Thanks for your answer.
And, on a related point, I have three Tesla owners in my office. Not one of them have taken their cars in for service. (And one of them got his M3 in the first batch.)
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Worried about service centers
- Thread starter Petrocelli
- Start date
Thanks for your answer.
And, on a related point, I have three Tesla owners in my office. Not one of them have taken their cars in for service. (And one of them got his M3 in the first batch.)
Lots of talk about density in CA but it's a problem almost everywhere. More than 200k new Teslas in U.S. yet less than 50 service centers built since the beginning of 2018. Mobile service can't cover that gap.
@Petrocelli, yes, Tesla is the victim of it's own success at the moment as far as having enough service centers. Can't forget that just until just a few quarters ago they weren't able to gear up production to a level that it was a problem. Production was improved greatly over those months and the demand continues to be strong everywhere. There are more EVs in Calfornia than anywhere else I think I read. With Tesla only recently getting production up to this level we know funds weren't there to build out a lot of service centers as it increased. And some states still won't let Tesla provide service centers hurting its Tesla owner citizens. Tesla has rolled out Mobile Service (I've seen vans and service cars in my area) that have helped alleviate a lot of customer issues. Tesla is aggressively expanding it's service and mobile and body shops, supercharger and destination charger locations, still building out the Gigafactory in NV, completing the Gigafactory in China, working on parts and delivery of them and delivering more cars. With the vast numbers of people buying the Model 3 those of us who already owned MS/Xs and had pretty great service experiences knew there was going to be a painful period coming up ahead. Fortunately for the majority of owners our cars run pretty trouble-free.
People are always free to jump ship, I read about other EV non-Tesla owners who haven't had great experiences with their servicing issues for various reasons. No doubt those manufacturers/service centers will have their own issues as well as this is a whole new ballgame to them and their isn't going to be an abundance of parts initially available, service techs well acquainted and trained on the "new" vehicles or enough charging facilities for owners' long-distance trips. You can go on Plugshare and see reports of only a few charging stalls and maintenance on them a problem. I suspect the other manufacturers' OTA/tech related systems haven't been in development and use long enough either to make repairs a smooth thing. No matter how you look at it BEVs are a new world not only to manufacturers/service centers but to owners as well. Tesla's been at it and perfecting their vehicles a lot longer than most of the manufacturers out there so I see that as a plus. I do think things will improve service/parts wise for owners but think it will still take some time to get things in place. I would like to see more attention given to owner relations. While going digital for sales and service may be quicker for some things, it's still customer service and that requires a personal touch.
Daniel in SD
(supervised)
I would argue that they're a victim of their inability to make reliable cars. Toyota has 1200 dealerships in the US and has sold about 10 million cars over the past 4 years (and of course they're servicing some out of warranty cars as well!). Tesla has 78 service centers in the US and has sold about half a million cars total. Maybe Toyota service centers are bigger on average, I don't know.
joebruin77
Active Member
If you know which service center you will use, why not stop by and have a chat with the service manager? You can ask them directly about their ability to handle current and future service demands. This would be a lot more informative than simply counting the number of Model 3's in the area.
I personally have used the Tesla SC in Van Nuys, CA and have had very good experiences. I stopped by without an appointment to ask for help with my charge port not unlocking and they took care of it immediately. My second visit was for a tire rotation. They found a nail and replaced the tire after it could not be repaired. My only minor gripe was that after the car was ready (I could see it parked in the lot waiting for me to get it), they took about 20 minutes to print out the paperwork. But otherwise everyone was very friendly and helpful.
On a side note, the only two cars I have ever had that broke down on me to the point that I needed to be towed to the dealership were an Audi and a BMW. I personally would avoid fine German automobiles.
Also, keep in mind that there is a lot of resistance to EV cars among some traditional ICE mechanics. I read online that at a local Jaguar dealership, there was only one qualified EV mechanic to service the I-pace. So just because a car company has a history of service doesn't mean it will automatically transfer to the servicing of EV's.
I personally have used the Tesla SC in Van Nuys, CA and have had very good experiences. I stopped by without an appointment to ask for help with my charge port not unlocking and they took care of it immediately. My second visit was for a tire rotation. They found a nail and replaced the tire after it could not be repaired. My only minor gripe was that after the car was ready (I could see it parked in the lot waiting for me to get it), they took about 20 minutes to print out the paperwork. But otherwise everyone was very friendly and helpful.
On a side note, the only two cars I have ever had that broke down on me to the point that I needed to be towed to the dealership were an Audi and a BMW. I personally would avoid fine German automobiles.
Also, keep in mind that there is a lot of resistance to EV cars among some traditional ICE mechanics. I read online that at a local Jaguar dealership, there was only one qualified EV mechanic to service the I-pace. So just because a car company has a history of service doesn't mean it will automatically transfer to the servicing of EV's.
Interesting you brought up Toyota as we owned two Toyotas (Avalon and Camry) before trading in the Camry and then a year later dumping the Avalon and buying the Model 3. I was apprehensive about going all EV at our house and it was the service we got from Toyota that convinced me I never wanted another one. They couldn't fix my A/C issue, requiring multiple service visits during which they broke some clips or whatever that was holding down my dash. I could see the outside sky through my dash. Even went to Toyota corporate to see what they could do and told basically they just manufactured the cars and this was service issue so we'd have to deal with the service center. The manager said they tried to fix it multiple times and couldn't. The fact that their service team damaged my passenger car door with another vehicle they were moving in the lot, didn't help either and that was another few weeks getting it fixed. Was so glad to be done with Toyota despite the fact the cars had good fit and finish and were pretty reliable. So see, it's not just Tesla that has issues.
Daniel in SD
(supervised)
And you'll find many people with Toyotas that never visit a dealership after purchase. My Subaru visited the dealership once its 150k life (at 100k+ miles for the Takata airbag recall). Many Teslas will never require warranty work. This is all anecdotal. I just don't think the problem is the number of service centers. I do wonder how much of the load is the service centers doing stuff that should have been done at the factory. That could get better if the initial quality improves.
Knightshade
Well-Known Member
I can't speak to CA, but here in NC the Toyota service centers are a lot bigger than the Tesla one. Like 5-10x as many cars worth of interior capacity/lifts (and even more of a difference in storage capacity outside)
Daniel in SD
(supervised)
Yeah. It might not be a fair comparison. On the other hand many Toyota dealerships are in small towns and are probably smaller than the average Tesla service center.
One interesting thing is that in their Q2 report Tesla claims to have spent only $61 million on warranty costs. This seems preposterously low to me. There are ~400 service centers worldwide. If the average service center is only doing $150k of warranty work a quarter then maybe there really is no service center shortage (fake news?).
Your experience with Mercedes has been outstanding. But if you spend enough time on the internet in Mercedes forums you will find enough people with bad experiences to convince you that you should never buy a Mercedes. And maybe you have just been one of the lucky ones to have not ended up with a lemon so far. But you are comparing your personal experience with Mercedes ownership to thousands of people on the internet who own Teslas. And as you said, you know several colleagues who have had zero problems with their Teslas. If you search hard enough you will find people who have had problems with every car you can possibly buy.
Personally I think you are over analyzing this. You are leasing the car. It will be under warranty the entire time you own it and very few people need to take their Model 3’s in for any significant warranty service. There is one minor $69 brake fluid inspection after two years which will be your only routine maintenance during the entire three year lease period. What are you so worried about?
Thoughts:
1. I overanalyze everything. But your analysis of my tendency to overanalyze things is correct.
2. I would probably buy the Tesla, not lease it. That's why I am overanalyzing this more than I regularly overanalyze everything.
3. I also post to Mercedes forums. There are very few owners of new Mercedes who have any significant complaints that are found on this forum. Moreover, there are no complaints about service on the Mercedes forum.
I'm about at the end of the trail here. After my poll, I'm done.
Thanks to everyone for their help.
Your decision to purchase after so many years of leasing is probably a more significant decision for you than choosing whether to buy Mercedes or Tesla.
When I try that in N Calif it says to check the app!!!! No humans involved
Yes, and then it says, “Please hold while I transfer your call to the Service Center.” I just verified this, by doing it again. Phone rang and of course wasn’t answered, as it is 10p EST, but went to VM, which identified it was Rockville SC.
So Rockville SC and Burlingame Ca have a different system. VM at service is usually full but even if it isn't I have never received a call back.
That's the way it is with many, not all, Tesla vehicles. In theory, the vehicles should be worry free, but in reality, QC is below average, thus necessitating unexpected trips to the service centers.
Are you a frequent poster on the MB Forums? Would love to see you experience that you have shared over the years on your satisfied leases of MB's.
I see a Petrocelli. Just joined the MB Forums this month. Maybe it is you.
MBWorld.org Forums - View Profile: Petrocelli
Similar car to yours as well. Wow. Getting a lease on a C class. Amazing.
"Hi. I am thinking of leasing a C300 Coupe, with a sticker of $50,125.
36 month lease, 45,000 miles, $2,500 down (which includes first payment and fees totaling about $1400.
Payment $625 a month including 10% sales tax.
Sound fair?
Thanks."
Wow for a diehard MB fan. Only 2 posts? Only questions about what your new payment would be.
Which proves many a point posted here. For such a satisfied customer you never went there to gloat, or share your awesome service experience. Which is fine. Yet you come here and tell us how great that you only were on hold for 1:53 seconds when you called MB. Or how your car was ready on your wedding anniversary. Why not share it there as well? Because people don't. They don't share in a large majority of the positive experiences in life.
Your rationale and research methodology is flawed, if presented to a group setting at my company you would be laughed out of the boardroom.
Enjoy the car.
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