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Sadly the WORST new car buying experience...and I love Teslas.
- Thread starter jammer1
- Start date
When I hear experiences like that, I begin to wonder if ordering a Model 3 was not one of my better decisions.
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CyberGus
Not Just a Member
John DeLorean left GM to start his own car company in part because he believed automotive manufacturing to be unethical in terms of "model years". Any defects found, or improvements devised, were held back until the next year. This helped create demand for the newer "improved" models, but that meant continuing to build cars with known defects. On the DMC-12 manufacturing line, parts and processes were changed continuously. (The published DMC wiring diagram is considered to be a "suggestion" lol.)
Of course, there are practical reasons to do this: when you order a new knuter valve for your '83 Toyota Crapola, it needs to match. Making changes mid-year complicates the supply chain and ambiguates the service manual. However, in the 21st century, the service manual can be electronically distributed and updated on-the-fly, supply chains are streamlined, and technical data is instantly available. Tesla can look up your VIN and tell you exactly how it was built, and they don't seem to be shy about making mid-year changes.
With automotive functionality increasingly residing in software, the practice of holding back improvements seems even more unethical than ever. Since Tesla regularly delivers automatic OTA updates, it makes me wonder why we even refer to "model years" at all anymore.
I don't think Tesla thinks in terms of model years but, as you say, it's clear that "we" still do ... we shouldn't but people do ... and the pre-existing culture and systems tend to reinforce that channelled thinking.
Just had mine delivered and it was a faultless process really
Loan car collected....took at least 2 minutes (drive there and back excepted). The staff at Tesla are genuinely all so good...there is obviously just something in the Tesla system that wraps them in knots.
And while there an update on our car, they have been doing everything to get hold of it, they now hope it might be in the next 7 days, but don’t want to promise, and they will drive down and swap cars over if that’s what we want.
As a result we have decided to let everything lie for now, until we know exactly what the outcome is.
As for the loan car a 69 reg M3 SR+ with 1,500 on the clock, so really can’t complain...and the wife is at least happy now she has a car, and it is free miles....
And while there an update on our car, they have been doing everything to get hold of it, they now hope it might be in the next 7 days, but don’t want to promise, and they will drive down and swap cars over if that’s what we want.
As a result we have decided to let everything lie for now, until we know exactly what the outcome is.
As for the loan car a 69 reg M3 SR+ with 1,500 on the clock, so really can’t complain...and the wife is at least happy now she has a car, and it is free miles....
So pleased that your sorry tale has a compromise/resolution which you find acceptable. My initial thoughts were that I may have struggled to be as understanding as you, that said I do love my Model 3 and get a warm fuzzy feeling every time I drive it, so well done for hanging in there! Do let us know how it pans out....
It is that warm fuzzy feeling that is a killer...I was genuinely all ready to kick off, but having spent an hour or so cruising on autopilot on an emptyish A3/M25 in my M3 you are continuously reminded of what an amazing car it is, and then arriving at a place where there were my M3s brothers and sisters everywhere any angst I had was gone...and my wife’s angst was gone as she was more than happy enough with the loaner she was given!
I believe Tesla have a policy of continuous improvement - they don't wait for a new model year, any improvement is implemented as soon as possible.
stonecoldrmw
Member
I still think that you should respectfully ask them what they're going to do to compensate you for all the inconvenience. It's not great and you've had to go out and get the loaner.
If you don't ask, you don't get.
Don’t worry, I will be asking....I’ll start with FSD for free and work down from that
stonecoldrmw
Member
Tesla seem to be doing a bit of both - continuous and model years. It came as a surprise to everyone when 2020 vin numbers started being delivered in 2019 when previously is been based on the year of actual build, and some spec changes happened at the time (curry hooks going, changes to trunk mats, etc) but I think they still slip the odd change in during the year. There's a big thread on here somewhere about model years. As a manufacturer you really don't want thousands of variations of built cars because impact assessing potential future issues is a nightmare.
I would agree that with my issues everyone I spoke to was genuinely helpful.
I got a few hundred pounds of accessories, I don't think you will get FSD lol but indeed aim high.
Despite my pretty crappy issue I can't help but grin everytime I look at the car on my drive and that's not even driving it.
It will be worth it, hang on. Sometimes you have to be persistent with the them but the staff do want to do there best
thegruf
Active Member
I'm going to stick a spanner in the works here.
I had a similar experience when I went to pick up my inventory car, except I had already driven 100 miles to the SC for the pickup appt only be told after wating several hours they couldn't get my car to me. I asked why and was eventually told it had a flat battery, as that clearly didnt work for me, this became a flat 12V battery, then they couldn't find the wheels (!) and it had a flat tyre and eventually an HV problem that meant there was no way they could get me the car on the day.
To be fair they gave me a loaner but on the way out the door I overheard one of the Tesla folk talking about it to a colleague and said it had probably had transport damage.
Sure enough when I eventually got to pick the car up weeks later it had a new front wing fitted and a later I confirmed a new wheel to the same quarter - all done well enough not to be an issue but gave lie to the excuses - caveat emptor
Also dont forget to check for charging cables and first aid kit - missing on mine and Tesla refused to give them to me so I had to buy my own. Left a bad taste that did.
I had a similar experience when I went to pick up my inventory car, except I had already driven 100 miles to the SC for the pickup appt only be told after wating several hours they couldn't get my car to me. I asked why and was eventually told it had a flat battery, as that clearly didnt work for me, this became a flat 12V battery, then they couldn't find the wheels (!) and it had a flat tyre and eventually an HV problem that meant there was no way they could get me the car on the day.
To be fair they gave me a loaner but on the way out the door I overheard one of the Tesla folk talking about it to a colleague and said it had probably had transport damage.
Sure enough when I eventually got to pick the car up weeks later it had a new front wing fitted and a later I confirmed a new wheel to the same quarter - all done well enough not to be an issue but gave lie to the excuses - caveat emptor
Also dont forget to check for charging cables and first aid kit - missing on mine and Tesla refused to give them to me so I had to buy my own. Left a bad taste that did.
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