Time for repairs have made Tesla a laughing stock in my family

[artsci]

I got rear ended on June 30 and the work on my car is still not complete, which has made Tesla a joke in my family. It's so bad that I have a Model 3 on reservation and I don't think anyone in my family will want it.

The repairs have been a comedy of errors, starting with Criswell, a Tesla licensed body shop in Annapolis, to SDR, a body shop near me, and finally the Tesla service center in Owings Mills. Wrong parts were shipped to both body shops and, of course, I was a victim of the standard Tesla parts delays, which by now have become legion.

Regarding the latter, my car has been at the Owings Mills service center since November 17. Today, November 27, they finally got the part they needed from California (a wire harness) to complete the work. My wife suggested that because it took 10 days for the part to arrive that maybe Tesla shipped the wiring harness via Pony Express, which is about the time a horse could get to Maryland from California.

Based on what they've observed in my experience they longer trust anything I say about the car and repair work. That's what it's come to: I can no longer defend the company or the car among the people nearest and dearest to me.

 

[Camera-Cruiser]

Arghhhh! this is frightening. Your posts are what keep me coming back here. So when are you leaving your family?

uhhhhhhh, and good luck.

 

[Qbenjamin]

It's threads like this that will come in masses and destroy the Tesla reputation once the Model 3 drivers hit the road and start needing parts. I can only imagine a year from now when there's so much back-lash about the parts process that it get's some real media attention.

 

[dhrivnak]

Sorry to hear of your problems I can't imagine how frustrating it is. Unfortunately that, and the proximity of service centers is the reason that I have held off on a Model 3.

 

[K-MTG]

I think it still depends on the bodyshop. I went to two bodyshops in SoCal. One place told me 6 months while another place told me 10 days. Both were approved by Tesla.

 

[KyleDay]

This also scares me. Fortunately I've been relative incident free. It did take me 3.5 weeks to get a new windshield when mine cracked. No big deal but not great if it is something critical next time.

 

[artsci]

Arghhhh! this is frightening. Your posts are what keep me coming back here. So when are you leaving your family?

uhhhhhhh, and good luck.

I need some good luck Maybe that will come when I file the dimished value claim.

 

[Rastaman777]

Did Tesla offer to cover a loaner vehicle for the extended time of the repair?

 

[David99]

Just another data point. I was rear ended. Quarter panel and rear bumper needed replacement. It took 11 weeks! Most repair stories are similar.

 

[eye.surgeon]

Unacceptable. I can only imagine what will happen when there are hundreds of thousands of model 3s driving around instead of a handful of MX and MS.

 

[TaoJones]

Remind me again what the Model 3 body panels finally ended up being made of? I hope to fook it's not aluminum. Thanks.

 

[KyleDay]

Aluminum

 

[PeterNg]

This also scares me. Fortunately I've been relative incident free. It did take me 3.5 weeks to get a new windshield when mine cracked. No big deal but not great if it is something critical next time.

Wow, you are lucky. Mine cracked on Labor day and now Thanksgiving has passed and I am still waiting for my windshield from Tesla.

 

[S4WRXTTCS]

For me it's more about the technology, and less about the company.

When did it break? With the promise of FSD. The gull they had to sell that is just unbelievable.

At least with the long repair time there was a chance of it getting better, and I believe statistically things have. Plus the Model 3 is a very different car. It's a high production car that's fairly low cost/complexity. At least in comparison to the Model S/X.

The FSD fiasco will always be a difficult convo.

Now I haven't jumped ship because there really isn't anything else yet. But, I have decided to keep the Model S I have until the Model 3 I recently reserved is ready or when something else makes sense.

I do have a strong conviction that if Tesla can survive the Model 3 production glitches that it will be a massive success. Sure there might be some quirks about it, but in terms of price point along with the supercharging network it's going to be hard to beat even for Tesla (with other models).

I also like simple things. They're nice and easy to explain.

The Model S that I have used to be simple and easy until Elon mocked it all up though all these distractions.

Just keep it simple.

Instead it's a non-ended series of things ONLY TWO YEARS AWAY.

 

[TaoJones]

Aluminum

*twitch*

 

[KyleDay]

Wow, you are lucky. Mine cracked on Labor day and now Thanksgiving has passed and I am still waiting for my windshield from Tesla.

Wut. Model S? That is shocking, especially since you're in Tesla country California.

You should call and inquire. My part order time was quoted as 2 weeks and came in 3.5. It took a call to corporate parts office to ask and they told me exactly when it would ship to my SC and sure enough it did exactly as they said.

Your experience, if for a model S, is a shame.

 

[PeterNg]

Wut. Model S? That is shocking, especially since you're in Tesla country California.

You should call and inquire. My part order time was quoted as 2 weeks and came in 3.5. It took a call to corporate parts office to ask and they told me exactly when it would ship to my SC and sure enough it did exactly as they said.

Your experience, if for a model S, is a shame.

yes, it's a model S. I'll call them tomorrow to see what's going on.

 

[TaoJones]

I need some good luck Maybe that will come when I file the dimished value claim.

Condolences. Any chance an escalation to the new Jerome (JonMc) would help at this point or is it just too far down the road (or not, as the case may be. Er, sorry.)

Good luck with the DV claim.

 

[igotzzoom]

At this point, I'm still committed to getting my Model 3, but it's far from a foregone conclusion that I'll be a repeat buyer. Honestly, if GM offered something with the performance and range of the Bolt but that looked more like the Regal, I'd probably buy that. I want to be a Tesla "lifer" but they have to earn my business. I'm a auto brand marketer's worst nightmare. I've never owned the same brand twice.

 

[vdiv]

This is really hard and discouraging to read, @artsci has been one of Tesla's staunchest and enthusiastic supporters for many years and his contributions to the community are many. We cannot lose people like him.