Service Center no longer giving loaner cars outside of 50-mile radius?

[NigelM]

50 miles for valet service seems pretty generous to me. What was the expectation? Surely no one was expecting the distance to be unlimited.

Why shouldn't it be unlimited?

And the website has always said:

 

[Lloyd]

Attachments invalid

 

[NigelM]

Attachments invalid

Fixed. Thanks.

 

[Lloyd]

I'm a 4 hour drive to the closest cervice at Palo Alto, or Santa Monica. That was the reason I bought 4 years of prepaid service, and 4 years of Ranger service. Now they wont do the service I that I paid for?

Edit...............

Talked with a Ranger that was here to replace a piece on my dash. IF you paid for service, the Valet service, and Ranger visits will be honored regardless of your distance from the Service center.

Re-edit.............

This ranger also indicated that annual service now also includes an alignment, so because of the alignment the service has to be done at a servce center, and not at your location.

 

[markb1]

I'm a 4 hour drive to the closest cervice at Palo Alto, or Santa Monica. That was the reason I bought 4 years of prepaid service, and 4 years of Ranger service. Now they wont do the service I that I paid for?

You're still getting ranger service, just not a loaner car. It's not clear that was ever promised.

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And the website has always said:
View attachment 35460

I think what they mean is, you can get service wherever you are, not necessarily a loaner. But they could be clearer.

 

[JakeP]

I'm a 4 hour drive to the closest cervice at Palo Alto, or Santa Monica. That was the reason I bought 4 years of prepaid service, and 4 years of Ranger service. Now they wont do the service I that I paid for?

Edit...............

Talked with a Ranger that was here to replace a piece on my dash. IF you paid for service, the Valet service, and Ranger visits will be honored regardless of your distance from the Service center.

Lloyd, I prepaid for the Ranger Anywhere service, $2400. I am being flatly denied Valet Service because I am more than 50 miles from a service center. I only need this once a year for my annual service, which I assume requires a trip back to the SC, as PattyChuck indicated. If they need to drive an empty flatbed to my house to bring my car back to the SC, what difference would it make (besides availability, of course) to bring a loaner to me on that flatbed? If they don't need to bring my vehicle back to the SC, this is a non-issue. But I sure would like my tires rotated and alignment checked, which requires a service center, correct?

Nowhere on their Service page does it indicate a limit on geographical availability of the Valet Service. Yet we are now being told there is a limit. Problem exists between vision, marketing of concept, and execution. I have other vehicles I can drive, so it isn't a dealbreaker for me. But it certainly is a disappointment. I actually asked the SC up front if they would really send me a loaner during my annual service, because it just seemed too good to be true. Alas, turns out it was too good to be true.

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A couple of comments on this thread have touched on the quality of Tesla's business decisions. Please let me vent just a bit....

A recent test drive I gave turned into an order.
The car was delivered with several issues. When my friend got the car home and had a good chance to look it over the next day he determined that the issues were unacceptable (panel alignment issues and such). Tesla came out, looked at the car, agreed and took it back to order him a new car. This was an end of Q3 push poor QC car (another test drive I gave picked his car up the next day and had several issues with his car as well).
Tesla did not give him a loaner.... Remember, he paid for the car.
Roughly six weeks later that friend gets a call. His car was on a truck in Texas during the storms a few weeks ago and had Frunk, Windscreen and Pano hail damage. They wanted to assure him that they were offloading the car to a Tesla certified body shop in Texas to have it fixed and delivered as soon as possible. I'm not joking here. The person that called my friend with this information even commented on how sorry they were given that this car was a new build from a previous failure to deliver a quality vehicle.
My friend declined the body shop repaired version of a new car. Remember, Tesla has had over $120K of his money for six to seven weeks at this time and they would need another six or seven weeks to get him his third production car.
Telsa offered my friend a rental (Enterprise, I think). He declined. This was AFTER I spoke with several people at Tesla and suggested they may want to put a loaner in his driveway.

Given the above, I've had to make significant changes to the information I provide about Tesla as a company and the ability of their mid-level management to make quality decisions. For me, there is no way of getting around the gulf that exists between Elon's aspirations and his management team's capabilities.

Thanks for letting me vent.

Ugh. I hope you made Jerome Guillen aware of this situation. This is utterly ridiculous, and so easily solved by shipping cars in enclosed trucks...even the semi-enclosed trucks that Porsche and BMW ship their cars in (Precision Motor Transport Group). These are the trucks you see on the highway with a heavy white vinyl sheeting covering the sides, to protect from the elements, but which can be removed for loading and offloading, so you can open the doors more easily....perfect for shipping cars.

 

[Kraken]

What Gizmotoy said.

Also it was a rear tire and it's unrepairable. I'll put two new ones on the rear, but it makes sense to rotate the front ones to the back and put the new ones on the front while they're at it. The whole thing will be much simpler at the service center.

Now we're waaay off topic....:redface:

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I suspect they limiting the cars away because they only have two loaners and they blow time in getting it to and from your house. From a service point of view it makes more sense IMO to give loaners to folks like you who live further away as you'll have a much bigger problem organizing alternative transport to/from home. Some who lives a few miles away could even take a cab.

we blew a rear on our p85+. They only charged us for one new rear tire. Whether or not they actually put on one or two new rears, my wife and I disagree. I think they did (tread looks close). Our concern was that our alignment was bad and there have been bad wear issues due to bad alignments.

They never indicated that they replaced both, and we weren't charged for both, so if they didnt, it would go against this theory.


Further, we live within 50 miles of multiple sc locations. We didnt get a loaner. They were so concerned about us not having one, eh didnt want to hang on to our car any longer than they had to because we wouldn't have a loaner. In the end I was able to convince them to do some other repairs and the alignment was fixed. This meant two days with no loaner.

 

[jai9001]

So an annual service can no longer be performed by a ranger?

I live over 300 miles from nearest SC. I bought the care with the assumption that a ranger can come to me for an annual service.

What is the expectation for routine service for people who live more than 265 miles from a service center?

 

[Shumdit]

Horrible decision by Tesla. Since I can't believe this sort of policy could be changed without Elon signing off on it I blame him. As much as I love the car, decisions like this will end up sinking the company in the long term. Their current owners are the best advertising they can get and now they want to take another crap on us? I always bring up this (now discontinued apparently) feature when showing off the car and discussing the benefits/features. Now I guess I can tell potential customers they will need to drive 300 miles round trip to get a loaner and then another 300 miles round trip to get your car back. Stupid Tesla, just Stupid. Shame on you for your constant wishy-washy policies. Making a great car doesn't mean you have brainwashed us into buying whatever load of malarkey you come up with next week.

 

[brianman]

Re-edit.............
This ranger also indicated that annual service now also includes an alignment, so because of the alignment the service has to be done at a servce center, and not at your location.

Hm. Then I'm due a refund for the alignment (which I paid for) that they did during my annual service in July.

 

[lolachampcar]

Jake,

I did speak directly with one of the regional managers that I have known for some time. I specifically made the call to suggest they put a loaner in my friend's driveway and ask for more time to deliver another car. They did reach out to my friend and that is when I learned about the Enterprise loaner.

I have already stuck my nose way too far into Tesla's business. I fear any escalation on to Jerome would cross the line from "mother hen" to harping. I'm already not comfortable with the complaining I've done to date and felt taking the issue outside of the local Service Center's chain of command and straight to one of Jerome's direct reports was even a bit too far. I do not feel this is a matter of Tesla not knowing but more a matter of how they are reacting to these types of issues (which they have created).

On a good note, the other friend that took delivery within a day of the above and also had problems is over the moon happy with his car. The issues were small (clip in the pas. door causing a window thump on actuation and a leaking windshield wiper fluid level sensor gasket). He has already exceeded the number of test rides I have given and I've had my car(s) twice as long! There is no question that Tesla have knocked it out of the park with MS and I try to remember this whenever I ponder any issues.

 

[mnx]

I thought alignments were included in the annual service from the beginning? (and therefore if you wanted one, your car had to make it's way to the SC).

 

[mknox]

Hm. Then I'm due a refund for the alignment (which I paid for) that they did during my annual service in July.

I had my annual service performed a few weeks ago along with a bunch of "warranty items" that I'd been saving up. From my work order, the only "annual service" items I see performed were the wiper replacements and new keyfob batteries. Nothing about any kind of inspection, tire rotations or the like. They may have been done and simply not noted on my work order...

EDIT: I did complain about "wobble" on the freeway, and the work order just said it is driving as designed, or something like that. I assume no alignment was done. I did have the drive unit replaced, and the "wobble" seems a lot better than it was before.

 

[tzejohn]

Isn't the Chicago Service Center still open? It is on their website. If you're within 50 miles of that, aren't you good?

The downtown Chicago location on Grand is where I am bringing mine in for annual maintenance tomorrow, and I have been going there on a regular basis. Not sure anything has moved.

-tj

 

[JakeP]

Back in September when this question came up, I did note in the original Service Plan agreement that it was pretty clear that while Alignments and Rotations are included free of charge in the annual plan, they are *not* performed by Rangers at your home, and instead are performed at a later time when you bring the car to an SC. It also clearly spells out that loaners are not provided during Ranger service. So while this is a disappointment to hear that what seemed like a broadly applicable (and cool) policy does not apply to people outside of a 50-mile radius but within the Ranger service radius, it does make sense that they would separate these two items, as they are clearly two different types of *very* convenient offerings. What other car dealer/manufacturer comes to your home to service your car? Combining the two would imply that now every Ranger requires a flatbed, and would dramatically restrict their ability to cover ground based on loaner availability.

I think the only thing that troubles me about this is that it takes away some of the Svc Center Manager's leeway in deciding when this is appropriate to send a loaner. For routine annual service, if you can do it all at my house, great. But for someone who has some trouble or failure with their car, definitely send them a loaner. Personally not a dealbreaker for me like I said, if they never intended to bring my car back to the SC, then I certainly didn't expect them to bring me a loaner. I had just (incorrectly) assumed all along that annual maintenance would require a trip back to the SC.

And I will point out again that Columbus did very graciously offer to send me a loaner for my first annual maintenance, because of the confusion in policy and expectations. Unless they need to bring my car back to the SC, I don't plan on asking them for a loaner, despite this offer. I will also reiterate here that Columbus SC staff from Manager Dave Huff on down has been incredible throughout my ownership experience, sending Rangers out to my house at super short notice to do things to meet my schedule's demands (rear facing seat install before young relatives' visit, replace HPWC fuses before another owner on a long trip was stopping to charge). These guys are off-the-hook capable, competent, and responsive...as are the folks in Philly/Norristown, PA.

Also, bear in mind this is simply growing pains...as more Service centers get introduced, the radius expands and this all becomes less of an issue.

Here is the text from the Service Plan agreement, which I pulled from the TM site in Sep 2013:

A. Tesla’s Responsibilities

Tesla agrees to provide four regularly scheduled maintenance inspections at a Tesla Authorized Service
Center or by a Tesla Ranger (subject to certain exceptions, including, without limitation, that Tesla
Ranger service may not be immediately available in Your area) at the intervals (whichever occurs first)
specified in the “Service” column of the Selection of Plan section of this Agreement.

Notwithstanding the date this Agreement is purchased or becomes effective, maintenance inspections
must be performed within 1,000 miles or 30 days of the specified maintenance intervals for Your selected
Plan. Any scheduled maintenance not completed within such time will be excluded and no maintenance
inspections will be added as a replacement for any such excluded maintenance inspections. The regularly
scheduled maintenance inspections shall include the following (subject to change by Tesla at any time
and without notice, in its sole discretion):

• Vehicle inspection;

• Replacement or repair at the time of inspection of normal maintenance items and wear and tear
parts, excluding the Battery and tires;

• Wheel alignment*; and

• Tire rotation*.

* Must be done at a Tesla Service Center and cannot be performed by a Tesla Ranger. If Your scheduled
maintenance is performed by a Tesla Ranger, You may schedule this service at no additional charge with
advance notice to a Tesla Authorized Service Center.

A loaner vehicle will be provided to You if Your scheduled maintenance is being performed at a Tesla
Authorized Service Center and Tesla estimates that it will take over four hours to complete. A loaner
vehicle will not be provided for Tesla Ranger service.

For additional information see Section G. Limits of Liability.

 

[NigelM]

Here's why Tesla shouldn't cut back on this service:

Up-thread I noted that my wife blew a rear tire yesterday. We have a school pick-up rotation with our neighbors so she was dropping their kids off when this happened. They take our daughter to school in the morning so when they saw the "new" car this morning our neighbor asked where it had come from; when my wife told him that Tesla had brought it the 58 miles within 90 minutes and taken ours to the service center yesterday afternoon already, he was so impressed he wants to buy a Tesla just because of the service. They have 4 kids so he's planning on a Model X.

 

[AmpedRealtor]

I had my annual service performed a few weeks ago along with a bunch of "warranty items" that I'd been saving up. From my work order, the only "annual service" items I see performed were the wiper replacements and new keyfob batteries. Nothing about any kind of inspection, tire rotations or the like. They may have been done and simply not noted on my work order...

EDIT: I did complain about "wobble" on the freeway, and the work order just said it is driving as designed, or something like that. I assume no alignment was done. I did have the drive unit replaced, and the "wobble" seems a lot better than it was before.

A drive unit replacement typically requires an alignment, so that might explain why it feels better after the replacement.

 

[Doug_G]

A drive unit replacement typically requires an alignment, so that might explain why it feels better after the replacement.

Yeah, I think it's the alignment. I found my car was a little wobbly under acceleration, but I got used to it after a while. Then my tires wore out on the inside edge, and Tesla replaced them and did an alignment at that time (all at my cost). Now the car is more stable. So I suspect that there was excess toe on the rear when my car was delivered.

 

[ibcs]

My closest service center is 72 miles away in Dublin Ohio and are simply fantastic. This policy change is like putting the cart before the horse. I have a Signature Model S and a Roadster. Now if I need service, I can't get a loaner while they are repairing my cars. That's absolutely absurd.

Once you have the service centers in place you can restrict the mileage, but restricting the mileage area for people who have invested in the company from the beginning is simply the wrong idea.

 

[JakeP]

Yes IBCS, and you know full well that Columbus crew would bend over backwards to do absolutely anything to make you happy, including bringing you a loaner if they had one available. Why is there some corporate edict telling them what they can and cannot do? It is frustrating, even for them, I would guess. I was really hoping it was a temporary thing, to help push Q3 sales numbers. We'll see what happens.