Warranty Service, Charge Or No?

[SupraDude]

Can't seem to get a straight answer and Tesla customer service is a bit of a joke...have left multiple inquiries on website with phone number and no response ...

Looking to order a 3 standard+, need clarity before ordering.

I am approx 5.5 hours from nearest service center. (Fredericton, NB, Canada). During the warranty period, am I charged for ranger trips to my house or not? What if the ranger can't fix it on site? Does Tesla cover towing charges? What about loaners if it's down for a while?

 

[OCR1]

They won’t charge for a ranger trip however you will have to see if your location offers mobile service. Tesla offers free roadside assistance and towing if the car is non-functioning for a warranty related reason but not due to an accident. Loaners are not guaranteed. Each service center has a different policy. In general they will at least offer you some Uber or Lyft credits though.

If I was 5.5 hours away from a Tesla service center, I would not personally feel comfortable buying a Tesla.

 

[Bill Foster]

5.5 hours is a long long way.

 

[SupraDude]

Thanks for the responses so far. I'm not super concerned about the distance presuming they cover tow expenses and ranger repair at no cost during warranty. What about after the repairs are completed though? Will they bring it back or do I have to pick it up? I read about a Model S owner in Newfoundland being charged during the warranty period but perhaps Newfoundland is different? The closest center is in Quebec city which is an interesting place and I'm not opposed to a road trip every 4 years for the required battery fluid service. I'd likely skip the brake fluid change every 2 years though, being a mechanic that seems wildly unnecessary.

 

[OCR1]

You are describing a perfect world where nothing ever goes wrong with your car and you only need to go in for service every four years. What if you have a bunch of problems with the car that a mobile ranger can’t fix? What if you get a flat tire and they don’t have any spares or even a local towing service in your area?

 

[MP3Mike]

Does Tesla cover towing charges?

You should start by reading the warranty. (They may do more than this, but this is all they are obligated to provide.)

If the car is driveable you are responsible to get it to/from the service center:

To obtain warranty service, you must notify Tesla within the applicable warranty period, and deliver the vehicle, at your expense (except where Tesla is obligated to undertake towing), during regular business hours to a Tesla Service Center in your warranty region.

If the car is not driveable there is limited towing available that is paid for by Tesla:

For vehicle malfunctions due to warrantable issues, transportation services, provided by Roadside Assistance, are covered by Tesla for the first 500 miles (800 km) to the nearest Tesla Service Center. You are responsible for transportation costs beyond 500 miles (800 km) or any additional transportation from such locations to any additional location.

And I think that is only one way, once it is repaired it is your responsibility to pickup the car from the service center.

 

[MP3Mike]

The closest center is in Quebec city which is an interesting place and I'm not opposed to a road trip every 4 years for the required battery fluid service. I'd likely skip the brake fluid change every 2 years though, being a mechanic that seems wildly unnecessary.

They have updated the maintenance schedule and the battery coolant is now lifetime and never needs to be changed. They only say to check the brake fluid every two years and replace if needed.

Your Battery coolant does not need to be
replaced for the life of your vehicle under
most circumstances.

Here is what is left:

Service Intervals
Your vehicle should generally be serviced on
an as-needed basis. However, Tesla
recommends the following maintenance items
and intervals, as applicable to your vehicle, to
ensure continued reliability and efficiency of
your Model 3.
• Brake fluid health check every 2 years
(replace if necessary)
• A/C desiccant bag replacement every 6
years
• Cabin air filter replacement every 2 years
• Clean and lubricate brake calipers every
year or 12,500 miles (if in an area where
roads are salted during the Winter)
• Rotate tires every 10,000-12,000 miles
(16,000-20,000 km) or if tread depth
difference is 2/32 in (1.5 mm) or greater.

So it only needs to go to Tesla every 6 years for an A/C desiccant bag replacement. Any competent repair/brake shop should be able to cover the bi-yearly, or yearly, brake check/service. You can replace the cabin filter yourself fairly easily.

 

[SupraDude]

You are describing a perfect world where nothing ever goes wrong with your car and you only need to go in for service every four years. What if you have a bunch of problems with the car that a mobile ranger can’t fix? What if you get a flat tire and they don’t have any spares or even a local towing service in your area?

You are right, I'm definitely being an optimist here and would love to hear from fellow Tesla owners in Atlantic Canada on how this experience has been for them so far. Tesla seems to be pushing the message that these service center visits are extremely infrequent and 90% of repairs can be done on site- that being said, the remaining 10% I'd assume are drive motor or battery issues and in those cases the car likely would not be drive-able. I'm not super concerned about flat tires, those can be done by any tire shop,

You should start by reading the warranty. (They may do more than this, but this is all they are obligated to provide.)

If the car is driveable you are responsible to get it to/from the service center:



If the car is not driveable there is limited towing available that is paid for by Tesla:


And I think that is only one way, once it is repaired it is your responsibility to pickup the car from the service center.

Thank you for finding that document, very helpful I just read through it. Bit of a bummer to have to go pick the car up after the fact but are there many reports on unreliable/broken down Model 3's as of yet? I realize it isn't that far into production so it's hard to get a complete picture but at a quick glance these seem to be much more refined than the early Model S, have their been reports of breakdowns?

They have updated the maintenance schedule and the battery coolant is now lifetime and never needs to be changed. They only say to check the brake fluid every two years and replace if needed.


Here is what is left:


So it only needs to go to Tesla every 6 years for an A/C desiccant bag replacement. Any competent repair/brake shop should be able to cover the bi-yearly, or yearly, brake check/service. You can replace the cabin filter yourself fairly easily.

Ah ok, thanks again, I missed that update. Brakes definitely don't worry me, I can do that myself. I see Rockauto has started to get Tesla replacement parts and I presume this catalog will grow quickly as time goes on. I'd likely tackle the AC desiccant bag as well since the AC would be out of warranty by that time anyway. Plus I tend to not keep vehicles anymore than a couple of years, the likelihood of this still being in my driveway after 6 years is probably not high.

 

[Az_Rael]

have their been reports of breakdowns?

Yes, there have been reports of breakdowns for the 3. It tends to happen early if it is going to happen, but I have seen several reports of drive unit failures that require a tow. That happened to my neighbor on day 2 of ownership for his 3.

Also, I think many 3 owners require some interaction with the service center early on, mainly to address due bill issues that were noted upon delivery (misaligned panels, paint defects, etc). These items can’t be handled by mobile service. If you are OK with accepting any cosmetic issues as is at delivery, you may be able to avoid this.


I would buy a Tesla and plan on having to deal with the service center at least a couple of times in the first year. You may get lucky and not have to do that, but I wouldn’t count on that.

 

[SunCharged]

They won’t charge for a ranger trip however you will have to see if your location offers mobile service. Tesla offers free roadside assistance and towing if the car is non-functioning for a warranty related reason but not due to an accident. Loaners are not guaranteed. Each service center has a different policy. In general they will at least offer you some Uber or Lyft credits though.

If I was 5.5 hours away from a Tesla service center, I would not personally feel comfortable buying a Tesla.

Here in MI I was 5.5 hours away from the service center (Cleveland) until they added Toledo. Now I’m just under 3 hours away.

To not discourage buyers they do a great job at picking up your car and dropping off a loaner (no charge). Not to mention mobile service is great here as well.