Worried

[GarethWhyte]

Hello,

Forgive the ‘rant’ type post written on my phone. I’m currently in a salary sacrifice NHS scheme and have an Audi A3 Saloon which I quite like and is due to go back in December this year.

I have taken the plunge and ordered a model 3 Long range which seems to be the same price as the A3 due to me paying 0% benefit in kind tax.

The issue is I’m now getting more and more worried reading the ‘rejected car’ posts (2/3 now) the ‘wiper’ posts and the general comments around poor quality etc

When I collect the Tesla the Audi will be gone, I won’t have a back up car and I’m nervous that the Salary Sacrifice scheme will say ‘tough luck’ are these still isolated incidents or a real lack of quality and care from Tesla? Should I pull the plug?

Thoughts/Comments/Insults welcome

Gareth

 

[TheEVadvisor]

No you should be fine. Remember on social media you only hear negative comments, People rarely speak out when everything is fine. Go ahead and enjoy the model 3. Should you have any issues they will be resolved quickly by service.

 

[Glan gluaisne]

Although generally Tesla quality isn't great, I think what's being seen at the moment are blips, probably because of a push by Tesla to deliver cars to meet a financial target.

Normally quality doesn't seem to be as bad as has been noted lately, although there's no way a Tesla is as well finished as something like a Toyota, even when things are running well.

 

[Jason71]

Forums always show the worst. My car had no faults on delivery and I am sure there are others with the same experience but I have not created a thread to talk about it.
There will always be some horror stories for any car. The question is what is the ratio of bad cars to good, it may well be higher for Tesla than it is for audi, but statistically is it high enough for you to worry about and the answer is I think no one knows?
It seems most people are not keen to give up their Teslas once they have one though

 

[rjinski]

I was setting my self up to have pretty low expectations when collecting my M3LR in early September. But, my car had no defects, the collection was painless and it has been a dream to own ever since.

Take everything with a pinch of salt. It would be boring if everyone kept posting their positive stories but they definitely do exist.

 

[eight]

As above I'd guess the chances of getting a dud given how many cars they're shifting is very low, but I do wonder how the friday cars are even leaving the factory, never mind getting to the point of handover.

 

[Yev000]

worried reading the ‘rejected car’

You'll be fine, the car will be fine, your date will be fine and it will all work out.

 

[bungle_78]

I've had no issues with my car collected at the start of September. There a significantly more cars that are fine than there are with defects.

 

[Dougall1248]

Hello,

Forgive the ‘rant’ type post written on my phone. I’m currently in a salary sacrifice NHS scheme and have an Audi A3 Saloon which I quite like and is due to go back in December this year.

I have taken the plunge and ordered a model 3 Long range which seems to be the same price as the A3 due to me paying 0% benefit in kind tax.

The issue is I’m now getting more and more worried reading the ‘rejected car’ posts (2/3 now) the ‘wiper’ posts and the general comments around poor quality etc

When I collect the Tesla the Audi will be gone, I won’t have a back up car and I’m nervous that the Salary Sacrifice scheme will say ‘tough luck’ are these still isolated incidents or a real lack of quality and care from Tesla? Should I pull the plug?

Thoughts/Comments/Insults welcome

Gareth

If you're getting your new car in the new quarter you will probably be OK. Cars are being rushed to get delivered before the end of September for stock market purposes. I got my blue M3LR on 18th August. Car was pretty well perfect. Because of all the recent posts I keep looking for faults but so far nothing. The car is absolutely fantastic to drive. I still can't believe it. I am a retired doctor so I don't get any tax benefits but I still think it was worth every penny. My son got a mx LR in April. Also perfect and he is still like a child at xmas
He runs his car through his business and his accountant told him he would need certified if he bought anything else.
Poll result: "Would you buy another or recommend to a friend" 3rd Lexus 2nd Porsche 1st Tesla

 

[Sparkeur]

The grumblings you hear are from those of us who want 100% from our experience of Tesla ownership and are not satisfied with 98%+.
I've had my M3LR since May and yes, I was initially a bit disappointed with FSD but have learnt that it is a mixture of functionality (which will come) and getting used to a process and method of driving which is different. I had a problem with a panel on delivery - it was realigned quite quickly. Apart from that, I have used the car daily and I have navigated nearly 1800km down through France and Spain to Malaga and back across the Pyrenees with not even one tiny issue to do with comfort or range. The supercharger network is excellent and when used with the cars Navigation for a trip, is bordering on mystical. Oh yes, one final thing. You will never, ever get bored with the acceleration!
I'd buy a second one tomorrow without hesitation and certainly, if the choice was a Tesla or ICE car, there is no competition.

 

[eight]

The grumblings you hear are from those of us who want 100% from our experience of Tesla ownership and are not satisfied with 98%+.
I've had my M3LR since May and yes, I was initially a bit disappointed with FSD but have learnt that it is a mixture of functionality (which will come) and getting used to a process and method of driving which is different. I had a problem with a panel on delivery - it was realigned quite quickly. Apart from that, I have used the car daily and I have navigated nearly 1800km down through France and Spain to Malaga and back across the Pyrenees with not even one tiny issue to do with comfort or range. The supercharger network is excellent and when used with the cars Navigation for a trip, is bordering on mystical. Oh yes, one final thing. You will never, ever get bored with the acceleration!
I'd buy a second one tomorrow without hesitation and certainly, if the choice was a Tesla or ICE car, there is no competition.

Post of the week for me
I'm hoping to get my first Tesla by the weekend.
European travel being planned already.

 

[KennethS]

The grumblings you hear are from those of us who want 100% from our experience of Tesla ownership and are not satisfied with 98%+.
I've had my M3LR since May and yes, I was initially a bit disappointed with FSD but have learnt that it is a mixture of functionality (which will come) and getting used to a process and method of driving which is different. I had a problem with a panel on delivery - it was realigned quite quickly. Apart from that, I have used the car daily and I have navigated nearly 1800km down through France and Spain to Malaga and back across the Pyrenees with not even one tiny issue to do with comfort or range. The supercharger network is excellent and when used with the cars Navigation for a trip, is bordering on mystical. Oh yes, one final thing. You will never, ever get bored with the acceleration!
I'd buy a second one tomorrow without hesitation and certainly, if the choice was a Tesla or ICE car, there is no competition.

I think that is the most important litmus test -- would you buy another? I have had 13 months of no trouble enjoyment with our M3P and for us the answer is a definite yes. In fact the Model Y can't get to the UK fast enough and we will be lining up to add one to replace our diesel burner and go all electric (and all Tesla).

 

[Godsense]

You will be fine, most issues I've seen or had weren't deal breakers and all but one problem (paint chipped in delivery) have been sorted by mobile service, which is fantastic and super easy to book.

Sparkeur makes some very good points

 

[GarethWhyte]

Thanks everyone some great comments from all!

 

[Dilly]

My LR has had no issues since day 1 in March.
It’s a bit of a lottery right now by all accounts but there are most likely more good ones than bad
Driving it will bring a smile to your face
I left an Audi A5 for dead only yesterday

 

[DaveW]

Whilst the fact we see posts on here about cars being rejected is obviously rubbish, the number of cars delivered without issues is a big number.

Go in with your eyes open, have a check list to hand and take your time looking over.

Had mine since August last year, would do it again without question - Enjoy the car when it arrives

 

[LongRanger]

I've just given up 25 years of petrol and diesel mile-munchers, performance cars and some really rubbish ones too. I'm on a company scheme and can't get out of it without paying a hefty fee.

Absolutely no regrets. Here are the issues I have :

steering wheel alignment - service visit booked (SV)
rattling rear number plate - SV
small amount of glue residue on dash - SV
door card and rear trim rattles - fixing myself
minor wind noise from tops of front windows - fixing myself

The car drives beautifully, charges perfectly and is really comfortable, it's a unique experience for me compared to other very quick/luxury/premium cars I've owned.

Was also very surprised by how quickly I adapted to the user interface and "way of driving" the model 3 - it's all pretty intuitive and within a week it was part of daily life.

Did I get made to feel special by the delivery centre on collection day ? - not really - but it's a company car so no expectation. They were vaguely helpful but I knew what I was looking for due to info shared on this forum.

Does the car feel like other £55k vehicles ? - not really, but that assumes the old can be compared with the new. 55k buys you a cossetting "full fat" feeling of luxury in ICE but that's the old world. The new world is fully electric and that currently costs money. The only thing in the model 3 that feels really cheap is the choice of carpet. The seats are awesome.

The only thing I am annoyed about / disappointed with really is no reassurance of a detailed PDI form available to inspect and be able to ask questions on when collecting. However I do have the fallback of company fleet policy - same day replacement car, expenses covering emergency situations etc - which I appreciate private buyers don't get.

I didn't get too worried from reading forum negative comments in the lead-up to collection, it is hard to avoid the negative vibes but as with all things in this world you get further by focusing on your own situation not holding yourself back by the experiences of others - it's knowledge gained but you can choose to have it as knowledge not just to set your own expectations.

Be focused and diligent with the collection checklist but don't prevent yourself from taking ownership if there's minor issues - life is too short and things will get sorted.

Good luck and hope all goes well, enjoy your experience of being in the future

 

[Alan J]

Hello,

Forgive the ‘rant’ type post written on my phone. I’m currently in a salary sacrifice NHS scheme and have an Audi A3 Saloon which I quite like and is due to go back in December this year.

I have taken the plunge and ordered a model 3 Long range which seems to be the same price as the A3 due to me paying 0% benefit in kind tax.

The issue is I’m now getting more and more worried reading the ‘rejected car’ posts (2/3 now) the ‘wiper’ posts and the general comments around poor quality etc

When I collect the Tesla the Audi will be gone, I won’t have a back up car and I’m nervous that the Salary Sacrifice scheme will say ‘tough luck’ are these still isolated incidents or a real lack of quality and care from Tesla? Should I pull the plug?

Thoughts/Comments/Insults welcome

Gareth

I wouldn't worry lots of us have had good experiences, my own M3 SR+ was almost perfect on delivery in August 2019 and has been problem free for over a year and 7,000 miles now. I think it's in the nature of Forums such as this for people to tend to post negative stories and the many positive experiences tend to go unrecorded. You are making a large Investment and obviously it makes sense to check the Car carefully before accepting it but don't fret over it.

 

[OneTinyFish]

Hello,

Forgive the ‘rant’ type post written on my phone. I’m currently in a salary sacrifice NHS scheme and have an Audi A3 Saloon which I quite like and is due to go back in December this year.

I have taken the plunge and ordered a model 3 Long range which seems to be the same price as the A3 due to me paying 0% benefit in kind tax.

The issue is I’m now getting more and more worried reading the ‘rejected car’ posts (2/3 now) the ‘wiper’ posts and the general comments around poor quality etc

When I collect the Tesla the Audi will be gone, I won’t have a back up car and I’m nervous that the Salary Sacrifice scheme will say ‘tough luck’ are these still isolated incidents or a real lack of quality and care from Tesla? Should I pull the plug?

Thoughts/Comments/Insults welcome

Gareth

Hi Gareth,

No don't pull the plug. Just sit tight and spin the roulette wheel.

There is a 20% chance your Tesla will need to go back for one night in the first month. And a 6.01% chance it will be back to Tesla for 6 nights+.

For the majority, there are no (or only minor) issues reported.

 

[Adopado]

Hello,

Forgive the ‘rant’ type post written on my phone. I’m currently in a salary sacrifice NHS scheme and have an Audi A3 Saloon which I quite like and is due to go back in December this year.

I have taken the plunge and ordered a model 3 Long range which seems to be the same price as the A3 due to me paying 0% benefit in kind tax.

The issue is I’m now getting more and more worried reading the ‘rejected car’ posts (2/3 now) the ‘wiper’ posts and the general comments around poor quality etc

When I collect the Tesla the Audi will be gone, I won’t have a back up car and I’m nervous that the Salary Sacrifice scheme will say ‘tough luck’ are these still isolated incidents or a real lack of quality and care from Tesla? Should I pull the plug?

Thoughts/Comments/Insults welcome

Gareth

We can only really comment on our own direct experience ... in most cases that's a single sample, so good or bad it probably doesn't predict what you can expect to any helpful extent. My own overall individual experience is that the car is fantastic! I haven't had paint issues (Midnight Silver Metallic) or panel fit problems or glass fit problems. On the software side some people might like something that stays the same all the time rather than it becoming the focus of a "hobby" following the progress of feature updates and sometimes issues that can be introduced by a software update ... but the plus side is that you do feel like your car is developing rather than just deteriorating as with most vehicles!

Audi fit and finish quality appears to be up there with the very best so whichever alternative you choose you are probably not going to win. However, read this quote from the recent Which reliability survey in respect of Audi:

"At first glance, Audi’s average fault rate of 26% among its 0-3-year-old cars doesn’t seem alarming. But the breakdown rate of 8.5% raises an eyebrow. It’s the third highest we’ve seen across cars this young. That means that one in 12 owners we heard from had their Audi break down at least once in the 12 months prior to filling in our latest survey."

"All in all, Audi gets a mediocre three stars out of five for 0-3 year reliability, and a poor two stars for 3-8 year reliability. It’s in good company though: fellow luxury brands Volvo and Mercedes-Benz also get an uninspiring two-star rating for 3-8-year reliability."

If someone was about to put money down on an Audi they might be similarly worried on reading that! (We are right to worry when buying a car .. it's a big deal, literally.) But your own individual experience may well be that you have had a faultless car ... so naturally you tend to think that all Audis will be the same as yours. Variation comes with every brand ... and unfortunately we can't be 100% sure what we get.

Tesla owners tend to look up to the perceived quality of traditional brands ... for example a lot of recent positive feeling towards Polestar which is a Volvo brand ... yet Tesla owners might be more worried if they read that it turns out Volvo makes the least reliable car in the entire Which survey (Volvo XC90).

An aspect which I believe magnifies any fault issues for some people in respect of Tesla is the difference in dealership approach. If you are someone who loves the polished presentation of a showroom and a cosseting approach by deferential sales people, and a Service Manager who personally welcomes you into the X Brand family before offering you a servicing plan with multiple levels of cover for "you and your family" ... and sales manager who makes sure there are flowers "for your wife" with your new car ... ... ... bear in mind you won't get that at Tesla! I was delighted to get a polite introduction to the car ... check it over and be on my way within a short time ... but maybe if you pick up faults in the car it feels like people were just not paying enough attention and that is reflected in a poorly finished car? Most of us on this forum think that a more comprehensive PDI system is needed. The issue seems to be that the number of cars being delivered is very much higher per Tesla Service Centre site than it would be per Audi/BMW dealer as there are only a small number of Service Centres across the country. Their job could be made a lot easier if there was more comprehensive QA at the factory.

I've been following this forum for well over a year and the only instances of rejected cars have come up quite recently ... hopefully this will remain an extraordinarily rare occurrence.