Purchased a used Model X from Tesla - Issues/concern

[Romario786]

Hi Guys,

I purchased a used Tesla Model x 2017 90d directly from Tesla under there used inventory for £55,000. I collected the vehicle yestarday 22/10/2022 from a Tesla Dealership. Tesla had given me a fresh new MOT as it was due to expire within 30 days. the vehicle had originally failed it's MOT on wednesday due to the following reason

Repair immediately (major defects):

• Nearside Front Hydraulic brake calliper leaking (1.1.16 (b) (i))

Monitor and repair if necessary (advisories):

• Front Brakes imbalanced requirements only just met. It would appear that the braking system requires adjustment or repair. (1.2.1 (b) (i))
• Offside Rear seat belt twisted

However, on Thrusday Tesla advisor gave me a call and advised me that the vehicle had failed it's mot but we got it passed the following day because there was a bit of grease on the calliper from putting in brand new brake pads and discs, he told em that they cleaned up the brake calliper and it was not leaking and they manage to get the vehicle MOT passed.

I did have some concerns but i gave Tesla the benefit of the doubt and collected the vehicle thinking that they must of resolved the issues before making me collect it. I took it to an independent MOT test centre to get the vehicle checked out and i was advised by that test centre that how did the MOT passed on this vehicle and that it should of been a straight fail due to the following reasons;

ALL MAJOR MOT FAILURES:
NSF LOWER SUSPENSION ARM PINS & BUSHES (5.3.4(a)(i))
OSF LOWER SUSPENSION ARM PINS & BUSHES (5.3.4(a)(i))
OSF UPPER SUSPENSION ARM PINS & BUSHES (5.3.4(a)(i))
OSF CV GATER BOOT SPLIT (6.1.7(g)(ii))

DIAGNOSIS:
NSF BRAKE CALIPER NEEDS TO BE INVESTIGATED FOR A LEAK FROM BRAKE HOSE PIPE

I managed to get hold of the Tesla advisor whilst i was in the MOT test centre and made him speak to the machanic addressing all the issues above. The Tesla advisor said that he was very sorry for all that has happened and we don't have an MOT test centre in-house therefore we all our vehicleit to the local MOT test centres to get the vehicle tested and if any issues come from them we than fix those issues to get the vehicle passed. he also said thathe will get one of the manager to give me a call on Monday to discuss this issue further.

The MOT test centre I took the vehicle too advised me that i should go to the DVSA and make a complaint about Tesla Dealership and the MOT test centre they used to get the vecile passed because this vehicle is not road worthy, or legal, and not safe to drive on the roads.

I am so angry and frustrated that the fact just yestarday(on the day of collecting the vehicle) I took my wife and kids to Reading doing a 200 mile round trip on a vehicle that is not safe to drive and Tesla had placed my life and especially my wife and kids life in danger.

I am sure that every dealership does the used car point check list before allowing the vehicle from a specialist technician before they give the green flag of getting the vehcile collected/delivered.

The reason I am writing this as to i am so confused on what to do and how to handle this situation as i have never came across this before, any help or advise from you guys will be much appriciated?

Thansk!

 

[Big_D]

Take it back to the Tesla dealer and tell them to fix it? I believe used cars come with a 1-year warranty from Tesla? Looks like it was the MOT test centre they used that was at fault for passing the vehicle. Tesla may do some sort of inspection before selling it, but it may not extend to the level of detail an MOT centre will do.

 

[candida]

Reject it.

 

[Bouba]

Everything sounds easily fixable...get Tesla to replace the brake and suspension parts under the threat of taking it to another independent MOT test center after the work is done...then you will have new parts with a long service life. Better than getting another car from inventory that may pass the MOT but only have a years wear left in them.
Most brake and suspension parts are consumables. Many of us leave the Tesla sales office feeling angry and frustrated and later come to love the car so much that all is forgiven (if not forgotten)

 

[DeejUK]

The main thing to start with in any such situation is: what do you want to get out of it? Making complaints without a clear goal normally goes badly.

• Do you want to be reimbursed for any expenditure?
• Do you want guarantees that they'll handle whatever else crops up in the near future?
• Do you want some kind of recognition from them formally that they cocked up?
• Do you want some compensation for the fact that they took the piss?

The first two on that list should be easier to achieve by 'jumping up and down' (ie stern phone calls and emails). With the other two, you'll probably need some stronger leverage. Getting them to admit that they cocked up might be tricky, as I'm sure they won't want anything on record. But would an apology from a manager leave you feeling better? That might be doable.

Compensation for taking the piss is possibly achievable (maybe some supercharger or service credits?), and if I were in the same situation I'd lean on going public with it. If they don't take you seriously, threaten to moan about it on social media (if you have lots of followers) or take it to the automotive press. The press love a good excuse to bash Tesla, and all journalists are desperate for click-bait content these days. You can up the ante by being (or threatening to be) very specific about the Service Centre (I don't think Tesla technically have dealerships) and staff involved. That way you have some manager worried about getting a bollocking for the brand damage to Tesla, and also worried about their career prospects.

Figure out what you want that'll make good of the situation, tell them that from the off, and if they don't play ball then tell them what you'll do otherwise. At the end of the day, they sent you and the fam out in an unsafe vehicle and while going to the press might seem nasty, when people make mistakes like this they need to be held to account. If you don't kick up a stink, who will they do it to next, and will they be so lucky?

 

[MrT3]

The MOT test centre I took the vehicle too advised me that i should go to the DVSA and make a complaint about Tesla Dealership and the MOT test centre they used to get the vecile passed because this vehicle is not road worthy, or legal, and not safe to drive on the roads.

In an ideal world this should happen. But it will be extra time and energy on your part and they will probably want to inspect the vehicle before it is fixed, so this just delays you getting everything sorted out.

 

[Bouba]

The main thing to start with in any such situation is: what do you want to get out of it? Making complaints without a clear goal normally goes badly.

• Do you want to be reimbursed for any expenditure?
• Do you want guarantees that they'll handle whatever else crops up in the near future?
• Do you want some kind of recognition from them formally that they cocked up?
• Do you want some compensation for the fact that they took the piss?

The first two on that list should be easier to achieve by 'jumping up and down' (ie stern phone calls and emails). With the other two, you'll probably need some stronger leverage. Getting them to admit that they cocked up might be tricky, as I'm sure they won't want anything on record. But would an apology from a manager leave you feeling better? That might be doable.

Compensation for taking the piss is possibly achievable (maybe some supercharger or service credits?), and if I were in the same situation I'd lean on going public with it. If they don't take you seriously, threaten to moan about it on social media (if you have lots of followers) or take it to the automotive press. The press love a good excuse to bash Tesla, and all journalists are desperate for click-bait content these days. You can up the ante by being (or threatening to be) very specific about the Service Centre (I don't think Tesla technically have dealerships) and staff involved. That way you have some manager worried about getting a bollocking for the brand damage to Tesla, and also worried about their career prospects.

Figure out what you want that'll make good of the situation, tell them that from the off, and if they don't play ball then tell them what you'll do otherwise. At the end of the day, they sent you and the fam out in an unsafe vehicle and while going to the press might seem nasty, when people make mistakes like this they need to be held to account. If you don't kick up a stink, who will they do it to next, and will they be so lucky?

I think the problem is that Tesla can say that they did do their due diligence...it is the MOT center that cocked it up. Tesla can say, thank you Mr Romario for pointing this out to us and we will no longer use the services of that MOT center

 

[Hellayella01]

That’s ridiculous, especially considering that Tesla like to add a premium to their “approved” used vehicles.

I hope you get it resolved soon.

 

[pgkevet]

Most dealerships selling 2nd hand make a big thing about x-point inspections. Tesla don't even PID a new car. Likely all they did was give it a wash and check its logs... Once again leaving it up to the customer and limited warranty.
Tesla is all about minimum cost to them...

 

[DeejUK]

I think the problem is that Tesla can say that they did do their due diligence...it is the MOT center that cocked it up. Tesla can say, thank you Mr Romario for pointing this out to us and we will no longer use the services of that MOT center

That's a fair point, and one I'd counter with something like "I didn't get to choose the MOT centre, you did, and you chose an inept and incompetent one, putting the lives of me, my family, and other road users at risk. Clearly you are lacking an appropriate due-diligence process or are perhaps trying to save money at the cost of safety. My contract is with Tesla, and Tesla gave me assurances that turned out to be false. If Tesla can't choose appropriate and competent service suppliers, than that is their business to solve."

Writing that makes me think that it's perhaps of note to OP and other people that aren't used to raising complaints, that when complaining you can switch talking about "Tesla" or "you" depending on how aggressive you want to come across. If they're playing ball, talk about Tesla in the abstract (ie it's not the person that you're talking to's fault, it's the company). If they're being a twazzock and the decisions were theirs, I'd switch to talking about "you" (eg "you told me X...").

 

[DeejUK]

Also, OP: if you want to crank up the pressure on Tesla to get your intended outcomes, maybe do some research about what bits of legislation that they might have broken. I can't recall off the top of my head, but you've got the Consumer Rights Act 2015 which I think gives you a right that anything sold must be fit for purpose, and if you bought the car online you've got what used to be the EU Distance Selling Directive which got rolled into another act which allows you to return things within 14 days. I'm probably a bit inaccurate on these, so do your homework - but in my experience dropping in the specific bit of legislation they've broken normally gets people to take you seriously.

 

[pgkevet]

When I was last at a SC I met a chap whose X was in for (I think) it's 5th set of halfshafts and just coming up to end of warranty. Perhaps other X owners might comment. Was it halfshafts or other front end control bits?
Access to this vehicle's service history might be useful....

 

[srichards]

A dealer selling a vehicle in unroadworthy condition is potentially a criminal offence. Sadly it happens too often. My own car passed a dealer's next door MOT with multiple brake issues. That is a big used Tesla dealer too. I'd basically assume they're all liars and you need to have any vehicle independently inspected before taking it anywhere. Which you did and were proven to be right about it being iffy.

I'd report the MOT garage to the DVSA. The more people that do this the more the DVSA will have a list of potentially suspect garages.

I'd also get an estimate for repair for all the work from Tesla and tell them you expect them to sort out all those issues FOC plus you expect some money back for the inconvenience of having to take the vehicle into a service centre immediately. Or just reject it as unroadworthy and insist on an immediate refund.

There's a handy consumer rights summary below.

 

[Kenners]

Sadly this is Tesla to a T.

Have you thought about just handing back and maybe get a Y (knowing its new and similar money and fairly roomy), then change that when it gets close to the end of the warranty.

They are great cars in many respects, but (three cars of varying quality into the experience) I would never ever contemplate owning one out of warranty. The service/customer approach is just dire and costs sometimes scary if you are paying. The persistent push to remove humans from every process is ongoing, which will always be a frustration. Plenty of X horror stories out there too re: out of warranty issues. It seems to be a business culture thing (coming from the top), and that is hard to change.

I would consider this a bullet dodged.

Reporting the MOT garage as others have commented on above also helps everyone, even if its more agro you probably want to avoid at the moment!

 

[browellm]

barge

pole

 

[Undecided_2]

Over the years I’ve had a car/motorcycles fail it’s MOT and taken it to another testing facility and it passed. MOTs are subjective. It all depends on what the tester thinks is acceptable or not. Reading the post it appears that they failed it on other faults according to their opinion/testing.

There are hundreds of thousands of cars on our roads that would be considered dangerous by various testing centres.

 

[browellm]

Over the years I’ve had a car/motorcycles fail it’s MOT and taken it to another testing facility and it passed. MOTs are subjective. It all depends on what the tester thinks is acceptable or not. Reading the post it appears that they failed it on other faults according to their opinion/testing.

There are hundreds of thousands of cars on our roads that would be considered dangerous by various testing centres.

Quite simply some of the most incredible whataboutery I have read on this forum, and there's been some belters.

 

[InDaClub]

You never mentioned the warranty in your post. You’re still covered by this warrant - correct?

Used Vehicle Limited Warranty
The Used Vehicle Limited Warranty gives additional peace of mind to owners of used vehicles purchased directly from Tesla.
All used vehicles purchased directly from Tesla will be covered by the Used Vehicle Limited Warranty.
Vehicles that are still covered under the original Basic Vehicle Limited Warranty will have their coverage extended by 1 year or 10,000 miles, whichever comes first upon expiration of the original warranty.
Vehicles no longer covered by the original Basic Vehicle Limited Warranty will receive coverage up to 1 year or 10,000 miles, whichever comes first starting from your delivery date.
The balance of the original Battery and Drive Unit and Supplemental Restraint System Limited Warranties will apply for used vehicles.
For additional details, please review the Used Vehicle Limited Warranty.

 

[Undecided_2]

Quite simply some of the most incredible whataboutery I have read on this forum, and there's been some belters.

Then explain why it passed and then failed at a different testing MOT Centre?

The majority of the test is a ‘visual’ inspection. If it was an exact science then it would have had exactly the same failure criteria.

 

[MrBadger]

Unfortunately, not all MOT stations are equal, especially when it comes down to advisories. For many years, I personally have used a relatively local independent that I view as being firm but fair, but alas they have reduced their hours and hinting of retirement so this year I used a HEVRA one at another garage that I have used for many years. I prefer to know in advance when I have a pending issue, rather than after it is too late.

My personal car failed its first MOT at 3 years. It has been in for its final warranty inspection/'service' at the main dealership so I got them to MOT it just in case. It failed on brakes and windscreen wipers, even after being apparently safety checked and 'serviced'. Cost me a new expensive set of windscreen wipers as dealership refuse to fit my aftermarket brand new Bosch ones that I nipped down to Halfords to but when dealership told me it would take a week to get a new set of wiperblades - so not just Tesla with supply issues. I must admit though I was surprised at the failures, which prompted me to speak to a friend of ours who runs their own garage/MOT station (which we do not use due to potential conflict of interest even though they use to be the regular MOT station for another dealership selling same vehicle so know the cars well). It was quite enlightening as he checked our cars records, first mentioning that he thought that the wipers probably didn;t need doing as he knows that I am the type of person who would never have windscreen wipers with the fault as described. But he also mentioned that the brake failure (it eventually took 3 attempts to pass) was likely down to the way that it was being MOT'd. Being such a light car, it was not unusual for the wheels to skid on the rollers, especially if tyres were wet, so another technique must be used to ensure that this does not happen. The garage reconned that they had to rebuild the brakes which is even more scary as I would have been driving round on defective brakes for 3 years - not that they felt odd to me, but at least covered under warranty and no harm done other than massive inconvenience with being without a car for best part of the week.

But that experience taught me that as well as being different on advisories, the techniques that MOT stations employ when checking off the list also plays a part as to what gets caught, and what doesn't.