Rejecting my 2020 Tesla M3P after 4 months of ownership. Sad day

[MrBadger]

I have to disagree, if you want a reliable EV the choices are there already, Hyundia/Kia make more reliable AND cheaper EVs. So why haven't we all bought an Hyundai/Kia??

Availability? In the final run up to taking delivery of our Model 3 I briefly looked at a Hyundia or Kia and lead time was over a year. I'm not sure how much that has changed now, but still I get the impression that they are only available in very limited quantities whilst M3's are in excess at certain points of the delivery cycle.

 

[gdallas]

I started the process to reject my m3p too about just shy of 2 months AGO. BLACKORSE is where I went. It took a good 50 days for some on to call me once the complaint had been raised. They did state this though. Still weird.

I picked it up in December 2020. Has been back to tesla 3 times for steering wheel vibration issues that they were adamant was "as per design" and nothing more than a feature of this wheel and tyre Configuration. After the third time I decided to take it a 3rd party wheel and tyre shop. They advised the balancing that tesla performed was improper. Counterbalanced. The weights used were inaccurate. And were more than twice the weight stated in tesla service report. There was a small lift in one of the front tyres so they shoved that to the rear
Rebalanced all 4 wheels. Then guess what... Vibration issues vanished. Well I'd say a good 90% of it. Enough for me to not feel. I needed to reject the car.

Interestingly Black horse finally phoned me yesterday after having been investigating. She repeated back what tesla said In their report.... Then I told her I had it fixed by a 3rd party. She asked for the invoice and that's where its at currently.


I feel your pain mate. this wasn't the only issue I had. But thankfully the other 6 or so were resolved first time.
It's infuriating

 

[GrumpyManUK]

Sorry to hear you took it back. Sounds very unlucky to have that many issues.

My 2019 M3P has (touch wood) been fine - apart from a few minor issues in the initial couple of months of receiving it.
- Paint mark, passanger side. Fixed.
- Rear light housings filling with condensation. Replaced.
- Computer screen replaced after random morning start-up black screen of death. (Two button reboot sorted it during the problem though).
- Squeeky front right wheel area. Resolved at service centre.

There was an interview with Elon and Munro where he did state that there was issues on the initial ramp-up of production.
Youtube video: Elon Musk Interview: 1-on-1 with Sandy Munro
Elon 'took us a while to iron out the production process, especially during a production ramp'. Like he said, maybe you were unlucky in terms of getting a vechicle during this critical time? Still, this really isn't acceptable for the end product you received. Hopefully you can give them another chance.

 

[Nallambal]

Sorry to hear you took it back. Sounds very unlucky to have that many issues.

My 2019 M3P has (touch wood) been fine - apart from a few minor issues in the initial couple of months of receiving it.
- Paint mark, passanger side. Fixed.
- Rear light housings filling with condensation. Replaced.
- Computer screen replaced after random morning start-up black screen of death. (Two button reboot sorted it during the problem though).
- Squeeky front right wheel area. Resolved at service centre.

There was an interview with Elon and Munro where he did state that there was issues on the initial ramp-up of production.
Youtube video: Elon Musk Interview: 1-on-1 with Sandy Munro
Elon 'took us a while to iron out the production process, especially during a production ramp'. Like he said, maybe you were unlucky in terms of getting a vechicle during this critical time? Still, this really isn't acceptable for the end product you received. Hopefully you can give them another chance.

Agree. You hate to the one that ends up on the wrong end of the statistical curve. In the grand scheme of things, it's still just a car. I was waiting for Lexus to come out with an EV in the US, but decided to buy M3, just to be part of early innovation and an engaging community.

 

[Mustard K]

Sadly based on my current experience of Tesla service and support I’m incredibly unlikely to get another Tesla. After 4 months of ownership my wife and I were in Porsche today looking at Taycans.

im up to 6 weeks so far to get a simple issue rectified on a wing mirror. This is after countless appointments booked and then rescheduled due to parts availability. 1 actually attended service centre visit in which apparently they still didn’t have the required part. Next weeks rebooking amazingly got rescheduled yesterday. Plus I’m still waiting on a replacement door card from December collection due to glue marks. I’ve kind of given up on that. When a customer is willing to give up on getting a collection day issue fixed on a 60k car you are failing as a business.

Im terrified of actually needing real service on the car in case of a catastrophic failure or accident as I don’t think I’ll get it back for months.

in regard to being able to book service in an app? That’s pointless if they constantly get cancelled and rescheduled.

I get asked often what I think of the car, and the only thing I can say is that it’s equally the best and worst car I’ve ever owned. One thing I’m mostly sure of is that it will be the only Tesla I get.

 

[Mattallica]

Sadly based on my current experience of Tesla service and support I’m incredibly unlikely to get another Tesla. After 4 months of ownership my wife and I were in Porsche today looking at Taycans.

im up to 6 weeks so far to get a simple issue rectified on a wing mirror. This is after countless appointments booked and then rescheduled due to parts availability. 1 actually attended service centre visit in which apparently they still didn’t have the required part. Next weeks rebooking amazingly got rescheduled yesterday. Plus I’m still waiting on a replacement door card from December collection due to glue marks. I’ve kind of given up on that. When a customer is willing to give up on getting a collection day issue fixed on a 60k car you are failing as a business.

Im terrified of actually needing real service on the car in case of a catastrophic failure or accident as I don’t think I’ll get it back for months.

in regard to being able to book service in an app? That’s pointless if they constantly get cancelled and rescheduled.

I get asked often what I think of the car, and the only thing I can say is that it’s equally the best and worst car I’ve ever owned. One thing I’m mostly sure of is that it will be the only Tesla I get.

Wow, sorry to hear that. Every car I’ve owned had minor issues upon delivery - whether it be paint respray needed (2 x BMWs) or door window dropped allowing water ingress (Lotus Elise). But the thing is, they all got resolved first time.

Taycan are lovely cars but the cost for a comparable-to-Tesla performance is frankly obscene. I can only afford the RWD basic model, but that seems like it’s barely a Porsche - terrible base interior and an options list that could threaten to double the price of the car!

Based on the research and reports of various issues with Tesla, my gaze is passing over to BMW, Polestar and Mercedes to see what heir offerings are/will be over the next few months...

 

[Mrklaw]

Was curious about the i4 having had a gram coupe previously, but it looks like it’d be too rich for my blood. But will have a look how things sit in a few years and hopefully my model 3 will behave itself in the meantime

 

[M3PBOSS]

Thanks to everyone that has contributed to this thread. I plan to press forward with rejection of my M3P with a full refund. I don’t plan to ask for a replacement as I simply cannot risk going through this ordeal again with a brand that has not taken the known build quality issues with their cars seriously. I do plan to return in the future because I love the technology but only when I am satisfied that Tesla that made much greater strides in the build quality of their cars. At £950 per month this isn’t something I envisaged having to face. Thanks everyone and wish me luck!

BTW - there is no EV on the market that is comparable to my M3P at the price point I’m looking for so it will be back to ICE unfortunately with a fully loaded BMW M340i for the next 5 years until I’m hopefully back in a model 3!

 

[M3PBOSS]

Do you think perhaps i should take a chance on a MIC replacement?. I have been reading that apparently that they are built better compared to the Freemont version

 

[Mrklaw]

I agree to en extent about the sample size though. I’ve had issues with BMW dealers but I like the cars so I just write off the dealer and/or franchise and try again with someone else. It’s annoying as it has meant longer trips to a good dealer but it’s worth it for better service

Tesla may be another matter - maybe it’s the service centre but they also appear to be more centralised so it may not help. MiC do seem better built though

 

[NewbieT]

Do you think perhaps i should take a chance on a MIC replacement?. I have been reading that apparently that they are built better compared to the Freemont version

When I enquired about a swap it was a clear cut ‘no’. Answer was return it and take out a new lease. As for MIC, the vibes seem to be that quality is better than Fremont. Different battery chemistry of course (bigger battery but slightly less dense, charge to 100% fine.

 

[M3PBOSS]

So back to the original topic would you guys take a chance on the MIC model as a replacement?

 

[Tigermad]

I started the process to reject my m3p too about just shy of 2 months AGO. BLACKORSE is where I went. It took a good 50 days for some on to call me once the complaint had been raised. They did state this though. Still weird.

I picked it up in December 2020. Has been back to tesla 3 times for steering wheel vibration issues that they were adamant was "as per design" and nothing more than a feature of this wheel and tyre Configuration. After the third time I decided to take it a 3rd party wheel and tyre shop. They advised the balancing that tesla performed was improper. Counterbalanced. The weights used were inaccurate. And were more than twice the weight stated in tesla service report. There was a small lift in one of the front tyres so they shoved that to the rear
Rebalanced all 4 wheels. Then guess what... Vibration issues vanished. Well I'd say a good 90% of it. Enough for me to not feel. I needed to reject the car.

Interestingly Black horse finally phoned me yesterday after having been investigating. She repeated back what tesla said In their report.... Then I told her I had it fixed by a 3rd party. She asked for the invoice and that's where its at currently.


I feel your pain mate. this wasn't the only issue I had. But thankfully the other 6 or so were resolved first time.
It's infuriating

Why are you rejecting the car now if it’s been fixed? You said you can’t feel it now.

 

[Cardo]

So back to the original topic would you guys take a chance on the MIC model as a replacement?

The real question is: where are M3Ps coming from? I’ve heard comments that UK M3Ps will still come from Fremont, possibly because they use the larger Panasonic battery that’s manufactured over there.

Until the next batch of M3Ps are matched so we get to see the VINs, it’ll be hard to answer that question.

 

[Jez_GB]

So back to the original topic would you guys take a chance on the MIC model as a replacement?

On balance.... Yes!

I'm no fan boy and I think the attitude of the guy giving you some grief (kudos for not reacting by the way!) is massively unhelpful - I look for the middle ground in all of this. I'm trading up from an LR to a P (oh yes it is!), I had choices of course and I'm not totally averse to going back to ICE, however given my budget, use case, etc coupled with my own experience from a sample size similar to yours (1 too ) the choice was very easy. I am hoping for a car produced in China (based solely on the evidence herein, anecdotal and otherwise), however the aforementioned brilliant LR was made in Freemont so .

In your shoes I'd hang fire, see where the P's are being manufactured, check the feedback from those of us that are due to get one - it will be virtually instant and then stick with the M3P - chances of getting two lemons has to be low and if the worse does happen, you'll have the no quibble return window.

 

[Envchem]

Sadly based on my current experience of Tesla service and support I’m incredibly unlikely to get another Tesla. After 4 months of ownership my wife and I were in Porsche today looking at Taycans.

im up to 6 weeks so far to get a simple issue rectified on a wing mirror. This is after countless appointments booked and then rescheduled due to parts availability. 1 actually attended service centre visit in which apparently they still didn’t have the required part. Next weeks rebooking amazingly got rescheduled yesterday. Plus I’m still waiting on a replacement door card from December collection due to glue marks. I’ve kind of given up on that. When a customer is willing to give up on getting a collection day issue fixed on a 60k car you are failing as a business.

Im terrified of actually needing real service on the car in case of a catastrophic failure or accident as I don’t think I’ll get it back for months.

in regard to being able to book service in an app? That’s pointless if they constantly get cancelled and rescheduled.

I get asked often what I think of the car, and the only thing I can say is that it’s equally the best and worst car I’ve ever owned. One thing I’m mostly sure of is that it will be the only Tesla I get.

I can come back to you on this one based on my experience. Front motor died. Took 12 days to get the car back. Main delay was bringing the motor in due to the port situation (see Brexit). Was really frustrated at the time but all went well.

 

[Cleo-n-Company]

This has been a fascinating thread.

It seems as if your "lemon laws" in the UK are much more consumer friendly than on our side of the pond.

You would think Elon would take his recent hard knocks from China to heart. But hearing your stories... I'm not so sure.

 

[Billbrown1982]

I'd personally definitely take a chance, but then i've been treated very differently and I ADORE my model 3. Yes it had a noise issue when preheating and yes its gone into Chelmsford for 2 weeks now with still no sign of the part needed.

BUT, the guys at chelmsford have been great and very communicative and at the end of the day I've got a 5 year old model S courtesy car that, when driven with the respect a courtesy car deserves, has actually been quite fun.

A few years back my brand new Toyota RAV 4 developed a fault and there was no chance at a courtesy car. So i'm willing to take this one on faith.

But if you've been mugged off by unhelpful customer service then I can totally understand wanting to move away from Tesla all together.

Depending on your situation I think I would definitely take a punt, go over a MiC Model 3 with a FINE toothcomb at collection and really give it a good going over for a few days to make sure there's nothing wrong and then knock it back immediately if there is but hopefully, it will be perfect and you will be happy once again.

Also, to the mod that edited my post because it was causing offence...you could have at least turned it into Jeez .... instead of leaving me looking like I can't spell or something

 

[M3PBOSS]

Update for you all that are interested: Tesla have responded to my rejection claim which cited unsatisfactory condition of the car with evidence provided of misaligned interior trims, creases to the drivers seat which was replaced 4 weeks ago due to it being delivered with creases to the thigh bolster, pealing rear spoiler and defects with multiple door seals. Note there were approx 20 previous faults - most of which were repaired. The most severe fault was a frunk lock failure which effectively disabled the vehicle as it is unable to drive >15MPH if the frunk isnt properly closed. Tesla have essentially rejected my claim stating that the faults do not relate to core functioning of the vehicle. I have countered them citing the Consumer Rights Act 2015 and the sales of goods act 1979. In both acts there is no mention of "significant faults relating to the core functioning of the vehicle". It does however state clearly that Tesla are allowed one attempt to fix a manufacturing fault with the vehicle and if unsuccessful, it is within my right to reject the vehicle within 6 months of ownership. Both acts also state that: goods are of satisfactory quality if they meet the standard a reasonable person would regard as satisfactory, taking into account age, mileage and value of the vehicle. Using only one example that i put forward to them; my rear spoiler should not be peeling away on my brand new £60k car that has only a few thousand miles.

I am awaiting their next move....

 

[Dilly]

Update for you all that are interested: Tesla have responded to my rejection claim which cited unsatisfactory condition of the car with evidence provided of misaligned interior trims, creases to the drivers seat which was replaced 4 weeks ago due to it being delivered with creases to the thigh bolster, pealing rear spoiler and defects with multiple door seals. Note there were approx 20 previous faults - most of which were repaired. The most severe fault was a frunk lock failure which effectively disabled the vehicle as it is unable to drive >15MPH if the frunk isnt properly closed. Tesla have essentially rejected my claim stating that the faults do not relate to core functioning of the vehicle. I have countered them citing the Consumer Rights Act 2015 and the sales of goods act 1979. In both acts there is no mention of "significant faults relating to the core functioning of the vehicle". It does however state clearly that Tesla are allowed one attempt to fix a manufacturing fault with the vehicle and if unsuccessful, it is within my right to reject the vehicle within 6 months of ownership. Both acts also state that: goods are of satisfactory quality if they meet the standard a reasonable person would regard as satisfactory, taking into account age, mileage and value of the vehicle. Using only one example that i put forward to them; my rear spoiler should not be peeling away on my brand new £60k car that has only a few thousand miles.

I am awaiting their next move....

You have my complete sympathy but you are absolutely right. UK consumer law is on your side.