Service nightmare!

[jim5359]

My S P90D is 3 years old with 31K miles, so still under warranty. My center screen went blank the day before I left for a 3 week trip out of the country. Then when I returned I had a message on the screen that the 12V battery needs to be replaced. Meanwhile, the center screen is still off and the car hasn't charged since I've been gone and is down to 12%.

So I schedule a mobile service appointment through the app and explain the issues. The soonest appointment was 5 days later. The mobile service guy said it's all related and replacing the 12V battery will solve the problems. But after replacing the 12V battery the screen still won't come on and the car still won't charge. Now it's down to 6%. He tells me I will need to schedule an appointment at a service center to have the MCU replaced and will need to have the car towed.

I go to schedule a new appointment and the only option is for another mobile appointment, and the soonest is 1 week away. My vehicle is not drivable since it won't charge and I have to wait another week for a mobile service appointment. And the previous mobile service guy told me I needed to have the car towed to a service center and have it fixed there.

But the worst part of all of this is there is no way to contact anyone at Tesla. Their support page says they have online chat, but none of the support topics give me that option. I couldn't even send them an email unless I chose Body Shop, and even then it says I won't receive a response for 24 - 48 hours. Calling the service center phone just gives me an automated system that tells me to use the mobile app.

I spent $140K on a car and can't even get any support from a human? And as of now my car has been undrivable for a week since I returned from my trip and it looks like it will not be fixed for at least another week? This is by far the worst service experience I've had with any car manufacturer. Up until now I've been a huge Tesla advocate, but this is seriously making me reconsider.

 

[MP3Mike]

Can't you just call Tesla roadside assistance? Your car needs towed, they should be able to get that setup for you.

 

[ftmaybe]

We haven't taken our model 3 in for service yet, so I don't know: Can you use the phone numbers on the "findus" page? The service centers show phone numbers and email addresses, but I don't know if they get you anywhere or not.

Find Us | Tesla


Beyond that, I would physically go down to a service center and dig up someone to speak to. Granted I don't know if that'd work either.


We're still in the "Model T" days of Tesla, one can only hope they are learning and improving future designs so the car isn't so easily bricked by the center screen going out.

 

[jim5359]

The mobile service guy told me I needed to schedule a service appointment through the app.

I finally got through to a human by choosing the option to check on a vehicle currently in service. They told me to use roadside assistance and have it towed to a service center. We'll see how that goes.

 

[ucmndd]

Yes, just have it towed ASAP. No need to wait for an appointment.

 

[PhilDavid]

My S P90D is 3 years old with 31K miles, so still under warranty. My center screen went blank the day before I left for a 3 week trip out of the country. Then when I returned I had a message on the screen that the 12V battery needs to be replaced. Meanwhile, the center screen is still off and the car hasn't charged since I've been gone and is down to 12%.

So I schedule a mobile service appointment through the app and explain the issues. The soonest appointment was 5 days later. The mobile service guy said it's all related and replacing the 12V battery will solve the problems. But after replacing the 12V battery the screen still won't come on and the car still won't charge. Now it's down to 6%. He tells me I will need to schedule an appointment at a service center to have the MCU replaced and will need to have the car towed.

I go to schedule a new appointment and the only option is for another mobile appointment, and the soonest is 1 week away. My vehicle is not drivable since it won't charge and I have to wait another week for a mobile service appointment. And the previous mobile service guy told me I needed to have the car towed to a service center and have it fixed there.

But the worst part of all of this is there is no way to contact anyone at Tesla. Their support page says they have online chat, but none of the support topics give me that option. I couldn't even send them an email unless I chose Body Shop, and even then it says I won't receive a response for 24 - 48 hours. Calling the service center phone just gives me an automated system that tells me to use the mobile app.

I spent $140K on a car and can't even get any support from a human? And as of now my car has been undrivable for a week since I returned from my trip and it looks like it will not be fixed for at least another week? This is by far the worst service experience I've had with any car manufacturer. Up until now I've been a huge Tesla advocate, but this is seriously making me reconsider.

Sorry to hear about your experience and this is what the apologists don't get.

You need to be able to speak with a HUMAN BEING as an OPTION.

Preferably a human being who gives two sh!ts and can help in situations such as yours.

With text messages, you see how well it works. When you need service the most you are SOL, exchanging text messages.

 

[glide]

This is the state of Tesla service. Get used to it.

 

[Ostrichsak]

Tesla "customer service" support is the worst.

 

[jim5359]

After about an hour of first scheduling roadside assistance through the app, then some back and forth on text, and eventually talking on the phone, they finally scheduled a tow truck, which got here in only 15 minutes. They just towed it off to the service center. One of the sticking points with roadside assistance is towing is not covered by Tesla if you ran out of charge. At first they said I would need to pay for the tow and if the service center determined it would not charge due to mechanical failure they would reimburse me. But when I explained that the mobile service came earlier this morning and confirmed it would not charge and the MCU needed replacement, after a long time on hold he was able to get the tow covered.

We'll see how long it takes for them to replace the MCU and contact me.

BTW, I live in the San Francisco Bay Area, not too far from the Fremont headquarters. I can only imagine service in other locations could potentially be worse.

I think the lesson here is:
1) If the car won't charge, take it directly to a service center.

2) If you can't make it to a service center, use roadside assistance.

3) Only schedule a service appointment through the app for non-disruptive service calls that do not require immediate attention.

4) When in doubt, contact a human at roadside assistance emergency service via phone and let them determine the best course of action.

 

[aesculus]

I have had pretty good results filling out the mobile app and then explaining my situations in the comments field. In three cases within 2 work days someone has contacted me back via text and or phone. The followups were either handled via email (asking for a extended warranty), by regular service (needing a strut replaced) or mobile service.

Why I would prefer to talk to a person out of the gate, so far the mobile app has worked for me in non critical situations. For the OP's problem I would certainly have called Roadside Assistance but really the mobile tech should have had a supervisor do all of this once he failed. So still tweaks need to take place in this model for sure.

 

[maximizese]

I live about 1.5 miles from a heavily impacted Tesla Service Center in Costa Mesa, Ca. I've had unfortunate wait-times to get an appointment (usually first available is 3 weeks out), I've never been able to speak to a human when calling their number, have never had a single voicemail message returned (I've left 4 across 2 service occasions), and I've never received an email response either.

However, I've had the best luck just showing up. My last visit to the Service Center was to address a noisy drive unit and do some recall work...soonest appointment was 3 weeks later. In the meantime, I suffered a cut to the inside sidewall tire while in Las Vegas and required a loaner wheel/tire from Tesla. The day I'm to return the loaner wheel/tire to my local Service Center, I get the following warning messages:

"Car needs service: Car may not restart"
"Acceleration and top speed reduced"
"Regenerative braking system disabled"

I call Tesla Roadside and they tell me to drive to my local Service Center before attempting a reboot. I get there 30 minutes before they close, the reboot did not help, and they tell me they will expedite my diagnosis the following business day. They checked the logs and tell me they will do the recall work, replace my drive unit, HV battery contactors, 12V battery, and HVAC drain hose all under warranty...and they'll take back the loaner wheel/tire that I got in Las Vegas.

Coincidentally, they finished working on the car on the day of my original appointment. This leads me to believe that the Service Centers might triage services based on drivability. In other words, a tire rotation or broken door handle might be low on their priority but a car with a "car needs service" or a car with a disabled regen system will get addressed first. It makes sense as an undriveable Tesla is not a good look for them at all.

 

[Ostrichsak]

I live about 1.5 miles from a heavily impacted Tesla Service Center in Costa Mesa, Ca. I've had unfortunate wait-times to get an appointment (usually first available is 3 weeks out), I've never been able to speak to a human when calling their number, have never had a single voicemail message returned (I've left 4 across 2 service occasions), and I've never received an email response either.

However, I've had the best luck just showing up. My last visit to the Service Center was to address a noisy drive unit and do some recall work...soonest appointment was 3 weeks later. In the meantime, I suffered a cut to the inside sidewall tire while in Las Vegas and required a loaner wheel/tire from Tesla. The day I'm to return the loaner wheel/tire to my local Service Center, I get the following warning messages:

"Car needs service: Car may not restart"
"Acceleration and top speed reduced"
"Regenerative braking system disabled"

I call Tesla Roadside and they tell me to drive to my local Service Center before attempting a reboot. I get there 30 minutes before they close, the reboot did not help, and they tell me they will expedite my diagnosis the following business day. They checked the logs and tell me they will do the recall work, replace my drive unit, HV battery contactors, 12V battery, and HVAC drain hose all under warranty...and they'll take back the loaner wheel/tire that I got in Las Vegas.

Coincidentally, they finished working on the car on the day of my original appointment. This leads me to believe that the Service Centers might triage services based on drivability. In other words, a tire rotation or broken door handle might be low on their priority but a car with a "car needs service" or a car with a disabled regen system will get addressed first. It makes sense as an undriveable Tesla is not a good look for them at all.

My experience is that even issues that immobilize the car or could potentially at any moment are also put off same as small fixes like door handles. In fact, the smaller issues that are fixable by a Ranger Tech tend to be addressed quicker in our area than the issues that are more urgent due to our service centers being worthless. It's not just that they're overworked and under supported either because attitudes and willingness to help or explain are not indicative of a good employee or someone who cares who is spread thin.

 

[2101Guy]

SC experiences really are across the board. Here in Richmond, VA, each SC visit (and I've had like, 3 for same issues. Rattles up front, which, each time, got progressively better then finally fixed: Torque a motor mount bolt, torque a sway bar bolt, torque a control arm bolt) was able to get scheduled via the app for no longer than about 3 days out. 2 in one case. Each time a loaner Model S was provided without even asking. On last visit I mentioned a broken trim piece on passenger side of dash on the a pillar. Trim piece only visible when pass door is open, but it was loose/dangling. Special order, and its scheduled to be replaced today via Mobile Ranger. the SC here appears to be low to medium busy most times. I understand that the one in Northern VA is MUCH busier and takes MUCH longer to schedule a visit.

 

[jim5359]

The Service Center called me back later on Monday confirming they received my vehicle and asking if I needed alternate transportation. I told them I have a 2nd car and don't need it. I was told they will diagnose the problem ASAP and get back to me.

After 2 days I texted asking what the status was and got no response. A couple hours later I tried calling and was told they diagnosed a faulty MCU and needed to order a new one. If they receive a shipment early it may be fixed by EOD Friday, but more likely EOD Monday.

I also asked if it was possible to get an upgrade to the newer MCU since it was recently announced they are offering paid upgrades. I was told that the paid upgrades are not yet available for my vehicle since I have AP1, but even if it was, warranty would only cover replacing with the original MCU and upgrading would require paying the full $2,500. She confirmed that at this time upgrading requires the full $2,500, even if the existing MCU needs replacement under warranty.

 

[sorka]

My S P90D is 3 years old with 31K miles, so still under warranty. My center screen went blank the day before I left for a 3 week trip out of the country. Then when I returned I had a message on the screen that the 12V battery needs to be replaced. Meanwhile, the center screen is still off and the car hasn't charged since I've been gone and is down to 12%.

So I schedule a mobile service appointment through the app and explain the issues. The soonest appointment was 5 days later. The mobile service guy said it's all related and replacing the 12V battery will solve the problems. But after replacing the 12V battery the screen still won't come on and the car still won't charge. Now it's down to 6%. He tells me I will need to schedule an appointment at a service center to have the MCU replaced and will need to have the car towed.

I go to schedule a new appointment and the only option is for another mobile appointment, and the soonest is 1 week away. My vehicle is not drivable since it won't charge and I have to wait another week for a mobile service appointment. And the previous mobile service guy told me I needed to have the car towed to a service center and have it fixed there.

But the worst part of all of this is there is no way to contact anyone at Tesla. Their support page says they have online chat, but none of the support topics give me that option. I couldn't even send them an email unless I chose Body Shop, and even then it says I won't receive a response for 24 - 48 hours. Calling the service center phone just gives me an automated system that tells me to use the mobile app.

I spent $140K on a car and can't even get any support from a human? And as of now my car has been undrivable for a week since I returned from my trip and it looks like it will not be fixed for at least another week? This is by far the worst service experience I've had with any car manufacturer. Up until now I've been a huge Tesla advocate, but this is seriously making me reconsider.

Just schedule the appointment and then have the car towed to the service center and explain it's dead. They will move up the repair date after you get the car there.

 

[jim5359]

I finally got my car back on Monday. So it took exactly 2 weeks from the day I had it towed. They replaced the MCU1 and everything seems to be working again. All my settings were lost so I had to spend an hour or so updating all my car's settings, but not too big of a deal. Still bummed that I couldn't get upgraded to MCU2. My guess is in 6 months or a year they will start replacing all failed MCU1 units with MCU2 under warranty, but we'll see.

The one positive is that they did upgrade the firmware to the latest, so I now have the new text feature and improved voice commands. I'm sure I would have gotten the upgrade anyway, but I didn't have it before the MCU1 died.

 

[MP3Mike]

My guess is in 6 months or a year they will start replacing all failed MCU1 units with MCU2 under warranty, but we'll see.

Unlikley. Every day that passes there are fewer MCU1s that are under warranty... They will continue to replace them with refurb MCU1s. People with a MCU1 that has failed out of warranty will likely spend the extra ~$900 to upgrade to the MCU2 instead of getting a refurb MCU1.

 

[jim5359]

Unlikley. Every day that passes there are fewer MCU1s that are under warranty... They will continue to replace them with refurb MCU1s. People with a MCU1 that has failed out of warranty will likely spend the extra ~$900 to upgrade to the MCU2 instead of getting a refurb MCU1.

Counterpoints:
1) It took 2 weeks to get a replacement MCU1. At some point it will be more cost effective to stop refurbishing MCU1 units and just order new MCU2 units.
2) I have an extended warranty, so mine is still under warranty for 5 more years. CPO vehicles also typically get a minimum of 2 extended years, so there will be plenty of MCU1 under warranty for years to come.

 

[MP3Mike]

Counterpoints:
1) It took 2 weeks to get a replacement MCU1. At some point it will be more cost effective to stop refurbishing MCU1 units and just order new MCU2 units.

But every failed MCU1 that they replace gives them another one that they can refurbish for pennies on the dollar. It will never be cheaper to use a new MCU2. Even if part of the refurbishing is putting a new screen on the MCU that is still way cheaper than a new MCU2, that also has a new screen. After all the part they have to replace on the MCU1 costs what ~$5, and figure maybe an hour of labor for someone that does it every day... (With that hour covering pulling the MCU apart, replacing the screen and eMMC on the Tegra daughtercard, re-loading software, and running some tests.)

Also, every person that opts for the MCU2 upgrade gives them another MCU1 to refurbish.

 

[jim5359]

It will never be cheaper to use a new MCU2.

My car sat at the service center for 2 weeks, taking up space. Add the cost of two weeks of a loaner/rental car. Your assumption that refurbishing an MCU1 only costs ~$5 plus an hour of labor is just that, an assumption. And at some point refurbished MCU2 units will become available.

If what you are saying is true, why is Tesla charging ~$2200 + labor to replace MCU1 units out of warranty? If these refurbished MCU1 units are so cheap then they must be ripping people off, especially since they are keeping the original unit so they can refurbish that one.