What kinds of problems can we expect?

that's a question that should've been pondered before plunking down the $1k deposit

 

Haters gonna hate. Let's not discuss problems with a car that doesn't yet exist.

 

Same as those for the model s/x, but less-so, with the distinct possibility of those not yet encountered.

 

Is that a chicken or an egg question? If Tesla knew what problem was likely to occur, wouldn't they try to do something in advance to prevent it?

Not to turn this political, but the (in)famous Rumsfeld quote comes to mind:

"There are known knowns. There are things we know that we know. There are known unknowns. That is to say, there are things that we now know we don't know."​

 

Worst yet are the unknown unknowns. Things we currently don't know that we don't know.

 

Just have to wait and see. Historically on the S and X when they were new (and sometimes ongoing) have been common top issues with:

1. build gaps in panels, uneven, etc.
2. seals/rubber items, etc. in general leaks, tearing, etc.
3. drive motors (seems to be much more reliable now though if same ones)
4. paint issues, chips, extra paint, etc.

 

Electric cars use to be more popular than gas cars. Then it flipped and production efficiency took place to make the gas cars more affordable, reliable, and quality of build details. This will be little things that will go away very fast as the facilities ramp up and production becomes more streamlined.

 

12 volt batteries that only last 12 months.
Vampire drains that preclude parking the car at the airport for 3 weeks.

 

Why?

Drop the fully refundable 1k down now to reserve your place in line, then ponder these questions for the next 2 years.

 

Maybe confusing my Model 3 with another owner's car looking at the rate of reservations?

 

I think you get the same answer as with the Model S and Model X - there will be some things and Tesla service will be all over it to make it right.

I think its important to note, based on the reveal, I did not any new, never-been-done-before tech (big display, glass roof, etc have all been vetted on prior models) so I think that greatly lowers the risks of problems--perhaps the "part 2" reveal will change that. Beyond that, I would expect most of the early gremlins will be caught thought Tesla/SpaceX employees and then existing owners, so by them time cars are in the hands of first time owners, most if not all of the kinks should be worked out.

 

My current auto mechanic says that the 12 volt battery in recent Mercedes only last about a week with the car parked, so I think Vampire drain is just as bad, if not worse in some current ICEs.

And some airports, and I'm sure even more will, have added a number of Level 1 stations. Perfect for keeping the Vampire at bay and topping your car up while you are away for weeks. And I suspect they will add more as demand increases.

For example Portland added 42 Level 1 stations. (Though 18 of those are in the employee lot.) I think they have 6 Level 2 stations as well, but two of them are reserved for Valets to use to keep cars charged.

 

Lack of cupholders, possibly. Lag on the touchscreen, possibly. 12V battery dying early, possibly.

 

I foresee a number of issues with fit-and-finish, seal leaks, odd noises, and teething problems with the new systems.
This should not be a surprise. Every new model from every manufacturer have these problems.

But specifically for the Model 3, there are the Tesla-esque components to consider.
This will be a new battery pack, which (hopefully) will be a non-issue. While the batteries themselves will be slightly different, their battery monitoring and charging systems are (probably) directly applicable to the new batteries.

The new (and only hinted at) "driver interface" will probably have issues with the steering wheel / joystick, and the HUD may make people dizzy or give them headaches.

As for the rest, I think it will be mighty entertaining as a number of new Model 3 owners will be coming from more varied walks of life, and some of them will *really* push the envelope of "tolerance to abuse" upon their brand-new cars, making themselves candidates for the next Farmer's Insurance television commercial of "Now We've Seen Everything."

-- Ardie
"You're not going to believe this ..."

 

None.
They have worked out all the problems after producing the S. (see the secret master plan)
That is why the X has been such a successful launch. They have delivered OVER 2,000 and as was commented back in December and January are on some sort of exponential scale.

 

The model 3 rests entirely on a building that is not even built yet, yet alone producing the goods. I think the gigafactory will be the biggest hold up

 

Getting there...

 

The last I heard, the Gigafactory was ahead of schedule and already producing batteries for the Powerwall:
The Latest On Tesla Motors, Inc.'s Gigafactory -- The Motley Fool