Repair time - 6 months!??!

[mmoran]

I'm posting this here as for advice? As some catharis? Help?

I purchased a Model S P100D with all the bells and whistles the middle of last September. I drove it for a week and then had to travel. After returning I drove it for an additional week for a total of two weeks. I was thrilled with the car, I was sold. I then hit a bear, damaging the driver's side front end. The estimate I got from the Tesla recommended Service King repair center (SK) was about $12,000 worth of damage (to give some perspective on the amount of damage). SK did say they found additional damage after tearing down the car but I never got an additional amount. They did put it on the "rack" to determine if there was any structural damage but that there was none.

So thankfully the car protected myself and my family but my problem lies, in the fact 6 months later I still don't have the car. I have over 100 emails from SK and the Telsa body shop customer advocate and numerous phone calls. I have gotten this from the Tesla advocate: "We won’t be able to force them to hurry with the repairs as we need the car to be repaired correctly . " and SK has given various excuses, parts from Telsa are slow, etc.

Luckily my insurance paid for a rental but that only lasted 45 days. (To add insult to injury the rental was a huge ICE pickup truck). After that 45 days ran out the local Tesla dealer/shop gave me their loaner, out of pity I think, so at least I've had a car to use. I've owned the car for 6 months now, driven for 14 days and it's sat in the repair shop for almost half a year!

Anyone have Elon Musk's phone number? I'm not sure who else to contact. The people repairing the car seem to think this is a normal time frame to repair the car.

 

[Sprandt23]

I'm sorry, did you say you hit a BEAR?!?? Holy crud! Glad everyone is ok (minus the car).

I know a bit of your pain, I picked up my MS back in October in Phoenix and was driving it back home cross country, and a coyote ran out of the median and smacked the front quarter - 3rd day of owning the car. Initial estimate was $3500 in damage, but once they took it apart, was over $9000 total.

I would say consider yourself a bit lucky that Tesla gave you a loaner for that long (I assume an S or X?). They said they could not give me one since they were not doing the work. Thankfully mine only took 4-5 weeks to complete the work. Six months would be almost unbearable! And no, that doesn't seem like a reasonable time frame, to me anyway.

 

[eye.surgeon]

Unreasonably long wait times for parts and a relative lack of Tesla-approved repair centers has been a glaring problem since day one, and despite a couple of short-lived declarations from Tesla that the problem was being fixed (usually following a squeaky wheel type customer) , it has not been fixed. I suspect it's actually worse given larger production numbers. You have my sympathy.

 

[LoL Rick]

The only way you might reach Elon is with a tweet, but don't count on it.

I've had fantastic luck with health care providers and insurance companies by using conference calls. It's amazing what happens when all the parties are present so nobody can assign fault to the other and just move on with their day. If you can get the Tesla body shop representative on the phone with the Service King person and yourself then you might be able to cut through some BS and get things moving.

 

[Az_Rael]

Isn't there supposed to be a new contact to facilitate body shop repair delays? Tesla to ‘add 300 body shops to its network in the next few weeks’, says Tesla President
It was mentioned in the Electrek post, but it looks like you were supposed to contact Jon McNeill, who I don't think works for Tesla anymore.

I would hit the "elevate to executive team" selection on your My Tesla page.

 

[brkaus]

Get the list from Tesla of the parts ordered, order date, and the delivery dates.

That will identify the bottleneck.

 

[mmoran]

I'm sorry, did you say you hit a BEAR?!?? Holy crud! Glad everyone is ok (minus the car).

I know a bit of your pain, I picked up my MS back in October in Phoenix and was driving it back home cross country, and a coyote ran out of the median and smacked the front quarter - 3rd day of owning the car. Initial estimate was $3500 in damage, but once they took it apart, was over $9000 total.

I would say consider yourself a bit lucky that Tesla gave you a loaner for that long (I assume an S or X?). They said they could not give me one since they were not doing the work. Thankfully mine only took 4-5 weeks to complete the work. Six months would be almost unbearable! And no, that doesn't seem like a reasonable time frame, to me anyway.

Yes bear as in Yogi. See attached. More irony. What town did I hit the bear in? Bear Creek. Yes they gave me an S. There may have been some luck, more likely they got tired of hearing me complain.

 

[mmoran]

Get the list from Tesla of the parts ordered, order date, and the delivery dates.

That will identify the bottleneck.

That's the problem. It seems as if the parts and orders changes. 1. Here's what's wrong 2. Ordered parts 3. Parts come in 4. Oh yes this needs fixing too 5. re-enter loop at #2 again.

One thing that did take up a lot of time I found out during one of my weekly email/phone calls. Evidently to check the structure there is a Laser frame structure analyzer. To put a "Chevy" on it takes about 30 minutes setup and then 30 minutes teardown. For a Tesla it's 6 hours setup and 6 more teardown. They had another car on it which they were waiting for parts, mine was waiting until they got the parts so they could repair that car and test again. They would have had to "waste" 24 man hours to put mine on for testing while they waited for parts. Once mine got on the unit there determined everything was aligned. That added about 1 month of the delay.

 

[mmoran]

Isn't there supposed to be a new contact to facilitate body shop repair delays? Tesla to ‘add 300 body shops to its network in the next few weeks’, says Tesla President
It was mentioned in the Electrek post, but it looks like you were supposed to contact Jon McNeill, who I don't think works for Tesla anymore.

I would hit the "elevate to executive team" selection on your My Tesla page.

Interesting. The article is from over a year ago. And I'm now approaching the 8 months they gave in the example. Doesn't look like it fixed much.

 

[ACA Man]

Unreasonably long wait times for parts and a relative lack of Tesla-approved repair centers has been a glaring problem since day one, and despite a couple of short-lived declarations from Tesla that the problem was being fixed (usually following a squeaky wheel type customer) , it has not been fixed. I suspect it's actually worse given larger production numbers. You have my sympathy.

It’s their normal MO, we knew we had a problem but we are on it.

 

[brkaus]

That's the problem. It seems as if the parts and orders changes. 1. Here's what's wrong 2. Ordered parts 3. Parts come in 4. Oh yes this needs fixing too 5. re-enter loop at #2 again.

Sounds like a shop problem? Service king here gets bad reviews.

One thing that did take up a lot of time I found out during one of my weekly email/phone calls. Evidently to check the structure there is a Laser frame structure analyzer. To put a "Chevy" on it takes about 30 minutes setup and then 30 minutes teardown. For a Tesla it's 6 hours setup and 6 more teardown. They had another car on it which they were waiting for parts, mine was waiting until they got the parts so they could repair that car and test again. They would have had to "waste" 24 man hours to put mine on for testing while they waited for parts. Once mine got on the unit there determined everything was aligned. That added about 1 month of the delay.

Wonder why the descrepency? Does Tesla feel it should take that long?

I feel like the shops pointing at Tesla gives them the easy out. So they can just fill spare time working on the Teslas. Get everyone else in and out quicker.

 

[cmaster]

If they totaled the car, you would have gotten a new car within a month time.

 

[techmaven]

That's the problem. It seems as if the parts and orders changes. 1. Here's what's wrong 2. Ordered parts 3. Parts come in 4. Oh yes this needs fixing too 5. re-enter loop at #2 again.

One thing that did take up a lot of time I found out during one of my weekly email/phone calls. Evidently to check the structure there is a Laser frame structure analyzer. To put a "Chevy" on it takes about 30 minutes setup and then 30 minutes teardown. For a Tesla it's 6 hours setup and 6 more teardown. They had another car on it which they were waiting for parts, mine was waiting until they got the parts so they could repair that car and test again. They would have had to "waste" 24 man hours to put mine on for testing while they waited for parts. Once mine got on the unit there determined everything was aligned. That added about 1 month of the delay.

That sounds completely bogus. I have gone through the repair process. It doesn’t take this long. My body shop has my car in and out of the jig in less than a day. Have you talked to your insurance? Is there another repair shop you can have the car towed to? The insurance company should help put the screws to them. And Tesla should be de-certifying them.

 

[SO16]

That's the problem. It seems as if the parts and orders changes. 1. Here's what's wrong 2. Ordered parts 3. Parts come in 4. Oh yes this needs fixing too 5. re-enter loop at #2 again.

One thing that did take up a lot of time I found out during one of my weekly email/phone calls. Evidently to check the structure there is a Laser frame structure analyzer. To put a "Chevy" on it takes about 30 minutes setup and then 30 minutes teardown. For a Tesla it's 6 hours setup and 6 more teardown. They had another car on it which they were waiting for parts, mine was waiting until they got the parts so they could repair that car and test again. They would have had to "waste" 24 man hours to put mine on for testing while they waited for parts. Once mine got on the unit there determined everything was aligned. That added about 1 month of the delay.

Sounds more like an issue with that repair facility.

 

[mmoran]

Now coming up on the 7-month mark. Probably the most frustrating thing about this is the attitude on all sides: "Yep, 7 months to fix the car what did you expect?"
This is the type of response from Tesla when you ask them to help move along their "approved body shop":

"The vehicle is being worked on and is in body repairs stage."

 

[Barklikeadog]

Now coming up on the 7-month mark. Probably the most frustrating thing about this is the attitude on all sides: "Yep, 7 months to fix the car what did you expect?"
This is the type of response from Tesla when you ask them to help move along their "approved body shop":

"The vehicle is being worked on and is in body repairs stage."

Wait what, someone at Tesla was telling you 7 months for your situation is the norm?

 

[mmoran]

Wait what, someone at Tesla was telling you 7 months for your situation is the norm?

Not is so many words, but there have been multiple emails with we're sorry, we're working on it thanks for your patience. Still waiting for the email response in the vain of "Holy S--- this is outrageous we'll resolve it ASAP." The current tone of their response is we're checking on it, we're providing parts, thank you for your patience, etc.

Everyone but Service King and Tesla respond in disbelief and think I'm making it up. I've been waiting so long I now have a soundbite use to tell people about my experience.

"Tesla, the car that will save your life in an accident, but you'll want to kill yourself getting it repaired." I've now made more payments on the car than days I've driven it. The one positive is the local Tesla dealer has given their loaner.

 

[Blup85]

You woulnt happen to need air suspension parts for your repairs would You?
The right rear of my p85 got smacked and broke some suspension parts and quarter panel back in late January. Car is still waiting for parts...4 months later. I had deja vue reading your post.
From what ive been told, Tesla is waiting on a batch of parts from the manufacturer. Local dealer gave us a p85d loaner, so we are content, but 5 months for parts?!

 

[Barklikeadog]

I hope they resolve it, one of the most comforting aspects of driving the vehicle that I do is that they will move mountains to make sure the F150 owners are satisfied. If the F150 dies, Ford dies.
If a million F150 drivers who make a living using their trucks can't get parts, it's over.

https://www.nasdaq.com/press-releas...re-at-magnesium-parts-supplier-20180516-01104
The teams removed 19 dies from Meridian's badly damaged facility, and in one case, moved an 87,000-pound die from Eaton Rapids, Mich., to Nottingham, U.K., via an Antonov cargo plane - one of the largest in the world - in just 30 hours door-to-door. A die is a tool used to cut or shape material using a press.

 

[mmoran]

You woulnt happen to need air suspension parts for your repairs would You?
The right rear of my p85 got smacked and broke some suspension parts and quarter panel back in late January. Car is still waiting for parts...4 months later. I had deja vue reading your post.
From what ive been told, Tesla is waiting on a batch of parts from the manufacturer. Local dealer gave us a p85d loaner, so we are content, but 5 months for parts?!

Actually, the front driver suspension column needed to be replaced. But according to Tesla that part was received by the shop in about 2 weeks. I'm not sure we're talking the same part or if it was exactly two weeks as I have had so many delays. The latest is, after having the car for six months the body shop just figured out the coolant lines need to be replaced.