set it for what time I want to leave and it has a setting for each day of the week.
I also don’t like the charging tIme function. In my Volt, I can set it for what time I want to leave and it has a setting for each day of the week.
Ok, maybe approaching hate is when the USB takes the audio from my phone when I have no intention of getting in the car. My Toyota does this too, but only when it has recently been connected to my phone by me when in the car, the Tesla is always ready to take the audio. The rest of the audio/USB system is just super annoying.
Use the screen cleaning function. It blanks out most of the screen.
Ironically, the Model S used to have this feature.
The lack of detail attention by service delivery for a vehicle of this price and status.
The rapid changes to the offering of the MS. After buying one, less than a year later that offer something more or changes to battery capacity or something
The paint quality is lacking and easily scratches.
The inconsistency in update releases to customers. Some get certain updates while others wait for many updates later for one.
The rapid changes to the offering of the MS. After buying one, less than a year later that offer something more or changes to battery capacity or something
The paint quality is lacking and easily scratches.
The inconsistency in update releases to customers. Some get certain updates while others wait for many updates later for one.
Sometimes I wonder if I'm overly obsessed or if everyone else has low standards.
Everytime I gripe about this issue someone mentions the cleaning mode. This is not the same thing. The backlight is still on, and the LCD is still on. It's still a distraction for something entirely unnecessary.
Part of the appeal of the car is minimization. Of not having clutter and unnecessary things.
Still isn't the same thing.
It's simply something that won't really exist till they implement it. Not sure if they'll ever implement it though.
They are implementing the ability to turn on the defrosters, and that used to be one of my complaints.
In comparing cars why would it matter who invented a given technology?
Like for example over the air updates. Tesla was the first car manufacture that did that so you might want to give them credit for that, but in other industries people have been doing that for awhile.
With a product it's really about how various technologies are packaged up. So much stuff has been designed previously that it's really hard to have anything significantly new. About the only one I can think of is the Vision/NeuralNetwork based wiper control. Everything else was either taken from elsewhere or some previous idea that was improved upon.
I can totally understand not wanting to buy another Tesla due to the problems you've had. If I was in your shoes I certainly wouldn't want to either. I'd be looking seriously at the Porsche Mission E or maybe some Audi. Where I became obsessed with seeing how the rollout of the VW fast charging network was going. When it's all said and done the car itself is only one part of what Tesla really is. So it's going to be hard to switch if a competitor doesn't have a solid charging network like the Supercharger network.
The funny thing is Tesla has won if you stick with Electric. They didn't need to built the perfect car. All they needed to do was to make it good enough that someone would be hard pressed to get an ICE car.
Joe F
Disruption is hard.
I hate, really hate, that the MS is so damn beautiful, in both form and function, that all winged insects within eyesight of it have to flock to the highway, mesmerized by its graceful lines, transfixed by and in awe of how effortlessly it glides through the air. Their momentary pause to worship it at the alter of the frunk, AKA the refreshed front bumper, failing to take into account the relative speed difference as their life flashed before their eyes, knowing that they could die happy, knowing that, for a fleeting moment, they got to ride on a Tesla.
TaoJones
Beyond Driven
Right before the wipers fail to clean their chitinous (tm Bighorn) little carcasses off the windshield, yep. Necessitating gallons more per year of wiper fluid than with any previous 2 or 3 cars combined - and that's without, or *with* an exterior windshield nanocoating (think Rain-X on (prescription) steroids). (Dislike #1)
Shortly thereafter, the car magically is headed in the wrong direction after following the Nav turn by turn. Why? Because there's no pop-up alert from Nav to tell you that it has automagically re-routed you back to the last SC (easier to note) or laterally to some other SC that you may or may not want to visit (less easy to spot). (Dislike #2). At least it's stopped trying to route me *across a Great Lake*. That was fun, but I don't have that Easter egg.
Back to the awestruck critters for a moment. Ever finish a road trip with a whooooole bunch of the little bastidges adorning your front end? Well, there's medication for that - er, strike that, wrong topic. Actually, what works great, believe it or not, especially if there's *still* residue after you've washed the car... dryer sheets. Try one and see - like little chitinous carcass magnets, they are. Do *not* overdo it, but for occasional spot cleaning, having one handy is helpful.
Most of the other dislikes have already been covered. The purchase and delivery process needs work, along with synching promises to practice in service delivery. Tesla is excellent at *fixing* process-related problems. The larger problem is that most of the problems they've had to fix have been wholly of their own making due to immature or incomplete processes. You'd think they were a relatively new car manufacturer, for example who's often had to hire employees with experience at other manufacturers' stealerships or something. All it takes is one of those who's not quite yet bought into all things Tesla to really tweak your day.
Still and all, when things are worse the second time around than the first, that's a pretty big red flag. Or a greater opportunity for improvement to add shareholder value. Or both.
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