Tracking P85D delivery thread

[Andyw2100]

Considering I seem to be the only one remaining vocal about the issue, I'll take it as directed towards me.

I have no idea if the post you are referring to was directed at you or not.

But I just want to say that I've been following your situation all along, and definitely feel for you. I think you've made very valid points, and are certainly not whining. I'm guessing there are many others like me reading this forum who agree with you, and understand where you are coming from, and just aren't saying so, mainly because there hasn't been a reason to. I just wanted to let you know how I feel.

 

[gpetti]

Thank you for the videos and awesome info!
Going to watch them now

Awesome, thanks for all the work though I'm guessing it's a labour of love.

 

[Andyw2100]

As I mentioned briefly earlier, I wound up test driving a P85D today. You can read about it here: P85D sighting / test drives - Page 28

 

[wk057]

I have no idea if the post you are referring to was directed at you or not.

But I just want to say that I've been following your situation all along, and definitely feel for you. I think you've made very valid points, and are certainly not whining. I'm guessing there are many others like me reading this forum who agree with you, and understand where you are coming from, and just aren't saying so, mainly because there hasn't been a reason to. I just wanted to let you know how I feel.

Thanks

 

[randompersonx]

Thanks

I also mostly feel the same as you. The communication is terrible and the whole process is very irritating. Tesla asks me to hurry up about trading in my car, but won't answer about delivery. Next week. Next week. And I am left to wonder if I have a car that was manufactured wrong with some serious problems and some half decent manual repair attempt. It's probably nowhere near as bad as I imagine, which is why tesla really ought to give some information on what is happening.

That said, I really do not want to cancel.

edit for accuracy: tesla has actually extended my trade in deadline until the end of the month, but has not waived the 250 mile limit. I guess I can drive 10 miles per day, until hopefully I get a car from tesla. Not the right experience on a 130k purchase.

It it has nothing to do with the wait, if I were told it was a January delivery, I could plan for it. I was told December, and not that I would have a Frankenstein car.

 

[commasign]

I'm with you too wk057. Your issues are legitimate, not "whining". The delays are understandable, but the lack of communication and "let's make this right ASAP" attitude has been especially disappointing.

 

[Drron]

I am not sure how Tesla's production line works but many years ago when I worked at the Ford Dearborn plant during the summers while in college, I noticed that cars that were completed but had some problems were put in a special area where the problems were fixed by a couple workers rather than being placed back on the much faster assembly line. The workers were much slower since it was truly hand assembly work and unassisted by fancy machines. Perhaps that is what happening with the defective seats that were installed. Just a guess. Dr. Ron

 

[redox]

My suspicion is that they are not investing resources in fixing those "early line cars" and instead directing them to produce other cars that are destined to be shipped around the country.
This will allow them to put as many cars on trailers as possible and then do Fremont-delivered cars, in order to maximize the number of people that can take ownership of the car in 2014.

Fun fact: my 12/3 delivery date was cancelled right after I wired the full amount to pay off the invoice. No news since.

Communication is clearly not their strongest suit. Unfortunately they are alienating some of their best ambassadors.

-- Greg

 

[Alysashley79]

I've taken a tour of the tesla factory (for those that haven't...everything is automated down to the very end on the smart cars and then the car will roll off it at the end for the testing course which is handled 100% by humans and not by any of the robots and there is an area the cars are sent to if there is a problem and then depending what it is it may go back on the smart car back to the assembly line. At least this is how things were handled a year ago when we took our tour)

 

[crazybrit]

First: MarcG, congratulations. I am beyond jealous.

Second: Did you all see the Model S nameplate at the bottom of the door in MarcG's pics? I think that's new!

Third: Ok, I'm going to rant. If you don't want to see it, move on. This is not directed at anyone in particular.

What's with all the whining guys? Jeeez. Many of us Model S old timers waited 3 YEARS for our Model S. You've been waiting a few months at most and sound like Tesla has murdered your first-born. For the love of God, get some perspective folks. You're about to take delivery of the fastest sedan on the planet. Built-to-order from the internet. Quicker than all but the most elite of cars, period. Consider this car is ALSO among the most efficient cars on the planet. Consider it's arguably the world's most advanced car, at a price point for its performance that is amazing. You're going to get free fuel.

Do you all understand the remarkable engineering achievement that the P85D represents? The Model S when it first came out was a remarkable achievement in and of itself. From a performance perspective, this car is an engineering triumph on a whole new level. In just 2.5 or so years, Tesla has literally leapfrogged 110 years of ICE performance innovation. Literally all of the old class performance leaders have now been completely eclipsed by the new guy (track performance remains to be seen--but this car's made for driving--not tracking!)

Stop the whining for a moment and think about that. The fastest sedan on the planet, and it can seat 5+2. It has 1.5 trunks. The Audi RS7 used to be the benchmark of sedan performance. Now it's the P85D. Think about that again. The car that 2 months ago was the quickest sedan on the planet is now chasing you.

I understand the frustration of expecting delivery and planning around it, only to be let down. I've been through it.

But please recognize that Elon wasn't kidding. Building cars in freakin' HARD. Bulding cars for demanding buyers used to expensive performance/luxury cars is even harder. Guess what? Building cars to order, with new technology and a new company--as the new guy--is an order of magnitude HARDER.

Tesla is not perfect. We all know that. They can improve, no doubt. But Tesla wants to get these cars in your hands. They want nothing more than that. They're not playing favorites, nor trying to favor some at the expense of others. Manufacturing is just a complex beast. The reasons for the delays are usually complex and you will likely never know the full complexity of the reason why your car took 4 weeks longer to build than some other guy. The wait, in the end, is in your best interest and you'll forget it when you take delivery and switch to INSANE mode.

Just take a moment, breathe, and relax. Whether you get your tax credit this year or next...whether you have the car before your vacation or not...whether your car is a 2014 or a 2015, or has a heated steering wheel...get some perspective. You're going to be owning and driving among the most bitchin' cars on the planet.

Be happy you can afford this car, be thankful that there are a lot of bright people at Tesla that put in sh*t tons of hours a week at work to make this car as awesome as they can. And take pleasure in knowing that *this* Model S "veteran" is ridiculously jealous of you.

Amen to that!

 

[DPDsModelS]

Be happy you can afford this car, be thankful that there are a lot of bright people at Tesla that put in sh*t tons of hours a week at work to make this car as awesome as they can. And take pleasure in knowing that *this* Model S "veteran" is ridiculously jealous of you.

+1

Thank you for trying to give us newbies some perspective. Seriously, we are all really fortunate to have these "first world problems!"

That being said, the issues that Wk057, commasign, gg, etc. are complaining about are real & very frustrating! If you go back to the days while people waited years for the first MSs, you may remember some of the same sentiments back then. I was originally had sequence number 2,176 of the General Production preservation list in 2010, but I bailed because I got tired of this crap!

I am sure that we'll all quickly forget the angst of waiting without proper communication shortly after our heads snap back into our next generation seats! Yet, if people can't vent their frustrations here, then where?

PS- thank you MarcG for taking the time to post your experience today! You really helped ease the anxiety of dropping so much $ and not knowing exactly what we are getting and when it's coming.

 

[wk057]

@DPDsModelS - You're VIN is only 18 higher than mine and you're relatively close... I'll be curious as to what you experience relative to my own.

 

[CanadaEV]

Do you all understand the remarkable engineering achievement that the P85D represents? The Model S when it first came out was a remarkable achievement in and of itself. From a performance perspective, this car is an engineering triumph on a whole new level. In just 2.5 or so years, Tesla has literally leapfrogged 110 years of ICE performance innovation.

Besides its remarkable technical achievements, Tesla is relating to its customers for the most part as human beings who are part of a great adventure together with the company. I see so many owners who are astonished that any company could relate to them in such a human way. They think it's almost impossible because of how poorly they are accustomed to having big companies treat them, and think it's written in stone somewhere.

And, this adventure with Tesla has much deeper meaning than most corporate/consumer relationships. It is a shared experience with the goal of making a real difference in the way we treat the Earth and the way we'll leave it for future generations. And we actually get to have enormous fun doing it.

Very little of this is about me, me, me, which the standard corporate model encourages in us with so much propaganda about greed being good.

I get it about the frustration. My 85D isn't due until March, so I'm not even thinking about it as a reality for me yet. But as the time draws near, I know I won't be immune either. When that happens, I hope I'll remember to "Just take a moment, breathe, and relax," and temper my impatience with some of the gratitude this great company deserves.

 

[scott2613]

Hey Rich, take a close look at your Purchase Agreement. It's on the Final Price Sheet page at the top. It's pretty hidden. Hope that helps bud.

I didn't know this until I saw your response to Firewired, so the got a copy from my leasing company that they filled out on Dec. 10th. It says delivery on or about Dec. 16, 2014 and the Delivery Specialist said that she still thought delivery would be around the middle of the month which is the same date she gave us shortly after the order was placed (Oct. 10). Perhaps the Chicago cars will be arriving around the middle of next week.
I've spoken with her a total of three times and have decided not to bother her again. I realized the delivery specialists are kind of in the position of the wait staff at a restaurant when something blows up in the kitchen. Not their fault but they end up having to absorb a lot of the the stress. For me, the wait is part of the fun anyway.

 

[Todd Burch]

Wk057, like I said, it's not directed at anyone at particular and you are certainly nowhere near the only one with complaints. Not saying you can't post about your frustrations. Not saying some frustrations aren't legitimate. But at times there tends to be a fairly large "but what about me? I paid $xxx for this car and..." attitude from some here (not saying you) without recognizing that:

A) Everyone else paid $xxx or thereabouts too,
B) Stuff happens, and
C) Sometimes handling the problems from (B) in a truly "fair" way just isn't practical.

And no, waiting almost 3 yrs for my Model S was not a choice. If it were my choice, I would have driven away in one the day I saw the prototype.

 

[wk057]

And no, waiting almost 3 yrs for my Model S was not a choice. If it were my choice, I would have driven away in one the day I saw the prototype.

It was certainly a choice. Your options were: wait indefinitely (3 years as it turns out), or not wait and cancel. You obviously chose the former. Driving off in a prototype was obviously not an option, and thus not part of the choice to wait.

While I doubt the wait will be 3 years for the P85D, everyone still have the choice whether or not to wait. Tesla can't force anyone to buy their cars, nor can they force or expect anyone to wait an unspecified amount of time for delivery.

 

[gpetti]

I have no idea if the post you are referring to was directed at you or not.

But I just want to say that I've been following your situation all along, and definitely feel for you. I think you've made very valid points, and are certainly not whining. I'm guessing there are many others like me reading this forum who agree with you, and understand where you are coming from, and just aren't saying so, mainly because there hasn't been a reason to. I just wanted to let you know how I feel.

I think it was directed at me too. I've become increasingly vocal about my annoyances as well. I'm not under a time constraint so I may have been less vocal than wk057, but I was tempted to point out that Todd also has the ability to "move on" if he doesn't like the "whining". Glad I resistd that urge :smile: but it has occurred to me that maybe some of us that are stuck in the same boat could start a separate thread so that we don't pee on any one else's parade. I think for now though we should continue here as our experiences are probably still relevant and interesting to others. I don't necessarily disagree with Todds overall philosophy, I just don't think that negates our right to identify problems,anomalies and issues with the process. I also think that the Tesla we have come to know and love wants to be seen a a serious player, not a new startup. They don't aspire to mediocrity and they probably don't want to be known for the motto "we are doing the best we can but car making is hard!" . With that in mind I will do my best to communicate to Tesla why I think this was badly handled and my views on how this could be better handled in th future. I thinking that this is also one of the objectives shared by many people on this forum. We care about the car and the company and we seem to hold them to a higher standard than others companies we deal with. I for one have never spent this much time on a forum before.

 

[LetsGoFast]

Much like with the complaints that got spun off into their own thread, I really think that no one would really mind the various delays and technical problems if they were managed with more clear and consistent communications. At least that is true for me. I feel like the only way I get any information is to proactively contact my DS and even then it is hit or miss at best what they are able to tell me. It also puts me in an uncomfortable position of trying to decide if I am being unreasonable by calling them every four or five days. Having the delays wrapped around the holidays and the deadline for tax credits and new year VINs is also a complicating factor.

I guess I'm kind of in the middle. I totally get the frustration some people express and I'm fine with them venting here from time to time and I also understand and appreciate the perspective of the "old timers" who point out that ultimately this wait is nothing compared to what they went through.

 

[tezco]

Much like with the complaints that got spun off into their own thread, I really think that no one would really mind the various delays and technical problems if they were managed with more clear and consistent communications.

Believe it or not, communications are better now than with the initial Sig production run, but there is still some room for improvement. My Sig reservation was 509 if I remember correctly, but the final VIN revealed that I was more than 300 behind my adjacent reservation holders. There was a vague mention in TMC about occasional cars that were not up to standards, were scrapped, and rebuilt from scratch. There also was an issue with the quality of the white leather Tesla originally received from their supplier. Personally, I was glad my car was late but perfect, instead of on-time but blemished. Everyone would like to see a linear build process, but it just doesn't happen in the real world. I imagine it's a mad scramble at the factory this very minute.

 

[Andyw2100]

Earlier, Todd, you wrote:

Third: Ok, I'm going to rant. If you don't want to see it, move on. This is not directed at anyone in particular.

What's with all the whining guys?

After some back and forth, you wrote:

Wk057, like I said, it's not directed at anyone at particular and you are certainly nowhere near the only one with complaints. Not saying you can't post about your frustrations. Not saying some frustrations aren't legitimate. But at times there tends to be a fairly large "but what about me? I paid $xxx for this car and..." attitude from some here (not saying you) without recognizing that:

A) Everyone else paid $xxx or thereabouts too,
B) Stuff happens, and
C) Sometimes handling the problems from (B) in a truly "fair" way just isn't practical.

Which brings me to some old posts that I stumbled upon because they were pointed to from a recent thread:

In RIP VIN P01653 we all learned that my Model S is going to salvage heaven .

I found out today that the 2 years remaining on my prepaid service plan are non-refundable, and cannot be transferred to a new car. That sucks. Basically, if you get a prepaid service plan and lose your car for some reason or another, you're out whatever amount remains. Has anyone else had the same or different experience? Had I known the plan wasn't transferable back when I got it almost 2 years ago, I wouldn't have purchased the prepaid plan at all.

Something to think about if you're considering prepaying.

Not really too "whiny" yet, but certainly complaining. Though no one could say you didn't have a fair point.

Later we have:

Yeah, right now it looks like I'm going to get screwed by my insurance company and by Tesla. I hope that turns out to not be the case.

Jeez Tesla, I put a deposit down in January of 2010. Show a little mercy!

Personally I think that's bordering on the "whiny." With reason, of course.

And you wrote to Tesla. (Or called them. I didn't read the entire thread, but you actively tried to get Tesla to change their policy.) And then look...

Update:

Tesla is working out getting me a prorated refund. They will also take my suggestions regarding adding language to the service contract regarding what happens if the car is lost through theft, casualty, etc.

Tesla comes through again!

The subject of that thread has been edited to:

Resolved: Prepaid Service Plan Initially Not Transferable (now prorated)

and this note has been added to the first post in it:

UPDATE: Tesla will be providing a prorated refund for the unused portion of the plan.

The complaining (or venting or whatever you want to call it) that you did on the forum was about an issue important to you where you thought you were being treated unfairly, exactly as some of the people posting in this thread feel they are being treated unfairly now. You then tried to correct the issue by going straight to Tesla, as some of these posters have done, or have talked about doing, and the result was a better, more fair policy for everyone! You got everyone who buys a service agreement a better deal! Thank you!

In my mind these situations are similar, so it just strikes me as ironic that you are taking a position kind of on the other side on this one when these guys are basically trying to do exactly what you did about a different issue.