Is my beloved 2018 LR Model 3 turning into a maintenance $$$$ nightmare?

[goldengate]

I took delivery of my silver model 3 in June of 2018. During the warranty period a number of issues were addressed and they were always issues that people were discussing on this forum. Tesla mobile service took care of them all efficiently and I loved my model 3. Until recently it's the best car I've ever owned and I can't tell you how many photos I've taken of it. I even named the damn thing.

Fast forward to a month ago, and the power conversion system (PCS) module on the battery goes out and needs to be replaced. Total bill was around $2500 for that. I figured well, if I divide that by the number of years I've owned the car, that's like $500 a year so not bad. Then last night it throws the RCM_a056 "Front passenger safety restraint system fault" which I have seen others discuss on the forums. Online estimate for this repair is $1700. (!)

I am becoming very concerned that I'm sitting on a ticking time bomb of other issues, all in a car with only 34,000 miles on it. I had planned to buy a new model 3 this year when the new model comes out though I'm really concerned about the lack of stalk and the lack of new colors, but now I am re-visiting that and looking at some other brands (so far none can compare).

This latest fault seems like a real safety issue and the solution is the replace the passenger occupancy sensor and the airbag.

I'm wondering if other 2018 owners are having any of the same thoughts?

 

[EVRider-FL]

Did you see that restraint fault alert on the screen or just in Service Mode? If it was just in Service Mode, could be a false alarm.

 

[goldengate]

Did you see that restraint fault alert on the screen or just in Service Mode? If it was just in Service Mode, could be a false alarm.

On the screen, and did a two-finger reboot salute... still on screen....

 

[dtdtdt]

On the screen, and did a two-finger reboot salute... still on screen....

I got RCM_a056 after I left the car windows vented while it rained. The error went away once the inside dried out. Give it two weeks and see if the error goes away.

 

[goldengate]

I got RCM_a056 after I left the car windows vented while it rained. The error went away once the inside dried out. Give it two weeks and see if the error goes away.

That was a huge help - thank you!!! Upon interrogation (smile), my husband confessed that he SPILLED WATER in the passenger seat driving home from the gym yesterday (!!!!). Without your post I would never have thought to ask "Hey, did you by any chance f up my car by spilling water in the passenger seat??" So I've been out in the garage drying it all off, blow drying under the seat, and now the heat is set to 78 along with seat warmers so I'm hoping this fixes it and I can go back to loving my car. Thank you so much.

 

[thyname]

Husbands suck. Pathetic humans. Never willing to admit an error. Cocky.
Hopefully this works out for you

 

[mjwojtukiewicz]

I took delivery of my silver model 3 in June of 2018. During the warranty period a number of issues were addressed and they were always issues that people were discussing on this forum. Tesla mobile service took care of them all efficiently and I loved my model 3. Until recently it's the best car I've ever owned and I can't tell you how many photos I've taken of it. I even named the damn thing.

Fast forward to a month ago, and the power conversion system (PCS) module on the battery goes out and needs to be replaced. Total bill was around $2500 for that. I figured well, if I divide that by the number of years I've owned the car, that's like $500 a year so not bad. Then last night it throws the RCM_a056 "Front passenger safety restraint system fault" which I have seen others discuss on the forums. Online estimate for this repair is $1700. (!)

I am becoming very concerned that I'm sitting on a ticking time bomb of other issues, all in a car with only 34,000 miles on it. I had planned to buy a new model 3 this year when the new model comes out though I'm really concerned about the lack of stalk and the lack of new colors, but now I am re-visiting that and looking at some other brands (so far none can compare).

This latest fault seems like a real safety issue and the solution is the replace the passenger occupancy sensor and the airbag.

I'm wondering if other 2018 owners are having any of the same thoughts

That's why I called these guys when my 2019 warranty expired XCare EV Protection. Every person on this website says "what's" my chance of needing a repair.
Well you are the answer. Tesla doe NOT make little replacement parts, They make whole assemblys that need repair.

 

[ucmndd]

The PCS failures on the 2018 vintage cars are a known weak spot unfortunately. Now that yours is fixed you should be good to go.

Deal with that knucklehead of a husband and it sounds like you’ve got many years of happiness left with your Model 3.

Buying a brand new car to avoid having to spend money on repairs is almost never the right financial decision, as I’m sure you know, but there are plenty of other reasons that drive us to buy new cars.

 

[fholbert]

Husbands suck. Pathetic humans. Never willing to admit an error. Cocky.

Were we married once?

 

[AS9.9.]

Husbands suck. Pathetic humans. Never willing to admit an error. Cocky.
Hopefully this works out for you

When did your divorce finalize?

 

[thyname]

Were we married once?

Still married

 

[thyname]

When did your divorce finalize?

No divorce yet. And I just turned 50. Meaning fifty years old. Although never say never.

Oh… I am a husband. Both biologically at birth and I identify myself as husband to my female wife. All I am saying, assuming you are man, we, the men husbands, are not flawless. I hope this makes sense to you

 

[zoomer0056]

I had planned to buy a new model 3 this year when the new model comes out though I'm really concerned about the lack of stalk and the lack of new colors, but now I am re-visiting that and looking at some other brands (so far none can compare).

Keep your plan to buy the new Highland. Your current car won't get younger and the limited lifespan of a battery will ensure it never becomes a classic. Don't worry about stalks, you'll learn and adapt just fine.

 

[wwu123]

We're in the SF Bay Area as well, have a 2018 M3 LR with exact same mileage 34K (34,1XX to be more exact), but was born in Feb 2018 so about six months older. Literally has never had any service or repairs, save the retrofit of HW3/cameras included with FSD, and a couple of mainly preventative 12V battery replacements.

Another relative's 2018 M3 LR was born in Sept 2018, same as yours, but not driven so much only 11K miles. A piece of loose exterior trim replaced the first month, and otherwise also just a couple of 12V replacements (with onscreen warnings, I attribute to their garage being in hot summer climate).

We did have a Model S that had a few minor repairs, most under warranty. But I was just thinking this morning, driving in today's rain with new tires and wipers recently put on, how reliable and trouble-free our M3 has been; and our relatives too, esp for being 1st year production run of the Model 3 (ours is in the 1st 5000 by VIN). Maybe we're just statistically lucky, but it gives me great confidence.

 

[PianoAl]

My two comments:

34K miles is pretty low.

Tessie (see sig) is much quieter and more efficient to drive than Nick.

 

[KenC]

I took delivery of my silver model 3 in June of 2018. During the warranty period a number of issues were addressed and they were always issues that people were discussing on this forum. Tesla mobile service took care of them all efficiently and I loved my model 3. Until recently it's the best car I've ever owned and I can't tell you how many photos I've taken of it. I even named the damn thing.

Fast forward to a month ago, and the power conversion system (PCS) module on the battery goes out and needs to be replaced. Total bill was around $2500 for that. I figured well, if I divide that by the number of years I've owned the car, that's like $500 a year so not bad. Then last night it throws the RCM_a056 "Front passenger safety restraint system fault" which I have seen others discuss on the forums. Online estimate for this repair is $1700. (!)

I am becoming very concerned that I'm sitting on a ticking time bomb of other issues, all in a car with only 34,000 miles on it. I had planned to buy a new model 3 this year when the new model comes out though I'm really concerned about the lack of stalk and the lack of new colors, but now I am re-visiting that and looking at some other brands (so far none can compare).

This latest fault seems like a real safety issue and the solution is the replace the passenger occupancy sensor and the airbag.

I'm wondering if other 2018 owners are having any of the same thoughts?

I hope your issue was the water spill. Mine is also a light silver December 2018, and I got that error after about 3yrs, and the error seemed triggered by seat position. If I moved the seat up, it would start erroring. So, the SC replaced the connector harness which could get stretched. Then a year later, I got the errors again, and they put an OCS filter on it, which I think shields it from electrical interference.

Then a month ago, it started erroring again, so I'm scheduled on Wednesday to get the seat sensor replaced and the airbag as well. Under warranty, since I scheduled the service just before the 5yr SRS warranty expired, plus, I guess I have a history of this problem.

Oh, I forgot to add that if I put a 40lb bag of pellets on the seat, I don't get the error. I don't know if that's good or bad or whatever; but I found the constant alerts to be annoying. I thought it wasn't really a safety issue because I never got alerts if someone sat in the seat, so I put a 40lb bag on it, and no alerts.

I've had the squeaky upper control arms, and the whining inverter due to a loose ground nut, but all in all, I consider everything to be rather minor, compared to my experience owning other cars. Actually, I haven't paid a thing after 5yrs 1month of ownership, since it was all warranty work, taken care of in my only 2 service trips, until Wednesday, which will be 3. I've never had a car with fewer service trips.

 

[goldengate]

After blow drying the interior of the seat (in the gap in the back) and blow drying under the seat, and then letting the car cook at 82 degrees with seat heater on for an hour, the errors have cleared and my car is back to being her wonderful self. I do really want a new 3 but realllllllly want a new color besides the few options we have now.

Husband on major probation and has folded all laundry, cleaned house and dealt with a Comcast issue. I figure the Comcast hell is probably the best payback there is.

I wish I could change this thread title!

 

[dregdoba]

...

I am becoming very concerned that I'm sitting on a ticking time bomb of other issues, all in a car with only 34,000 miles on it. I had planned to buy a new model 3 this year when the new model comes out though I'm really concerned about the lack of stalk and the lack of new colors, but now I am re-visiting that and looking at some other brands (so far none can compare).

This latest fault seems like a real safety issue and the solution is the replace the passenger occupancy sensor and the airbag.

I'm wondering if other 2018 owners are having any of the same thoughts?

The advice I've heard from other Tesla owners is to pay for the extended warranty just before it expires (whether timewise or mileage wise) and is what I plan on doing. American brands don't have a very good reputation for reliability and longevity and Tesla is no exception.

 

[zoros]

Buy a white tesla (cheapest because no-one likes them!) and get it 'wrapped' in any colour you like with e money saved by buying cheap

 

[dregdoba]

Buy a white tesla (cheapest because no-one likes them!) and get it 'wrapped' in any colour you like with e money saved by buying cheap

That's no longer true. White Teslas were the cheapest once upon a time because that was the default color. The white coat is a multicoat so it's a better quality coat compared to other paint jobs. The default color is now grey (non-multi coat).