Warranty/Servicing - official Tesla responses (incl GeorgeB)

[4sevens.com]

I know of no other car company that requires such a mandatory inspection plan to maintain their cars' warranties. There are a lot that have an optional inspection/maintenance plan, but they are not requirements for warranty maintenance.
What's different about Tesla is that there's no warranty on the car if you don't buy their maintenance plan.

One thing to note... in the configuration page note that the warranty is for the battery - it says nothing of drive train or anything else. Does that mean the warranty only covers the battery??

I'm going to have to read into my MVPA that I signed a month ago.

 

[bonnie]

If you read the full specs for the car at Model S Specs and Standard Features | Tesla Motors, you'll see this:

 

[NigelM]

I know of no other car company that requires such a mandatory inspection plan to maintain their cars' warranties.

There's no point in me listing all the different car companies, but here's an easy example.

BMW (my emphasis in bold):

TheBMWlimited warranties apply only to U.S.-specificationBMWvehicles and is valid only when repairs are performed at an authorized U.S.BMWcenter, subject to all applicable exclusions or limitations.

This warranty does not apply to the following:

Damage which results from negligence, improper operation of the vehicle, improper repair, lack of or improper maintenance, environmental influences, flood, accident or fire damage, road salt corrosion, or use of improper or contaminated fuel.

Failure to maintain the vehicle properly in accordance with the instructions in the Owner’s Manual or the Service section of this Statement, that results in the failure of any part of the vehicle.

The warranty on my Mercury Mountaineer says pretty much the exact same thing. Everyone can pick over the legalese but the point is exactly the same; lack of service by an authorized party (or failure to service altogether) effectively voids your warranty.

 

[RDoc]

The thing about the service contract ending after 4 years is it leaves the most expensive part, the battery, out of warranty. It's a bit disconcerting that Tesla hasn't mentioned anything about what's required to keep the 8 year battery warranty valid. My concern is that maintaining the battery warranty after 4 years will require a comprehensive warranty extension which might be quite expensive, particularly for years 7 and 8.

I agree with Chrissam42 that this may all work for a few thousand enthusiasts, but selling very expensive cars without included warranties likely will be pretty difficult for a wider audience.

 

[chrissam42]

@chrissam42: you raise an interesting point. Presumably in the first year (or 12,500 miles) of MS ownership, everyone will also enjoy full warranty coverage -- after all, you haven't yet been expected to bring the car in for service.

Good point; I hadn't thought of it that way. One year / 12.5K is still on the skimpy side for a car warranty, but at least it's something! Now I feel 24% better about it

 

[RDoc]

There's no point in me listing all the different car companies, but here's an easy example.

BMW (my emphasis in bold):





The warranty on my Mercury Mountaineer says pretty much the exact same thing. Everyone can pick over the legalese but the point is exactly the same; lack of service by an authorized party (or failure to service altogether) effectively voids your warranty.

These have nothing to do with a required paid maintenance agreement.

 

[donauker]

There's no point in me listing all the different car companies, but here's an easy example.

BMW (my emphasis in bold):

TheBMWlimited warranties apply only to U.S.-specificationBMWvehicles and is valid only when repairs are performed at an authorized U.S.BMWcenter, subject to all applicable exclusions or limitations.

This statement refers to warranty repairs and merely means that BMW will not pay an independent shop for those repairs. This is pare for all manufacturers and I don't think anyone here is asking for anything else.

This warranty does not apply to the following:

Damage which results from negligence, improper operation of the vehicle, improper repair, lack of or improper maintenance, environmental influences, flood, accident or fire damage, road salt corrosion, or use of improper or contaminated fuel.

Failure to maintain the vehicle properly in accordance with the instructions in the Owner’s Manual or the Service section of this Statement, that results in the failure of any part of the vehicle.

The warranty on my Mercury Mountaineer says pretty much the exact same thing. Everyone can pick over the legalese but the point is exactly the same; lack of service by an authorized party (or failure to service altogether) effectively voids your warranty.

You seem to have added the wording "authorized party" to the maintenance reference when it actually wasn't there. In actuality it only says in accordance with the instructions in the Owners Manual. I have always done the maintenance on my ICE vehicles and have never had any issue whatsoever with warranty coverage.

 

[dsm363]

These have nothing to do with a required paid maintenance agreement.

The difference is the required warranty payment is already included in the cost of the car. You're still paying for it but it is hidden.

 

[vfx]

If you read the full specs for the car at Model S Specs and Standard Features | Tesla Motors, you'll see this:

View attachment 9809

Would be brilliant if they offered a 1,000,000 mile warranty on the motor.

 

[clindsay]

It is true that Tesla exists today because of early adopters. The most noteworthy are the early Roadster reservation holders. They gambled big bucks at a time when the viability of the company was very shakey. However, it goes without saying that the scale of current operations are orders of magnitude larger than when Roadsters were practically hand-built. Despite its improved viability Tesla is still in the red and is still is a small company, with limited resources when compared with the competition. It is pursuing activities it has never done before, with new technology and parts never released before. Not only is Tesla rapidly ramping up production rates, it is rapidly expanding stores and service centers along with the necessary staff. It is no accident that it is the most shorted stock available on the market.

With such a background it is only prudent that Tesla would take a conservative approach to avoid any fatal missteps that could sink the company before it becomes profitable. We are all spending a lot of money on this ground-breaking car. Wouldn't it be ironic if after spending many tens of thousands of dollars that we would balk at spending a few hundred dollars a year to ensure that we get superior service and more importantly increase the likihood that Tesla will continue to remain viable.

I fully appreciate your disappointment, but this purchase requires a longer view. Yes, it may be true that the temperment of a true early adopter requires a higher threshold of pain than a typical consumer.

Larry

Larry you and I agree 100% on the reality, we are just 180 degrees on the remedy. I believe early adopters that are essential in creating the success of a company should be rewarded, not penalized.

 

[strider]

Even at the least expensive Model S configuration, that is barely 1% "gouging" per year of the vehicle's cost.

How does that compare to the mercenary rates extorted by big-box electronic stores or name brand franchises like Apple?

Those are astronomically higher than 1% per year, usually well into the double digit percentage range!

Sorry, couldn't let this one go. You are making a crucial mistake. You are comparing what is in effect a warranty program with what Tesla is offering as a maintenance program. If I have AppleCare on my laptop and it falls out of my car onto the ground and smashes the screen, Apple will replace it. My baby has broken the trackpad on my laptop twice and Apple has replaced it each time, no questions asked, even though it was completely my fault. Tesla is NOT offering that. If you are loading your skis and break the center armrest off (or ram a ski into the touchscreen), Tesla is not going to fix that under this program. So yes it is cheaper than AppleCare or whatever but it also covers a LOT less.

 

[NigelM]

You seem to have added the wording "authorized party" to the maintenance reference when it actually wasn't there. In actuality it only says in accordance with the instructions in the Owners Manual.

I'm sorry but I didn't add or change anything in those quotes and it's absolutely outrageous to suggest I did! I'm done.

 

[4sevens.com]

Larry you and I agree 100% on the reality, we are just 180 degrees on the remedy. I believe early adopters that are essential in creating the success of a company should be rewarded, not penalized.

++1

And the opposite is happening - the early adopters/patrons of tesla are being punished for being the first ones.

NOT a good way to start up and new company...

 

[qwk]

++1

And the opposite is happening - the early adopters/patrons of tesla are being punished for being the first ones.

NOT a good way to start up and new company...

Just like the last go around with the Roadster...

Tesla still hasnt learned a thing.

 

[dsm363]

++1

And the opposite is happening - the early adopters/patrons of tesla are being punished for being the first ones.

NOT a good way to start up and new company...

If you mean paying more than other will a few years from now then we are punished in that sense. Every early adopter takes on more risk and pays more for getting the product before others.

 

[mnx]

Punished? I'll gladly be punished and take your Model S off your hands...

++1

And the opposite is happening - the early adopters/patrons of tesla are being punished for being the first ones.

NOT a good way to start up and new company...

 

[RDoc]

The difference is the required warranty payment is already included in the cost of the car. You're still paying for it but it is hidden.

That's certainly true, and anyone who thinks about it realizes that part of the sales price of any car (or anything else) is the warranty coverage. Included warranty coverage is the customary way of doing business in the automobile industry and customers use the length and degree of included coverage as a major factor when comparing car prices.

What's different about Tesla is that they are advertising a 4 year warranty, just like the other companies, but they neglect to make clear that you have to pay extra for it. There's no mention of the required service contract in the warranty itself, nor on the website where the warranty is specified.

For that matter, they are advertising an 8 year battery warranty and AFAIK there's been no information anywhere about if it will even be possible to keep that warranty intact, or what it might cost to do so.

 

[donauker]

I'm sorry but I didn't add or change anything in those quotes and it's absolutely outrageous to suggest I did! I'm done.

Sorry my oversight, it appeared that you were referring to the items you had quoted. That wording was not in the quoted item.

 

[4sevens.com]

If you mean paying more than other will a few years from now then we are punished in that sense. Every early adopter takes on more risk and pays more for getting the product before others.

No... I'm not talking $ but the whole thing about 8yr/4yr warranty valid ONLY if you buy their "optional" service plan. Sure nobody will make you buy the plan but you sure can kiss your warranty good bye. Getting jerked around because you've vested in new technology - thats what I mean "paying for it." - not in $ necessarily but paying the price from a company who is making the rules as it goes.

When I signed my MVPA a month ago, there wasn't some service agreement that was required so that my warranty doesn't get voided. And I was compelled to sign it within 30 days or else I'll lose my place in line.

I think as tesla gets more media line-light the more they will leverage against the very people who helped them start up - their customers who believed in them and bought their story. THAT my friend is the price the early adopters are paying for.

 

[dsm363]

That's certainly true, and anyone who thinks about it realizes that part of the sales price of any car (or anything else) is the warranty coverage. Included warranty coverage is the customary way of doing business in the automobile industry and customers use the length and degree of included coverage as a major factor when comparing car prices.

What's different about Tesla is that they are advertising a 4 year warranty, just like the other companies, but they neglect to make clear that you have to pay extra for it. There's no mention of the required service contract in the warranty itself, nor on the website where the warranty is specified.

For that matter, they are advertising an 8 year battery warranty and AFAIK there's been no information anywhere about if it will even be possible to keep that warranty intact, or what it might cost to do so.

You're correct. I think a lot of it has to do with what you said and that is people are used to maintenance being "free" or included in the cost of the car for a few years.

Tesla does need to do a better job with communication.