Model S Technical / Mechanical Issues

[PhatCat]

As we say in the business, "Clean compile, ship it."

[ChadS]

Is it just me, or is Tesla releasing a lot of buggy software?

It can get depressing when you read through this thread and see all the problems. But then I remember that this is where everybody with a problem is talking about it, so you should expect to hear about a lot of problems here. Then I go out in to the garage and see the car we've been driving since September, and I feel a lot better - we are not having any issues with it.

Every car has issues. Are Teslas having more than most? Could be, but I'm not sure, and don't think we can tell by reading this thread. It will be interesting to see once JD Power or somebody surveys owners.

Something even more important than the issues a car has is how the manufacturer addresses them. So far Tesla has done a great job on that. (Yes, communication could still be better).

[ckessel]

Push it with bugs and fix it in the updates I say. Little quirks like that are minor inconveniences, the benefits of the added functionality are WELL worth it.

I'm not sure the general population is going to feel that way. I remember in some other threads statements that Tesla needed to absolutely nail the quality aspect of the car given the market they're in. Tesla themselves said they delayed delivery to focus on quality though that seems to have been more physical than software.

At this point, Tesla's quality on the software front seems debatable.

[mnx]

I'm not sure the general population is going to feel that way. I remember in some other threads statements that Tesla needed to absolutely nail the quality aspect of the car given the market they're in. Tesla themselves said they delayed delivery to focus on quality though that seems to have been more physical than software.

At this point, Tesla's quality on the software front seems debatable.

I think the general population will be tolerant of bugs if they know an update is coming in ~6 weeks that will fix the problem. I know I would.

[MikeK]

I think the general population will be tolerant of bugs if they know an update is coming in ~6 weeks that will fix the problem. I know I would.

Depends on the bug, obviously. False "windshield washer" warnings, sure. Failures of the 3G that require pulling fuses, or the car entering limp modes that keep it to 10mph unless you reboot it three times, not so much.

I think it would also be good for there to be a way to tell users about issues. For example, the windshield washer thing cost me some time and caused me to email the service folks. Would have been nice to know that it was an "expected" bug.

[lolachampcar]

Someone mentioned in another thread (or perhaps this one) that a winning JD Power quality number was 72 or 73 defects per 100 cars and that most manufacturers like BMW and Mercedes were over 100/100! I think Tesla is doing just fine given the software element on this car controls everything. Most mfgs simply plug in modules by other vendors with nowhere near the feature list.

[ElSupreme]

Remember that this is common for ALL NEW CARS JD Power's average rating for initial quality (problems in first 90 days) is 102 per 100 cars. Yes that is right there are on average more problems than cars in the first 90 days.


Lexus had the least amount of problems industry wide with a paltry 73 problems per 100 vehicles

2012 U.S. Initial Quality Study Results | J.D. Power

Someone mentioned in another thread (or perhaps this one) that a winning JD Power quality number was 72 or 73 defects per 100 cars and that most manufacturers like BMW and Mercedes were over 100/100! I think Tesla is doing just fine given the software element on this car controls everything. Most mfgs simply plug in modules by other vendors with nowhere near the feature list.

Yeah that was me. It is probably worth repeating. But remember that a single software bug is probably 100 defects (or close to) per 100 cars. As it would be present in all cars. The reported defects would probably be less than 100 but it still would be a really big number. Also new models will have higher defects than an industry average.

[strider]

I know Tesla say the required door slam is by design, but when enough customers are having problems that tells me it's a bad design. Most other vendors seem to have normal doors.

All 4 of my doors require the same amount of effort to close - regardless of which one is last.

[NigelM]

All 4 of my doors require the same amount of effort to close - regardless of which one is last.

Same here. In any case the slightly lowered windows should obviate any air pressure effect.

[strider]

I'm not sure the general population is going to feel that way. I remember in some other threads statements that Tesla needed to absolutely nail the quality aspect of the car given the market they're in. Tesla themselves said they delayed delivery to focus on quality though that seems to have been more physical than software.

I agree w/ MikeK. The "general population" buys smartphones and computers and those things (be it Microsoft, Apple, Google, etc) have tons of bugs all the time. I've had to reboot such devices an innumerable number of times yet I keep buying and using them because so far the benefits outweigh the pain. Cars are becoming the same way.

That being said, 3 days in our car has been flawless.