Tesla service, what a joke!! Extremely frustrated.

[Ottoman]

I posted this in the Tesla forums, but it seems everybody has moved from there because they are shutting them down. So posting here in case anyone has had a similar experience.

My wife gets a flat tire in Model Y yesterday. No spare obviously.
Roadside assistance is called. Since there is no "Mobile Tire Service" in my area (all of South Florida), tow truck comes.
There is no loaner spare wheels available, and the nail hole is too close to the edge of the sidewall to patch, so my options are:
A) Flatbed to Tesla Service Center
B) Figure it out on my own

I chose A.
So I get a Tesla app message from service at 8:30am next morning.
They tell me the tires are NOT in stock, but new ones are being delivered. Can we have your approval.

"What is the ETA on the new tires?" I ask.

No answer

"Is it the same OEM tire? And when will they be in?" I ask 30 min later.

No answer.

I call local service center. Nobody answers, get directed to voicemail. Leave message.
No return call.

"Hello, anybody there?" I ask in the app 45 min later.

No answer.

I call the service center again, knowing they are open and people are there.
No answer, get voicemail again.

So now I am out of a car and nobody is responding and I don't know what else to do.
This car only has 200 miles on it.

The only other option at this point is to Uber to the service center and find out WTF is going on there.

 

[CF2020]

Service is definitely a sore point, no question. They have pushed production far ahead of what service can deliver (I have heard this directly from Tesla service reps). Doesn't make it any better for you but here are my suggestions

1. Goto TireRack.com, odds are they can get you a tire out pretty quickly.
2. do you have roadside assistance with your car insurance? most people do, they could help too.

Doesn't mean I don't agree with your assessment, but rather than vent, just trying to get you to a solution.

 

[jcanoe]

Contact Roadside Assistance a second time, explain the situation. Roadside Assistance should be able to reach the Service Center Manager, have someone provide you with an ETA for the replacement tire.

 

[mtndrew1]

They really, really, really need to create another way to get ahold of a service center even if it’s via centralized call center.

The app-based communication works great until it doesn’t and then your car is stuck in a black void.

 

[GreenT]

What I used to do - and I was in Florida - I would beg for the tow truck drivers cell phone.
He willingly gave it to me knowing it was impossible to reach anyone ... I dealt with Miami.
Sad part for me is that after thousands of threads documenting service horror stories, why prospects still clamor for these cars.
I went back to gas / petrol waiting for the day / decade when Tesla does get its act together.

Sadly, I repeat myself, in the earliest of days ... year 1-3 of Model S, service was INCREDIBLE.

Tesla should be forced to offer service whereever there is sales. Off the pulpit for the 1000 time. Sorry. Well, not I should not be.

 

[TheDriveway]

If you were in California we could help you out. Sounds like the further east we go the service from the service centers are worse.

 

[wraithfive]

The oddest part of this to me is the service center not having the tire in stock. Tesla has a pretty limited selection of OEM tires. I would have expected them to keep them in stock at the SC's. Maybe they normally do and just have used them faster than they could be replenished. Other than that it sounds like just what I would expect from getting a car towed to any service center (be it Tesla, or Ford, or Toyota).

Did you have an option to get it towed to another location? If so I'd have started calling local tire retailers to see who had the tire in stock and could do the work same or next day and had it towed there.

 

[MP3Mike]

I posted this in the Tesla forums, but it seems everybody has moved from there because they are shutting them down. So posting here in case anyone has had a similar experience.

The only other option at this point is to Uber to the service center and find out WTF is going on there.

Didn't they shut the Tesla forums down more than a week ago? So surely you have a resolution to this by now, what was it? (Or is your car still sitting at the service center waiting for a tire?)

 

[Stingray.Don]

The flat tire happened yesterday and you posted on the Tesla forum? The Tesla forum shut down over a week ago. I’m not saying you didn’t have a flat, but it didn’t happen according to the timeline provided.

 

[jsight]

Isn't it generally recommended not to go to the Tesla service center for tire work? I get the feeling this gets a really low priority there. Miami? You'd likely have better luck with discount tire.

 

[jsight]

The flat tire happened yesterday and you posted on the Tesla forum? The Tesla forum shut down over a week ago. I’m not saying you didn’t have a flat, but it didn’t happen according to the timeline provided.

He says it was a repost. I'm sure he just didn't change the date/time references.

 

[MP3Mike]

He says it was a repost. I'm sure he just didn't change the date/time references.

Or provide what the resolution was. (Assuming it has been resolved in more than a week.)

Edit: It seems it was posted there on March 11th so it has been almost two weeks since it happened. And later that day:

I was able to get a ride from a neighbor to the Service Center. Only there was I able to get some answers. Tires will be delivered 1-3 days, since tomorrow is Fri it will probably be Monday. They were able to find a loaner wheel for me to use until the tire comes in. At least I have transportation until the tires are back in stock.

 

[Dandesy]

Tesla service is the worst in the industry. And you own a Model Y so that should be no surprise.

Keep in mind this is an issue with a TIRE. Imagine what happens when something really goes wrong. The forums are filled with horror stories.

Elon fanbois will be along shortly to downvote.

Thank you glide, for your ever impartial, enlightening wisdom.

 

[jsight]

Or provide what the resolution was. (Assuming it has been resolved in more than a week.)

Edit: It seems it was posted there on March 11th so it has been almost two weeks since it happened. And later that day:

Good find, that doesn't even sound that bad, tbh.

What stinks is that it is practically impossible to get someone to answer the phone.

 

[acarney]

I'm still always surprised you can get a loaner tire! I would think if this was a road hazard issue Tesla would always either sell you a new tire if in stock, or suggest you go to a 3rd party tire store if they were out of stock.

 

[Noflash]

I just wish they would rearrange the underfloor storage in the rear to accommodate a space-saver.

 

[glide]

Thank you glide, for your ever impartial, enlightening wisdom.

Just calling it as I see it. Name another vehicle service department that takes two weeks to change a tire. I’ll just wait.

 

[MP3Mike]

Just calling it as I see it. Name another vehicle service department that takes two weeks to change a tire. I’ll just wait.

But of course they didn't take two weeks in this case. (Well we don't actually know since the OP never finished the story.)

 

[monteitis]

Seems like adding/using roadside assistance from your insurance or good ol' AAA is a hell of a lot easier than dealing with the ghost behind the app. If/when this happens to me, it'll go to a regular tire shop!

 

[dirkbike1]

My takeaway is that carrying a spare and the necessary tire changing equipment is mandatory, no matter how much room it takes up.