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Mechanical issues/reliability

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Hi everybody. I am new to the forum, but this looks like the best one out there on Tesla.

I am seriously considering purchasing a roadster as a daily driver and have already taken a test-drive. It is a fabulous car and truly a leap forward in technology.

I wanted to know from actual owners how reliable these vehicles are.

Please post how old your car is, your mileage, and any mechanical issues you have had to date.

Thanks in advance :smile:
 
I've got about 12k miles on #619 and use it as a daily driver. So far the only "mechanical" problem I've had is the drivers side tire pressure sensor isn't working. I'll get it fixed when I do my 1 year service in a few months.

Also, replaced the original rear tires at ~7k miles (they're extra soft racing/track tires)

The tesla is *by far* the most trouble-free car I've ever owned.
 
Experiences with my Roadster

I just passed 10K on my 2010, and I drive it almost every day.

I've had two problems with the car. The antenna for the internal GPS failed. This didn't cause a problem, I just got a warning message and the VDS no longer told me my direction of travel.

The second problem was more serious. My PEM (inverter) failed. This caused the car not to work (though it did generate an impressive number of fault messages). I was able to upload the logs to Tesla, and they diagnosed the failure within hours. The next day, the service guys drove a new PEM out to the garage where the car was and replaced it while I watched. So, it wasn't a giant hassle other than having to take the bus to and from work one day.

Oh, and my 9-year-old son threw up (in great, liquid volume) all over the interior two weeks after I got the car. Tesla cleaned it out (including removing the seats, disassembling the center console and seat belt retractor, etc.) and didn't even charge me for it. That was truly service above and beyond the call of duty, since my kid's digestive problems certainly weren't any kind of defect in the Roadster!
 
With 0-60 in < 4s perhaps something like this should be standard in the passenger compartment!:
CooperMini2002.jpg
 
15K Nothing mechanical 'cept the squeaks that Tesla tightened up. I had a battery problem that was a firmware bug that got through in a few 2008s.

Stock rears replaced a 5.5K four new at 12K. Amazing daily driver. Service is good about everything. Not happy with radio or Star Shield coverage.
 
... Not happy with radio or Star Shield coverage.

What don't you like about the Star Shield?

I like it a lot.

I didn't get the Porsche dealer installed equivalent on the Porsche Boxster S that I had before my Tesla, because it was too noticeable on the Porsches and didn't cover enough places. My Porsche chipped up really bad, but I still thought it looked better than the Porsches with the film on them.

On my Tesla, I have to look very close to see the edges of the Shield (i.e., I pretty much never notice it). They covered a lot of areas and I can only find one chip/gouge (besides on the exterior/lower part of the door sills, which have essentially been sand blasted by road debris) after 5800 miles through a good bit of road debris, especially with all of the snow this last winter.

In case it is color dependent (I saw a complaint or 2 on the owners forum about the shield discoloring): my car is Fusion Red with the carbon fiber exterior package.
 
At about 4k miles here. Just a couple of rattles that should be easy to fix. No mechanical problems. Still look forward to driving it every day, even after a year. Still beats the pants off the 911 on both fun and reliability!

Sent from my Nexus One using Tapatalk
 
Roadster #108 is coming up on 16k miles here. Rear tires replaced around 15k mi; fronts still have plenty of tread.

Only one serious issue, which was a spontaneous fault in the battery pack around 10k miles; the car lost power on the freeway, and I coasted to the shoulder. (Steering/lights/braking etc. still worked.) Turned out there was a loose bolt and pinched wire in the battery pack; a fluke manufacturing defect, fixed under warranty.

Other than that, just minor complaints; balky trunk latches, poor satellite radio reception, and minor squeaks here and there. All of these are much improved after the latest servicing. Altogether, the car has performed brilliantly, especially considering its early serial #.
 
"balky trunk latches"

I got a problem with mine too. Just went in for service and came back with neither electronic latch nor mechanical key latch working. Mechanic came to Emeryville and was able to get mechanical working but needs car back in MP to fix electric latch.

Yesterday mechanical key latch stopped working. Soft top, wrench for hard top and tire lug key are all in the trunk.
 
My biggest issue with the "car" so far (aside from crashing it, but that was a driver issue):
I dropped my keyfob while in a parking lot on Saturday. It would not open the car anymore. Removing its battery and putting back in did not fix the problem... I used the manual door latch to get in but then I could not remember the default pin to stop the alarm. A quick call to Tesla Roadside assistance yielded the code and I was back on the road. Once home, I swapped for the second keyfob. I took the first key completely apart and put it back together and it now works again! I guess something was thrown out of alignment when it hit the pavement...

Greetings,
David
 
Can't you also put the key in the ignition to stop the alarm?

According to the "quick start guide" for the MY2010:
To turn off the alarm
Enter your PIN code
on the Touch Screen
or press the Unlock
button on your key
fob.

In my case, the pin was the only resort as my key fob was malfunctioning at the time... I highly recommend you familiarize yourself with the default PIN or setup your own!

Greetings,
David