Why oh why do folks not get the OEM hitch is beyond me. On $60K vehicle.
Lower resale value on the car and risk of voiding warranty. You don’t think they can, go ahead and experiment. They have no idea what your going to attach. Car has alignment problems, motor problems, suspension problems, brake problems they can blame the 3rd party hitch.
Yeah yeah, lots of reports of no problems. I’ve seen way more ridiculous reasons Tesla (and other manufacturers) use for excuses to refuse repairs. You are giving them a huge ticket.
Not to mention if you ever do want to tow something you can.
Thank you for your feedback. As I noted in the original post, we are considering several options, including both the OEM hitch and third party options. I asked specifically about third party options because I wanted to confirm my understanding I'd be foregoing the wiring (unless I paid extra for the wiring harness) and software, and I wanted to understand what exactly the wiring harness was for. I also understand needs can change, but we are about 99.99% sure we will never tow anything on the Tesla, or on our other car, and we will use a hitch exclusively to haul our family's bikes.
As for your second comment about lower resale value, problems caused, risk of voiding warranty, etc., do you have any personal experience with this happening to you, whether on this car or any prior car, or is this anecdotal based on something you've been told, or have read? We've never had a hitch installed on any prior car, but I have friends and family who have had third-party hitches installed, both by shops or by themselves, and I personally have never once heard of a situation where a manufacturer voided a warranty due to a third-party hitch. However, I also understand there's no guarantee Tesla won't void the warranty, or blame something on a third-party hitch, and I can understand your legitimate concern that Tesla will refuse to perform thousands of dollars of warranty work on that basis, whether justified or not.
I understand some people are of the opinion that - if one were to spend $40K-$100K on a car (we have a standard range and paid about $40K for our Model Y), why quibble over $1,200 + tax. I can somewhat understand that logic, albeit on a smaller scale - we've bought a $300 iPad but pay $50 for a case when a $10 case probably serves the same purpose. However, not everyone feels the way you do. In addition, I do not think there's anything wrong with consumers wanting to know what their various choices are so they can conduct their own research, and make an educated decision as to what works best for them.
Again, thanks for chiming in with your opinion.