Should I return the Model X?

[disappointedow]

I bought a brand new Model X with FSD on Monday.

The car itself is great. I love everything about it. I've driven 300 miles already.

The FSD is trash. I was sold all these fanciful dreams about self parking, off-ramp navigation, auto lane changes, etc. They did not mention how buggy it is. It doesn't work well in the rain or in the snow. It doesn't work well with lane mergers.

The only times I feel comfortable with it is in heavy stop and go traffic and mostly empty highways. They keep saying you have to be attentive, which I am. But at that point, why am I paying a massive surcharge for FSD and autopilot? I could buy another electric vehicle for 30k-40k less, which drives just as well and I'd be using mostly the same driver assistance features.

Half the time my AP has limited blindspot detection and lane changing. I wanted to get it checked out and they told me the next time they could service it is TWO WEEKS from now. Are you kidding me? This is the experience for a brand new 100k car?

I wanted to love my Tesla. Maybe my expectations on AP were too high. Does it get better? I'm seriously considering returning the car within the refund period.

 

[mkspeedr]

Yes, I recommend returning it. It will not do what you want without errors.

 

[VT_EE]

I bought a brand new Model X with FSD on Monday.

The car itself is great. I love everything about it. I've driven 300 miles already.

The FSD is trash. I was sold all these fanciful dreams about self parking, off-ramp navigation, auto lane changes, etc. They did not mention how buggy it is. It doesn't work well in the rain or in the snow. It doesn't work well with lane mergers.

The only times I feel comfortable with it is in heavy stop and go traffic and mostly empty highways. They keep saying you have to be attentive, which I am. But at that point, why am I paying a massive surcharge for FSD and autopilot? I could buy another electric vehicle for 30k-40k less, which drives just as well and I'd be using mostly the same driver assistance features.

Half the time my AP has limited blindspot detection and lane changing. I wanted to get it checked out and they told me the next time they could service it is TWO WEEKS from now. Are you kidding me? This is the experience for a brand new 100k car?

I wanted to love my Tesla. Maybe my expectations on AP were too high. Does it get better? I'm seriously considering returning the car within the refund period.

Don't return it. The AP gets better with every update. Obviously it isn't currently what you thought it was, but there is value there on long drives once you get used to using it. Navigate on Autopilot has gotten good enough that I regularly use it now.

 

[GeoX750]

I bought a brand new Model X with FSD on Monday.

The car itself is great. I love everything about it. I've driven 300 miles already.

The FSD is trash. I was sold all these fanciful dreams about self parking, off-ramp navigation, auto lane changes, etc. They did not mention how buggy it is. It doesn't work well in the rain or in the snow. It doesn't work well with lane mergers.

The only times I feel comfortable with it is in heavy stop and go traffic and mostly empty highways. They keep saying you have to be attentive, which I am. But at that point, why am I paying a massive surcharge for FSD and autopilot? I could buy another electric vehicle for 30k-40k less, which drives just as well and I'd be using mostly the same driver assistance features.

Half the time my AP has limited blindspot detection and lane changing. I wanted to get it checked out and they told me the next time they could service it is TWO WEEKS from now. Are you kidding me? This is the experience for a brand new 100k car?

I wanted to love my Tesla. Maybe my expectations on AP were too high. Does it get better? I'm seriously considering returning the car within the refund period.

What S/W version do you have ?

I would see if you can get the $7K FSD back. They can just turn it off for your car.

AP is standard and it probably does what you want in heavy stop and go traffic and empty highways.

 

[disappointedow]

I don't know what S/W means. I have a new 2020 Model X Tesla Long Range with FSD.

Yes, being able to get the $7k FSD back would be ideal. I think I'd be happy with that. Unfortunately, they told me I'd have to return it and then order a new one to do that.

My concern for navigating on AP is I've been reading posts from 2016 where people are saying how it's getting better all the time and X feature is incoming. I think I read something where they were expecting stop sign/light recognition then? Just recently read they were expecting by end of 2019? Doesn't seem like it will come.

 

[coch]

What S/W version do you have ?

I would see if you can get the $7K FSD back. They can just turn it off for your car.

AP is standard and it probably does what you want in heavy stop and go traffic and empty highways.

There is absolutely no way TESLA of all companies would go out of their way to do you a solid and refund FSD. Some of you have never dealt with Tesla before and it shows...

 

[disappointedow]

So, you bought a $100,000 car and THEN read about how AP/FSD will work? Yes genius, go ahead and return it.

Reading about how it works with people fawning over it and actually experiencing it over 300 miles are two completely different experiences.

 

[mswlogo]

So you bought the car then researched it and don’t see what you like? Sounds like buyers remorse to me. And using FSD as a justification.

If you did your homework I think you’d see a lot of folks unhappy with the current state of FSD. But it’s not bad enough for most to give up on the car, the brand or even what FSD will bring in the future.

I had a Model 3 for a year and still bought X a year later even with FSD even though all I use is AutoSteer and semi-manual lane change. I’m betting that Tesla will eventually get closer to FSD over time even if they never quite fully reach it. AutoSteer alone is still pretty nice compared to other cars.

The rest of the car is just amazing. Glitches and all.

Don’t bother bringing it into service, there is nothing wrong with it. If you think other brands would deliver better bang for your buck, return it.

No SUV, handles better. No SUV is safer. No SUV is more efficient. No SUV is faster. FSD should get better, but most realistically know it may take years. And might need more hardware. I think there has been a bit more progress in the last 2 months than there was in the past year. I expect that trend may continue with some ups and downs. Mainly because over the next year they will better leverage the new HW3 computer. You can see bits and pieces trickling through now.

Elon might be late on things but he usually follows through, eventually.

But to be fair about your complaint. I overheard a Tesla Sales person over selling FSD to an elderly couple at the delivery center having no idea what they are actually getting. That should stop.

 

[SomeRandomNPC]

The first week I used FSD was terrifying. I didn´t understand how it worked, and it did things that were really scary. I would be on an exit ramp, it would cut-out, the regen would kick in, and it would break hard... terrifying... Let´s just say there is a bit of a learning curve.

After a while, I understood what it can do, what the limitations are, and how to use it properly. Now
I use FSD every day going to work, and on every road trip. Yeah, you need to pay attention, but way less than actually driving. I can rubberneck at construction sites while I go by safely, I can get something out of the storage bin, looking down, in traffic, and the car will not hit the car in front if it suddenly brakes.

Most of that comes from plain AP, don´t even need FSD for that. the FSD gets you lane changing, and taking exits, and that is about it for now. Buying FSD is being a beta tester for what will come. In the six months I have had my car, it has gotten obviously better. lane changes have gotten better, but aren´t that great yet. that´s supposed to be better in 40.2.1 that I just got. I test it every release, much like DirtyTesla (youtuber) does, looking for regressions. You´re paying to be the first to use what will eventually be the first self-driving car in the world. Tesla is between five years and a decade ahead of anyone else. All that said, you´re right. It doesn´t work yet, and you need to be careful, but it is already much less effort than driving, once you understand it.

 

[ShawnA]

Hi Disappointed,

S/W is another one of our many annoying acronyms meaning software...................................
Your new car should be equipped with HW3.0 which is the newest hardware.
If it was purpose built for you in the past few days or weeks.
I will GUARANTEE that you will not have the latest software on a new car...
Tesla records take a while to indicate that the car has been sold.
After that change has been made your car will be eligible for over the air (wifi) updates.

The latest software was distributed over the last 2 nights to thousands of cars...
The software is 2019.40.2.1
It may be seen by pressing the "T" on top of your main screen........

FSD is currently serviceable and will make long dull interstate drives less tiring...
Relieving you of thousands of micro adjustments to keep the car centered
within a lane.

If there is enough rain, water will puddle on the repeater cameras
and give blind spot detection error messages...
Similar to your eyes full of tears.

Good luck,

Shawn

 

[mswlogo]

Hi Disappointed,

S/W is another one of our many annoying acronyms meaning software...................................
Your new car should be equipped with HW3.0 which is the newest hardware.
If it was purpose built for you in the past few days or weeks.
I will GUARANTEE that you will not have the latest software on a new car...
Tesla records take a while to indicate that the car has been sold.
After that change has been made your car will be eligible for over the air (wifi) updates.

The latest software was distributed over the last 2 nights to thousands of cars...
The software is 2019.40.2.1
It may be seen by pressing the "T" on top of your main screen........

FSD is currently serviceable and will make long dull interstate drives less tiring...
Relieving you of thousands of micro adjustments to keep the car centered
within a lane.

If there is enough rain, water will puddle on the repeater cameras
and give blind spot detection error messages...
Similar to your eyes full of tears.

Good luck,

Shawn

I updated my Model X to the latest in the delivery parking lot while I inspected it.

 

[CreamSoduh]

Seems like you've done more research than you're letting on. Yes you can return the car within the grace period but you have to ask yourself if it's worth eating the cost of tax title and registration fees. But if you aren't happy with it then just get rid of it and move on

 

[MXWing]

When I took delivery of my X in Dec 2016 it did even have 1987 cruise control technology activated.

I paid 7K then as well.

 

[Lee K.]

My new X has 2k miles now and one road trip. I am an Escalade, Suburban, Tahoe guy. I love my X! I was looking at new Escalade, BMW 7, & Mercedes 530S. The X is the future. When have you been a "part of history"? Hell. Your car dances!

With December delivery, you should have received free Super Charging. I am saving $500 a month on gas in town and road trips cost nothing. You have no maintenance worries. The expansive from the cockpit on sightseeing road trips is unmatched.

I have received 2 S/W updates that improved FSD. Like others, I am learning how to make the most of it. Your Tesla will only get better and more advanced over time while the others get further behind every year.

If you are not a tech person and not amazed by the current capabilities, take it back. But then what will you buy? I would bet you'll miss the Tesla. I cannot see myself buying an ICE again...ever. CyberTruck is my next purchase. It's fun driving the most advanced, fastest, and safest SUV in the world. One life...

 

[Raechris]

Reading about how it works with people fawning over it and actually experiencing it over 300 miles are two completely different experiences.

Welcome to the family. This is the great adjustment period where the payment kicks in, the car is not 100% perfect from the factory, service times seem longer than they should be, regen feels odd and people ask stupid questions about Tesla with a negative and ignorant bias to electric mobility.
This will all pass. Tesla time is real but everything gets worked out fine. AP and FSD are learning in your car now. My EAP took about 1k miles to fully calibrate. Although I don't expect that with your HW3 X, it is a newbie that is starting to learn from the collective/NN/fleet. NoA, auto lane change, stop sign and red light almost here - I think you should keep and enjoy the learning/acquaintance period. There is nothing better in the road for years to come.

 

[75Shappyt]

When I bought my new 2017 MS75, with EAP, I didn't know anything about Tesla, I didn't even know about the $7500.00 tax credit, I just love the way the car looked, I didn't even do a test drive, didn't know about updates. My ESP took about 2k miles for me and the car to calibrate. Now I'm not sure I could ever drive another ICE car. It is part of history, and the future, all cars some day will all be built like this, why do it any other way. I love my Tesla.

 

[glide]

I bought a brand new Model X with FSD on Monday.

The car itself is great. I love everything about it. I've driven 300 miles already.

The FSD is trash. I was sold all these fanciful dreams about self parking, off-ramp navigation, auto lane changes, etc. They did not mention how buggy it is. It doesn't work well in the rain or in the snow. It doesn't work well with lane mergers.

The only times I feel comfortable with it is in heavy stop and go traffic and mostly empty highways. They keep saying you have to be attentive, which I am. But at that point, why am I paying a massive surcharge for FSD and autopilot? I could buy another electric vehicle for 30k-40k less, which drives just as well and I'd be using mostly the same driver assistance features.

Half the time my AP has limited blindspot detection and lane changing. I wanted to get it checked out and they told me the next time they could service it is TWO WEEKS from now. Are you kidding me? This is the experience for a brand new 100k car?

I wanted to love my Tesla. Maybe my expectations on AP were too high. Does it get better? I'm seriously considering returning the car within the refund period.

If you think the worst of your Tesla “experience” is when the car is working as it should, I would advise you to return it immediately.

 

[jboy210]

Interesting 1st post and name. Hmmm.

 

[Krazaak]

If the net result of your first experiences with the car is that much disappointment, then you should definitely return it. The Model X is a great vehicle with many positive features, but it seems pretty clear that your expectations for the autopilot features that have been released so far under the bundle referred to as FSD are way above reality.

AP and FSD get better with every update, but I'd have to guess it's going to be years before it meets your expectations and it makes no sense to keep a vehicle that disappoints you.

 

[glide]

If you think the worst of your Tesla “experience” is when the car is working as it should, I would advise you to return it immediately.

@MasterT works for Tesla