Tesla X - will they issue a refund?

[Ehill2]

I purchased an X, delivered August 2018. Since the delivery date, I’ve experienced about 2 dozen flaws with the car ranging from minor ones like the charge port not closing to major issues with the cmu. Service has been doing their best but new issues arise monthly. I fear the car is just getting worse with time and some of the issues (green line on back up camera) they keep punting down the road claiming firmware issues. They have fixed panels that fell off, water wells that leaked, screeching windows, vibrations when driving, etc. The leather seats have wrinkled and they said it was a design flaw and would replace them.

My local service guys are pushing back with regards to a refund. I’m not a litigious person and would rather escalate this to corporate. Any advice on how to get corporate ears or should I just file lemon law paperwork with the attorney general?

 

[rjdoc74]

Welcome to the forum. You need to ask for the email address of the SC manager and send a polite email outlining all the issues one by one and ask initiate buy back process. If they agree, you will receive a cash offer. This won’t be 100 percent of the price you paid, they will reduce by number of miles you have driven, tax credit you have received, etc. If they do not agree, you will have to go through lemon law if it’s available in your state. Good luck.

 

[DanCar]

Which Model X was this? What options did you order?

 

[Ehill2]

Which Model X was this? What options did you order?

75D, 22” wheels, premium leather, 6 seater

 

[TampaRich]

Post some pics so we can see what you're talking about.

 

[Silicon Desert]

This won’t be 100 percent of the price you paid, they will reduce by number of miles you have driven, tax credit you have received, etc.

Interesting thought about the tax credit. So assuming that Tesla did give a cash offer, why would they be able to reduce the amount by the tax credit? They didn't get the money for that and the credit didn't cost them anything. Shouldn't that be a matter with the owner and the IRS?

 

[outie]

Interesting thought about the tax credit. So assuming that Tesla did give a cash offer, why would they be able to reduce the amount by the tax credit? They didn't get the money for that and the credit didn't cost them anything. Shouldn't that be a matter with the owner and the IRS?

That's how Tesla rolls with voluntarily buyback/re-purchase. If you didn't receive the credit then you can argue w/ them about it and they will let you sign something to agree that you didn't get it. Otherwise... everyone is usually satisfied with the offer.

I purchased an X, delivered August 2018. Since the delivery date, I’ve experienced about 2 dozen flaws with the car ranging from minor ones like the charge port not closing to major issues with the cmu. Service has been doing their best but new issues arise monthly. I fear the car is just getting worse with time and some of the issues (green line on back up camera) they keep punting down the road claiming firmware issues. They have fixed panels that fell off, water wells that leaked, screeching windows, vibrations when driving, etc. The leather seats have wrinkled and they said it was a design flaw and would replace them.

My local service guys are pushing back with regards to a refund. I’m not a litigious person and would rather escalate this to corporate. Any advice on how to get corporate ears or should I just file lemon law paperwork with the attorney general?

Are the issues fixed? Is there anything that shows up repeatedly after supposedly being fixed? Check with your state lemon law to see if it qualifies. If so then you can ask the service manager for a re-purchase. It's the service manager who has the authority to initiate the process.

 

[ewoodrick]

Look into your states Lemon Laws.

 

[mjptech]

...
My local service guys are pushing back with regards to a refund. I’m not a litigious person and would rather escalate this to corporate. Any advice on how to get corporate ears or should I just file lemon law paperwork with the attorney general?

Having recently gone through hell with my Volvo XC90 T8 (which I had to get a Lemon Law attorney involved in in order to get Volvo to buy it back), here's a bunch of steps that, after dealing with Volvo for months (trying to get them to buy it back on my own, and then going to a Lemon Law attorney), I found could help others in a similar situation with any vehicle:

1 - Documentation (very important) - Make sure you have documented notes of all of your service visits. Anything you have reported needs to be noted down, whether or not addressed, as if you verbally inform them of an issue, but, they never added it to their service record, or, stated that it will be fixed at some other time, doesn't help your case. If you have been taking pictures, videos, or audio recordings of the issues, that can help as well.

2 - Reach Out - You can try giving Tesla the benefit and see if they will work with you. However, you need to reach out above your local office. You can ask them to provide you with a regional manager (not sure how Tesla is structured), or, if not, you can try reaching out to any executive contacts (you may need to ask, or, look at the Tesla website), or, try approaching via social media to get in touch with someone.

3 - Lemon Laws - look up the lemon laws for Massachusetts. In my case, with California laws, which are quite lenient, there may still be caveats and restrictions, so, just read through them to make sure you're a candidate. In most cases, Lemon Law cases can still be filed if your issues began while it was under the guidelines/restrictions.

4 - Lemon Law Attorney - Most (should be all) Lemon Law attorneys do NOT charge you, they get their money back from the manufacturer. You can usually call a few in the area and inform them of your issues, and they can tell you whether or not you have a case. Be prepared to send over copies of all your documentation (assuming you decide to continue with them) - this will include all service records, your purchase/sales agreements, and anything else you've spent (registrations/license/fees/add-ons/etc...). You can reach out to a Lemon Law attorney shortly after trying to reach corporate directly, just let them know you're trying on your own first. A good Lemon Law attorney will check in with you to see how it's going, and can step in once you need them if you don't get a response.

5 - At this point, hopefully something has happened - either Tesla has agreed to buy back, or your Lemon Law attorney has received a response. If Tesla reached out to you directly, they may calculate numbers for the buyback in a different manner than you would want. An attorney, if going the Lemon Law route, can usually fight (and of course, take that stress off of you) if you have an issue.

If you want to know about my XC90 ordeal and what it took, PM me.

 

[mattack4000]

You are bound by arbitration with Tesla unless you opt out. The problem should also be something that impact the drive for you to win arbitration

 

[Ehill2]

Thanks all for the replies and info. I am going through the attorney generals office to file for arbitration. It’s pretty frustrating to pay 6 figures for a car and not to have the company stand behind the quality. No matter what happens, Tesla has already lost out. At least once a week people ask me about the car and what I think. I tell them my experience (good and bad) and I know it has changed some minds on going ahead with a Tesla. The longer I have the car, the more people I share my experiences with.

 

[ewakko]

I've gone through a lot of issues too, but it has been assembly (or lack of) and nothing to do with driving of it. I was frustrated and felt ripped off. But after a few long road trips, and commuting almost 2 hrs every day, I've been able to work past it. I'm honest when people ask me about the car. I think it went in the shop about 8x the first 6 months. I've had the car 2 yrs, and the last thing was a few months ago when the passenger door unscrewed from the motor that opens it. My skin crawls everytime I go to the SC, but I'm in it for the long haul. No other car upgrades itself, and has such low maintenance. Good luck.