Tesla Loaner Wheel

[lasdj]

So this morning I was driving to work and got a staple in my tire. I pulled over to check it out and pump some air and drove a bit more and pressure kept dropping. So I contacted tesla and they delivered a loaner wheel for me and I got the staple removed and patch by American Tire for free.

My question, I want to return the loaner now but do I need to make a service appointment or can I just drop off the loaner at the SC. Also when I drop it off, do I need to bring my 3 with me?

I tried calling the center but no answer.

 

[commasign]

You can drop it off at the service center. In my experience, don't need an appointment for quick courtesy things like that. Just get them to document in the system that you returned it so they don't charge you. Don't need to bring the 3 unless you want them to check the wheel for damage or something like that.

 

[lasdj]

Perfect thanks for the reply.

 

[ebmcs03]

How do I get a loaner wheel? Just call the Tesla road side assistance?

 

[commasign]

How do I get a loaner wheel? Just call the Tesla road side assistance?

Exactly. If you get a flat, call Tesla roadside and in most areas, they'll coordinate to have a tow truck bring and help you mount a loaner wheel.

 

[bpjones]

Good advice that matches my experience. I dropped the loaner wheel off at the SC without an appointment with no issues. I think they were just happy to get their wheel back to put back into rotation.

 

[yhofmasp]

Bad experience with Tesla loaner wheel program in Orange County. On a drive from San Diego, CA, where I live, to Irvine, CA, to see my son who had an emergency, I had a flat tire in San Clemente, CA which is midway. I agreed to the Loaner Wheel Agreement, but requested that I keep my flat tire and wheel so I could take it back to San Diego to get it fixed there. I was told ”The only way we can provide a loaner wheel is to take it to Irvine.” I spoke to the roadside assistant, who elevated it right away, spoke to dispatcher, who told me his supervisor said they had to take my tire to Irvine SC instead of permitting me to keep it. After returning home, made appointment with Irvine SC, earliest available date was two weeks out. Anyway, ended up removing their loaner from my S and driving 75 miles back to Irvine in my wife’s car to return their loaner and retrieve my flat tire and wheel. After half day of driving and putting 150 miles on wife’s car, Discount Tire here in San Diego fixed the flat.
Is this really their policy?

 

[Ken_Y]

That's annoying. I am surprised they didn't require you to repair or replace the bad tire through them. That was what I was told when I tried to use their loaner tire.

 

[stopcrazypp]

Bad experience with Tesla loaner wheel program in Orange County. On a drive from San Diego, CA, where I live, to Irvine, CA, to see my son who had an emergency, I had a flat tire in San Clemente, CA which is midway. I agreed to the Loaner Wheel Agreement, but requested that I keep my flat tire and wheel so I could take it back to San Diego to get it fixed there. I was told ”The only way we can provide a loaner wheel is to take it to Irvine.” I spoke to the roadside assistant, who elevated it right away, spoke to dispatcher, who told me his supervisor said they had to take my tire to Irvine SC instead of permitting me to keep it. After returning home, made appointment with Irvine SC, earliest available date was two weeks out. Anyway, ended up removing their loaner from my S and driving 75 miles back to Irvine in my wife’s car to return their loaner and retrieve my flat tire and wheel. After half day of driving and putting 150 miles on wife’s car, Discount Tire here in San Diego fixed the flat.
Is this really their policy?

Loaner wheel agreement does not say that it needs to be to be returned to a specific SC, although it does say it can be a mutually agreed location. However, in practical terms I imagine it depends on which service area dispatched that loaner wheel, they probably want it back, not to an SC in another area. It could be San Diego and Irvine are different service areas.

Note when you call roadside, you do not need to set an appointment in the app, the rep can schedule a drop in appointment for you and you can just go there to get your tire repaired or replaced on the spot.

In my experience, when I had a flat in SF on the weekend, roadside was able to send a tow truck (contracted) with a loaner wheel, which the tow truck driver installed for me. They allowed me to keep my flat and original wheel to replace/repair the flat at the SF SC when it opened again in the weekday (I had to replace as it was not repairable). So I would say it is not general policy to require taking your wheel/flat tire. However, in my case I was clearly within the service area of the loaner wheel.

 

[stopcrazypp]

That's annoying. I am surprised they didn't require you to repair or replace the bad tire through them. That was what I was told when I tried to use their loaner tire.

The wording in the loaner wheel agreement does not require you to get your tire replaced or repaired through Tesla. The wheel is only provided as a convenience while you get the issue addressed.

 

[Ken_Y]

Look at my screen capture I posted a few weeks ago. That was not given to me as an option.

The wording in the loaner wheel agreement does not require you to get your tire replaced or repaired through Tesla. The wheel is only provided as a convenience while you get the issue addressed.

 

[stopcrazypp]

Look at my screen capture I posted a few weeks ago. That was not given to me as an option.

I don't know what screen capture you are talking about, but I'm only speaking about the actual wording in the legal document you sign when you get a loaner wheel. It's entirely possible the rep would not allow me to get the loaner wheel if I instead said only wanted to use that, but would not use Tesla to do any repairs or replacement (after all, they only have a limited stock of them so obviously they would want to prioritize paying customers). However, from the wording of the document, if I changed my mind, I'm not liable for anything as long as I return the wheel.

 

[Ken_Y]

I don't know what screen capture you are talking about, but I'm only speaking about the actual wording in the legal document you sign when you get a loaner wheel. It's entirely possible the rep would not allow me to get the loaner wheel if I instead said only wanted to use that, but would not use Tesla to do any repairs or replacement (after all, they only have a limited stock of them so obviously they would want to prioritize paying customers). However, from the wording of the document, if I changed my mind, I'm not liable for anything as long as I return the wheel.

I posted it elsewhere. Here you go. I INSISTED I would take my tire to repair myself but they denied my request.

 

[Ken_Y]

I posted it elsewhere. Here you go. I INSISTED I would take my tire to repair myself but they denied my request.

And here is where they note that it is updated on their site.

 

[stopcrazypp]

I posted it elsewhere. Here you go. I INSISTED I would take my tire to repair myself but they denied my request.

View attachment 880680

I can totally see why the rep would say that, but again, I'm only talking about wording on the pdf legal agreement that is signed once you go through with it. As the OP found out, they were not liable to get services at Tesla when they changed their mind.