So - Parts Latency for Model S - What you can really expect.

[johnstacey]

So - here's the sad story (condensed):
- on September 9, in San Francisco, a 96-year-old man (talking on a cell phone, if you can believe it) confused the accelerator and the brake
- he was on a steep hill going down
- he careened through a solid red light and four lanes of traffic, missing cross-traffic by harrowing inches
- he achieved full arrest of his vehicle by bashing into our Model S, calmly and legally parked in front of our house
- he broke his leg
- two pictures tell the story:

So - while it sounds like I'm looking for sympathy, I'm not.

The nightmare after the last 4-months is actually with TESLA. Obviously, the accident was completely the old-man's fault, and we started to deal with his insurance company.

Sadly, our S was supposed to come off-lease 6 days after the accident. So we had to extend the lease for another six months. So that means BIG payments.

SO MY STORY IS ABOUT PARTS. As you may/may not know, there is an obscene latency at Tesla for Model S parts (particularly structural ones). Our car was moved into the (Tesla approved) body shop, and they threw a tarp over it. They said "Tesla can take a REALLY LONG TIME to get the parts to us."

And so here I sit, four months later. Four lease payments later. Four months of driving a Nissan Rogue later. NO MOVEMENT.

I'm about to take myself OFF the list for the Model 3 (that we were thinking about buying). Tesla's problems in getting parts to its network of repair locations are nothing short of abysmal.

You know it's bad when the INSURANCE companies are the responsive ones.

I'm going to try and get the old man's insurance company to cover my lease payments (I'm told "Insurance companies don't work like that.") - so if anyone has any advice, please let me know.

Otherwise, if your Model S is involved in a significant accident, expect about SIX MONTHS for the parts to arrive.

And be ready to therapeutically post missives like this one. Which probably won't work, either.

Sigh.

Out of Sparks in San Francisco

 

[David29]

Yikes. No way to terminate the lease and leave the bank to deal with the insurance company? What would the bank do if you just told them you are done making payments? (Not sure what the lease says in such a case.) Or is it dependent on the insurance company -- if they totaled it, you could walk away, but not if it is repairable?
In any case, my sympathy to you -- terrible situation.

 

[HankLloydRight]

Yeah, I know very little about leases, but are you really required to extend the lease and take the hit? What if you just turned it in at the end of the lease and told the lease holder to settle the damage with the insurance company? I can't imagine that a loss 100% not your fault automatically obligates you to extend the lease like that and make payments while the car sits unrepaired. But trying to get their insurance company to pay your lease payments after the fact? That's going to be really hard.

 

[SUN-day Driver]

This is why I will not get another Tesla. I've had two and I love them but I'm scared to death someone will hit my car and I will be in this same situation. I'm hoping when my lease is done in October the Lucid Air or Audi e-tron coupe, or anything else that might be a true competitor will be available. Potentially being without my car for many months while waiting for parts is not an acceptable risk to me.

 

[HankLloydRight]

I asked the owner of a leasing company (they do lease Teslas), and I stand corrected. He said the lease would continue until the car is repaired. They also don't want to take the hit, as the car needs to be returned "in good condition less reasonable wear. " He also said they would push for it to be totaled citing the very high likelihood of “supplemental repairs” that if they were known would have totaled the car from the start.

You have my sympathy, @johnstacey, as your situation, as I understand it now, totally sucks. Hopefully you can extract the lease payments from the insurance company.

Maybe hire a private insurance adjuster to get the car totalled and/or get your payment covered. An insurance adjuster would work on a percentage commission. I've used them in the past a few times and they're great resources. Or last resort a lawyer to take up the case, although a lawyer might cost more than the extra payments. Good luck.