17,000 miles in 13 months. Daily driver with many family road trips up and down the West Coast. I have had 2 minor problems so far: (1) creaking driver-side seat belt, and (2) wheel alignment (slight toe-out problem referred to earlier). Both problems promptly fixed by Tesla. Awesome ownership and driving experience overall. I absolutely love the car, and will never look back.
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How reliable is your Tesla so far?
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Canuck
Well-Known Member
I've only had mine for 5 months so far but I haven't had any problems. Having said that, if your number one is concern is reliability, and your other option is Porsche Panamera, then you are probably better off with the Porsche. I bought a Tesla knowing that the company and technology is relatively new but I did it because I wanted to support them, and lessen my carbon footprint, with full knowledge that I will likely have to deal with reliability issues. A Porsche Panamera was not something I'd ever consider purchasing despite the fact that Porsche has been making cars since the early 1900's and seem to make reliable vehicles.
Canuck
Well-Known Member
EarlyAdopter
Active Member
19 months and my Model S has been rock solid. It's never once left me stranded or failed to start. It's my daily driver to work and my only car, so reliability is important to me as well.
I had a couple of minor nuisance issues which Tesla quickly and thoroughly fixed. They were all limited to early VINs. Don't really hear many complaints on here for those issues anymore, so it's pretty fair to say they've been solved.
One thing's for sure - 40,000 Model S's on the road and no one has gotten a lemon like this:
The Saga Of The "Lemon 911" And One Man's Quest For Justice
I had a couple of minor nuisance issues which Tesla quickly and thoroughly fixed. They were all limited to early VINs. Don't really hear many complaints on here for those issues anymore, so it's pretty fair to say they've been solved.
One thing's for sure - 40,000 Model S's on the road and no one has gotten a lemon like this:
The Saga Of The "Lemon 911" And One Man's Quest For Justice
lolachampcar
Well-Known Member
G-F
Gearhead here too. Actually built my own motors when running GTP and ChampCars
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Now the S1000RR is gone in favor of a Zero and all the pistons have been removed from the garage when it comes to daily drivers. Electrics work. It is as simple as that.
Oh yeah, and I'm no tree hugger either although I think I have begun the conversion.
Gearhead here too. Actually built my own motors when running GTP and ChampCars
Photo Gallery
Now the S1000RR is gone in favor of a Zero and all the pistons have been removed from the garage when it comes to daily drivers. Electrics work. It is as simple as that.
Oh yeah, and I'm no tree hugger either although I think I have begun the conversion.
My Porsche 911 needed a new water pump at 35k miles. I often wonder about the JD Power survey and Porsche's standing. A lot of people don't drive their Porsche very often (I bought mine used, 4 years old and only 8k miles on it) leading me to wonder how much the lack of driving influences the JD Power survey.
Canuck
Well-Known Member
Me neither. I've never felt the need to hug a tree. However, having recently come back from a week in LA and looking out my 17th floor hotel room at a blanket of smog so thick you couldn't see through it, practically all from vehicle emissions, and spending hours crawling in traffic, it doesn't take much to see the benefits of electric without wanting to hug a tree. Not to mention the scientific consensus on climate change and doing what little part we can for our kids and their kids, etc.
I sure hope Tesla turns out to be a more reliable car than a Porsche but if the OP's number one concern is reliability, as he says, then if we are being honest and forthright, as I expect the ICE supports to be with us, we must concede that the jury is still out when it comes to Tesla. I'm the furthest thing from being a Porsche supporter. I'd rather be seen driving a Leaf than a Porsche. But the OP's number one concern was reliability and I tried to gently let him know that perhaps that shouldn't be his number one concern, while still truthfully answering his question.
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Gizmotoy
Active Member
Porsche has extremely good reliability, especially on their core models (911, Boxster, Cayman, etc.). They took a huge hit in the rankings when the Cayenne launched years ago because of issues there, but they've since recovered. Even then people were careful to note that it was basically the Cayenne dragging them down. Perhaps worth adopting a wait-and-see if considering a Macan, but other than that you should have no worries.
At most we have a year and a half of ownership on the Model S. I think it's too early to call. It looks promising so far as long as you exclude minor issues. I expect Tesla would perform poorly if put in JDP's Initial Quality study, which mops up all those minor delivery issues into a number. In contrast, we've heard relatively few major failures (battery/drivetrain/etc.), and even of those that required replacement were mostly scheduled rather than emergencies.
Cautiously optimistic on the major stuff.
38k miles on Tesla #1, 15k miles on Tesla #2.
Tesla #1 has had a number of issues, most of them very minor (seat belt squeak, that kind of thing), one major issue. Drivetrain replaced twice.
Tesla #2 has been rock solid ever since delivery.
As for inconvenience due to needed service, both have been the best cars I have ever had.
When I need service, be it a wheel alignment, drivetrain swap, funny noise I can't identify, service comes out to my house, drops off a loaner Model S, brings my car in to diagnose and fix, returns it to me in perfect working order and clean.
Not only that, they have in the past found issues I wasn't aware of and fixed those as well.
So while the early Tesla has had more issues than some of my cars in the past, it has taken less of my time.
Tesla #1 has had a number of issues, most of them very minor (seat belt squeak, that kind of thing), one major issue. Drivetrain replaced twice.
Tesla #2 has been rock solid ever since delivery.
As for inconvenience due to needed service, both have been the best cars I have ever had.
When I need service, be it a wheel alignment, drivetrain swap, funny noise I can't identify, service comes out to my house, drops off a loaner Model S, brings my car in to diagnose and fix, returns it to me in perfect working order and clean.
Not only that, they have in the past found issues I wasn't aware of and fixed those as well.
So while the early Tesla has had more issues than some of my cars in the past, it has taken less of my time.
after 14k miles I have never had any problems with the car itself that would prevent me from going anywhere. I had one flat tire but that can happen with any car. But to be fair, finding charging stations and all the overhead that comes with it should be considered in 'reliability' as well. Driving an electric car requires some extra planning and you will end up at a charging station that doesn't work, or is taken. While it isn't a failure of the car itself it is a cause that can cause extra and unexpected waiting times.
When it comes to build quality of the Tesla itself I think there is plenty of proof that it is very reliable.
When it comes to build quality of the Tesla itself I think there is plenty of proof that it is very reliable.
The reliability problems that sparked the idea to start this thread are these reliability problems:
Dissappointed in Phoenix , anyone use the lemon law yet?? | Forums | Tesla Motors
And this one:
'Lemon-law' lawyer declares victory against Tesla
I know all brands have problems. That's why I wanted to check with users to know what their experienced has been like.
The thing is, with the Porsche, if there is a problem, the dealer is 15km away and will lend me a Porsche while they work on it. With the Model S, the closest dealer is 250km away... That's why I need something reliable.
I figured that the motor is probably gonna outlast the chassis as there are so few moving parts. Anyone knows anything about motor longevity?
Dissappointed in Phoenix , anyone use the lemon law yet?? | Forums | Tesla Motors
And this one:
'Lemon-law' lawyer declares victory against Tesla
I know all brands have problems. That's why I wanted to check with users to know what their experienced has been like.
The thing is, with the Porsche, if there is a problem, the dealer is 15km away and will lend me a Porsche while they work on it. With the Model S, the closest dealer is 250km away... That's why I need something reliable.
I figured that the motor is probably gonna outlast the chassis as there are so few moving parts. Anyone knows anything about motor longevity?
And how long did you own them and how many miles. I believe you've said you don't hold cars for long.
We've had quite a few 500+HP cars over the years and it all boiled down to a P85+ and our 6-speed EVT775 911 turbo. That's our stable at this point.
Model S is the best daily driver we have ever had. It's not necessarily the best at anything specific but it does everything well above average - aesthetics, speed, handling, utility, high-techness, safety, charging experience. It's very satisfying. There is no scenario under which we will buy a gas powered M5, E63, ML63, Cayenne or Panamera at this point. I have to admit, I miss interior aesthetics of high-end German cars but I also understand Tesla's need to hit their 25% profit margin. They are young and growing, so they get a pass. I will give them a couple more years before I start openly whining about $50k car interiors inside $100k Teslas.
Sports cars will always have a place because they have a different purpose than the Model S. Their sales won't be cannibalized and that's why we kept our 911 - it's a fun sports car. I doubt you will sell yours, especially if you are hitting the track once in a while.
P.S. We have 16k miles on the Tesla. The original 21" Michelins have about 10k miles on them and I am sure we will hit 20k. 5-6k we put on 19" snow Michelins. Didn't have any notable issues with the car. I think all you need to know is that the number of people who have been stranded because of mechanical failures is very low. Our 911 failed on day 3. A turbo blew with 110 miles on the odo. It was the last time the car had an issue. It's been like a tank ever since.
Get the Tesla!
Model S is the best daily driver we have ever had. It's not necessarily the best at anything specific but it does everything well above average - aesthetics, speed, handling, utility, high-techness, safety, charging experience. It's very satisfying. There is no scenario under which we will buy a gas powered M5, E63, ML63, Cayenne or Panamera at this point. I have to admit, I miss interior aesthetics of high-end German cars but I also understand Tesla's need to hit their 25% profit margin. They are young and growing, so they get a pass. I will give them a couple more years before I start openly whining about $50k car interiors inside $100k Teslas.
Sports cars will always have a place because they have a different purpose than the Model S. Their sales won't be cannibalized and that's why we kept our 911 - it's a fun sports car. I doubt you will sell yours, especially if you are hitting the track once in a while.
P.S. We have 16k miles on the Tesla. The original 21" Michelins have about 10k miles on them and I am sure we will hit 20k. 5-6k we put on 19" snow Michelins. Didn't have any notable issues with the car. I think all you need to know is that the number of people who have been stranded because of mechanical failures is very low. Our 911 failed on day 3. A turbo blew with 110 miles on the odo.
It was the last time the car had an issue. It's been like a tank ever since. Get the Tesla!
From someone that's been there and done that, that's a great post.
Went to see the new Porche Macan yesterday, you know so I leave no stone unturned, and it doesn't excite me the way the Tesla does. It still is pretty mch between a Panamera and Tesla, but the Tesla is in the lead...
Thanks to everyone or your help.
Went to see the new Porche Macan yesterday, you know so I leave no stone unturned, and it doesn't excite me the way the Tesla does. It still is pretty mch between a Panamera and Tesla, but the Tesla is in the lead...
Thanks to everyone or your help.
Went to see the new Porche Macan yesterday, you know so I leave no stone unturned, and it doesn't excite me the way the Tesla does. It still is pretty mch between a Panamera and Tesla, but the Tesla is in the lead...
Last year my father sold his Panamera to buy a Model S and he hasn't regretted making the switch.
I sold my 1959 Porsche 356A to buy my wife a Model S. No regrets.
Rent Panamera for a week. It is a nice car but you will be bored out of your mind by the time the week is over.
Check this out.. they even have identical hips.
Check this out.. they even have identical hips.
tliving
Member
8,500 miles in 3 months. Just software glitches that need a reboot probably about 5x in 3 months. Mechanicals have been flawless.
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