I think I know why sc are so bad

[njhtran]

I brought my out of warranty X to get suspension looked over and again they misdiagnosed the root cause , cost me over $2k this time and problem still exists not even improved in the slightest. This is the 2nd time in two months. Last time it cost me over $3k to fix something that ended up being a fsd module that was covered by warranty anyway. So that’s $5k in 3 months of fixing things that didn’t need fixing because they’re taking wild guesses.

Then I realized why. The average national pay rate for tesla service techs are only $54k per year. $20-$30 hr (barely more than a McD fast fed worker) unless you’re the highest senior level it tops out at $50hr Even in California. Yet sc are charging us $200hr labor. With that kind of low pay no wonder these techs are just making wild guesses. What do they care.

 

[Tiger]

I brought my out of warranty X to get suspension looked over and again they misdiagnosed the root cause , cost me over $2k this time and problem still exists not even improved in the slightest. This is the 2nd time in two months. Last time it cost me over $3k to fix something that ended up being a fsd module that was covered by warranty anyway. So that’s $5k in 3 months of fixing things that didn’t need fixing because they’re taking wild guesses.

Then I realized why. The average national pay rate for tesla service techs are only $54k per year. $20-$30 hr (barely more than a McD fast fed worker) unless you’re the highest senior level it tops out at $50hr Even in California. Yet sc are charging us $200hr labor. With that kind of low pay no wonder these techs are just making wild guesses. What do they care.

Are you proposing they join a union?

 

[MidwestM3P]

So if they get paid more, they will care more?

FWIW, I've spent plenty of money at traditional stealerships to have them take wild guesses at issues as well.

 

[Unclepaul]

It is impossible for an auto mechanic to perfectly diagnose a challenging problem 100% correctly the first time.

This is the same for most every manufacturer of every product.

Some times it takes some trial and error, plus discovery to track down the cause an solution in a complex vehicle.

 

[Proflig8tor]

I brought my out of warranty X to get suspension looked over and again they misdiagnosed the root cause , cost me over $2k this time and problem still exists not even improved in the slightest. This is the 2nd time in two months. Last time it cost me over $3k to fix something that ended up being a fsd module that was covered by warranty anyway. So that’s $5k in 3 months of fixing things that didn’t need fixing because they’re taking wild guesses.

Then I realized why. The average national pay rate for tesla service techs are only $54k per year. $20-$30 hr (barely more than a McD fast fed worker) unless you’re the highest senior level it tops out at $50hr Even in California. Yet sc are charging us $200hr labor. With that kind of low pay no wonder these techs are just making wild guesses. What do they care.

You are not giving us much to go on. If you are equally as non communicative with your techs, how do they know the problem you are complaining about?

... and yes... I agree... a good tech should be making $120K a year. That keeps them around. Nothing is more expensive than training someone who does not know what they are doing. Experience counts for a whole lot when knowing what the problem areas are.

 

[njhtran]

You are not giving us much to go on. If you are equally as non communicative with your techs, how do they know the problem you are complaining about?

They had a tech drive the car with me in the passenger seat and they easily reproduced the sound. It was literally as ironclad communication as one could get.

 

[BitJam]

I believe the fundamental problem with Tesla Service Centers is the continuing exponential growth in Tesla sales. This creates problems that can't be solved by simply raising salaries. I believe the problems will persist and get worse until Tesla sales hit the top of the S-curve or until Tesla faces serious competition and poor Service Center experiences hurt sales. It is a massively difficult problem that is not a top priority to solve.

OTOH, I had a great experience when I got my car serviced in El Paso, Texas.

 

[Bouba]

It is impossible for an auto mechanic to perfectly diagnose a challenging problem 100% correctly the first time.

This is the same for most every manufacturer of every product.

Some times it takes some trial and error, plus discovery to track down the cause an solution in a complex vehicle.

The problem is when they lie…they change the wrong part, fair enough…but don’t charge me for it and when I question it don’t tell me it needed changing

 

[njhtran]

The problem is when they lie…they change the wrong part, fair enough…but don’t charge me for it and when I question it don’t tell me it needed changing

Yes agreement. I think there’s a poor assumption that tesla model x is the first high end vehicle for owners (other than themselves) in here. As if we have never been to other high end brands service centers before and they need to bestow upon us their unique wisdom of how that all works.

 

[Bouba]

Ya I think there’s a poor assumption that tesla model x is the first high end vehicle for owners in here. I’ve had all the high end major brands and have never had the poor experience that I’ve detailed in this thread for high cost repairs.

So far, touch wood, my M3LR has been faultless….but my previous experience with stealerships isn’t something I ever want to repeat

 

[BSparx]

I believe the fundamental problem with Tesla Service Centers is the continuing exponential growth in Tesla sales. This creates problems that can't be solved by simply raising salaries. I believe the problems will persist and get worse until Tesla sales hit the top of the S-curve or until Tesla faces serious competition and poor Service Center experiences hurt sales. It is a massively difficult problem that is not a top priority to solve.

OTOH, I had a great experience when I got my car serviced in El Paso, Texas.

I look forward to the time when good Tesla service techs take several years of experience in the service center and translate that into operating their own independent Tesla/EV repair shop. Then we will have the benefit of capable people not tied up by the restrictions of Tesla service center policy.

 

[Unclepaul]

The problem is when they lie…they change the wrong part, fair enough…but don’t charge me for it and when I question it don’t tell me it needed changing

Everybody lies. (Dr. House)

 

[Bouba]

Everybody lies. (Dr. House)

How many lie as much as these people

Daihatsu pauses production over safety scandal

The Japanese carmaker admitted it had falsified safety tests for many of its vehicles.

www.bbc.com

 

[Xenoilphobe]

I brought my out of warranty X to get suspension looked over and again they misdiagnosed the root cause , cost me over $2k this time and problem still exists not even improved in the slightest. This is the 2nd time in two months. Last time it cost me over $3k to fix something that ended up being a fsd module that was covered by warranty anyway. So that’s $5k in 3 months of fixing things that didn’t need fixing because they’re taking wild guesses.

Then I realized why. The average national pay rate for tesla service techs are only $54k per year. $20-$30 hr (barely more than a McD fast fed worker) unless you’re the highest senior level it tops out at $50hr Even in California. Yet sc are charging us $200hr labor. With that kind of low pay no wonder these techs are just making wild guesses. What do they care.

The best techs know how to use scan tools to diagnose problems before they start swapping parts out.... but it's complex and requires skills. beyond swapping parts.

Also Tesla seems to train their guys to just swap parts.

Example: I call and ask them to check my GPS antenna connection, because my car shows up in another state on the Nav system. I also ask them to fix the door handle that lost it plastic cover and is letting wind in the door cavity.


I bet the wiring harness is disconnected or has a loose connection, and would take a couple minutes to diagnose and repair or reconnect. I could even be something as simple a a pin that is not seating correctly in the connection to the MCU or the GPS card could be loose on the main MCU board.


here is how they fixed it. Ordered a completely new wiring harness, and GPS card ($2800), Ordered a complete door handle assembly and replaced it. $380, verses gluing the plastic cover back on. Parts are back ordered, I will get the car back in January. The crappy part is it's been doing this since they upgraded the MCU, which means they probably broke a connector during the initial install.....(just a guess)

antenna-expose

GPS​
Summary GPS is used to identify where the vehicle is located. Location Inside Front Triple Camera Assembly Standard Upper L Band Connects to Autopilot ECU Frequency 1.5-1.6 GHz Power Receive Only Antenna Type Module Antennas Per Item 1 Vendor Amotech

 

[Bouba]

The best techs know how to use scan tools to diagnose problems before they start swapping parts out.... but it's complex and requires skills. beyond swapping parts.

Also Tesla seems to train their guys to just swap parts.

Example: I call and ask them to check my GPS antenna connection, because my car shows up in another state on the Nav system. I also ask them to fix the door handle that lost it plastic cover and is letting wind in the door cavity.


I bet the wiring harness is disconnected or has a loose connection, and would take a couple minutes to diagnose and repair or reconnect. I could even be something as simple a a pin that is not seating correctly in the connection to the MCU or the GPS card could be loose on the main MCU board.


here is how they fixed it. Ordered a completely new wiring harness, and GPS card ($2800), Ordered a complete door handle assembly and replaced it. $380, verses gluing the plastic cover back on. Parts are back ordered, I will get the car back in January. The crappy part is it's been doing this since they upgraded the MCU, which means they probably broke a connector during the initial install.....(just a guess)

antenna-expose

GPS​
Summary GPS is used to identify where the vehicle is located. Location Inside Front Triple Camera Assembly Standard Upper L Band Connects to Autopilot ECU Frequency 1.5-1.6 GHz Power Receive Only Antenna Type Module Antennas Per Item 1 Vendor Amotech

Although wasteful and inconvenient to you…it’s what you want while still under warranty….the bodge repairs can come later

 

[njhtran]

Although wasteful and inconvenient to you…it’s what you want while still under warranty….the bodge repairs can come later

I don’t mind wasteful swap outs even when paying out of pocket. The emphasis of the issue is doing it to wrongly diagnosed repairs.

 

[snorp]

I think they just don’t like Model X owners in general and definitely don’t like dealing with Model X’s.

These vehicles require the most SC visits of all models and the owners often come from other high end vehicles like MB, Audi, BMW, where excellent service is a differentiator.

The Kennesaw service center near me yells at people to stay in their cars until they are instructed to come up to the counter. I’ve never seen such horrendous service.

MB would order my kids pizza and give me free lattes while I waited on service. Or a loaner would be provided if service was going tot take longer than an hour or so. Every Tesla SC I’ve been to is like a 3rd world country in comparison.

I love the cars but hate the service experience. I wish they would license their tech to MB.

 

[Super_Popular]

So if they get paid more, they will care more?

FWIW, I've spent plenty of money at traditional stealerships to have them take wild guesses at issues as well.

Exactly, most shops fist you one way or another.

 

[Genie]

I don’t mind wasteful swap outs even when paying out of pocket. The emphasis of the issue is doing it to wrongly diagnosed repairs.

???

 

[buckets0fun]

I look forward to the time when good Tesla service techs take several years of experience in the service center and translate that into operating their own independent Tesla/EV repair shop. Then we will have the benefit of capable people not tied up by the restrictions of Tesla service center policy.

EG has multiple locations full of knowledgeable ex tesla employees.