Excellent Tesla Service Experience

[dogememe]

So, this is the first time ever taking my Tesla in for anything, and overall, it was a great experience. I'm posting this because often I see complaints online, in the media, and on social networks, about Tesla gaslighting that issues are normal, repairs taking longer than estimated, them returning cars dirty or damaged. The short version is, I had NONE of those issues!

My issues was that I'd get in the car, and it didn't seem to detect my presence. The screen would turn off after I got in the car and I'd have to tap it to wake it up. Also, the "FSD from Park" feature would always show "Driver not detected"

When I first got the car, the behavior was not like that - the screen would stay on, and I wouldn't get the "Driver not detected" error, so I figured something was wrong.

On September 15th, I went into the Tesla app, made the service request, typed in my issue, and sent a picture of the "Driver not detected" error message. The next available appointment that worked for me was yesterday, October 8th. In the meantime, I got some automated and human messages about the service message. As they estimated the car would need to be there about 7 hours, I asked for a loaner. They said no (more on that later).

So, yesterday I get there around 8 in the morning for my appointment. At the check-in process, I demonstrate the issue to the Tesla employee. He checked his computer and verified the car had sent a bunch of cabin radar errors, the part had been automatically ordered when I made the appointment, and they were going to replace the cabin radar.

He asked me if I needed a loaner. So, interesting - over messages I was told no, but they offered one when I dropped off the car. Anyway, I declined, as my partner had driven separately as we assumed a loaner wasn't going to happen. I was told the repair would take about 2-3 hours.

We did a Cybertruck demo drive* to use up about 30 minutes, and went off to a coffee shop, and about two hours later, as estimated, I got notification in the Tesla app that my car was ready. We drove back to the service center, I found my car in the parking lot, and left with it.

Now, everything works perfect. Do I think the cabin radar shouldn't have died after just a couple months? Sure. But stuff breaks... that's what the warranty is for. The overall experience was super easy and hassle-free. The repair was done quickly, I got my car back working with no other issues, and the entire automated cloud diagnostics and having the part ordered and ready is just phenomenal.

Tesla sure isn't perfect, but the purchase and service experiences are just so much more efficient and hassle-free.

*PS: I've already driven a Cybertruck (test drove a used one at a GMC dealer a while back) and really want it to be my next vehicle, if I can make enough money. But this was my BF's first time in one. He still think it's super ugly from the outside, but after spending half an hour in one, he agreed it was a phenomenal vehicle that drives fantastically. He didn't really share my passion for the steer by wire system, but agreed it drove and rode better than any other large truck or SUV he'd ever been in. That said, they really need to take better care of their demo vehicles. It was SUPER dirty on the outside, had low washer fluid errors on the screen, and some other error about the rear outlets. Oh, and when we went to look in the bed to see if it would be big enough for camping, it was full of junk. I don't get this - if I was offering a vehicle for people to test drive, I'd want it to be in as perfect condition as possible. Weird!

 

[JeffKeryk]

Our '18 Model 3 Mid Range issues a 12v battery dying warning message after 5 years. "Replace soon" or something like that. I used the app to schedule service; Tesla scheduled a tech to our house at 9 AM the next day. He arrived a few minutes early and replaced the small 12v battery (Honda 4 cvl size) and then checked the car for common issues. He declared our car "one of the best ones" he had seen, from a fittment, etc point of view. $110 for the battery; the service was free.

Nice young man. He had worked at the Fremont factory and then moved up to mobile tech.

 

[alarmguy]

So, this is the first time ever taking my Tesla in for anything, and overall, it was a great experience. I'm posting this because often I see complaints online, in the media, and on social networks, about Tesla gaslighting that issues are normal, repairs taking longer than estimated, them returning cars dirty or damaged. The short version is, I had NONE of those issues!

Great experience for sure, except you were told you couldnt get a loaner. Problem is in CA there are dealers within reach not so for most of the country.

The vast majority of the country most states have less than a handful of Tesla dealer service centers. I would have to drive 3 hours each way in North Carolina.
The State of South Carolina has one service center and most other states have a similar situation.
If you're in CA or Texas and some areas of Florida you may not know that.

https://www.tesla.com/en_US/findus/list/services/United States

 

[ecotourist]

My experience trying to book a service appointment was beyond frustrating.

I was trying to book a service appointment for a cabin filter replacement, brake fluid replacement (my Tesla is 4 years old), and brake caliper service through the Tesla app.

The service menu doesn’t correspond with those services and we went back and forth for 2 days trying to get it right.

Finally someone phoned and we were able to get the required services clarified in a few seconds. The Tesla app booked this service at my home when it actually required a shop visit. And there is no need for brake pad burnishing (which the Tesla app inserted in the estimate, at extra cost) on a car with 40,000 km.

Why would they charge $85 for a service that takes no extra time, in this case to rotate the tires when the wheels are already off the car to service the brake calipers? At most it would take only an additional minute or two to put the front wheels (which will be off the car anyway) on the back and the back wheels on the front.

They eventually rotated the tires for $63, but that's not much of a bargain. And though I had requested a brake fluid replacement (my Tesla is 4 years old and it seemed about time) they tested it and determined that replacement wasn't necessary. I guess that was sort of good except now I'll have to have it checked again in a year or so. The air filters were pretty dirty after 4 years and 40,000 km, but that seems about the right interval for our use.

The service was competent, and reasonably priced, but Tesla is overly fixated on trying to book everything through their app.

 

[Hall]

Why would they charge $85 for a service that takes no extra time, in this case to rotate the tires when the wheels are already off the car to service the brake calipers?

I'm 99% confident that no computer-based system would treat those services any different. Where would it end with the hundreds of combinations of "if, then" scenarios ?

 

[y_p_w]

I've helped my parents with their Model 3 RWD a few times. Got a really bad paint fix where we got a P100D loaner for less than a day. But it was kind of cool even though it was older and had a lot of dog hair in the trunk. Drove a lot different than a Model 3, especially the driver console instead of just the single touch screen. But the cool thing about the loaner was that all tolls and Supercharging was included. I picked it up for them and the service guys said to just knock ourselves out using it. I don't know if there might have been some mileage limits in the fine print, but I didn't notice any. I have heard that there might be some limits on where it can go though.

That fix wasn't really acceptable, so they agreed to send it to a nearby body shop for a buff and repaint, and that was going to take days. Got a Model 3 Long Range (2018) as a loaner and then planned a trip around it.

But then there was the time my dad complained because the previous distance estimate went away. It used to give an estimate of how far it was to an obstruction, where it would be parked in the garage and we could try to get it to 13-15 inches displayed. This is what it used to look like.

He went to the service center and they told him to book a service appointment. I helped with that, but then got a response that nothing was wrong. I think that feature was permanently removed, but my dad was insistent that he needed it and wanted to bring it in to maybe tweak the software settings that we couldn't find. He wasn't happy that the appointment was cancelled, at least to the point where a human tells him to his face that the feature he relied on was gone.

 

[97prizm]

I've helped my parents with their Model 3 RWD a few times. Got a really bad paint fix where we got a P100D loaner for less than a day. But it was kind of cool even though it was older and had a lot of dog hair in the trunk. Drove a lot different than a Model 3, especially the driver console instead of just the single touch screen. But the cool thing about the loaner was that all tolls and Supercharging was included. I picked it up for them and the service guys said to just knock ourselves out using it. I don't know if there might have been some mileage limits in the fine print, but I didn't notice any. I have heard that there might be some limits on where it can go though.

That fix wasn't really acceptable, so they agreed to send it to a nearby body shop for a buff and repaint, and that was going to take days. Got a Model 3 Long Range (2018) as a loaner and then planned a trip around it.

But then there was the time my dad complained because the previous distance estimate went away. It used to give an estimate of how far it was to an obstruction, where it would be parked in the garage and we could try to get it to 13-15 inches displayed. This is what it used to look like.

He went to the service center and they told him to book a service appointment. I helped with that, but then got a response that nothing was wrong. I think that feature was permanently removed, but my dad was insistent that he needed it and wanted to bring it in to maybe tweak the software settings that we couldn't find. He wasn't happy that the appointment was cancelled, at least to the point where a human tells him to his face that the feature he relied on was gone.

That's one of my big complaints with Tesla and vehicles that have big brother connections. They can tweak or remove functionality without your consent and there's nothing you can do about it.

 

[y_p_w]

That's one of my big complaints with Tesla and vehicles that have big brother connections. They can tweak or remove functionality without your consent and there's nothing you can do about it.

It wasn't super accurate though. That target was a shorter distance than it really was (maybe 30 inches) but we figured out a number to shoot for.

 

[ecotourist]

I'm 99% confident that no computer-based system would treat those services any different. Where would it end with the hundreds of combinations of "if, then" scenarios ?

That's exactly the problem. The computer system doesn't understand the combinations of services. And that's why the customer needs to be able to talk to someone when a service request is not working out. We spent 2 days going back and forth and only got it straightened out by talking to someone - which took a couple of minutes.

Unless wasting a customer's time while frustrating the heck out of them isn't a problem.

And billing again for taking the wheels off, when they're already off, isn't my idea of fair. Most shops will reduce the cost of a service when there is a major overlap with another service that is being performed at the same time.

 

[97prizm]

That's exactly the problem. The computer system doesn't understand the combinations of services. And that's why the customer needs to be able to talk to someone when a service request is not working out. We spent 2 days going back and forth and only got it straightened out by talking to someone - which took a couple of minutes.

Unless wasting a customer's time while frustrating the heck out of them isn't a problem.

And billing again for taking the wheels off, when they're already off, isn't my idea of fair. Most shops will reduce the cost of a service when there is a major overlap with another service that is being performed at the same time.

For how much you paid for your Tesla, a tire rotation shouldn't cost anything as if the fronts are off you're 50 percent there.

 

[cpayne5]

46k on our '22 Model 3. We've had two issues with it. 1) right front window forgot how to auto up/down 2) moisture in a taillight. Both times, Tesla sent a tech to our house and fixed the issue in the driveway. I'm 50 miles from Tesla and way out in the country. Pretty cool service experience considering where we live.

 

[AZjeff]

There are 5 Tesla owners in the thread and 3 have had good experiences and 2 have had problems. Wonder how that compares to other brands.

The neighbors across the street have a 6 month old Model 3 and just bought a 2020 Y from a non-Tesla dealership in Phoenix. It's 1.5 hours to a Tesla service center from here, hope they have a good experience when they need it.

 

[JeffKeryk]

There are 5 Tesla owners in the thread and 3 have had good experiences and 2 have had problems. Wonder how that compares to other brands.

The neighbors across the street have a 6 month old Model 3 and just bought a 2020 Y from a non-Tesla dealership in Phoenix. It's 1.5 hours to a Tesla service center from here, hope they have a good experience when they need it.

My experience was good; basically replace a 5+ year old battery. $110 at Costco if I did it, same life and cost as our TSX. The battery was just past the 5 year warranty or it would have been covered.
The only other work I did was rotate tires and replace cabin air filter. And warsher fluid. That's it.
Now, mainly due to COVID the car was not driven that much, about 21K when I turned it in for the new one.

Not bad, all in. An ICE vehicle would have cost more to maintain.

I wonder if Tesla has a more local service place for your neighbor. My understanding is, Tesla had to do house calls because there weren't any places or mechanics for their cars. They were a start up car company.

 

[Brons2]

*PS: I've already driven a Cybertruck (test drove a used one at a GMC dealer a while back) and really want it to be my next vehicle, if I can make enough money. But this was my BF's first time in one. He still think it's super ugly from the outside, but after spending half an hour in one, he agreed it was a phenomenal vehicle that drives fantastically. He didn't really share my passion for the steer by wire system, but agreed it drove and rode better than any other large truck or SUV he'd ever been in. That said, they really need to take better care of their demo vehicles. It was SUPER dirty on the outside, had low washer fluid errors on the screen, and some other error about the rear outlets. Oh, and when we went to look in the bed to see if it would be big enough for camping, it was full of junk. I don't get this - if I was offering a vehicle for people to test drive, I'd want it to be in as perfect condition as possible. Weird!

The Lightning rides nicer than the Cybertruck, that said, I too am a big fan of the steer by wire system and 4 wheel steering.

 

[ecotourist]

There are 5 Tesla owners in the thread and 3 have had good experiences and 2 have had problems. Wonder how that compares to other brands.

The neighbors across the street have a 6 month old Model 3 and just bought a 2020 Y from a non-Tesla dealership in Phoenix. It's 1.5 hours to a Tesla service center from here, hope they have a good experience when they need it.

In spite of the problems with booking that maintenance service, our experience has been quite positive otherwise.

Tesla staff were quite willing to address a couple of minor issues during the warranty period (mist in one tail light, and two episodes of sluggish trunk lid opening) and they repaired a minor issue with the driver's seat outside of the warranty period for no charge. So my experience with their staff has been quite positive - but booking maintenance with their computer - not so much.

In future If there is something the least bit complicated, I'll just do a walk in. You get to talk to a person that way.

 

[ecotourist]

For how much you paid for your Tesla, a tire rotation shouldn't cost anything as if the fronts are off you're 50 percent there.

They had all 4 wheels off. I think they should have just thrown in a tire rotation. A nominal charge (maybe $10) would have been fine too. But $85 or $61, honestly!

Having said all that, the maintenance costs over 4 years have been negligible.

 

[97prizm]

There are 5 Tesla owners in the thread and 3 have had good experiences and 2 have had problems. Wonder how that compares to other brands.

The neighbors across the street have a 6 month old Model 3 and just bought a 2020 Y from a non-Tesla dealership in Phoenix. It's 1.5 hours to a Tesla service center from here, hope they have a good experience when they need it.

According to Yelp "Tesla has an average rating of 3.1 from 5269 reviews".
So not definitive but not great. A number of people have mentioned moisture stuck inside. Why does Tesla have this problem?

 

[97prizm]

They had all 4 wheels off. I think they should have just thrown in a tire rotation. A nominal charge (maybe $10) would have been fine too. But $85 or $61, honestly!

Having said all that, the maintenance costs over 4 years have been negligible.

That's why Tesla is so inconsistent. They'll supposedly come out to a residence to swap a battery for no charge but charge for a tire rotation.

 

[ecotourist]

A number of people have mentioned moisture stuck inside. Why does Tesla have this problem?

It seems the tail lights are open to the interior and (for whatever reason) mist in colder weather. As they are LEDs, they don't get hot enough to evaporate the moisture. One of mine also had a few tiny droplets in it and Tesla decided that was enough reason to replace it.

 

[edhackett]

The vast majority of the country most states have less than a handful of Tesla dealer service centers. I would have to drive 3 hours each way in North Carolina.
The State of South Carolina has one service center and most other states have a similar situation.
If you're in CA or Texas and some areas of Florida you may not know that.

https://www.tesla.com/en_US/findus/list/services/United States

I counted 41 states on that list. Nine states don't have even one service center.

Ed