Tesla, you so crazy - 6 Month Review

[ElectricBlues3]

So I took my 6 month old P3D to Tesla service for the very first time this morning to get some minor things checked out. First, and the one I cared the most about, was a very noticeable rattle in the front dash that developed over time. Also the infotainment screen randomly reboots and there's a defect in the passenger A-pillar trim that looks like a small bubble in the fabric that I was too lazy to report when I took delivery.

Trim: "Sorry but if you did not report the cosmetic defect to the trim at the time of delivery, we would have to charge you to have the trim replaced." (Fair enough, I'll own my laziness here.)

Screen Reboot: "We are aware of the reboot issue, its software, we're working on it." (Expected that.)

Dash Rattle: "I'm sorry to inform you that noise and vibration issues are not covered under the warranty. You will have to pay $97 to have a technician ride with you and diagnose the issue." (A 6 month old car has what sounds like a loose clip in the dash and that's not a build quality issue that's covered by warranty?!) "I'm sorry but unfortunately, noise and vibration are not covered in the warranty."

And that was it. I grabbed a Kurig coffee to make it worth my time and left in 10 minutes; a fitting capstone to roughly the first 6 months of ownership. I say fitting because everything leading up to this service visit was nothing short of the most surreal car ownership experience I've ever had.




In the end, I'm just sad rather than upset about this experience. I have a soft spot for this company and want to see them succeed but I can't help but feel Tesla is getting lazy with their lead in the EV space. Only today can they get away with selling a $70k car without the spoiler (which I still haven't gotten) and claim obvious build quality issues are not covered under warranty. There will come a day when the Hondas and Fords of the world will put out $20k EVs that's comparable in performance to my 3. Hopefully Tesla gets their house in order before then.

 

[Swampgator]

So I took my 6 month old P3D to Tesla service for the very first time this morning to get some minor things checked out. First, and the one I cared the most about, was a very noticeable rattle in the front dash that developed over time. Also the infotainment screen randomly reboots and there's a defect in the passenger A-pillar trim that looks like a small bubble in the fabric that I was too lazy to report when I took delivery.

Trim: "Sorry but if you did not report the cosmetic defect to the trim at the time of delivery, we would have to charge you to have the trim replaced." (Fair enough, I'll own my laziness here.)

Screen Reboot: "We are aware of the reboot issue, its software, we're working on it." (Expected that.)

Dash Rattle: "I'm sorry to inform you that noise and vibration issues are not covered under the warranty. You will have to pay $97 to have a technician ride with you and diagnose the issue." (A 6 month old car has what sounds like a loose clip in the dash and that's not a build quality issue that's covered by warranty?!) "I'm sorry but unfortunately, noise and vibration are not covered in the warranty."

And that was it. I grabbed a Kurig coffee to make it worth my time and left in 10 minutes; a fitting capstone to roughly the first 6 months of ownership. I say fitting because everything leading up to this service visit was nothing short of the most surreal car ownership experience I've ever had.




In the end, I'm just sad rather than upset about this experience. I have a soft spot for this company and want to see them succeed but I can't help but feel Tesla is getting lazy with their lead in the EV space. Only today can they get away with selling a $70k car without the spoiler (which I still haven't gotten) and claim obvious build quality issues are not covered under warranty. There will come a day when the Hondas and Fords of the world will put out $20k EVs that's comparable in performance to my 3. Hopefully Tesla gets their house in order before then.

That has not been my experience. I too had the dash rattle. Tesla kept the car for 4 days to fix it while I had a Model S loaner with free supercharging. Rattle fixed. No cost to me.
I would find another service center or escalate the issue.

 

[ElectricBlues3]

[Premature posting, let's try again..]

So I took my 6 month old P3D to Tesla service for the very first time this morning to get some minor things checked out. First, and the one I cared the most about, was a very noticeable rattle in the front dash that developed over time. Also the infotainment screen randomly reboots and there's a defect in the passenger A-pillar trim that looks like a small bubble in the fabric that I was too lazy to report when I took delivery.

Trim: "Sorry but if you did not report the cosmetic defect to the trim at the time of delivery, we would have to charge you to have the trim replaced." (Fair enough, I'll own my laziness here.)

Screen Reboot: "We are aware of the reboot issue, its software, we're working on it." (Expected that.)

Dash Rattle: "I'm sorry to inform you that noise and vibration issues are not covered under the warranty. You will have to pay $97 to have a technician ride with you and diagnose the issue." (A 6 month old car has what sounds like a loose clip in the dash and that's not a build quality issue that's covered by warranty?!) "I'm sorry but unfortunately, noise and vibration are not covered in the warranty."

And that was it. I grabbed a Kurig coffee to make it worth my time and left in 10 minutes; a fitting capstone to roughly the first 6 months of ownership. I say fitting because everything leading up to this service visit was nothing short of the most surreal car ownership experience I've ever had.

I still remember day one, waiting with excitement in light drizzling rain for my new car to be delivered. Peaking anxiously for a trailer truck to pull up my street. Then, around the corner, was... my car, being driven. Ok. It pulls up to me and out hops two intern looking kids. "Hey dude, sorry we're late. Oh yeah, there was a big puddle when we got on the on-ramp in Fremont, sorry about the mud splatter on the side. If you see any scratches just email me, I'll take care of it." Thanks, I guess?

The oddity of the delivery process was quickly forgiven once I finally got through all the paper work and climbed into the only car I have ever been so sure about wanting. A gentle tap on the stalk and a quick tip into the pedal and I was giggling like no grown man should. As I pass the Dynamic Intern Duo who were now waiting for an Uber back to Fremont, I thought to myself, "what a weird company."

The next two months were just sheer bliss. Every morning was an adventure in trust exercises with Autopilot and, aside from the occasional "WTF are you doing?!" moments where I felt like it was trying to kill us both, I quickly figured out what it can or can't do. The spartan interior, which I didn't really like at the beginning, started to grow on me. Unfortunately, certain features that come standard on cars a third the cost became glaringly missing. A (good) blind spot detection for one and automatic wipers that actually work and not like they belong to a union is the other.

By month three, I've settled into the car like it was my favorite jacket. Sure, the wind and road noise is pretty terrible for a car in this price range and the little technical glitches like screen resets or cell connection dropouts are annoying but being able to take any spot on the road, or just knowing I can do this, makes the little flaws easy to overlook. I felt like goddamn Mufasa looking over the pride lands. "Where the light touches belongs to us."

Sometime around month four, I remembered Intern 1 telling me that my car should come with a spoiler and that Tesla would call me in three months to schedule an install. Haven't received any calls, I decided to reach out. First request, nothing. Second request, silence. Third request, and by now almost three weeks have passed since my first one, I get a copy paste response saying it's not ready and they're sorry. Around this time is also when the rattle in the dash started to become noticeable. I emailed Tesla Service again asking what this could be and whether to bring it in. No response. Second try, I got a response a week later telling me to schedule a service appointment.

As I exit the honeymoon phase and the new car smell wears off, I'm becoming more aware of the little things that Tesla just doesn't do so well. The suspension for one is a tad bouncy yet the ride is a bit rough which seems like a contradiction. The paint for whatever reason gets dusty really easily and after one of my friends pointed out all the areas where Tesla cheated and didn't paint, I can't unsee it. I also got my first fix-it ticket for not having a front plate. Since what Tesla provides stock is a stick-on plate holder for the front that's as ugly as sin, I was more than happy to suffer the ticket rather than deface my car.

And so we arrive today. I'm just sad rather than upset about the service experience. If anything, it's sort of what I've come to expect from Tesla. I do have a soft spot for this company and want to see them succeed but I can't help but feel Tesla is also getting lazy with their lead in the EV space. Only today can they get away with selling a $70k car without the spoiler (which I still haven't gotten) and claim obvious build quality issues are not covered under warranty. There will come a day when the Hondas and Fords of the world will put out $20k EVs that's comparable in performance to my 3. Hopefully Tesla gets their house in order before then.

 

[ElectricBlues3]

That has not been my experience. I too had the dash rattle. Tesla kept the car for 4 days to fix it while I had a Model S loaner with free supercharging. Rattle fixed. No cost to me.
I would find another service center or escalate the issue.

I will definitely try that though I'm worried now this service center has put into the system that I've been told its not covered by warranty so I should know. Just to cross check, when did you get your dash rattle fixed? I'm also wondering if Tesla Service is being forced to trim costs as part of Elon's recent push to show profitability.

 

[Swampgator]

I will definitely try that though I'm worried now this service center has put into the system that I've been told its not covered by warranty so I should know. Just to cross check, when did you get your dash rattle fixed? I'm also wondering if Tesla Service is being forced to trim costs as part of Elon's recent push to show profitability.

I'm starting to wonder if you are a troll.
My car was fixed 2 weeks ago.

 

[GWord]

I'm starting to wonder if you are a troll.

Take a look in the TSLA threads if you really want to see troll activity.



@ElectricBlues3 to make it easier on the service center I have used my phone camera to video issues like rattling or intermittent problems. They have used this to initiate warranty service in my case. You might ask if that's good enough in this instance.

 

[trm2]

Tesla is actually telling the truth, rattles are NOT covered under warranty.

Additional Limitations and Exclusions In addition to the above exclusions and limitations, this New Vehicle Limited Warranty does NOT cover:
• Any corrosion or paint defects including, but not limited to, the following:
• Corrosion from defects in non-Tesla manufactured or supplied materials or workmanship causing perforation (holes) in body panels or the chassis from the inside out;
• Surface or cosmetic corrosion causing perforation in body panels or the chassis from the outside in, such as stone chips or scratches; • Corrosion and paint defects caused by, due to, or resulting from accidents, paint matching, abuse, neglect, improper maintenance or operation of the vehicle, installation of an accessory, exposure to chemical substances, or damages resulting from an act of God or nature, fire, or improper storage;
• Non-genuine Tesla parts or accessories or their installation, or any damage directly or indirectly caused by, due to, or resulting from, the installation or use of non-genuine Tesla parts or accessories;
• Parts, accessories and charging equipment that were not included in the purchase of the vehicle; these items have their own warranties and are subject to their own terms and conditions, which will be provided to you as applicable;
• Tires, which have their own warranties and are subject to their own terms and conditions, which will be provided to you as applicable;
• Windshield or window glass that is broken, chipped, scratched, or cracked, other than as a result of a defect in material or workmanship of a Tesla manufactured or supplied windshield or window glass;
• General appearance or normal noises and vibrations, including, but not limited to, brake squeal, general knocks, creaks, rattles, and wind and road vibration for which there are no malfunctioning parts requiring replacement; and
• Maintenance services, including, but not limited to, the following:
• Wheel alignment or balancing;
• Appearance care (such as cleaning and polishing);
• Expendable maintenance items (such as wiper blades/inserts, brake pads/linings, filters, etc.); and
• Minor adjustments, including addition of sealant, insulation, or replacing and/or retorquing of nuts and bolts (or the like).

While I think that is pretty crappy, it is actually excluded.

 

[m3supra]

Where is your dash rattling? SC had my car for a week to fix it with no charge but it has returned. Mine is coming from above the steering column area above the ac outlet. It only rattles once the dash has warmed up a bit in the sun.

 

[Triplett]

[Premature posting, let's try again..]

So I took my 6 month old P3D to Tesla service for the very first time this morning to get some minor things checked out. First, and the one I cared the most about, was a very noticeable rattle in the front dash that developed over time. Also the infotainment screen randomly reboots and there's a defect in the passenger A-pillar trim that looks like a small bubble in the fabric that I was too lazy to report when I took delivery.

Trim: "Sorry but if you did not report the cosmetic defect to the trim at the time of delivery, we would have to charge you to have the trim replaced." (Fair enough, I'll own my laziness here.)

Screen Reboot: "We are aware of the reboot issue, its software, we're working on it." (Expected that.)

Dash Rattle: "I'm sorry to inform you that noise and vibration issues are not covered under the warranty. You will have to pay $97 to have a technician ride with you and diagnose the issue." (A 6 month old car has what sounds like a loose clip in the dash and that's not a build quality issue that's covered by warranty?!) "I'm sorry but unfortunately, noise and vibration are not covered in the warranty."

And that was it. I grabbed a Kurig coffee to make it worth my time and left in 10 minutes; a fitting capstone to roughly the first 6 months of ownership. I say fitting because everything leading up to this service visit was nothing short of the most surreal car ownership experience I've ever had.

I still remember day one, waiting with excitement in light drizzling rain for my new car to be delivered. Peaking anxiously for a trailer truck to pull up my street. Then, around the corner, was... my car, being driven. Ok. It pulls up to me and out hops two intern looking kids. "Hey dude, sorry we're late. Oh yeah, there was a big puddle when we got on the on-ramp in Fremont, sorry about the mud splatter on the side. If you see any scratches just email me, I'll take care of it." Thanks, I guess?

The oddity of the delivery process was quickly forgiven once I finally got through all the paper work and climbed into the only car I have ever been so sure about wanting. A gentle tap on the stalk and a quick tip into the pedal and I was giggling like no grown man should. As I pass the Dynamic Intern Duo who were now waiting for an Uber back to Fremont, I thought to myself, "what a weird company."

The next two months were just sheer bliss. Every morning was an adventure in trust exercises with Autopilot and, aside from the occasional "WTF are you doing?!" moments where I felt like it was trying to kill us both, I quickly figured out what it can or can't do. The spartan interior, which I didn't really like at the beginning, started to grow on me. Unfortunately, certain features that come standard on cars a third the cost became glaringly missing. A (good) blind spot detection for one and automatic wipers that actually work and not like they belong to a union is the other.

By month three, I've settled into the car like it was my favorite jacket. Sure, the wind and road noise is pretty terrible for a car in this price range and the little technical glitches like screen resets or cell connection dropouts are annoying but being able to take any spot on the road, or just knowing I can do this, makes the little flaws easy to overlook. I felt like goddamn Mufasa looking over the pride lands. "Where the light touches belongs to us."

Sometime around month four, I remembered Intern 1 telling me that my car should come with a spoiler and that Tesla would call me in three months to schedule an install. Haven't received any calls, I decided to reach out. First request, nothing. Second request, silence. Third request, and by now almost three weeks have passed since my first one, I get a copy paste response saying it's not ready and they're sorry. Around this time is also when the rattle in the dash started to become noticeable. I emailed Tesla Service again asking what this could be and whether to bring it in. No response. Second try, I got a response a week later telling me to schedule a service appointment.

As I exit the honeymoon phase and the new car smell wears off, I'm becoming more aware of the little things that Tesla just doesn't do so well. The suspension for one is a tad bouncy yet the ride is a bit rough which seems like a contradiction. The paint for whatever reason gets dusty really easily and after one of my friends pointed out all the areas where Tesla cheated and didn't paint, I can't unsee it. I also got my first fix-it ticket for not having a front plate. Since what Tesla provides stock is a stick-on plate holder for the front that's as ugly as sin, I was more than happy to suffer the ticket rather than deface my car.

And so we arrive today. I'm just sad rather than upset about the service experience. If anything, it's sort of what I've come to expect from Tesla. I do have a soft spot for this company and want to see them succeed but I can't help but feel Tesla is also getting lazy with their lead in the EV space. Only today can they get away with selling a $70k car without the spoiler (which I still haven't gotten) and claim obvious build quality issues are not covered under warranty. There will come a day when the Hondas and Fords of the world will put out $20k EVs that's comparable in performance to my 3. Hopefully Tesla gets their house in order before then.

You get paid by the word?

 

[WilliamG]

Tesla is actually telling the truth, rattles are NOT covered under warranty.


While I think that is pretty crappy, it is actually excluded.

The key word is “normal.” I doubt loose clips in the dash is “normal.”

 

[MountainJedi]

While I think that is pretty crappy, it is actually excluded.

It might be crappy, but it's not uncommon among vehicle warranties. I was told the same thing by Ford and charged $50 by Toyota to tighten a bolt (loose bolts are not covered under warranty).

 

[MichaelP90DL]

I'm very hard of hearing. If there are any squeaks or rattles...I'm oblivious.