Towed back to Tesla after driving only 32 miles...

[jeffbco]

I'm sure that VIN 5YJYGDEF8LF044434 will make it back into circulation in the near future with about 80 miles on it as a used car and I wish the future owner great success.

Since the car hadn't been titled (sold), it will probably re-appear as a new car. Thanks for the tale of horror and the VIN warning.

 

[Balthezor]

Since the car hadn't been titled (sold), it will probably re-appear as a new car. Thanks for the tale of horror and the VIN warning.

Isn't the car titled/sold when you drive it off the lot? Especially since he had to ask for a refund?

 

[jeffbco]

Isn't the car titled/sold when you drive it off the lot? Especially since he had to ask for a refund?

Buyer has 7 days to return so AFAIK, no title. Maybe reason why it takes 3 weeks to get purchase paperwork to buyers.

 

[spdracer888]

Bummer. I was hoping to read a favorable resolution. This adds a another level of stress to this purchase process as I'm expecting my MYP shortly. Sorry this happened to you...I, too would've done the same.

 

[MYP2020]

Buyer has 7 days to return so AFAIK, no title. Maybe reason why it takes 3 weeks to get purchase paperwork to buyers.

Hi Jeff, I'm guessing that mine was titled, I didn't start initiate the return until day 14, and had to go back home to get my wife's signature (she was also listed on title) and overnight the return paperwork back to Tesla. They wouldn't have received until Saturday, so likely no one looked at it until today, which would be day 18.

I'm actually expecting plates to show up in the mail in a week or so, I doubt that Tesla was able to stop that process in time. Unwinding this transaction will probably be a little painful, though I haven't done anything like this before, so this is a learning experience.

 

[Brown1428]

Hi Jeff, I'm guessing that mine was titled, I didn't start initiate the return until day 14, and had to go back home to get my wife's signature (she was also listed on title) and overnight the return paperwork back to Tesla. They wouldn't have received until Saturday, so likely no one looked at it until today, which would be day 18.

I'm actually expecting plates to show up in the mail in a week or so, I doubt that Tesla was able to stop that process in time. Unwinding this transaction will probably be a little painful, though I haven't done anything like this before, so this is a learning experience.

Tesla voluntarily bought back my Model Y and it only took them a little more than a week to FedEx me and my lender payoff checks. I owned my vehicle for about 2 months and had logged about 2k miles, had already received plates, etc. Not sure if the process for my buyback was different than the standard 7 day return. Very smooth process once it was underway.

 

[Electric700]

Hi All, I officially returned the Model Y Performance last night. It just wasn't meant to be and my final decision aligned with what many of you suggested, thanks for your input and I have no regrets.

It still had not been fixed after 14 days with Tesla Service and the repair forecast continued to move to the right, with another week being added yesterday morning. The total repair time would exceed 22 days for a car I owned for 1 hour.

Tesla Engineering in CA identified the root cause as a defective rear drive unit that created an intermittent signal, shutting down the car. They didn't provide any more details than that. In a cursory search of the internet, I see defective model S drive unit replacements being a recurring theme, but did not find other model Y owners reporting any similar replacements yet.

Beyond the abysmal customer service and outright refusal for any Tesla Mount Kisco leadership member to return any of my calls or emails over the 14 day period, here's what pushed me over the edge this week to enact the return policy:

• Monday: new drive unit arrives at Tesla Mount Kisco
• Tuesday 11 a.m.: Tesla Service texts me that my car is on a lift being disassembled for the drive unit replacement (Yipppeee)
• Wednesday 3 p.m.: Tesla Service calls to tell me they were sent the wrong drive unit?!? Car is reassembled and placed back outside, with another week added to the repair estimate.

Working in manufacturing, my perspective is that it is inexcusable to start disassembly without first confirming you have the correct parts to assemble on the back end. That basic principle was violated and rework was the result.

In the end, I lost confidence in their capabilities and I didn't pay $61K for my brand new vehicle to be Tesla Mount Kisco's project car to unnecessarily disassemble and reassemble multiple times (or for it to be left for a full work day at someone's personal condo per earlier post, when they were supposed to be troubleshooting it). My concern was that new issues would arise.

I'm sure that VIN 5YJYGDEF8LF044434 will make it back into circulation in the near future with about 80 miles on it as a used car and I wish the future owner great success. For the moment I'm done with Tesla and I declined to pursue the exception to policy for the 12 month hold, at least for Tesla Mount Kisco. We'll see what the future holds, though I strongly feel that Tesla's poor post-sale customer service won't magically improve in the near future and that will certainly be a factor that I take into consideration.

On the Model Y return thread I'll post a snapshot of the single piece of return paperwork that is required to enact the return policy. It's very simple, though I had expected to fill out and sign multiple sheets.

Terrible, I hope they can make things right for you if you want to give Tesla another chance. They should give you a year of free Supercharging for all of your trouble if you order another Model Y.

 

[alloverx]

How much is a year of supercharging for the average person, I recall it was a few hundred dollars? Obviously there are outliers.
Given that Telsa no longer has a PR budget perhaps he should get a $10K discount.

Time to move on.

 

[GrizzlyDog]

You should return it as this might not be a good sign for long term. You can still order a Performance just change the seat colour to white if you ordered it in black before (I did this). Honestly, this is my second Y Performance and I'm also very upset because now I have to take it in to service for the 30+ problems it has after buying it. Tesla needs to seriously improve their QC department.

 

[MYP2020]

4 months later my model Y performance lemon (VIN 5YJYGDEF8LF044434) is back on the market at Tesla Mount Kisco, upgraded to FSD and a $2,690 discount over buying new. Good luck to any new buyer.

2020 Model Y | Tesla

 

[BlueRocket]

4 months later my model Y performance lemon (VIN 5YJYGDEF8LF044434) is back on the market at Tesla Mount Kisco, upgraded to FSD and a $2,690 discount over buying new. Good luck to any new buyer.

2020 Model Y | Tesla

Thanks for posting your story. Sorry for your crappy experience and trouble. My admiration for Tesla from when I first purchased my S four years ago is waning. While I did not have the horrible experience you had at the SC, mine has not been good. I don't like being lied to and treated like I bought a used Yugo especially after paying close to double what you paid for your MY. I salute Tesla for disrupting the automobile industry but am glad there will be multiple choices in the EV market in the near future. Oh, and I stupidly paid for FSD in 2016....still waiting and not understanding why my car doesn't self drive like the one they showed me in the video back then

 

[Redbrick]

I would return the car. You are within the 7 days.

Me too....I would return the car...this is just crazy. my delivery experience was terrible too. I will never buy another tesla..

 

[mark95476]

I'm sure Tesla repaired it properly, it's covered under warranty, and someone will pick it up for the discount. That being said, if I knew the history then I wouldn't buy that particular car.

4 months later my model Y performance lemon (VIN 5YJYGDEF8LF044434) is back on the market at Tesla Mount Kisco, upgraded to FSD and a $2,690 discount over buying new. Good luck to any new buyer.

2020 Model Y | Tesla

 

[ArizonaJon]

The price is dropping almost daily. Interesting pricing history.

 

[Y_tho]

4 months later my model Y performance lemon (VIN 5YJYGDEF8LF044434) is back on the market at Tesla Mount Kisco, upgraded to FSD and a $2,690 discount over buying new.

Assuming all is fixed, it seems like a decent discount, although it only includes one month of premium connectivity instead of one year, so the discount takes a small hit there...

Oh - wait - since it's listed as used vs new, the interest rate on a loan is showing as 3.99%, not 2.49%. That seems to be a fairly big difference. If you do a 6-year loan for the same amount on both cars ($68,100 loan), the payments for a new car are $25/month lower than your returned being-sold-as-used car. There goes the discount...

 

[Daks]

Assuming all is fixed, it seems like a decent discount, although it only includes one month of premium connectivity instead of one year, so the discount takes a small hit there...

Oh - wait - since it's listed as used vs new, the interest rate on a loan is showing as 3.99%, not 2.49%. That seems to be a fairly big difference. If you do a 6-year loan for the same amount on both cars ($68,100 loan), the payments for a new car are $25/month lower than your returned being-sold-as-used car. There goes the discount...

Depends on the bank. Mine treats a 2020 with less than 1,000 miles as new - some banks treat 2020's as new regardless. I got a better interest rate offer from a non-tesla referred credit union.

Having said that, personally, I will almost never (never say never) buy a used vehicle again. You give up a lot of rights doing so - and have seen people burned by that.

 

[TespaceX]

Tesla needs to seriously improve their QC department.

The same since almost a decade ago.
All that PR awhile back about how they were going to focus on service quality and expanding service amounted to pretty much nothing. And the same egotistic managers are still there at my two local Tesla locations.

 

[TomServo]

Tesla really needs to up it's Customer Service game. Here in the St Louis area we have ONE service center, there are others with the next nearest in Bloomington IL about 170 miles away. So it not like buying a Chevy with 30 or more dealers in the St Louis area you can choose from. I have heard Tesla wants to build more Service Centers, good they need to, but maybe they should hire a few folks to answer phones or text messages too?

 

[Pianewman]

As with any startup venture, consumer demand rules storefront installation. I guess the St. Louis area isn't high on Tesla's list for demans.