Ranger Service Going Away?

[daniel-r-a]

Whenever I would have issues with my car (there were a lot of those), I would need to take my car (usually on a tow truck) from Williamsburg, Virginia to the closest Audi dealer, which is 1+ hour away in Richmond. Audi's Richmond dealer always attempted to always find issues, such as my age/purchase location/home dealership, when I would need a loaner. I was so fed up with my Audi experience that I promised myself to never even consider one again...

When I heard about Tesla's ranger service, I called a salesperson and was ecstatic to hear the details...no more hour long drives (or rides in tow trucks) for service and no more trouble with loaners. Nevertheless, it wasn't until after I bought the Model S that I found out my distance from the closest service center warrants a $100 ranger fee...although I wasn't happy about the fee, I understand it and realize it's the price one pays for convenience.

My issue with the ranger service and its fees, however, is when the ranger service is needed because of a Model S fault. About three months after delivery, my car was experiencing various faults (traction control issues, stability control issues, frunk wouldn't open, non-functioning passenger door) and I was told that because this would be considered an emergency service issue, they would pick my car up within a day or two...this was great, but when my car was ready to be returned, I was shocked to hear that I would be paying $100 for the pick up/return of my car for its issues. While I understand that it is not cheap to pick up/return my car 100+ miles from the service center, I think Tesla needs to fund the last $100 of the ranger fee when the car is being serviced for issues that restrict its drivability/usability.

Sorry if this post rambled on a bit, but I just want to explain that the ranger service was a huge reason I bought this car, but its shortcomings have certainly upset me. I can (reluctantly) understand paying $100 to have the car picked up from here for scheduled maintenance, but no owner should ever have to pay for the ranger fee when the issue is an unscheduled fault of the technology.

Regardless, I must reiterate that my Model S has been a dream to own. Every person I have communicated with has been incredibly helpful, genuine, and enthusiastic. The car, too, has been incredible--every possible concern I once had has been resolved, and I look forward to continuing to drive the car and promote the practicality of an electric car every day!

 

[mknox]

You can't buy the Ranger-included service plans any more. You simply have to pay $100 every time you need a Ranger..

Any word on how this would affect Tesla's Valet service? If you have to pay for a Ranger, it seems likely they would have to charge for the Valet Service as well.

 

[tezco]

Any word on how this would affect Tesla's Valet service? If you have to pay for a Ranger, it seems likely they would have to charge for the Valet Service as well.

Hmmm....on one hand you aren't paying a mechanic's wage scale to drive back and forth, but on the other, you are loaning out a car. Hopefully they will be lenient when the car is absolutely undriveable, but fixable on location (dead 12V etc), particularly while the proximity of service centers remains suboptimal. I've quit buying cars from companies who don't have a dealer within a 10 mile radius. I made an exception for Tesla expressly because they offered the unlimited ranger service when I bought my car.

 

[mknox]

I've quit buying cars from companies who don't have a dealer within a 10 mile radius. I made an exception for Tesla expressly because they offered the unlimited ranger service when I bought my car.

I lucked out with a Service Center about 4 miles from my house. The reason I ask is that there has been some rumors of them closing that Center and re-locating to a location that would not be convenient to me. I always drop off / pick up but if they move, I would have to rely on the valet service.

 

[djp]

I'm arranging an annual service visit with my local service centre. The new policy is free valet service within a 16km radius of the service centre. Outside of this radius a $100 fee applies. Free loaners are still available if you pick up and drop off the car yourself.

 

[mknox]

I'm arranging an annual service visit with my local service centre. The new policy is free valet service within a 16km radius of the service centre. Outside of this radius a $100 fee applies. Free loaners are still available if you pick up and drop off the car yourself.

Well, I hope they don't close or relocate the Toronto West SC then. To be fair, I asked and they told me no decisions have been made concerning it's future despite the rumors that are going around.

 

[AudubonB]

Worth noting: Tesla *does not* have the service center infrastructure in place in the US. Still waiting for that; it'll be quite a few years.

It's unfortunate that Tesla is no longer selling unlimited Ranger service plans; it basically means there are large swaths of the country where one *should not buy a Tesla*. But I suppose in a few years they will build out the service center network, so people in those places should just wait.

(It does mean that rural Canadians and Alaskans shouldn't buy a Tesla period, though. They'll never expand service centers there.)

The unlimited ranger plan was a requirement for my purchase due to my location.

As appropriately noted by one of this thread's first responders and conveniently ignored by many subsequent ones, the best way to prevent rumors turning into believed misconceptions is to determine the answer first from Tesla, and then conveying that information to this forum.

As in: Tesla's Anchorage Service Center will be opening in about six weeks. It so shows directly on TM's website. Now, if by slim chance the note above meant rural Alaskans....well, we haven't any gas stations or Ford dealerships or service centers of any kind, so should that sentiment suggest we also shouldn't purchase any​ vehicle?

 

[neroden]

I'm arranging an annual service visit with my local service centre. The new policy is free valet service within a 16km radius of the service centre. Outside of this radius a $100 fee applies. Free loaners are still available if you pick up and drop off the car yourself.

Disgusting and stupid. Tesla just eliminated the entire Ithaca, NY market, among many others. I will now have to explicitly tell people not to buy Teslas.

I simply would not have purchased the car without unlimited free valet / ranger service. I am currently about 200 miles from the nearest service center, and even if they do build a closer one, it'll still be 60 miles.

When the car has defects under warranty, slamming an extra $100 charge onto every service is... unacceptable, really. People who live too far from the service centers simply shouldn't buy Teslas now.

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You know what - $100 is chump change. (Is that is really all it costs per use).

WAAAAAY too much. Basically, it's an unlimited financial exposure if you do end up with serious problems and have to have your car taken in repeatedly for warranty issues. It eliminates the value of the warranty.

Some of us are wealthy because we're smart about spending money. I understand that some of you are wealthy largely because you got lucky or are well-paid, and that you don't know how to manage money, but that's not the case for all of us.

I have a service center 20-25 minutes away.

And if I had a service center 20-25 minutes away, I wouldn't be complaining. But lots of us DO NOT. The nearest service center is 3 1/2 - 4 hours away.

This isn't super-rural, either. I'm not talking Nunavut here.

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Ok... this came from a friend here where I live and it was exactly what Tesla told him when he called to have the ranger service come to pick up his Tesla Model S for it's 1 year service! He was told to bring the car in and stay over night and pick up the car the following day. They told him the Ranger Service will not go further than 50 miles from the service center.

I am glad that I prepaid for unlimited ranger service at any distance. Tesla will have to honor the contract they made with me.

However, this does mean I won't be buying another Tesla until they either (a) reinstate unlimited ranger service as an option, or (b) open a closer service center.

I was considering buying a second Tesla this year. Not happening now.

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Maybe Tesla decided that they just don't want to sell cars to people who are more than 50 miles from a service center. Just abandoning the rest of the market. This might make financial sense, but it would be contrary to the mission of trying to get electric cars in every driveway.

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Now, if by slim chance the note above meant rural Alaskans....well, we haven't any gas stations or Ford dealerships or service centers of any kind, so should that sentiment suggest we also shouldn't purchase any​ vehicle?

Under those circumstances, I would get a vehicle you can service yourself. Maybe a dogsled. :wink: You definitely can't service a Tesla yourself, because Tesla has refused to release enough specs.

 

[NigelM]

OK, deep breath everyone...now exhale slowly...feeling calm? Good, then I'll continue:

• There's a big difference between Ranger Service and Valet Service.
• For quite a long time Tesla has been moving to Valet service. To Tesla it makes a huge difference whether they have trained, experienced, Technicians on the road without parts or supplies, lacking full diagnostic equipment, and a limited ability to raise the car, OR a Valet who drops a loaner at your house/office and brings your car in to the Service Center.
• If a Ranger comes to work on your car you don't have use of it while they are working and you've got to provide him/her a place to work on it; not forgetting that if the Ranger doesn't have needed parts or supplies then you may have to do the whole thing again in a couple of days. If a Valet drops you a loaner, you can go from one car to the other just by signing the form and swapping keys.
• It's likely the vast majority of folks will agree that Valet Service is better for everyone than Ranger Service.

So:

• Tesla has always had a charge for Valet Service over 50 miles. I'm willing to admit I might be wrong with that statement but I've racked my brain and as far as I can recall it's always been like that.
• Tesla doesn't charge for warranty work and I believe they don't charge Valet cost for warranty work. Again, correct me if I'm wrong I can't recall an example of anyone being charged for Valet Service for warranty work.
• The Tesla website states (and always did) that

Tesla recommends that you bring your Model S to a service center for an inspection every year or 12,500 miles, whichever comes first.

• Note the use of the word "bring" in that above sentence. For non-warranty work it's quite reasonable for Tesla to ask you to come in or to charge for a Valet Service.
• Don't want an annual service? That's OK as Tesla (still the only company that says this AFAIK) also states that

Annual maintenance is recommended to ensure that your Model S is always in the best condition but even if you never bring it in, your warranty is still valid.

• BTW, Elon also stated in his blog post that

To this end, Tesla is building a fleet of top of the line Model S loaners. These will not be our basic model – they will be state of the art with all the best features and options.

• I've never experienced another car company that provided brand new, top of the line cars as a loaner (if you got a loaner at all). True sometimes folks want to buy the loaners and a Service Center may run short now and then but in my experience they do everything to accommodate you in that case.

Have a nice day folks!

 

[GreenT]

If memory serves, Neroden, when you first got your car, you complained bitterly?

So, aside from your member moniker here, Happy Model S owner (which you'll need to change) ... you've been unhappy from the beginning?

I have found service incredible. And worth every dime I've spent for it.

Just today, my car had an issue. Not saying what or where so the (illegitimate FUD) press do not pick up on it ... but nearest service center is 2 hours.

Tesla truck on its way, free of charge, with a loaner on it. And, no, I did not prepay for Ranger service. But is this valet or Ranger? I am thrilled.

I would be HAPPY to pay $100 for this!!! (Besides, it saves me the rental car expense.)

I have never, in my decades of owning a dozen brands, had service this good. Period.

Also realize it makes sense to send a loaner to save them time to re-deliver my car to me ... 5 hours porter time. Bad enough having to come pick it up

 

[breser]

Good post and I agree that when possible Valet Service is better. But...

• Tesla has always had a charge for Valet Service over 50 miles. I'm willing to admit I might be wrong with that statement but I've racked my brain and as far as I can recall it's always been like that.

I'm considered outside of the valet area and I'm less than 30 miles from the nearest service center and about 40 miles from the next further one. So I don't think 50 miles is the right break point. That said I don't mind dropping the car and swapping to a loaner.

• BTW, Elon also stated in his blog post that

To this end, Tesla is building a fleet of top of the line Model S loaners. These will not be our basic model – they will be state of the art with all the best features and options.

Yup to this end I had a P85D that was nearly fully loaded yesterday.

 

[NigelM]

Disgusting and stupid. Tesla just eliminated the entire Ithaca, NY market, among many others. I will now have to explicitly tell people not to buy Teslas.

So Tesla will never sell cars in Ithaca and you definitely won't get a Service Center anywhere near you. Yup, that's make sense.

 

[ohmman]

I was told today by the San Rafael SC that the valet service limit has been reduced from 50 miles to 10 miles. I'm about 27 miles, so they are giving me one last "complimentary" valet service but in the future I'll have to pay. Bummer.

 

[AmpedRealtor]

Well there still aren't enough service centers to justify this policy change. Is this cost cutting or what?

I hate to use the term "bait and switch", but I was comfortable buying this car because the service center 50 miles away would pick up my Model S and drop off a loaner. Then they stopped having enough loaners. Now they won't even pick up my car. I don't like the direction this is taking. While not a huge part of my ownership experience, I feel like Tesla is slowly taking away those incentives that gave me the confidence to pull the trigger.. To what end?

 

[ohmman]

To what end?

I don't tend to want to complain much, as my ownership and service experience to date have been great, but I have to say I agree. It sends a discomforting signal.

 

[NigelM]

I was told today by the San Rafael SC that the valet service limit has been reduced from 50 miles to 10 miles. I'm about 27 miles, so they are giving me one last "complimentary" valet service but in the future I'll have to pay. Bummer.

Personally, I wouldn't worry at all if I had a Service Center 27miles away; to me that's local. But I'm sure lots of folks would be interested if that change is official company-wide policy. Did you check with Ownership by any chance?

 

[ohmman]

Personally, I wouldn't worry at all if I had a Service Center 27miles away; to me that's local.

It's definitely of minimal impact for me. I didn't mean to imply that I was enormously put out by the change. If I were 45 miles away, I'd likely feel differently, but to me the change itself sends a negative message.

I didn't confirm with Ownership that this is Tesla-wide. It could be just a SR thing. Our area is inundated with MSs so it's possible without a backup SC they couldn't handle the overhead.

 

[djp]

The new 10 mile radius for free valet service seems to be a company-wide policy, with the same change reported in Miami, San Rafael and here in Toronto.

Personally I don't think it's a big deal to drop off the car and pick up a loaner. It's still much better service than I've ever seen from any other car company!

 

[NigelM]

Elon still thinks otherwise according to the TM website:

Valet Service
Your time is valuable and should not be spent driving to or waiting at our service centers. Tesla is putting in place a valet service, so that your car is seamlessly picked up and replaced with a loaner and then returned as soon as we are done. There is no additional charge for this.

Note the final sentence there.

 

[JMG]

Confirmed for the Dallas SC too. I was told for a flat $100 I could still utilize the Ranger service (I'm 108 miles from the SC).