Tesla Screwed up my license registration

[MrVivekB]

9 weeks after I took delivery I had no plates, just temporary tags. I called them. Just got the below.

TL;DR: Tesla is not to be trusted with the registration process. Call every single week. Good thing I didn't get pulled over, no idea what may have happend.

"....It looks like there was an error processing the e-sign of the documents. We will be sending out a wet sign version to your registration address. You should receive the documents within the next 2 days. Please sign those and send back using the pre-paid UPS envelope."

AKA, that'll be here in 2 days. Then I send back. THEN they send to DMV. Which will take 6-10 weeks.

So all-in, 5 months from purchase->plates.

 

[dmurphy]

9 weeks after I took delivery I had no plates, just temporary tags. I called them. Just got the below.

TL;DR: Tesla is not to be trusted with the registration process. Call every single week. Good thing I didn't get pulled over, no idea what may have happend.

"....It looks like there was an error processing the e-sign of the documents. We will be sending out a wet sign version to your registration address. You should receive the documents within the next 2 days. Please sign those and send back using the pre-paid UPS envelope."

AKA, that'll be here in 2 days. Then I send back. THEN they send to DMV. Which will take 6-10 weeks.

So all-in, 5 months from purchase->plates.

... and yet, for both my 3 & X, I had permanent plates inside two weeks.

It should've have taken that long, I'll grant you that - but I've never had communication from a "traditional" dealer between buying the car and the plates arriving, either.

And I wouldn't assume it's another 6-10 weeks necessarily .... At least here, the MVC has online portals for dealerships and independents (like Tesla) to process paperwork. Very different process than you or I would use if we had to do it ourselves.

 

[Knightshade]

FWIW there's a bunch of threads about the same type of issue- in many different states.

Obviously you'll get varying results different places- but Tesla has shown continued and surprising incompetence in this specific area for years now.


My 2018 the original temp tags expired with no perm plates-- turned out Tesla never got it inspected by the state prior to sale- which is actually illegal to sell the car that way- and thus they couldn't actually file to get perm plates for me.

They didn't reach out to let me know- only after physically showing up (since nobody answers phones there) to discuss it did I get something done about it-- which involved a new temp tag (which I think is also illegal for them to have given me but whatever) and then me having to take it over to a 3rd party garage to get it inspected myself (since their service center wasn't set up to do state inspections)- and then finally real plates showing up via fedex a few days later.

They had also lost one of my key cards when I originally came to take delivery (a ranger brought me a replacement a week later)--- and had failed to actually mark the car as delivered in the back end limiting some available app features. At one point during the process pre-delivery when I wanted to add FSD to my config the tried to tell me I'd have to give up my VIN and wait for a new car to be built since FSD was an option I didn't select when my VIN was built. No amount of explaining it's just software changed their mind and I had to speak to two levels higher before I got someone to fix it.


Every interaction I've had with an actual Tesla service persons (not the schedulers, but actual service people) has been fantastic. Top notch. Measurably better than legacy dealership service departments.

Every interaction I've had with sales/delivery/scheduling people at Tesla has been Keystone Cops Incompetent- reliably worse than legacy (whose incompetence is generally limited to not knowing anything about the vehicles they're selling- the paperwork/basic sales process they have down solidly)

 

[MrVivekB]

FWIW there's a bunch of threads about the same type of issue- in many different states.

Obviously you'll get varying results different places- but Tesla has shown continued and surprising incompetence in this specific area for years now.


My 2018 the original temp tags expired with no perm plates-- turned out Tesla never got it inspected by the state prior to sale- which is actually illegal to sell the car that way- and thus they couldn't actually file to get perm plates for me.

They didn't reach out to let me know- only after physically showing up (since nobody answers phones there) to discuss it did I get something done about it-- which involved a new temp tag (which I think is also illegal for them to have given me but whatever) and then me having to take it over to a 3rd party garage to get it inspected myself (since their service center wasn't set up to do state inspections)- and then finally real plates showing up via fedex a few days later.

They had also lost one of my key cards when I originally came to take delivery (a ranger brought me a replacement a week later)--- and had failed to actually mark the car as delivered in the back end limiting some available app features. At one point during the process pre-delivery when I wanted to add FSD to my config the tried to tell me I'd have to give up my VIN and wait for a new car to be built since FSD was an option I didn't select when my VIN was built. No amount of explaining it's just software changed their mind and I had to speak to two levels higher before I got someone to fix it.


Every interaction I've had with an actual Tesla service persons (not the schedulers, but actual service people) has been fantastic. Top notch. Measurably better than legacy dealership service departments.

Every interaction I've had with sales/delivery/scheduling people at Tesla has been Keystone Cops Incompetent- reliably worse than legacy (whose incompetence is generally limited to not knowing anything about the vehicles they're selling- the paperwork/basic sales process they have down solidly)

Well, sales guy also screwed up. Pushed me to apply for the loan ASAP, then it timed out so they had to hit my credit report a 2nd time. As someone with an 840 credit score, even the 5 point hit from an inquiry is noticeable.

The biggest issue is I need to apply for the HOV stickers. Right now to use the FasTrak lanes I have to pay $18/1 way, $36/day, as avoiding the traffic was the entire reason I bought this car. We didn't need it per-se, but traffic is epically brutal. This cuts out a min of 20 mins from a 55 minute commute, so VERY noticeable.

 

[EdCo]

Who/what number at Tesla do you call? Same problem for me, took delivery end-October, still have only temp plates that expire in 2 weeks, completed same paperwork as MrVivekB in this thread last month, nothing followed. I'm in Sonoma County in CA, took delivery at Vallejo CA store. Thanks.

 

[Jnguyen05]

Who/what number at Tesla do you call? Same problem for me, took delivery end-October, still have only temp plates that expire in 2 weeks, completed same paperwork as MrVivekB in this thread last month, nothing followed. I'm in Sonoma County in CA, took delivery at Vallejo CA store. Thanks.

Were you able to get your plates? Purchased my car 12/27, DMV said Tesla hasn't completed the registration on their end. I called Tesla yesterday and they said they're working on it, just delayed. I'm nervous I will still be waiting another month later and risk driving around with expired paper plates.

 

[mgs333]

Were you able to get your plates? Purchased my car 12/27, DMV said Tesla hasn't completed the registration on their end. I called Tesla yesterday and they said they're working on it, just delayed. I'm nervous I will still be waiting another month later and risk driving around with expired paper plates.

I got mine on 12/30/2022 and I posted what's happening to me here:

California DMV - Plates & HOV Stickers

I thought someone way up-thread said there is a way to find out your plates, even before they arrive. Maybe AAA can find that info for you? Once you have the assigned plate number, you can apply for stickers. If however, you want to transfer personalized plates over, you have 2 choices: 1)...

teslamotorsclub.com

TL;Dr: the DMV and Tesla are pointing fingers at each other.

 

[cbigfoot]

Im in TN and took Delivery DEC 7th and had to get the temp tag renewed…they said it can take up to 3-4 months with my County With EVs. And temp tags good for 2 months a shot. The DEC surge probably didnt help matters.