Tesla Motors
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64 Tesla Motors Consumer Reviews and Complaints
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We own both model X and model 3 and both are experiencing problems of different kind. We continue to have quality issues with Model X that requires servicing. Very frustrating to set up service appointment, take time from work to drive to service center and then to pick up the car. Worst, the fix only last 5 days and the problem "Surround vehicle display limited" came back. In addition, I was very unfortunate to have been rear ended 2 months ago.
My car has been in the Tesla certified repair shop since Sept 25th. As of today, My repair shop still have not received all the necessary parts. Some missing parts are common parts like rivets. I called the parts department couple of times and no one answered, email no reply. If Tesla can build 5000 model 3 per week, there is no reason I have to wait more than a week for parts. The only viable explanation is they do not care about providing good after sales customer service once they sold you the car. This is not the way I expected to be treated. So I am very dis-satisfied with Tesla service, and regret we have 2 Tesla. Tesla need to urgently improve their service before they damaged their reputation beyond recovery.
Great car, model 3, love it, but Tesla need to address service immediately. Called Tesla roadside service and found a wait time of 30 minutes to talk to anyone. Fortunately this was for a minor problem. But I am dreading the day when I have a flat tire or the car will not start in a isolated remote location and I have to wait 30 minutes just to register my call for help. Called for parts today for a key fob and got a voice recording to leave my info. Waiting for a callback. This is just to talk to the parts dept at the local dealer. I love the company and how they are disrupting the auto industry with innovations, and totally wish that they succeed. But Tesla please fix your service. This is not the formula for success.
Terrible customer service. I had to wait over 2 hours to pick up my car (I had an appointment) and the rep only had 10 minutes to show me it worked. The hands free system does not work. I can't answer the phone while it is in drive only in Park. The internet in the car doesn't work. I took the car for service and they couldn't fix it either. They actually told me that my car is not equipped with internet and I had to tell them that it does. The service center said they had contacted engineering about all of my issues with the car. I didn't hear from them and after 1 week, I called them to get an update and they just said they haven't heard back from engineering. This type of service is just unacceptable.
I have loved my Tesla S and had planned on getting a new one in 2019 until the events of this weekend. When I went to start my car Sat. morning a warning went up. My 12v battery needed service or replacement. The car would not start. I called emergency roadside service and a recording told wait time was 30 min. After the outrageous wait I was told that someone would contact me in the next 24 - 48 hours! I have been left with NO CAR for the entire weekend. Calling again Monday morning - same wait - I was told to hold while they connect me to Emergency service. Still holding. This is totally unacceptable. TESLA is seriously understaffed and unable to help you in any EMERGENCY.
If we didn't love the car, we would be outraged BUT Kevin ** (our salesperson) and presumably all the Tesla salespeople have misleading sales practices. The car does not even come close to the estimate range of 237 miles (we are lucky to get 200) but the charging time is longer than the 30-45 minutes they claim (not once have we charged the battery for less than 1.5 hours). Had we known this we probably would have opted for the 100D but not at $17,000 more for a measly 60 miles extra. And don't let them coerce you by telling you they only have free supercharging until a certain date, that date will pass and will still be free.
Finally, the only supercharging station near us is the William Vale. Kevin told us it's only $6 to charge and 30 minutes when it is actually $16 (they charge $5 extra for SUV) and takes 1.5 hours to 2 hour charge. I am not excited about spending 1.5 hours and $16/week at the William Vale. Furthermore, we are still waiting for our tow hitch that was supposed to be included. So what happened when I confronted Kevin and other people at this showroom? NOTHING! They flat out ignored me and did nothing. Bottom line, you are on your own. Don't believe anything they tell you and buyer beware. The customer service is lousy, no one knows anything. They tell you different things and you can't get any answers. For a $100,000 car this is unacceptable.
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I ordered a Model 3 online, very easy process and I received a screen message that my car could be delivered to my home or a Tesla Store. I live about 20 miles from a showroom that is handling a high volume of deliveries. About 2.5 weeks after my order, I was told I had a car, and it was ready for me to pick up in Fremont where the cars are manufactured. I said I was told I would have the car delivered or I could pick up at a local showroom and I wanted to pick up in Rocklin. My deliver rep said that Rocklin is no longer taking deliveries and that I had to pick up in Fremont otherwise a delivery date was unknown.
I emailed the delivery manager in Rocklin and he responded that they are doing deliveries and lots of them and that I could have my car delivered there. Ultimately decided to change to the 19" wheels so, I gave up that car but told the deliver rep, I wanted delivery to Rocklin. Fast forward to Thursday, I get an email advising my car is ready for pickup in Fremont. I went thru the whole story about the delivery again and was told once more that delivery was not available and that they would not deliver my car to Rocklin. The rep stated that if I did not go to Fremont, delivery date was uncertain and that the price could go up.
The trucking industry is short drivers and there are not enough transports and N. CA customers are getting screwed. We are paying a destination charge of about $900 which covers delivery but are being told we must pick up the vehicle ourselves otherwise a delivery date is uncertain. They know very well that many buyers made purchases to take advantage of the $7,500 Federal Tax Credit but in order to get the tax credit, you must take delivery by 12-31-18. If you get mad and decide you are just going to not buy the car, you lose your $2,500 deposit.
Tesla does not want to incur the shipping costs and are taking advantage of the fact that year end is looming and need to take delivery to get the credit. They are being purposely vague with respect to delivery dates if we do not drive in an effort to create a sense of urgency and get us to pick up the vehicle. If they offered a credit for the destination fee, I would say it might be a fair tradeoff, but I have asked for a credit and have been told no. I asked for details on how it was decided which customers were going to be told they had to pick up and the question was dodged. I asked if there was an internal memo telling deliver reps to advise customers they had to pick up and once again a vague response. Checking with the AG's office, DMV and FTC about this practice.
I have always liked Tesla and support the concept of clean electric cars. Elon Musk is a visionary and I want to see this brilliant idea succeed. When my wife performed a test drive recently, the local Tesla representative in Salt Lake City touted how they do things differently from other manufacturers. I took that as a positive, but as it turns out from my sister's recent experience, it is the opposite. They are more deceptive than other automakers. When I was visiting my sister in LA at the end of September, after months of deliberation and driving an 18-year-old Lexus, I talked her into ordering the Model 3. While normally she is not impulsive, she went online, designed her new Model 3 and could not wait to get her BRAND NEW CAR.
Two days ago, on October 19, instead of getting a brand new car delivered to her, Tesla delivered a service loaner with over 2100 miles on it, with scratches, dirty interior and expected her to accept the delivery. If this is not worse than a cheap used car dealer bait-and-switch, dirty tactic, I don't know what is. The guy delivering the car even asked her if she knew that the car had over 2100 miles on it and her answer was "of course no." She tried all day calling her sales consultant but got no answer with a voicemail that was so full that would not accept any new voicemails.
If anyone from Tesla is reading this post (her reservation number is **), please correct the situation or the bad press that I will spread will be my mission in life. And I will not shy away from spending my money to do so. My sister works much too hard for her money to deal with this kind of downright dishonest, deceptive, dirty car sales tactic. TESLA... I expected better from you. I am having a really hard time believing that something like this can happen and am truly disappointed.
Inside 14 hours of taking delivery of my Tesla 3 performance package. Got a call from the delivery manager PJ saying I no longer was going to get the car I ordered and had a VIN number for. Also had secured insurance for already paid for. She tells me she is sorry and goes on to offer me a different color than I ordered and a different date or my order will start all over again from CA. So very disappointed in Tesla as a company. How is it even an option for her to offer me a different colored car. It would have been my first ever brand new car. AJ ** | Associate Delivery Manager from Tesla had no answers to why or what had happened to my car. I got a delivery confirmation on Oct 2nd and yet a call from PJ a day later saying that it would not be here, SUPER DISAPPOINTED in PJ and in Tesla.
This is a customer of Tesla model 3 car of Tesla. I Booked car and paid $1000 for booking then $2500 another when everybody got emails to pay another amount and what Configuration to build your own car. I did too and around 20 days before I got a Call from Mr. Rodney ** to me that my car is ready for delivery. "Wire us the money." I said, "Let me go to bank and file the loan paperwork and will wire the money." I filed my loan and it got approved. I put the Nationwide Ins also on the same VIN No. Then my bank needed some proof of title to put their name on it. I made Mr. Rodney a call and he said all of a sudden the car is pulled out from the system and no VIN No. exists of the number provided before. Then he sent me message for another VIN No. ready to get ship to me.
I did the same thing and again on the same point of providing me the Proof of title with a lien of my bank name on it, he said me the same thing again the car VIN No. disappeared from the system. These TESLA people are just a stress givers giving their customers stress and creating problems for them. They just making fools of their customers by making them fake calls and making them IDIOTS to go to banks and fill the forms and taking insurances on fake VIN Nos. I will never recommend anybody to buy a TESLA. It will be a big trouble for everybody according to my experience.
I have ordered a Tesla Model S. In an email they indicated that the delivery date is 9/26. Then on 9/25, they asked whether I am late for picking up the car. They entered the wrong date in the system. They then offer to deliver the car to my home. They promised to call 30 minutes before arrival. They missed the whole time window without any calls. No one in their delivery department reply to my calls or text messages. Then there is no number to call to find out what happened. The company seems to be able to handle the volume of sales or they are just keen to push their product out to make their quarters.
So disappointed in Tesla today. I just cancelled my order for a Model 3 due to dishonest salespeople, poor management, and even poorer logistics. If you are even considering buying a car from Tesla GET EVERYTHING IN WRITING. I was told I would get Free Supercharging... even though I had it in a text message and covered with all of the "recorded phone calls".
I was a little concerned with my sales reps nonresponsiveness regarding the website being down so I called to ensure they received my free supercharging for life. Again another sales rep told me to be safe email my link to their referral line. No response... They tell me my car is to be delivered and I respond that their website is down and I need to confirm my free supercharging... No response. They took my $2,500 and left me chasing down the specifics on what I was actually spending $70k for. When I questioned management she said she needed it in writing or it didn't happen. My text messages weren't enough. I am so mad right now and it doesn't help they treated me like I was a burden to deal with as a customer.
Buyer beware!!! Model 3 cars delivered with damages to the bottom of car and when discovered 2.5 weeks later since normal people do not inspect bottom of the car. I found huge long scratches to on passenger side of bottom of car, and ball size dents to metal trim, tears in the rubber and scratches to battery unit. When taken into the support center and showroom in Fremont, they claim nothing can be done as they stated that I could have ran over a very high-speed bump. Please keep in mind that I had about 100 miles to the car, drove it 4 times, and given it is a brand new car, nobody in the right mind would run over high-speed bump at high speed to cause such damage (ball size hole in the metal part???).
The customer service department did not even consider the possibility that it could have been damaged when car was built or during delivery. I am completely disappointed and angry that I have to pay for any repairs and live with this damage for a brand new car. Plus, there are many complaints about quality already so Tesla is not willing to fix problems for their customers? Please inspect every part of your car if you buy Tesla, or maybe reconsider buying another car!!!
Given the shape of the X, there's no way to look over the back and see your exact distance from an object. Unlike the excellent front warning system ("STOP" at 12"), there is none when backing up. Although you will see an object in the large center screen from the camera, there's no way of judging just how close you are. Carefully backing into a charging station, a low pole was visible but only a car 22" to the side registered in the warning system. Carefully backing in, I bumped the low pole and creating a crease in the rear door. The estimated repair cost from Tesla's preferred body shop: $8,300! I had tried to use the AutoPark function to no avail.
Here's a few things I've learned: AUTOPARK will never work unless you've turned on AUTOSTEER. That fact doesn't appear in any owners' manual or anywhere else! Once activated, AUTOPARK works if at all in very limited situations. Among other things, there has to be autos on both sides. As for the rear camera and parking guides, it won't recognize very low, old curbs. Angry at refusal of Tesla to acknowledge these problems with the X and the failure of customer literature and representatives.
Today I took possession of my Model S 100D Tesla at the Fremont location. I was deeply disappointed by the experience. I would expect some decent attention in ensuring I get the attention and customer service for buying a $125K car. I had an appointment at 12:15 PM and the car was not ready. The person who took care of all the paperwork was not well trained or educated to answer my questions. The new car had a minor spot. He promised to buff it but never brought it up before I left. So the minor spot remains on the new car.
He did not care to go through the functions. I had to ask and in 5 minutes showed me some basic functions. He never showed me the advanced features that I bought the car for. I am left to figure it out. The car was less than 50% charged. He asked me to drive to a location a mile away. When I went there, it was a normal charger which would take 60 minutes to add like less than 20 miles. It was not a supercharger. He expected me to wait for hours to get it charged before I left. I noticed that the lining (piping/beading) on the front door was not installed correctly. Poor quality control for an expensive car. Overall very disappointed with the experience. One good note, is that it drives very well.
I have written to Tesla on at least two occasions and have not received a reply to either communications. I've had similar results in trying to communicate with their store. Calls are not returned. On one occasion when I did get a live person and asked to speak to a manager, I was told that they don't have managers.
My windshield was hit by a rock 3 months ago still no replacement windshield. I was rear ended 2 1/2 months ago still no replacement parts and it sits in the body shop. Tesla has a website that you can log your complaints and get a reply within 48 hours. I logged on several weeks ago and have not heard a word back.
My Tesla S100 one month new - rear camera malfunctioning. Bought this toy for $125K, already had issues with Rear Camera blackout just I was in reverse mode and hit a pole while backing for charging. Pre-delivery issues with paint blemish on door and lower panel misaligned. Took it to Tesla Service Center at Dublin as per appointment for body shop. Tesla provide me a loaner but will not give me estimated time I will get my brand new car back. I called them and was told that it may take one week to one month. WTF.
I had two Model S before, and I was happy with them both. When my Tesla was rear-ended in March, I had to buy another Model S from their in-stock inventory, and it was delivered in May. Immediately after delivery, I found 4 problems with the car. I took the car back to service 3 times in the past 2 months, and the 4 problems still exists:
1. The in-home charger that Tesla sent me when I bought my first Tesla in 2013 cannot charge the new car unless I press the 'reset' button many times, sometimes up to 30 times. All other Tesla cars are OK including the loaners that I got from the dealership, but this car cannot charge. After the 2nd service, they sent a mobile technician to check out my charger, and he replaced the cable. However, the car still wouldn't charge unless I keep pressing the reset button numerous times. It can take up to half hour to stand there to wait for the car to start charging!
2. The map shows traffic conditions on freeways that is wrong. When I zoom in and out, the same freeway would be green on one and dark red on another. One time, I drove to I-5, and the map shows green, but the freeway was totally congested. So, I entered the destination in the navigation and it actually advised me to bypass the I-5 and take SR-55 to SR-22. However, the map still showed green on I-5. This happens all the time, so I have no confidence in the map at all. Tesla's technical support staff simply said "This is a google map so we have no means of correcting it". However, my cell phone has google map and I do not see the same mistakes there. If google map is consistently wrong, wouldn't it caused an uproar in the IT world? What a lame excuse from Tesla!!!
3. My last Model S, 2016, has autopilot, and it can distinguish between motorcycles, automobiles and trucks since the dashboard displays the cars that are in front and to the sides, it could even distinguish between light color cars and darker cars as the display would show it. However, this new 2018 model cannot distinguish them all - every vehicle is a car, and while it tries to distinguish the color, it's sometimes wrong - a black car is shown white on the dashboard etc.. What I subsequently experienced is that sometimes during autopilot, the car would suddenly slow down and then speed up again despite not having any vehicles in its way. The mobile technician that came to my home to fix the in-wall charger said I need to take it back to Tesla to 'recalibrate the cameras'; however, when I made an appointment to do that, I was told that the cameras are calibrated in the factory and they cannot recalibrate it!!!
4. My 2016 Model S has HEPA biological air filter, which I really like. The 2018 model also has HEPA, but every time I turn it on, the fan speed is automatically changed to 8, and when I change it, HEPA goes off. So, every time I want cleaner air, it's blowing in my face, even in 65F weather! I took it to the shop 3 times and they still couldn't fix it. "The car comes like this" I was told! But my 2016 Model S was not like this!!! Then they said "We had an overhaul of the firmware in the 2018 model". So, Tesla is rolling out a 2018 firmware that is worse than its 2016 version! How can any responsible company do that? I have been a big supporter of Tesla since 2013. However, I have lost confidence in Tesla completely. Now, their Service Manager took my information and is supposed to check for me how to remedy them, but it's been over a week and I haven't heard back from him yet. Good luck to me!
I don't know who to talk to about the fact that I purchased a new Model 3 Tesla and the day after I brought it home a light came on saying it needed servicing. I took it in and they said it needed windshield washer service and also it was showing miles on the odometer. It was at 0 when I picked it up. It has been two weeks now and my brand new car has been sitting out in the heat. They also disabled my phone app to the car. No word on when I'll get it. I really think I should just get a different new car. The new car smell has probably baked right out of it by now!
Tesla is a great car. I love it more than my Mustang!!! I would kiss Elon Musk if I could. My car is electric but fast and stylish. It makes me feel unique when guys stare at it going down the road. I had one person follow me to the store just to get a photo. It's the most awesome feeling ever. It has lane detection, great sound system and Bluetooth.
Again our X broke down. As solution a S is offered. What I am supposed to do? Leave our fourth child at home? Even after complaining we have to do it with the S. The S does not carry 6 persons! I am so done with Tesla, NEVER again.
My Tesla accelerated while parking and hit a handicap pole. Tesla would not release the black box which contains pertinent information to me nor to the insurance company. My Tesla is still at Amatos, its authorized body shop. This is going to be 4th months in the shop, still waiting for parts. My impression with Tesla is once the buyer takes possession of the car the company would not do anything to help!
There have been two recalls on vehicle and seat rubs against console making an annoying squeak. Even so, this Tesla Model S car is a lot of fun to drive and looks fantastic.
My Tesla is a dream come true! My dog & I recently returned from a cross country road trip. It was such a joy to drive & cost $0 to operate. I felt safer than I ever have. (I have always been anxious pulling into a gas station by myself.) I have no regrets in buying my Tesla and would do it again in a heartbeat.
My wife and I ordered a Tesla Model X a couple months ago. Originally, the expected delivery date wasn’t until May ‘18 but to my surprise I received a call from them in early March saying my car was ready and asked that we pick it up by March 31, which not coincidentally is the last day of their fiscal quarter. From the very first day (mind you this was 1.5 weeks ago) we were having problems with the car from a strange rattling sound emanating from the vehicle and the sound of wind as we drove suggesting the doors weren’t properly screwed on. We obviously were disappointed that we were having problems from the get-go on a brand new very expensive car but it shouldn’t be a surprise given the reviews I’m now reading online and my friend’s own disastrous experience with the Model X (steering problems, inability to turn the vehicle on and gullwing door malfunction to name a few).
We were particularly worried whether the car was unsafe given I have a newborn (3-weeks old) and a 2 year old toddler that rides in the car with us. So when we took the car to the shop last week we were particularly shocked when the technician thought we may have a suspension problem given the noise... FYI I still don’t know what the actual problem is. After thinking for a bit, it sort of doesn’t surprise me. You see, I follow Tesla’s stock (and thus the company) so I know that given the company’s cash burn, inability to make Wall Street numbers, recent death of a Model X owner, etc. that the company was feeling the pressure to make consensus estimates for deliveries.
Press reports suggested a big push at the end of the quarter to “hit numbers” and what I suspect happened is that the quality control during production went down in the pursuit of pumping out car deliveries by the end of the quarter. My guess is I’m not the only one that was delivered a flawed Tesla vehicle. I just hope that safety wasn’t compromised in the process... After spending hours of our time dealing with Tesla, I would have to say the customer service sucks. They try to appease you by sounding nice but no one I spoke to wanted to take any responsibility and took multiple of the same conversation with different employees who just passed me onto another employee. Needless to say, this was a highly disappointing purchase from the get-go.
I placed a $1,000 deposit on a Tesla Model 3 in 2017. In February of 2018, I cancelled the deposit online. When I received nothing, I emailed Tesla and have traded emails for the last month. The agent is sympathetic, says it will take a while, but still no refund after a month.
We were offered a .99% interest rate and a price reduction of $16,800 off of a vehicle in inventory. So we agreed to it with $30,000 down and were ready to sign. What a deal, right? NO! NOT SO MUCH! After choosing an SUV and putting down $2,500 to secure our Model X P100D we were informed that even with a credit score of 740 and the $30,000 down the company didn’t want to agree to what we had previously decided. They came back with an interest rate of .99% but decided they wanted $60,000 down and were waiving our tax return requirements.
Also, taxes and registration would need to be paid additionally instead of being included. We wouldn’t agree to those terms because that’s not what we were told initially. In an attempt to complete a sale multiple financial institutions were distributed our information with no success. So after speaking with the manager we were told we couldn’t get our $2,500 back due to “company policy”. Now not only are we not a Tesla owner but our credit score is down by 50 points from multiple inquiries and we are out $2,500. WORST EXPERIENCE I HAVE EVER HAD TRYING TO PURCHASE AN AUTOMOBILE!
I have owned a Model S for just over a year, recently the ball joint broke on the front right hand wheel, Tesla were very quick to deny liability stating that the car must have been in a collision and that was the cause. Furthermore they sent me an estimate from one of their preferred body shops for just under £8000
Really!!! I'm no mechanic but that's a lot of money for a ball joint. Tesla seem to be selling a lot of cars but are lacking customer service. Great to drive but make sure you don't take it out of its comfort zone. Won't be buying another one of those in a hurry.
I am in love with my Tesla S after 2-1/2 years. The look, the performance and much more is wonderful, however, there is one software problem they have not been able to fix for the 2-1/2 years. After turning off the car, when you get back in to start, the radio station changes to random things. It needs to be reset very often. It is irritating that they have not yet been able to correct the software problem. Love it, love it, love it, but it would actually fall into the LEMON category in the State of California. It seems to be problematic across the line.
From my first experience driving a Tesla at the Fremont Tesla factory & track, I was totally sold and knew I wanted to buy a Tesla. I spent a great deal of time driving both models (Tesla Model S & Tesla Model X), reading reviews and ultimately trying to decide which one would be the best for me. I was quite worried about the initial reviews of the Model X (not good!) and the Model S of course is one of the most loved cars of all-time.
It’s the big and the small details that really put Tesla in a league of its own. The responsiveness of the accelerator (no lag time) makes driving safer. The regenerative braking combined with standard anti-lock brakes allows the vehicle to stop more quickly than any other car. Overall the safety ratings for both Model S & Model X are as close to perfect as one could ask for. I’m driving my wife and baby around and safety and comfort is paramount. I love the sleek James Bond look of the Model S and also appreciate how insanely quiet the car is when driving.
If you’re reading reviews you’re already aware of how fast these cars are and how amazing it is that Tesla can “push” updates to the car, something that none of my other cars have ever been able to do. Even little things like the “frunk” (front trunk) on both cars is something that sets Tesla apart (I am often in San Francisco and having a very secure space to leave a laptop bag is very much appreciated). Other “nice to have” things like the door that opens as you walk up to your car, the music that starts playing where you left off as soon as you start to sit down, the automatic “hands-free" parallel parking feature, the hands-free voice controls that allow you to enter navigation items as specific as “the Safeway in the Marina District” without knowing the street name or address... I could go on and on and on.
In case you’re interested, I ended up buying the Model X (although the noisier cabin on the freeway was almost a deal-breaker for me). I needed the extra storage space for stroller, suitcases, skis, etc. and I preferred being a bit higher up on the road. I chose the 6-seat configuration which is strangely similar to a mini-van in terms of access and comfort… But from the outside and from the driver's seat, this car is more like a hybrid of a rocket ship & an ultra lux SUV.
One last feature that was pretty sweet was this referral link. By using referral code I was able to get free unlimited supercharging and even got $500 credit. If you are considering buying a Tesla, or if you just want a chance to race one of the new Tesla Semi’s, click ** and type in your email address. You’ll automatically be setup to get the best referral whenever you’re ready to buy your Tesla.
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