We sold our 2018 Prius and decided to brave the new world of Tesla. We ordered or Tesla Y, long range dual motor online June 9. Our car was ready for pickup July 7 in Salt Lake City. One month. Not bad. We should have known that since no closer Tesla dealers were available (we live in Preston, Idaho) that service would be an issue. It is a two-hour one-way trip into South Salt Lake City. We arrived in SLC and were given a 10-minute orientation to our new EV. We learned out how to use an app, charge the car, and simple commands like navigation, light, climate, and adjusting the mirrors. PERIOD.!!
When we got home, we checked out the car. We opened the front trunk to inspect. It would not lock. We tried pushing down with all our might. The car warned us that it was open, and we could not drive over 15 MPH. After much consternation, we finally applied much pressure (force) and it locked.
We decided to take a trip to Las Vegas to try out this new computer on wheels. We left with a 93% charge from home. Used the navigation to plot our trip. Supercharge station in Nephi was adequate and several ports available. Next stop was Beaver, Utah where we were only allowed limited charge due to many cars in line. Off to St. George, Utah where a line of 9 Teslas were waiting to supercharge. That was an hour and a half wait and then found that the "Supercharge" was a level two quality at best. Also learned, that unlike the ICE cars, using the bathrooms, picking up a snack and fueling were not all in one place. More time on our trip.
The auto steering was acting wacky. Would not tolerate the slightest curve, bump or wind gust on I-15. It kept shutting off.
As we cruised along, the computer screen started to indicate temperature was 120- then 140- then 150!! Not sure if that is bad or typical. It was a hot day, (ambient temperature was 113 degrees) and it was 3:30 PM and not sure what to do. Stop?? in the middle of the desert??
We drove to our second home (another 120 miles) at 20% charge in Las Vegas and put it on a 120V charger. It ran all night, roaring like crazy- but the climate needs superpassed the available charge. At 5 Am we drove to a Tesla supercharger and it took about 40% charge and then the car completely shut down. DEAD! Now what? We texted for service. There is no human contact to do anything with TESLA. We waited for 45 minutes. A tow company called us and asked our location and where did we want a tow. Since it was Sunday morning and Tesla was closed, we decided to tow it to our home. As we were talking with the tow company, the Tesla Y suddenly started again. We declined the tow and drove 4 miles to home and put it back on the 120V charger. Roaring all day and night. Tried to get a service appointment and the next available was one week away and we were not able to wait a week.
We drove to Las Vegas Tesla. Since we had no appointment, they said we would be "worked in” The rep said it could be days. We were stranded and I explained we had to leave for Idaho on Saturday. I asked for a loaner and they provided one. Our car sat at Las Vegas Tesla from Monday morning until the following Saturday morning. Each night we got a text that made no sense. Night one, you are in the que. Night two, your information is being downloaded. Night three, Sorry for the misinformation, your car is still not in the shop, Night four, the technician is looking at the data, night five, your car is ready for pickup in stall #20. Your invoice will be sent to you. No invoice ever came. I texted back "What was wrong and where do I leave the loaner car? No answer. We drove out Saturday morning to Las Vegas Tesla and no "stalls" were numbered. There was nowhere to park our loaner. We drove around the building several times and saw a technician outside and stopped him to inquire where #20 was. He pointed to an area. We asked what was wrong and what did they do? He could not tell us. He told us to go into the service department and inquire. We did and a technician came out and said he was sorry that we did not get an invoice but would have it sent again. BTW, we NEVER got that invoice. HE, nor anyone would talk to us as to why the car was running at 150 degrees, why the auto pilot was not operating properly, but he did say that the latch on the front trunk was replaced.
MAJOR ISSUES:
1. Service:
If anyone is buying a Tesla, make sure you live near a service center. If I make a service appointment, I never expected that it would take days and several nights in a hotel. There is no way to talk to a human. When you call Tesla Las Vegas, the phone gave options to select. Every option ended in a dropped call. In other words- no contact.
2. AVAILABILITY of TESLA Charging stations:
TESLA supercharger stations along the I-15 from Idaho to Las Vegas contribute to range anxiety. The trip took 12 hours. We usually do this same trip in our Prius in8-9 hours. Part of the issue is waiting for overcrowded supercharging stations and finding restrooms. We found that is sorely missing at current charging locations.
3. Emergency repair service:
All service is dedicated to appointments. If you have a non-operating Tesla and are on route to another city, you are stranded for days.
4. Availability OF SOMEONE TO EXPLAIN THE FUNCTIONS (OR NON-FUNCTION) OF THIS EV after service. What happened and how should we deal with it in the future? Did operating the car at 150 degrees harm it?? We still do not know.
5. Availability of Supercharge Stations:
range anxiety was a real issue for us. When you arrive at a supercharge station to find a line of 9 Teslas waiting to charge puts your trip at a real disadvantage and adds houws to the trip.
6. Dealer Prep:
Finally, a car costing $56,000 should have no issues as our Tesla did. It should be checked out. A delivery agent should ensure that the new owner (especially if this is the first EV they have ever owned) is thoroughly trained, or a phone help number be available to answer questions as they arise.
Yes, our car no longer overheats, the front trunk is now accessible and the auto pilot, while not amazing seems to handle curves better. The car has amazing pickup and we love the visibility of the windows. I miss Prius blind spot indicator.
If anyone asks about our new Tesla, we cannot help but tell our service issues. Tesla is selling new EV's at an amazing rate. Service Centers should be available and sufficient supercharging stations as well. I-15 from Preston Idaho to Las Vegas has a real availability issue. I still wonder if we purchased a lemon due to the overheating issues and auto pilot malfunction we experienced. Still don't know what happened and what we should do if the issue occurs again.
When we got home, we checked out the car. We opened the front trunk to inspect. It would not lock. We tried pushing down with all our might. The car warned us that it was open, and we could not drive over 15 MPH. After much consternation, we finally applied much pressure (force) and it locked.
We decided to take a trip to Las Vegas to try out this new computer on wheels. We left with a 93% charge from home. Used the navigation to plot our trip. Supercharge station in Nephi was adequate and several ports available. Next stop was Beaver, Utah where we were only allowed limited charge due to many cars in line. Off to St. George, Utah where a line of 9 Teslas were waiting to supercharge. That was an hour and a half wait and then found that the "Supercharge" was a level two quality at best. Also learned, that unlike the ICE cars, using the bathrooms, picking up a snack and fueling were not all in one place. More time on our trip.
The auto steering was acting wacky. Would not tolerate the slightest curve, bump or wind gust on I-15. It kept shutting off.
As we cruised along, the computer screen started to indicate temperature was 120- then 140- then 150!! Not sure if that is bad or typical. It was a hot day, (ambient temperature was 113 degrees) and it was 3:30 PM and not sure what to do. Stop?? in the middle of the desert??
We drove to our second home (another 120 miles) at 20% charge in Las Vegas and put it on a 120V charger. It ran all night, roaring like crazy- but the climate needs superpassed the available charge. At 5 Am we drove to a Tesla supercharger and it took about 40% charge and then the car completely shut down. DEAD! Now what? We texted for service. There is no human contact to do anything with TESLA. We waited for 45 minutes. A tow company called us and asked our location and where did we want a tow. Since it was Sunday morning and Tesla was closed, we decided to tow it to our home. As we were talking with the tow company, the Tesla Y suddenly started again. We declined the tow and drove 4 miles to home and put it back on the 120V charger. Roaring all day and night. Tried to get a service appointment and the next available was one week away and we were not able to wait a week.
We drove to Las Vegas Tesla. Since we had no appointment, they said we would be "worked in” The rep said it could be days. We were stranded and I explained we had to leave for Idaho on Saturday. I asked for a loaner and they provided one. Our car sat at Las Vegas Tesla from Monday morning until the following Saturday morning. Each night we got a text that made no sense. Night one, you are in the que. Night two, your information is being downloaded. Night three, Sorry for the misinformation, your car is still not in the shop, Night four, the technician is looking at the data, night five, your car is ready for pickup in stall #20. Your invoice will be sent to you. No invoice ever came. I texted back "What was wrong and where do I leave the loaner car? No answer. We drove out Saturday morning to Las Vegas Tesla and no "stalls" were numbered. There was nowhere to park our loaner. We drove around the building several times and saw a technician outside and stopped him to inquire where #20 was. He pointed to an area. We asked what was wrong and what did they do? He could not tell us. He told us to go into the service department and inquire. We did and a technician came out and said he was sorry that we did not get an invoice but would have it sent again. BTW, we NEVER got that invoice. HE, nor anyone would talk to us as to why the car was running at 150 degrees, why the auto pilot was not operating properly, but he did say that the latch on the front trunk was replaced.
MAJOR ISSUES:
1. Service:
If anyone is buying a Tesla, make sure you live near a service center. If I make a service appointment, I never expected that it would take days and several nights in a hotel. There is no way to talk to a human. When you call Tesla Las Vegas, the phone gave options to select. Every option ended in a dropped call. In other words- no contact.
2. AVAILABILITY of TESLA Charging stations:
TESLA supercharger stations along the I-15 from Idaho to Las Vegas contribute to range anxiety. The trip took 12 hours. We usually do this same trip in our Prius in8-9 hours. Part of the issue is waiting for overcrowded supercharging stations and finding restrooms. We found that is sorely missing at current charging locations.
3. Emergency repair service:
All service is dedicated to appointments. If you have a non-operating Tesla and are on route to another city, you are stranded for days.
4. Availability OF SOMEONE TO EXPLAIN THE FUNCTIONS (OR NON-FUNCTION) OF THIS EV after service. What happened and how should we deal with it in the future? Did operating the car at 150 degrees harm it?? We still do not know.
5. Availability of Supercharge Stations:
range anxiety was a real issue for us. When you arrive at a supercharge station to find a line of 9 Teslas waiting to charge puts your trip at a real disadvantage and adds houws to the trip.
6. Dealer Prep:
Finally, a car costing $56,000 should have no issues as our Tesla did. It should be checked out. A delivery agent should ensure that the new owner (especially if this is the first EV they have ever owned) is thoroughly trained, or a phone help number be available to answer questions as they arise.
Yes, our car no longer overheats, the front trunk is now accessible and the auto pilot, while not amazing seems to handle curves better. The car has amazing pickup and we love the visibility of the windows. I miss Prius blind spot indicator.
If anyone asks about our new Tesla, we cannot help but tell our service issues. Tesla is selling new EV's at an amazing rate. Service Centers should be available and sufficient supercharging stations as well. I-15 from Preston Idaho to Las Vegas has a real availability issue. I still wonder if we purchased a lemon due to the overheating issues and auto pilot malfunction we experienced. Still don't know what happened and what we should do if the issue occurs again.
