Alignment no longer part of Annual Service?

[sorka]

Contracts as written aren't always enforceable. Contracts written that violate consumer protection laws or other statutes aren't enforceable. Often it depends on the state. Often you'll see wording in contract that says "except where probhibited by state law" or where specific states are excluded in one way or another from allowing or denying. Often those will be left out because the contract writers make mistakes. It happens all the time in all industries and professions....including real estate

Even for extended warranties offered by manufacturers, they must specifically state what service must be done in what mileage and or time intervals included either in the owners manual or vehicle maintenance manual.

If the touch screen went out and there was no required inspection or maintenance for that particular item, they couldn't deny repairing it just because you didn't get the suspension examined. You would have had to have failed to properly maintain the touch panel and the proper maintenance would has to be spelled out. I doubt there is any maintenance on that item.

Tesla is young. They make mistakes. They had to change their stance on the factory warranty due to regulatory pressure. I seriously doubt Tesla will void the extended warranty unless there was a failure specific to the customers failure to follow *specific* maintenance. A blanket $600 yearly inspection is not enforceable.

 

[wk057]

Disclaimer: Didn't read entire thread.

I had annual/12.5k mile service done on my P85D recently (prepaid contract bought in January) and an alignment was performed with noticeable positive results.

 

[AmpedRealtor]

Amped, you're in Real Estate. You should know better than anyone that the "four corners" of a written contract is what the courts will enforce. Period.

I'm just trying to prevent you from becoming another P-D when Tesla begins enforcing its contract terms more strictly.

I appreciate that, I do. However, in real estate, email communications are considered binding in certain circumstances. For instance, a seller can cancel their listing contract with my broker via email, and without a signature, even though the original agreement required signatures by both parties. A buyer can also cancel a buyer broker exclusive employment agreement by email, and without signature, even though signatures were required at the contract's inception. It's not always true that an email cannot amend or change a contract. It depends upon the situation and the legal body governing such things - in my case, the Department of Real Estate.

The crux of my argument is this: If I follow the servicing intervals as indicated in my email from Jerome Guillen, Senior VP of Sales & Service (at the time), and I have that email as reference, I do not believe Tesla can legally decline service under the standard warranty or ESA (extended warranty) based upon my following the recommendations set forth by Mr. Guillen, a senior officer of the company, even if those service intervals are in contradiction to the written warranty. As with any officer of the company, as with Elon, any statements modifying service intervals would be considered policy.

When Elon published his blog post that service is not required to maintain the warranty, are we to believe that holders of the ESA (extended warranty) will be declined service based upon following the procedures outlined by Elon in his blog post where he said that service is NOT required to maintain the warranty? What will prevail - the text of the warranty or Elon's blog post? I would think that Elon's blog post constitutes a change in Tesla policy. If it doesn't, then someone should tell the many thousands of Model S owners that they are screwing themselves by following what Elon has clearly stated.

I don't know many people who actually read their warranty documents, we are lucky here in that we have a group of intelligent buyers that do. My point is that most people follow what they are told by the car dealership, or in this case, by Tesla itself. I am not talking about something verbal here, I'm talking about things that are written for all the world to see.

Even the service centers are saying that time and mileage intervals no longer apply to the pre-paid service agreement, so if they no longer apply, how can Tesla legally deny extended warranty service based upon its own actions?

 

[donauker]

Are you saying that my email from Jerome - Senior VP of Sales & Service - telling me that I can use my 4 pre-paid service visits at any time or mileage interval of my choosing will enable Tesla to deny me warranty coverage under the Extended Warranty?

Are you saying that ANYONE who did not service their cars at exactly the intervals prescribed in the owner's manual can be denied standard warranty service at any time in the future, as it states in the warranty document?

All of my experience with Tesla, from service on up to the senior management, tells me otherwise.

Even the service centers are saying that time and mileage intervals no longer apply to the pre-paid service agreement, so if they no longer apply, how can Tesla legally deny extended warranty service based upon its own actions?

It certainly appears that not all of the service centers agree with this.

I was notified by a close friend that our local service center initially refused to allow him to use his 3rd of 4 pre-paid annual services since he was a bit past 50,000 miles. It was only after he expressed serious dissatisfaction with this and pointed out that he was not only a Roadster and Signature Model S owner but was also considering ordering a Model X, that they relented a bit. They agreed to extend his mileage limit to 60,000 miles if he places a deposit on an X! So now he is planning to do another service 3 months after this past one just so he doesn't lose the 4th service he pre-paid.

 

[yobigd20]

It certainly appears that not all of the service centers agree with this.

I was notified by a close friend that our local service center initially refused to allow him to use his 3rd of 4 pre-paid annual services since he was a bit past 50,000 miles. It was only after he expressed serious dissatisfaction with this and pointed out that he was not only a Roadster and Signature Model S owner but was also considering ordering a Model X, that they relented a bit. They agreed to extend his mileage limit to 60,000 miles if he places a deposit on an X! So now he is planning to do another service 3 months after this past one just so he doesn't lose the 4th service he pre-paid.

That is just f'd up. What is wrong with Tesla? Why are they trying to piss off their loyal owners like this?

 

[TaoJones]

That is just f'd up. What is wrong with Tesla? Why are they trying to piss off their loyal owners like this?

Agreed - that's just silly. Introducing a one-off is not what's needed here.

There is a clear opportunity for improvement. More communication *to* senior management from owners is necessary until this is resolved. Else it will just get worse.

 

[jaguar36]

I think we just have to understand that Tesla is marketing themselves as a great customer oriented company, but in reality they are treating their customers just as poorly or sometimes even worse than established car companies do.

 

[mikes_fsd]

I think we just have to understand that Tesla is marketing themselves as a great customer oriented company, but in reality they are treating their customers just as poorly or sometimes even worse than established car companies do.

No, I think we need to stop paying attention to 3rd or 4th hand accounts of service. Tesla has a long way to grow - we can agree!
But seriously, comments starting with "I was notified by a close friend " are not reliable, to say the least.

You just went through 2 interpretations of events with possibility to get it skewed growing with each iteration.

Even the first account "reports" of the guy to whom Tesla would not sell the Model X (cancelled his reservation after he threatened to sue about his Model S order), when he posted the email of his interactions with Tesla, way more details came out that made Tesla's decision seem practical...

 

[apacheguy]

It certainly appears that not all of the service centers agree with this.

I was notified by a close friend that our local service center initially refused to allow him to use his 3rd of 4 pre-paid annual services since he was a bit past 50,000 miles. It was only after he expressed serious dissatisfaction with this and pointed out that he was not only a Roadster and Signature Model S owner but was also considering ordering a Model X, that they relented a bit. They agreed to extend his mileage limit to 60,000 miles if he places a deposit on an X! So now he is planning to do another service 3 months after this past one just so he doesn't lose the 4th service he pre-paid.

Ugh. I thought this had been sorted out. Jerome basically waived the mileage limit a while ago and it seems not everyone is on the same page. Can anyone get a straight answer on the mileage requirement for the prepaid plans?

 

[breser]

Ugh. I thought this had been sorted out. Jerome basically waived the mileage limit a while ago and it seems not everyone is on the same page. Can anyone get a straight answer on the mileage requirement for the prepaid plans?

It's never been entirely sorted out it pops up from time to time. Tesla could settle this once and for all by updating the contract. But it hasn't even been updated for new contracts let alone existing ones.

But none of this has anything to do with Alignment being part of Annual Service. From what I've seen on this thread, Tesla intends to carry through with the contracts they have that say it is. Everyone else is not going to get that.

As much as we might not like that, Tesla is entitled to change what it charges for services. I'm not a fan of this change, but Tesla is entitled to make it.

 

[TaoJones]

Maybe so, but it would be nice as a transitional exercise to offer existing owners the option of buying the prepaid package within the first year of ownership (prior to their first annual service). That way, nobody gets stung and no excuses can be made. Otherwise, nickel, meet dime.

 

[Sparky]

It's still in the service FAQ on the website:
Service Answers | Tesla Motors

What happens during my scheduled maintenance inspection?

During your annual inspection, our expert Tesla Service team will take your Model S through a bumper to bumper, roof to wheel inspection. The wheels will be removed and tires will be rotated. If wheel alignment is necessary, this will be taken care of during your appointment. Logs will be pulled and examined, and all systems will be tested for operation. The drive unit assemblies will be inspected, and the temperature management system will be checked. Your brakes will be inspected, and normal items, such as brake pads and windshield wipers will be replaced as needed. Please note that tire wear is not covered as part of the annual inspection or under the Tesla Service Plans or the New Vehicle Limited Warranty.

@Zarwin and others here. Thank you for this. Just had my 2nd annual service on my S85. I am on the pay as you go, ($600) service plan. I noted that my car was beginning to make a "thrum" noise at 70 MPH and the Service Rep said it's probably the alignment. Then he said it's no longer included as part of the annual and costs ~$200 (I have the Standard Suspension). Because I'd seen this thread, I was able to email the page from Tesla's website to the service rep while I was there. He said, he'd check with the Service Manager. Called me later and said they wouldn't charge me for the alignment and the rep thanked me for pointing out the web page (uh-oh).
Saved me $200 and the alignment, which was pretty far off, did seem to fix the "thrum" noise.

Love this forum.


Side note: My loaner was the same model as last year, a P85+ with about $6k miles on it. Unlike last year's which seemed kinda rough, this one drove like a dream. Quick, quiet, nimble. The build quality is noticeably better. Now I want one... damn.

 

[taurusking]

@Zarwin and others here. Thank you for this. Just had my 2nd annual service on my S85. He said, he'd check with the Service Manager. Called me later and said they wouldn't charge me for the alignment and the rep thanked me for pointing out the web page (uh-oh).

In the interest of saving money ( I hope service center will be able to catch on to anything major during annual service visits) in the future...I decided to schedule my service visit.

Thanks to everyone who contributed to this thread.

Thanks to Sparky for mentioning wheel alignment...

 

[mmccord]

I was charged $450 for an alignment last weekend, so $149 is a bargain.

Not sure what goes into a $450 alignment, must be gold-plated shims or something.

 

[JenniferQ]

@Zarwin and others here. Thank you for this. Just had my 2nd annual service on my S85. I am on the pay as you go, ($600) service plan. I noted that my car was beginning to make a "thrum" noise at 70 MPH and the Service Rep said it's probably the alignment. Then he said it's no longer included as part of the annual and costs ~$200 (I have the Standard Suspension). Because I'd seen this thread, I was able to email the page from Tesla's website to the service rep while I was there. He said, he'd check with the Service Manager. Called me later and said they wouldn't charge me for the alignment and the rep thanked me for pointing out the web page (uh-oh).
Saved me $200 and the alignment, which was pretty far off, did seem to fix the "thrum" noise.

Love this forum.


Side note: My loaner was the same model as last year, a P85+ with about $6k miles on it. Unlike last year's which seemed kinda rough, this one drove like a dream. Quick, quiet, nimble. The build quality is noticeably better. Now I want one... damn.

Thanks for sharing. Took screen shot for the future. That's the main reason I bought the service plan! Alignments are necessary and expensive.

 

[Nickjhowe]

Just had my annual service on my P85 at the West Palm Beach, FL, service center. I got two new tires and asked them to do an alignment. Tires:$375 each. Service: $600. Four-wheel alignment: $120

 

[Larry Chanin]

I was charged $450 for an alignment last weekend, so $149 is a bargain.

Not sure what goes into a $450 alignment, must be gold-plated shims or something.

Just had my annual service on my P85 at the West Palm Beach, FL, service center. I got two new tires and asked them to do an alignment. Tires:$375 each. Service: $600. Four-wheel alignment: $120

This is rather disconcerting. I was quoted $180 last week. It doesn't seem proper that the fee for the same service should vary by this degree. Is each service center quoting a separate fee unrelated to other service centers?

Larry

 

[Caligula]

Question... is there any reason why an alignment shop can't do this for us? IIRC I paid something like $300 for lifetime alignments on my previous ICE at a local shop. They used the same laser alignment machine that my buddy uses at the BMW dealership as well.

 

[Cyclone]

Question... is there any reason why an alignment shop can't do this for us? IIRC I paid something like $300 for lifetime alignments on my previous ICE at a local shop. They used the same laser alignment machine that my buddy uses at the BMW dealership as well.

My S has a lifetime alignment elsewhere and they do a great job. Nothing special about the S in terms of alignment except to make sure they use a lift properly to not damage the battery.

 

[Caligula]

My S has a lifetime alignment elsewhere and they do a great job. Nothing special about the S in terms of alignment except to make sure they use a lift properly to not damage the battery.

Good to know!