I'm sure some on this sub-forum is familiar with how terrible my 2023 Ultra Red Model X experience has been. While some probably wish I would never post again, other users have instead PM'd me telling me how I'm a crybaby and probably cannot afford the car. It's likely that casual lurkers could share this sentiment as well. So if you're interested in purchasing a Tesla Model X, keep in mind this is the service you should expect to receive on a $100k+ vehicle if something doesn't go as planned.
Below is what we emailed to Dublin Tesla's service manager / GM on May 8 after it was clear to everyone involved that the repair would not be completed within the 30 day window from when the car was first delivered to Tesla Service on April 19. In this email, we requested a replacement vehicle (AKA collateral exchange). I keep my receipts. This offer was not accepted by Tesla. We had one last shot to remain in the Tesla ecosystem, but that was not accepted by Tesla.
So instead, a few days later we later escalated to a full buyback which was accepted. And now I have to abandon the Tesla ecosystem because it's been made clear to my family that we made a mistake ever buying into the Tesla ecosystem to begin with.
I am not a lawyer; at the time of this writing I have not involved lawyers.
Since TMC has policies around doxxing, I have [Redacted] any PII.
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May 8, 2023, 1:31 PM
Thanks [Redacted], many sub-par issues have happened with our 2023 Ultra Red Model X (the "Vehicle" which is VIN ending [Redacted] that was purchased on April 6, 2023 and delivered by Sunnyvale, CA Tesla).
This narrative begins with the most severe P0 issues, but all issues as we understand them are included below. With all of the facts as we understand them today, [Redacted] (the "Owners") are requesting a replacement vehicle instead of a repaired vehicle. This is sometimes referred to as a Collateral Exchange.
P0 - major issues:
P0-1) On April 16, 2023 the vehicle had approximately 300 miles and was being operated on a roadway, when the vehicle started to generate many errors/fault-codes. These errors include but are not limited to app_w009, tas_a313, di_a222, di_a246, and di_a223. There were so many codes, that the "Service screen" on the center console could not display them all. Please see attached Exhibits 1 and 2 and 3 showing some of these errors. While these errors were produced, the vehicle's performance degraded and the vehicle eventually became inoperable. The owners had to stop driving the vehicle and called Tesla roadside assistance. While a reset of the vehicle returned the vehicle to service to get home, the owners do not believe the vehicle is safe to operate with two young toddler passengers since the owners do not understand the cause of the issue. The owners do not want to be testers to a mystery defect that can halt on-board drive systems while the vehicle in motion. The owners have not objectively learned from Tesla that a clear root cause has now been repaired.
P0-2) Also on April 16, 2023 when the vehicle had approximately 400 miles, the owners noticed that water was not draining properly after washing the vehicle. Upon inspection of the rear hatch, owner noticed what appeared to be seam sealer or bondo/putty in the channel below the spoiler. Please see exhibit 4. After inspection, the owners' understanding after speaking with the Dublin, CA Tesla advisors is that there is much more of this seam sealer that was not initially visible to the owners. Also, the use of seam sealer for this application was not "normal" Tesla manufacturing practice. It was communicated to the owners that a significant amount of seam sealer was actually used, and that remediation of this issue will require removing the rear window glass and removal of the entire spoiler assembly. With those parts removed, the body shop would then inspect why seam sealer was used in the first place. Also, It was communicated to the owners that replacement of the entire rear hatch component was not a "good path forward"
Please be aware that Tesla could not schedule a service appointment on April 17 (the first business day after P0-1 occurred. The first available date the owners could have a Tesla service center see the vehicle was April 19. This 2 day delay is not the owner's responsibility; it is the manufacturer's responsibility. Therefore, the 30 day warranty/repair period begins on April 17 as it is not the owners fault that Tesla could not see the vehicle until April 19.
These P0 defects alone should necessitate a replacement vehicle. A brand new vehicle should be reliable and instills confidence in operation. Mysterious error codes that result in having to pull over to reboot the car are not representative of this type of confidence. Furthermore, a new vehicle should be without obvious manufacturing defects that require someone in the assembly line to hastily use seam sealer to enclose a weld before the vehicle is painted. The source of the myriad computer error codes cannot be determined since it seems there is no known root cause. AND a replacement rear hatch free of defects does not seem to be possible.
***********************************
P1 - Significant negative for vehicle delivery and initial Tesla response:
P1-1) On April 6 when the purported "new" vehicle was delivered to the new owners, the vehicle was dirty inside and outside. The exterior was covered in dust/debris... it appeared to have just been rolled off of the open-air vehicle transport. The interior was also dirty, with personalized debris (examples include a button from a novelty purse and random shreds of plastic) found under one seat, and the interior windows covered in a greasy film that the owner had to clean.
P1-2) Other issues were identified in the service request that was initiated on April 16. These included the following line items. The issues range from a lack of parking assist and poor manufacturing tolerances and damage to the paint before the owner took possession of the vehicle. Specific images of these items and narrative about the issue has already been uploaded to the service/app tool and are not included in this email. The Sunnyvale, CA sales/delivery team expressed that Tesla Service would "fix" these items. The vehicle owners have been informed by Dublin, CA service advisors that the parking assist functions (see item 3 below) will not be available until an undetermined time in the future. However, this was not what was verbally described on April 6 when the owners took delivery.
P1-4) On April 7, 2023 Tesla reduced the pricing on Tesla Model X by $5,000. Under normal circumstances this is the free market at play and not grounds for action by Tesla to address. However, since this the vehicle being discussed in this email (VIN ending [Redacted]) could not be safely operated beginning April 16, the vehicle has both diminished in value AND the owner could not use it normally during the period that significant value was lost. No comparable loaner vehicle was provided.
These additional P1 issues represent a poor experience for the owners. But these P1 issues also highlight items that could have been remedied during manufacturing, or identified by the Tesla agents operating the Sunnyvale, CA facility. Also, the lack of a comparable loaner diminishes the value of this "new car" for the owner since they did not have an equivalent use of a 2023 Model X.
***********************************
P2 - Other negative experience from Tesla:
P2-1) Repairs have been slow. The expected service completion date communicated to the owners has been delayed numerous times. The first estimated completion date was April 26. Then it was delayed to May 1. Then it was delayed to May 5. On May 5, no documented repair progress had been made on the rear hatch (since the body shop was still investigating the issue). Furthermore, no root cause had been determined for the source of the myriad faults; but Tesla does suspect a "firmware issue" caused the faults in an unknown way.
P2-2) On May 5, the Dublin, CA Tesla service could not be contacted. On that day, some text messages were received by the owners via the Tesla App explaining the service delay and possible new completion date of May 16. A text was also sent offering a different loaner to the owners, but no response was provided after that communication.
The owners attempted to contact the Dublin service center over 10 times on Friday May 5. Please see exhibit 5. Each time no one would answer the service call line. The owners reached an advisor on the sales side, and were told that [Redacted] would reach out to the owners on May 5. But [Redacted] did not act or communicate with the owners.
Very poor customer experience from April 19 to May 5. While [Redacted] (the service advisor assigned to this case) has been helpful, the general practices and behaviors of the Dublin, CA service process have been very poor. The manufacturing flaws of the vehicle cannot be reasonably addressed by the post-sales service attempt to repair.
***********************************
In closing, this has been a frustrating experience for the owners. Regarding the hatch, the proposed repairs would not mimic the build quality expected without using seam sealer. And the root cause of the myriad error faults is not fully understood to anyone at this time. To the owners, assigning a "firmware issue" places the operators at risk of the vehicle repeating the same issues since the actual fault isn't fully understood. At the time of this writing, the vehicle does not have 500 miles, and the owners do not have confidence that prolonged body shop work would restore the vehicle; and the owners do not want to be testers for a firmware theory. The owners are requesting a replacement vehicle (collateral exchange) instead of a repaired vehicle.
Thank you.
Below is what we emailed to Dublin Tesla's service manager / GM on May 8 after it was clear to everyone involved that the repair would not be completed within the 30 day window from when the car was first delivered to Tesla Service on April 19. In this email, we requested a replacement vehicle (AKA collateral exchange). I keep my receipts. This offer was not accepted by Tesla. We had one last shot to remain in the Tesla ecosystem, but that was not accepted by Tesla.
So instead, a few days later we later escalated to a full buyback which was accepted. And now I have to abandon the Tesla ecosystem because it's been made clear to my family that we made a mistake ever buying into the Tesla ecosystem to begin with.
I am not a lawyer; at the time of this writing I have not involved lawyers.
Since TMC has policies around doxxing, I have [Redacted] any PII.
--------------------------------------------------------------
May 8, 2023, 1:31 PM
Thanks [Redacted], many sub-par issues have happened with our 2023 Ultra Red Model X (the "Vehicle" which is VIN ending [Redacted] that was purchased on April 6, 2023 and delivered by Sunnyvale, CA Tesla).
This narrative begins with the most severe P0 issues, but all issues as we understand them are included below. With all of the facts as we understand them today, [Redacted] (the "Owners") are requesting a replacement vehicle instead of a repaired vehicle. This is sometimes referred to as a Collateral Exchange.
P0 - major issues:
P0-1) On April 16, 2023 the vehicle had approximately 300 miles and was being operated on a roadway, when the vehicle started to generate many errors/fault-codes. These errors include but are not limited to app_w009, tas_a313, di_a222, di_a246, and di_a223. There were so many codes, that the "Service screen" on the center console could not display them all. Please see attached Exhibits 1 and 2 and 3 showing some of these errors. While these errors were produced, the vehicle's performance degraded and the vehicle eventually became inoperable. The owners had to stop driving the vehicle and called Tesla roadside assistance. While a reset of the vehicle returned the vehicle to service to get home, the owners do not believe the vehicle is safe to operate with two young toddler passengers since the owners do not understand the cause of the issue. The owners do not want to be testers to a mystery defect that can halt on-board drive systems while the vehicle in motion. The owners have not objectively learned from Tesla that a clear root cause has now been repaired.
P0-2) Also on April 16, 2023 when the vehicle had approximately 400 miles, the owners noticed that water was not draining properly after washing the vehicle. Upon inspection of the rear hatch, owner noticed what appeared to be seam sealer or bondo/putty in the channel below the spoiler. Please see exhibit 4. After inspection, the owners' understanding after speaking with the Dublin, CA Tesla advisors is that there is much more of this seam sealer that was not initially visible to the owners. Also, the use of seam sealer for this application was not "normal" Tesla manufacturing practice. It was communicated to the owners that a significant amount of seam sealer was actually used, and that remediation of this issue will require removing the rear window glass and removal of the entire spoiler assembly. With those parts removed, the body shop would then inspect why seam sealer was used in the first place. Also, It was communicated to the owners that replacement of the entire rear hatch component was not a "good path forward"
Please be aware that Tesla could not schedule a service appointment on April 17 (the first business day after P0-1 occurred. The first available date the owners could have a Tesla service center see the vehicle was April 19. This 2 day delay is not the owner's responsibility; it is the manufacturer's responsibility. Therefore, the 30 day warranty/repair period begins on April 17 as it is not the owners fault that Tesla could not see the vehicle until April 19.
These P0 defects alone should necessitate a replacement vehicle. A brand new vehicle should be reliable and instills confidence in operation. Mysterious error codes that result in having to pull over to reboot the car are not representative of this type of confidence. Furthermore, a new vehicle should be without obvious manufacturing defects that require someone in the assembly line to hastily use seam sealer to enclose a weld before the vehicle is painted. The source of the myriad computer error codes cannot be determined since it seems there is no known root cause. AND a replacement rear hatch free of defects does not seem to be possible.
***********************************
P1 - Significant negative for vehicle delivery and initial Tesla response:
P1-1) On April 6 when the purported "new" vehicle was delivered to the new owners, the vehicle was dirty inside and outside. The exterior was covered in dust/debris... it appeared to have just been rolled off of the open-air vehicle transport. The interior was also dirty, with personalized debris (examples include a button from a novelty purse and random shreds of plastic) found under one seat, and the interior windows covered in a greasy film that the owner had to clean.
P1-2) Other issues were identified in the service request that was initiated on April 16. These included the following line items. The issues range from a lack of parking assist and poor manufacturing tolerances and damage to the paint before the owner took possession of the vehicle. Specific images of these items and narrative about the issue has already been uploaded to the service/app tool and are not included in this email. The Sunnyvale, CA sales/delivery team expressed that Tesla Service would "fix" these items. The vehicle owners have been informed by Dublin, CA service advisors that the parking assist functions (see item 3 below) will not be available until an undetermined time in the future. However, this was not what was verbally described on April 6 when the owners took delivery.
- Exterior adjustment to the LEFT rear falcon door not to manufacture specification
- Tire pressure and tire condition off - had to be adjusted to manufacturers specifications
- Arrived with no driver assistance features ***as under the purchase agreement
- Damage to hatch on DRIVER SIDE roof rail
- Damage to 2 additional locations identified on the liftgate
- Damaged turbine wheel aero covers rear LEFT
- Scratches identified on hood of frunk - there are 2 different locations with scratches to pain
P1-4) On April 7, 2023 Tesla reduced the pricing on Tesla Model X by $5,000. Under normal circumstances this is the free market at play and not grounds for action by Tesla to address. However, since this the vehicle being discussed in this email (VIN ending [Redacted]) could not be safely operated beginning April 16, the vehicle has both diminished in value AND the owner could not use it normally during the period that significant value was lost. No comparable loaner vehicle was provided.
These additional P1 issues represent a poor experience for the owners. But these P1 issues also highlight items that could have been remedied during manufacturing, or identified by the Tesla agents operating the Sunnyvale, CA facility. Also, the lack of a comparable loaner diminishes the value of this "new car" for the owner since they did not have an equivalent use of a 2023 Model X.
***********************************
P2 - Other negative experience from Tesla:
P2-1) Repairs have been slow. The expected service completion date communicated to the owners has been delayed numerous times. The first estimated completion date was April 26. Then it was delayed to May 1. Then it was delayed to May 5. On May 5, no documented repair progress had been made on the rear hatch (since the body shop was still investigating the issue). Furthermore, no root cause had been determined for the source of the myriad faults; but Tesla does suspect a "firmware issue" caused the faults in an unknown way.
P2-2) On May 5, the Dublin, CA Tesla service could not be contacted. On that day, some text messages were received by the owners via the Tesla App explaining the service delay and possible new completion date of May 16. A text was also sent offering a different loaner to the owners, but no response was provided after that communication.
The owners attempted to contact the Dublin service center over 10 times on Friday May 5. Please see exhibit 5. Each time no one would answer the service call line. The owners reached an advisor on the sales side, and were told that [Redacted] would reach out to the owners on May 5. But [Redacted] did not act or communicate with the owners.
Very poor customer experience from April 19 to May 5. While [Redacted] (the service advisor assigned to this case) has been helpful, the general practices and behaviors of the Dublin, CA service process have been very poor. The manufacturing flaws of the vehicle cannot be reasonably addressed by the post-sales service attempt to repair.
***********************************
In closing, this has been a frustrating experience for the owners. Regarding the hatch, the proposed repairs would not mimic the build quality expected without using seam sealer. And the root cause of the myriad error faults is not fully understood to anyone at this time. To the owners, assigning a "firmware issue" places the operators at risk of the vehicle repeating the same issues since the actual fault isn't fully understood. At the time of this writing, the vehicle does not have 500 miles, and the owners do not have confidence that prolonged body shop work would restore the vehicle; and the owners do not want to be testers for a firmware theory. The owners are requesting a replacement vehicle (collateral exchange) instead of a repaired vehicle.
Thank you.
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