Barklikeadog
Active Member
Ok ill change my tune.
The people who wait weeks for parts are so lucky. I'm Jealous with a capital J. Other automakers fix your car too quickly. They dont give you an opportunity to savor the experience.
Hth
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The people who wait weeks for parts are so lucky. I'm Jealous with a capital J. Other automakers fix your car too quickly. They dont give you an opportunity to savor the experience.
Hth
I alternate between being stunned Tesla can get so many things that are so simple so wrong, and being stunned that in the end they've always made it right for me. My car is an inventory car they just plain didn't go over properly before delivery, leaving a long trail of stuff other people broke that had to get fixed. It was like a sad clown circus getting some of the problems solved -- we had interactions like:
"hey, one of the tires on that set of wheels I didn't want but you made me take has major sidewall damage / no-problem-we'll-replace-it / um, hey, you replaced the WRONG TIRE"
and we had interactions like:
"hey, why do I keep getting intermittent 'coolant low' warnings / oh-that-happens-sometimes-we'll-top-it-up / hey, now I'm stranded in the middle of nowhere because one of the radiator seams totally let go and it's 5:40PM and I have to drive four kids to a ski race tomorrow"
BUT we also had interactions like:
"If we can't get you and your family a loaner before Enterprise closes tonight, just take taxis anywhere you need to go and send us the bill. it's okay if it's hundreds of miles or a thousand dollars."
And, the most remarkable, "hey, that tire you replaced more than a year ago? twice, because you got it wrong the first time? you gave me someone else's wheel and it's the wrong size - I know, why should you believe me, it was a year ago / don't worry about it, it'll take about a week to get a new wheel and tire in for you".
I'm always on the verge of thinking they can't possibly make it right this time, and then they always do. I've had problems almost as bad (admittedly, not quite as strange as the wheel thing, but I had a similar rad problem on a Volvo that left me stranded in the middle of Wyoming...) and Tesla stands pretty much alone in their determination to get it right in the end. I just hope they can keep it up as the 3s flood over us all.
I am concerned about the service center backlog with all the 3s being delivered. In some places service centers weren't overloaded before the 3, but in places like Portland they opened a new service center a year ago because the old one was beyond capacity and the new one was maxxed out before the 3 was more than a trickle. I don't know how they are going to manage with the fleet in the US coming close to doubling this year. There are about 200K Teslas on the road in the US. About 160K of those were on the road at the end of last year. They have added 40K in 6 months and could add another 100+K by the end of the year.
They need to get serious about offering certification programs to independent mechanics and crank up the spare parts production. EVs need less maintenance than ICE cars, but Tesla cars are complex with lots of electronics that can break and Tesla's quality has been all over the map. Some cars have had a lot of problems, others have had virtually none.
They need to get serious about offering certification programs to independent mechanics and crank up the spare parts production. EVs need less maintenance than ICE cars, but Tesla cars are complex with lots of electronics that can break and Tesla's quality has been all over the map. Some cars have had a lot of problems, others have had virtually none.
cpa
Active Member
I agree with Wdolson. However, I do not see Tesla opening up their playbook any time soon. There is enough negative press out there whenever a Tesla has an unfortunate accident/death/fire that the conventional automakers never receive for the same incidents. At this point in time, Tesla does not want to be at the mercy of a local mechanic who might screw things up. The media would pin the blame on Tesla--whether faulty parts, faulty training, faulty supervision, or just because, Tesla.
Our nearest service center is about 145 miles away. They are excellent, and their service is beyond reproach. Service appointments can be made within a reasonable period of time. However, the other service centers in the Bay Area or Rocklin are busy all the time, and appointments can be as long as a month before there is an opening. Our usual service center told me yesterday that they are seeing a steady increase in utilization because of the Model 3, and appointments may start having to be scheduled more than two weeks in advance.
There are estimates that the quantity of Teslas within a 60-mile radius of our town is in excess of 400, and climbing. Perhaps 400 cars are not enough to warrant a service center; I wonder what the threshold is.
(Don't jump all over me)....But I am hopeful that once the Supercharger network is at a reasonable density that Tesla directs most of its capital expenditure budgets to opening up more service centers. Right now it seems like most of their non-manufacturing capital expenditures are for Superchargers. While this is a good, perhaps even preferred investment, 2,500 Supercharger locations will not be of much use if many of their vehicles need servicing, and they cannot be serviced timely due to parts, location, or personnel constraints.
With all the had wringing about production hiccups, I've been more concerned about their support for the existing fleet. They are making noises about doing better with body repairs, but they are sadly lacking in service support.
Large parts of Oregon have the same problem getting service you have. There are a fair number of Teslas in Band, Eugene, and out on the coast, but the only service center in the state is in Portland. I was talking to someone in the local Tesla group about the crowding at the service center and he said someone at the service center told him that the Portland service center was supporting about 5000 cars over a year ago. I'm sure they are supporting a lot more than that now.
I've had an issue with the mirrors unfolding in the garage randomly and I've had a number of e-mails with the service center trying to figure out what's wrong. I do have to say they are aggressive about trying to solve problems. They replaced the switch and when that didn't work they wanted to replace the entire electronics in the driver's door. I've been wearing my bug hunting hat and I think it's either a firmware bug or something is up with the MCU. It has something to do with the way the car wakes up.
They got in the electronics module for the door and I canceled the appointment in part because I don't think that's the problem, but I didn't want to go through the hassle of taking the car in.
My only other experience with a new car was my 1992 Buick. It had an annoyance that was about the same level, the brake pedal would squeak in warm weather. I took the car in a couple of times during warranty and they basically blew me off on that problem. The problem was there for the 24 summers I owned the car. It never got worse, but it never went away either.
Tesla gets an A for effort, but much lower grades on service logistics.
Barklikeadog
Active Member
could this be the result of a ceo who is stubborn and always looking forward and never back? The cash crunch will have a negative impact on services. Just no way around it. People hate when I bring up the idea of dealerships, but when you get into a larger volume, they take care of a lot of problems. Dealerships can afford to keep parts in stock while a mechanic cannot. What is the negative? They charge a couple percent on a sale? They sell trade ins? They perform services and charge for it? How horrible.
What will happen to owners when these cars are out of warranty? Even the super fan boys say that they won't own a Tesla out of warranty.
Crimony, I'm talking myself out of owning a Tesla pickup now. Ugh.
Although afraid of using your sound advice as a short term bear argument, I’ve got to point out something else.
Those (semi-)independent dealerships would be more than happy to charge the manufacturer or importer an arm and a leg for sorting out all the items that slipped through quality control at the factory/assembly site. Short term a pita for the brand but positive for owners. Long term positive for all, as quality control will dramatically improve.
Similar arguments for availability of spare and replacement parts. Dealers could go to the aftermarket or even as far as dismantling/cannibalising used cars for parts.
Dealerships also serve as a demand buffer when demand fluctuates. The direct sales model is great when demand exceeds production capacity, but there will come a day when demand levels out. It isn't immediately on the horizon, but that day will come.
I've mentioned this before and had a lot of naysayers, but I'm sure many thought the same thing about Fords in 1920, but Ford hasn't been in that position for nearly 90 years.
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