Thinking of cancelling Model X order after reading negative customer service reviews???

[K2500Z71]

Go read the discussion forums for ANY car you’d consider and you’re likely to be scared off by the “vocal few” who post negative comments.

I had the same reservations before I bought my X a month ago. Is it perfect? No, but no car I’ve ever owned was (from Toyota to Mercedes). Would I buy another Tesla? Absolutely, without reservation.

My other three ICE vehicles (including a Corvette) have largely remained parked since I got my X because I enjoy driving it so much.

 

[Evoforce]

So before you go into major life or death surgery, you want to hear only the stories where they died right? Even if the majority live? That way you can justify cancelling surgery because there is a chance (however slim) you could die... but you are afraid so you give yourself the death sentence because the risk of taking a chance is too great for you to handle.

 

[Evoforce]

I can't, but you should read this thread.

Glass half empty of vinegar... Please point me to positive Tesla posts that you have made. You don't even own a Tesla to provide your own experiences... Pretty close to being a Mercedes salesman.

 

[StuartPDX]

We have a 2016 X whose lease expires next week, and we have decided to purchase a new one. Our decision came down to whether to keep our current X or to buy or lease a new one. We are not car people at all, but love our S and X and can’t imagine driving anything else. The X is our absolute favorite. Our early X is not perfect - it’s had some minor issues - mostly rattles - that service has always dealt with quickly. We love mobile service, which is able to handle rattles easily. Besides the wonderfully smooth drive of the X, another feature that Tesla has and seems underreported in the press is the supercharger network. With a Tesla, you can comfortably drive most places without range anxiety. Other great car brands do or will have electric rivals to Tesla. But how can they realistically be anything more than city cars? As for the charger, we had an outlet installed in our garage to which we plug our Tesla cable. For our S, we actually just plug it into a regular outlet. It’s slow but is fine for a car that is not driven all that much.

 

[Petrocelli]

To the OP:

Here's my view as a Tesla shopper in August 2019. I really wanted to get a Tesla. I had spreadsheets calculating out my savings. I had a bid from an electrician to install a charger. I was pretty far down the Tesla road. So this is my real opinion. I'm not a troll looking for trouble. I'm a person who understands the worry that you are feeling. You really want that car, but you're starting to get worried about customer service. I get it.

Right now is a bad time to get a Tesla. It may be better in 3 months or a year. I don't know. But I do know this: right now, service centers are swamped with cars. Customer service is also swamped. If you order a car, you can't get a concrete answer as to when you will get it. If you get in an accident, you may have to wait for months for parts.

There are also some questions about build quality. There have been a lot of problems with paint and electrical systems.. I don't know whether it is with 1% of the cars or 10%. I know a Chinese company bought 278 Teslas a few months back, and claimed that more than 20% of the 278 cars it purchased experienced "electro-mechanical failures."

I looked at some other EVs, and was really interested in the Hyundai Kona, but the dealer was asking $5,000 over sticker. So I leased an ICE vehicle for 3 years. I figure by then, the EV market will look a lot different. This month, we have seen releases of two more EVS at opposite ends of the spectrum -- VW and Mercedes. So in 3 years, I figure there will be about 25-75 EVS with a range of over 250 miles. They will probably be cheaper too.

But right now, you are talking about handing over a small fortune to a company that won't answer the phones.

So here's my honest advice to the OP: cancel it and wait a few months. If Tesla starts opening a lot of service centers, and answering phones by then, get the Model X. If not, wait another three months. Or get a VW or Mercedes or Hyundai or Bolt.

 

[electronblue]

Increasing reluctance from Tesla to deal with warranty issues (see yellowing screens, battery range caps, paint issues, avoiding serious cosmetic fixes due to ”allowances” and what have you), combined with a service network that is reluctant to even answer your calls, I have personally skipped buying a new Tesla for the time being.

There is something rotten in the state of Denmark at the moment that is different from Tesla of yore.

The one I have — a late 2016 Model X — predates some of these issues (it got most of its issues fixed back in the day when Tesla actually did fix things, but does have others like AP2 with its terrible promise/delivery track record...) but I’m keeping it mostly because it is already more of a sunk investment that has use value more than resale value for me at this point.

But as @jeffro01 said... as for buying a new one, I’d rather run to the hills.

 

[mswlogo]

To the OP:

Here's my view as a Tesla shopper in August 2019. I really wanted to get a Tesla. I had spreadsheets calculating out my savings. I had a bid from an electrician to install a charger. I was pretty far down the Tesla road. So this is my real opinion. I'm not a troll looking for trouble. I'm a person who understands the worry that you are feeling. You really want that car, but you're starting to get worried about customer service. I get it.

Right now is a bad time to get a Tesla. It may be better in 3 months or a year. I don't know. But I do know this: right now, service centers are swamped with cars. Customer service is also swamped. If you order a car, you can't get a concrete answer as to when you will get it. If you get in an accident, you may have to wait for months for parts.

There are also some questions about build quality. There have been a lot of problems with paint and electrical systems.. I don't know whether it is with 1% of the cars or 10%. I know a Chinese company bought 278 Teslas a few months back, and claimed that more than 20% of the 278 cars it purchased experienced "electro-mechanical failures."

I looked at some other EVs, and was really interested in the Hyundai Kona, but the dealer was asking $5,000 over sticker. So I leased an ICE vehicle for 3 years. I figure by then, the EV market will look a lot different. This month, we have seen releases of two more EVS at opposite ends of the spectrum -- VW and Mercedes. So in 3 years, I figure there will be about 25-75 EVS with a range of over 250 miles. They will probably be cheaper too.

But right now, you are talking about handing over a small fortune to a company that won't answer the phones.

So here's my honest advice to the OP: cancel it and wait a few months. If Tesla starts opening a lot of service centers, and answering phones by then, get the Model X. If not, wait another three months. Or get a VW or Mercedes or Hyundai or Bolt.

I’m picking up my X Saturday

And I just sold my perfect Model 3 Performance that I had for a year. I have had one service done (3 months ago) and I’d give them an A- (sloppy putting a trim piece back). Which was not all there fault but a wire not routed properly from factory that prevent it from snapping back in place. Took a week and they loaned me an S. Liked the S so much I bought an X (I wanted an S that can Tow).

The app is awesome for service. Tesla is transitioning to that app. No more calls, period. They are not very good at communicating that they are and have done this. You constantly here I can’t get through to SC. That’s by design now.

Like dealers there are some better than others.

I think this image speaks for itself. This is Google Ratings of the 5 closest Service Centers to me.

 

[alcibiades]

One thing to watch out getting advice here is that a significant number of posters own Tesla stock and are very unlikely to discourage anyone from buying one. Simultaneously they deride people with bad experiences as shorts in TSLA.

No doubt there are histrionics from posters who have very bad experiences, and we can dismiss the margins. But only a fool would look at the consistent reports of problems (warranty denials, battery caps, difficulty in scheduling service, "within specs" arguments) and then point to google reviews of service centers as dispositive.

I have had a relatively miserable ownership experience, but because of certain things my family wants, we bought another one. You just have to ask yourself how the balance works for you.

 

[jboy210]

Go read the discussion forums for ANY car you’d consider and you’re likely to be scared off by the “vocal few” who post negative comments.

I had the same reservations before I bought my X a month ago. Is it perfect? No, but no car I’ve ever owned was (from Toyota to Mercedes). Would I buy another Tesla? Absolutely, without reservation.

My other three ICE vehicles (including a Corvette) have largely remained parked since I got my X because I enjoy driving it so much.

Completely agree.

But, if you are the type of person that expects service to be there ready to get your car worked on immediately, then Tesla is not for you. The cars are great and I don't drive my BMWs much after getting an X. But if you are the type that "expect a $100,000 car ...." then I would not buy a Tesla. Tesla is a young car company working with a unique model (no dealerships) and value proposition (software controls most things, more computer than traditional car, new features added to existing cars, minimalist styling is best, gas is evil, service is at home or work first and only at service center if necessary, etc.). Tesla is an evolving car company, and there are a lot of rough spots now, and will likely be more going forward.

 

[jeffro01]

Tesla really limits communication over the telephone. They prefer to handle things more efficiently over the internet. They are growing so fast they have a hard time getting all their information distributed to their employees, so many do not have the information you may want at their fingertips. To many eager new employees tend to give out false information that end up causing drama for both customer and manufacturer.

Even on the internet, they do not want to chit chat. Depend on their customers to figure things out with all the information available on the web.

Wall charger information is different for every country. They typically will give charging information to the prospective owners via internet prior to their car being delivered. Will allow them time to get their home charging station installed prior to taking delivery. For me, it was detailed in my purchase agreement. Told me what I needed to have ready to charge up my new Model X at home.

Try not to get upset. This is the Tesla way and for many hundreds of thousands it has ended up with a successful delivery and a satisfied customer.

Of course, some are not satisfied with this new way. Not the way they are used to buying a car. No more going down to the dealership, where a sales person will put you through the wringer and do everything they can to "get you into a new car today". No more, that car we had advertised for a great price is no longer available, but for just a little more money a month we can get you into a car type things.

They do little hand holding, and mostly go radio silence until they have the car produced and ready for your delivery. Then they will be all over it, arrange financing and deliver your car.

The cars are really quite remarkable, and are showing the way for transportation into the future. The driving experience is far better than with the previous gassers, and the driving experience is life altering.

Man that's some next level spin right there... I really think TMC should require members to divulge if they have a position in TSLA as your post is classic of someone who's an investor...

I'll summarize "Yeah so if you actually need anything or actually need to talk to someone you're completely SOL but don't worry, that's okay and you should be happy with it because well they are growing so fast that you're being unreasonable for expecting someone to be available to help you"... Come on... This isn't about the "normal way to buy a car" BS, this is about BASIC customer service that has NOTHING to do with being a car company. The lengths posters like you will go to in order to cover up the stench from the BS that is Tesla right now is comical...

Tesla is a very simple company to understand right now, they don't want to talk to you as a customer and once you take delivery you might as well not even exist. However, if you're lucky enough to get a problem free car then you're all set as the cars are next level amazing. Otherwise, Tesla will make you hate the day you ever decided to buy one of their cars. If you can live with that reality then go ahead, buy one. If you're use to white glove, red carpet treatment then you really should run for the hills and buy anything else. You absolutely won't be happy.

Jeff

 

[Uncle Paul]

Think you may have a point and I was just summarizing how I believe the company is currently being run.

Of course, a retail company should have trained people manning the phone lines. Imaging that Tesla is going to relook at doing so.

 

[Evoforce]

I would look into Consumer Reports on Tesla customer satisfaction ratings and safety ratings. I would also point out that none of your responders are in the UK. In truth, none of us (posters thus far) have experience in your region.

 

[hayito]

picked up my car yesterday and I am loving it so far...

 

[m3supra]

picked up my car yesterday and I am loving it so far...

nice, I really hope you won the Tesla lottery. I lost on my model 3 and it's been a nightmare. I would think the limited production of the X compared to the 3 would lead to better build quality..... which would make sense outside Tesla world.

 

[jboy210]

nice, I really hope you won the Tesla lottery. I lost on my model 3 and it's been a nightmare. I would think the limited production of the X compared to the 3 would lead to better build quality..... which would make sense outside Tesla world.

Model X is very hard car to build. The falcon wing doors are a nightmare to get right because of all the hinges and continuous curves that need to align and also bend in mid-air. A delicate piece, or as Elon said, "fabrege-egg".