Still in "diagnostics"

[BumpyDog]

I need some advice and guidance from people who have been through this before.

My five-month-old 3LR on the long drive down from Scotland started to throw up multiple error messages.

Traction Control Disabled​

Stability Control Disable​

Steering Assist Reduced​

Long story short, Tesla took the car off my drive on the back of a low-loader yesterday to Milton Keynes, and it is still in "diagnostics."

MK has no loan car, and Tesla refused my request for a hire car. Instead, they have given me Uber vouchers. Uber does not exist in my piece of rural Northamptonshire, so the vouchers are about as useful as boobs on a bull.

Despite repeated promises for MK service centre to phone me and tell me what was going on, they have resolutely failed to communicate.

Is there more I could be doing? Should I be phoning and making a nuisance of myself, or has this proved to be useless in the past? Do I have any "rights" or am I at the mercy of a notoriously poor Tesla service department.

 

[init6]

There was a similar thread not so long ago:

My Model 3 broke

Not sure where to post this, hopefully this is the right place. Took delivery of new Model 3 on 30/11/21 3000 happy miles later, 02/03/22 started giving messages about shutting down systems; cruise control, abs, traction control etc. Thankfully got it to Tesla workshop that day who were very...

teslamotorsclub.com

Some advice about contacting the service manager.

 

[pgkevet]

Out of interest did you first contact Tesla through Roadside or directly through service? I ask because when I've had to call roadside there has been no wavering - simply a hire car from Enterprise livered as soon as practicable and the service folk seem to view roadside as a separate part - no concerns with duration of hire car etc or costs even when the issue with the car wasn't a warranty one and I had to pay for the fix - the loan car was still free. On the other hand whenever I’ve been direct through service with less serious issues it's sometimes been like trying to pull teeth to get a loaner.
As for how soon they'll do the 'diagnostics' - I’ve had one occasion when taken in by roadside and not looked at for a week...

 

[Irata]

If the SC is being unhelpful, it may well be worth also calling Tesla support and Roadside assistance to explain the full situation.

I certainly myself would be a bit of a nuisance in this situation.

Details here, if not already known.

Contact | Tesla United Kingdom

www.tesla.com

 

[Rooster6655]

MK has no loan car, and Tesla refused my request for a hire car. Instead, they have given me Uber vouchers. Uber does not exist in my piece of rural Northamptonshire, so the vouchers are about as useful as boobs on a bull.

The availability of loan cars I have been told has a waiting list of several weeks at some service centres, the service centres don't get the rental cars I think its more the breakdown assistance that has that ability, whether that's still the case today I don't know. When I had a problem the SC said the same thing about Uber vouchers and no loan car but it doesn't exist in my area and had an hour wait from the SC, its like they think Uber coverage is great everywhere.

Tesla are pretty useless when it comes to promises when people aren't held accountable, if its an individual they are usually helpful but when it can be passed on over multiple people that's when it seems communication breaks down.

I would reply to the text messages asking for an update and then I would give it a few days and see what they say, if they have to wait for parts then I would be looking to escalate the rental car request.

 

[BumpyDog]

Out of interest did you first contact Tesla through Roadside or directly through service? I ask because when I've had to call roadside there has been no wavering - simply a hire car from Enterprise livered as soon as practicable and the service folk seem to view roadside as a separate part - no concerns with duration of hire car etc or costs even when the issue with the car wasn't a warranty one and I had to pay for the fix - the loan car was still free. On the other hand whenever I’ve been direct through service with less serious issues it's sometimes been like trying to pull teeth to get a loaner.
As for how soon they'll do the 'diagnostics' - I’ve had one occasion when taken in by roadside and not looked at for a week...

My first call was to Roadside, and they were superb. However, Service is less so.

 

[BumpyDog]

The car was removed from my driveway on a Low loader last Wednesday with around 77% charge. Once it arrived at MK the app went into Servicing Mode, and the car has been at MK Service Service Centre all bank holiday. Over Sunday/Monday the charge started to quickly deplete, almost as if it was being driven about and been "borrowed" for the weekend. As of this morning, the charge is showing at 40%.

Making the assumption the SVC has been shut down for the last four days, I am deeply suspicious about the battery charge behaviour.

Am I being paranoid, or is this all normal?

As a PS: Spoken to Tesla and MK was closed from Thursday afternoon to Tuesday morning...

 

[pgkevet]

I doubt anyone would choose to drive an iffy car with the issues you had as their weekend borrow..just as likely that there's an exaggerated drain and finally showing when you woke car up to check on it. Or if you were lucky they were test driving it on their weekend off as part of the diagnostics (unlikely). You should still have access to location data to know if it's moving.

 

[WannabeOwner]

odometer reading, before/after, will define how far it has gone.

Sentry mode on perhaps?

 

[init6]

Almost definitely sentry mode.

 

[Durzel]

Likely Sentry mode, as mentioned.

Having said that, TeslaMate seems to show activity even when the car is in service mode, which could be useful to confirm things like this. I can see the Tesla techs driving it in real time.

 

[Irata]

I guess there is a chance someone was doing remote diagnostics or downloading data, maybe diagnostic teams are based in China as well.

 

[MJSPIN_]

Have you had any update on this from the SC? My M3 developed the exact same issues earlier today. I logged a service request but sounds like I might get a better response from roadside assistance?

 

[BumpyDog]

The fault was caused by water ingress Into the wiring loom. Once they started work on the car, it was fixed within the day. Definitely phone Roadside assistance.

 

[BumpyDog]

Driving home today, all the messages and all the electrical problems reoccured. On a bone dry day. Phoned Tesla again, but this time rather than offering assistance, they said the car was safe to drive, and that I should make an appointment via the app. When I asked for an explanation for the inconsistency, they said they could not "see" the problems I was having. They refused to answer the question if the car was "safe" to drive.

I am unbelievably pissed off by Tesla.

The car is useless to me. I cannot trust it. It is leased from Tesla, and if I can, I will return the car.

 

[mjspin]

I had exactly the same response on Saturday and Tesla wanted me to drive c100 miles to the nearest SC with an appointment available this month. Were adamant that it was safe to drive. I planned to take it on some local journeys over the weekend to get used to the different steering / braking etc. and (un)fortunately within a mile on my first journey the car threw another load of errors including red brake warning and airbag lights. I called roadside again, they tried some new diagnostic tests and then arranged for a tow. Do you have those same lights? It seemed to make a difference to how my issue was handled and the additional tests seemed focussed simply on clearing those.

 

[DeejUK]

Crikey. This sounds utterly unacceptable, and y'all have my sympathy.

In the past I've had some luck complaining via email when I've talked about having my good faith ruined, and ceasing to be a Tesla advocate. I can't remember if I linked to a social media account of mine with a few thousand followers, but I think that might have helped. In that case after sending a ranty email, I got an appointment much sooner. However, that was nearer the launch of the 3 and before the launch of the Y in the UK, so I suspect they were less thinly-stretched and more able to respond to the odd customer shouting.

Best of luck, give 'em hell, etcetera.

 

[Undecided_2]

Almost definitely sentry mode.

When mine went to the SC I forgot to turn off sentry mode. It was at 60% soc when I dropped it off and the. 4 days later it was 18% soc.

I couldn’t turn off or access anything as the car was in service mode. 18% was more than enough to get home 50 miles so I wasn’t fussed.

 

[BumpyDog]

Tesla has replied by saying that the car is "safe to drive, with caution."

Yet, I have a string of messages saying: "Automatic Emergency Braking is disabled, Traction control disabled, Stability control disabled, and Steering Assist Reduced."

The earliest appointment the app will give me is 1st June.

Only five weeks to go.

 

[pgkevet]

Safe to drive with caution is not safe to drive. Unexpected stuff happens on the road. I'd be limping back to the SC for a face to face with a tech.