Good Riddance: The '22 Tesla Model S Plaid Saga Comes to an End

[memo=[]]

Today marks the end of an era, or rather, the end of a rather tumultuous relationship with my '22 Tesla MS Plaid. After 21 months, 8,000 miles, and more trips back to the shop than I care to count, the car is finally being picked up by Tesla. It's been a ride filled with more drama than a prime-time TV show, and frankly, I won't miss it.

The journey began with promise and excitement, but it wasn't long before the dream started to unravel. The front motor declared its resignation not once, but on multiple occasions, leading to a total of 3 visits to the service centers and a staggering 63 days without the car (there were another 4-5 visits for misc. concerns that did not affect the drive). But that was just the start of my Tesla saga.

After the last repair, the car developed a mind of its own. A rogue window controller began a routine of spontaneously opening and closing, as if possessed by the ghost of electric cars past. The frunk decided to embrace freedom, releasing itself while I was driving, adding an unexpected thrill to my daily commutes. And then there was the GPS, which seemed to think I was perpetually navigating the Pacific Ocean, leaving me metaphorically and literally lost at sea.

Through all this, I've learned a lot - about electric vehicles, about Tesla, and about patience. A lot of patience. The Model S Plaid is a marvel of engineering, a beast on paper, and a headache in reality, at least for me. As it departs my life, I can't help but breathe a sigh of relief. Good riddance, dear Plaid. May your journey back to Tesla be less eventful than your stay with me.

To those who's following this, thanks for the empathy, the advice, and the laughs. It's been an adventure, but I'm ready for the next chapter. Here's to hoping the next car is a little less 'exciting' and a lot more reliable. Farewell, Plaid. You won't be missed.

But my hope isn't lost – I do plan to give it another go in 2 years, if there's still a flagship Tesla around by then.

(btw the actual surrender was last month; just had to make sure Tesla's checks cleared.)

 

[W Cole]

Excellent engineer but loses interest in delivering anything more than a prototype. Typical genius behavior

It’s really amazing what aerospace engineers can accomplish when tasked with building the next iteration of the automobile. Unfortunate that they aren’t interested in reliability as they certainly could achieve it if desired.

 

[cptnslo]

It’s crazy how some of these cars are insanely issue free and others are plagued with issues. It’s to a level I’ve pretty much never seen

 

[W Cole]

It’s crazy how some of these cars are insanely issue free and others are plagued with issues. It’s to a level I’ve pretty much never seen

Can you correlate it with other factors? Build location? Build date?

Also one thing to keep in mind is the failure rate of pretty much any machine generally follows a bath tub curve. Many failures right away and then few for quite some time. So if your car is good out of the box you should be ok for the long term

Im sure tesla knows.. all these auto manufactures have all the data on failures and are constantly analyzing it then playing dumb to the consumers. If we on the forums see my issue, the auto manufacturers already know about it

 

[jay1122]

What is your new car gonna be? Used Taycans are at a reasonable price.

 

[chinney]

I have a theory of 'luxury duds'. My theory is that although luxury cars might ideally be expected to be built with more care and with higher quality parts that make them more reliable, the reality is that the luxury aspect of such cars actually tends to be in bells and whistles that give the the vehicle an allure of distinction, but do not actually promote reliability. Further, the potential breakdown of the bells and whistles themselves - together with the limited production runs of luxury vehicle lines tending to give engineers more limited opportunities to iron out general problems in the vehicles - leads to a potential for more pervasive reliability problems than for standard vehicle lines from the same manufacturer.

My theory is based on anecdotal observation and I have not researched whether it is confirmed by data. My theory also is one that extends far beyond Tesla to vehicle manufacturers more generally. Indeed, my theory goes beyond vehicles and applies to at least some other luxury goods, such as luxury appliances. While I have no firm proof that my theory is correct, I will be sticking with my Model 3 which has been blissfully problem-free.

 

[RichAZ/CapeCod]

It’s crazy how some of these cars are insanely issue free and others are plagued with issues. It’s to a level I’ve pretty much never seen

Yeah, I don't get it. I've read some complaints by Tesla owners in regard "issues" they were having and am really befuddled by their situation. We (wife and I) own two Telsas, a 2022 M3 SR and a 2023 MY LR AWD and had a leased MY AWD 2020. Owned a 2019 Bolt which was our first EV. Nice car, just not in the same league as our Teslas.

I don't drink the cool aid and can assure you that all three vehicles we have had (or now have) have been both cosmetically and mechanically perfect.

The reason we leased our first Tesla was due to quality concerns I'd read about. Never saw any in our 2020 MY, so we purchased the two we now own outright. I do suspect (without any evidence to back up my comments) that the model S and perhaps the model X series seem to suffer from assorted problems. But, as stated, that's just a wild guess on my part.

Rich

 

[CSFTN]

Today marks the end of an era, or rather, the end of a rather tumultuous relationship with my '22 Tesla MS Plaid. After 21 months, 8,000 miles, and more trips back to the shop than I care to count, the car is finally being picked up by Tesla. It's been a ride filled with more drama than a prime-time TV show, and frankly, I won't miss it.

The journey began with promise and excitement, but it wasn't long before the dream started to unravel. The front motor declared its resignation not once, but on multiple occasions, leading to a total of 3 visits to the service centers and a staggering 63 days without the car (there were another 4-5 visits for misc. concerns that did not affect the drive). But that was just the start of my Tesla saga.

After the last repair, the car developed a mind of its own. A rogue window controller began a routine of spontaneously opening and closing, as if possessed by the ghost of electric cars past. The frunk decided to embrace freedom, releasing itself while I was driving, adding an unexpected thrill to my daily commutes. And then there was the GPS, which seemed to think I was perpetually navigating the Pacific Ocean, leaving me metaphorically and literally lost at sea.

Through all this, I've learned a lot - about electric vehicles, about Tesla, and about patience. A lot of patience. The Model S Plaid is a marvel of engineering, a beast on paper, and a headache in reality, at least for me. As it departs my life, I can't help but breathe a sigh of relief. Good riddance, dear Plaid. May your journey back to Tesla be less eventful than your stay with me.

To those who's following this, thanks for the empathy, the advice, and the laughs. It's been an adventure, but I'm ready for the next chapter. Here's to hoping the next car is a little less 'exciting' and a lot more reliable. Farewell, Plaid. You won't be missed.

But my hope isn't lost – I do plan to give it another go in 2 years, if there's still a flagship Tesla around by then.

(btw the actual surrender was last month; just had to make sure Tesla's checks cleared.)

When I hear this,, I think about similar experiences, myself or people I've known Don't know how this aplies to EVs but *every* car I've heard of with a multitude of electrical gremlins which dealer cannot readily fix, always ends up being poor grounding on the 12V battery. I'd bet that's the case here.

 

[WhiteOnWhiteMY]

Here's to hoping the next car is a little less 'exciting' and a lot more reliable.

Don't leave us hanging here; what's it gonna be? Going ICE, EV, PHEV, or Hybrid? So many EVs I'm interested in, wonder where someone goes after jumping off of the MSP.

 

[W Cole]

I have a theory of 'luxury duds'. My theory is that although luxury cars might ideally be expected to be built with more care and with higher quality parts that make them more reliable, the reality is that the luxury aspect of such cars actually tends to be in bells and whistles that give the the vehicle an allure of distinction, but do not actually promote reliability. Further, the potential breakdown of the bells and whistles themselves - together with the limited production runs of luxury vehicle lines tending to give engineers more limited opportunities to iron out general problems in the vehicles - leads to a potential for more pervasive reliability problems than for standard vehicle lines from the same manufacturer.

My theory is based on anecdotal observation and I have not researched whether it is confirmed by data. My theory also is one that extends far beyond Tesla to vehicle manufacturers more generally. Indeed, my theory goes beyond vehicles and applies to at least some other luxury goods, such as luxury appliances. While I have no firm proof that my theory is correct, I will be sticking with my Model 3 which has been blissfully problem-free.

This is 100% true with any more complex version of something else.

Recent example- I got the low efficiency no frills HVAC system installed because I don’t want all the extra valves, speed controllers for variable speeds, etc etc it’s just more to break

Take a look at a hybrid auto. It has all the things to break of an ICE car and an electric car combined! I would never ever buy one except for performance knowing I’d be sacrificing reliability. Or I guess in the future once the govt disallows anything but electric or hybrid then will have no choice… but I said the same thing about turbo cars and I’ve had great luck being able to avoid those as well. Again just more stuff to break.

 

[W Cole]

Yeah, I don't get it. I've read some complaints by Tesla owners in regard "issues" they were having and am really befuddled by their situation. We (wife and I) own two Telsas, a 2022 M3 SR and a 2023 MY LR AWD and had a leased MY AWD 2020. Owned a 2019 Bolt which was our first EV. Nice car, just not in the same league as our Teslas.

I don't drink the cool aid and can assure you that all three vehicles we have had (or now have) have been both cosmetically and mechanically perfect.

The reason we leased our first Tesla was due to quality concerns I'd read about. Never saw any in our 2020 MY, so we purchased the two we now own outright. I do suspect (without any evidence to back up my comments) that the model S and perhaps the model X series seem to suffer from assorted problems. But, as stated, that's just a wild guess on my part.

Rich

If you compare the exterior build quality- paint quality and panel alignment. All the teslas I’ve seen look like they were built in a tractor not car factory. The high watermark being say $200k+ European cars but even cheap Hondas and Toyotas have perfect paint and panel alignment. Some of the American brands have embarrassing examples of quality but it’s rare. The teslas are really an outlier in terms of poor build quality, I’ve not spent time in third world countries but I’d imagine you would have to look at cars built there to have something to compare to

 

[W Cole]

When I hear this,, I think about similar experiences, myself or people I've known Don't know how this aplies to EVs but *every* car I've heard of with a multitude of electrical gremlins which dealer cannot readily fix, always ends up being poor grounding on the 12V battery. I'd bet that's the case here.

The issue within the electronics is tesla does things to save money and wiring. For example a bunch of switches, I think the speakers and a ton of stuff is all on the same wiring loom so it’s a single point of failure which is why when something breaks you get multiple errors. Tesla touts this as them thinking differently than all other engineers since the advent of the motor vehicle that have individual redundant wiring for all these items. There’s a reason they do it that way, reliability but not just so you don’t have to fix things but for safety so something doesn’t fail and cause an accident. Tesla does things differently alright, they do it wrong, but they do it differently LOL.

This gets really scary in cars like the new cybertruck where the front wheels are not physically connected to the steering wheel. What if a ground lead breaks somewhere and the truck loses power completely?? Potential issue with brakes too if they do brake by wire in the future

 

[W Cole]

Don't leave us hanging here; what's it gonna be? Going ICE, EV, PHEV, or Hybrid? So many EVs I'm interested in, wonder where someone goes after jumping off of the MSP.

Where do you go from a plaid? There’s a reason so many super HNW folks drive them instead of something more expensive. There’s just really nothing out there better yet unfortunately. There’s competitors that aren’t quite as good (but still great)

 

[WhiteOnWhiteMY]

Where do you go from a plaid? There’s a reason so many super HNW folks drive them instead of something more expensive. There’s just really nothing out there better yet unfortunately. There’s competitors that aren’t quite as good (but still great)

Yeah, it's one thing I am genuinely curious to see. I would be interested to see if they explores other types of vehicles. I personally would love to be hands on with a Kia EV6 GT or similar. Sure, it isn't as fast off the line, but it has lots of great features outside of just being freaking fast (not saying the PLAID doesn't either). I am curious where people jump to after a bad Plaid ownership experience.

 

[Ostrichsak]

The issue within the electronics is tesla does things to save money and wiring. For example a bunch of switches, I think the speakers and a ton of stuff is all on the same wiring loom so it’s a single point of failure which is why when something breaks you get multiple errors. Tesla touts this as them thinking differently than all other engineers since the advent of the motor vehicle that have individual redundant wiring for all these items. There’s a reason they do it that way, reliability but not just so you don’t have to fix things but for safety so something doesn’t fail and cause an accident. Tesla does things differently alright, they do it wrong, but they do it differently LOL.

This gets really scary in cars like the new cybertruck where the front wheels are not physically connected to the steering wheel. What if a ground lead breaks somewhere and the truck loses power completely?? Potential issue with brakes too if they do brake by wire in the future

FUD post. On a Tesla forum, no less. Where do people get this stuff?

 

[cptnslo]

The issue within the electronics is tesla does things to save money and wiring. For example a bunch of switches, I think the speakers and a ton of stuff is all on the same wiring loom so it’s a single point of failure which is why when something breaks you get multiple errors. Tesla touts this as them thinking differently than all other engineers since the advent of the motor vehicle that have individual redundant wiring for all these items. There’s a reason they do it that way, reliability but not just so you don’t have to fix things but for safety so something doesn’t fail and cause an accident. Tesla does things differently alright, they do it wrong, but they do it differently LOL.

This gets really scary in cars like the new cybertruck where the front wheels are not physically connected to the steering wheel. What if a ground lead breaks somewhere and the truck loses power completely?? Potential issue with brakes too if they do brake by wire in the future

I’m fairly sure multiple people including engineering explained have talked about installed redundancy to deal with those situations. Unless I’m missing something COMPLETELY

 

[dmurphy]

I have a theory of 'luxury duds'. My theory is that although luxury cars might ideally be expected to be built with more care and with higher quality parts that make them more reliable, the reality is that the luxury aspect of such cars actually tends to be in bells and whistles that give the the vehicle an allure of distinction, but do not actually promote reliability. Further, the potential breakdown of the bells and whistles themselves - together with the limited production runs of luxury vehicle lines tending to give engineers more limited opportunities to iron out general problems in the vehicles - leads to a potential for more pervasive reliability problems than for standard vehicle lines from the same manufacturer.

My theory is based on anecdotal observation and I have not researched whether it is confirmed by data. My theory also is one that extends far beyond Tesla to vehicle manufacturers more generally. Indeed, my theory goes beyond vehicles and applies to at least some other luxury goods, such as luxury appliances. While I have no firm proof that my theory is correct, I will be sticking with my Model 3 which has been blissfully problem-free.

Fallacy #1: Considering a Tesla (even an S or X) a "luxury" vehicle.

It's nothing special. And I mean that in the nicest of ways. It's not bespoke, it's not hand assembled, it's not some rare beast.

It's an assembly line car, like millions upon millions of others produced every year.

Sure, it's fast, it's fun, it has a bunch of stuff going for it ... but it's just an assembly line car, meant to be driven.

I always crack up when I see people break out micrometers and measure paint thicknesses and other silliness.

That's losing the plot.

It's just a garden variety car with some heavy-hitting torque.

That's not a dig at the vehicles, by the way -- there's not a thing wrong with that. But to attribute it to something else is just .. well .. overshooting.

 

[W Cole]

FUD post. On a Tesla forum, no less. Where do people get this stuff?

Are you aware of what I am talking about on the wiring harness design? If so you would know where I am getting it from. There is a post on the 1st page or two of this sub-forum with an owner having issues stemming from this design.

I can link you to the information on it Tesla Patents Modular Wiring System That Will Make a Wiring Harness and CAN Bus Obsolete

 

[W Cole]

I’m fairly sure multiple people including engineering explained have talked about installed redundancy to deal with those situations. Unless I’m missing something COMPLETELY

Are you talking about my cybertruck steering example? The cybertruck steering has effectively no redundancy and there’s no way it will be allowed in the EU

Tesla Cybertruck uses steer-by-wire with almost no redundancy. Electric power st... | Hacker News

news.ycombinator.com

 

[bkcyk]

My '23 MSP is my first EV. I made the purchase with eyes wide open.

• Panel gaps and all that - don't really care unless egregious (none found)
• Creaks and rattles - plenty of it at parking lot speeds, but knew this is par for Model S course
• 3rd world service centers - yup, check
• Stupid constrained, closed parts ecosystem - Don't ever want to get in an accident, major vulnerability

Nearly 9K miles on the odo, zero glitches or issues beyond what I expected above. World class power. World class braking. World class charging options. World class software integration. I'm still happy with my purchase, but it's made me no Tesla brand loyalist by any stretch.

Once the rest of EV world catches up in a year or two, my EV dance card is a clean sheet yet again.