"Other's have suggested that Tesla isn't ready for prime-time. I would disagree. They have created a incredibly safe, fast, and technologically advanced car that competes with car companies that have been manufacturing automobiles for over 100 years."
So says the author.
I disagree, this car is NOT safe. This 103 thousand dollar car left one staff member and his son stranded at the end of a busy freeway on ramp dead in the water, right out in traffic, at night. There was no way to push the car out of traffic, and worse still the hazard flashers failed right as the tow truck arrived.
People could have died because of this car.
For any other new car to fail like this would earn it the scorn it would deserve. Somehow the staff members of Edmunds have lost all perspective with this car. Excusing the monthly failures of the Tesla as somehow justified because it's breaking new ground is inconceivable.
The staffer who compared it to his Xbox was a good example of this loss of reason with the Tesla. People don't die when Xbox's fail, people can and do die when cars are poorly made and have catastrophic failures.
I suggest one of the staff members buy this car and keep it past it's warranty. Then let us know how much fun those 15k a pop drive train changes are.
Edmunds needs to take off the reality distortion glasses and see the Tesla for what it is, a toy for the techno-loving 1% who don't mind it's limited usability, unsafeness and continual breakdowns.
Sound generated from INVERTER unit which is attached to motor/differential, the three pieces known as the 'power unit'. So this issue is an INVERTER issue, not a motor or differential issue, so 80% of posters can go sit in the corner. Comments wrt inverters would be most welcome!! My MS just started making the 'milling sound' @21k miles.
Perhaps you are correct, there is much discussion as to exactly what is going wrong with the unit. But Tesla is going to replace your drive unit to fix it. The going rate for that for people out of warranty is reported at $15,000.
Edmunds car is on their third drive unit. $45,000 dollars in repairs for those keeping track, just for this one continually recurring problem.
@intermountain said:
Sound generated from INVERTER unit which is attached to motor/differential, the three pieces known as the 'power unit'. So this issue is an INVERTER issue, not a motor or differential issue, so 80% of posters can go sit in the corner. Comments wrt inverters would be most welcome!! My MS just started making the 'milling sound' 21k miles.
Then you have a mechanical issue. There are some inverter problems which result in a replacement, but the majority of them are mechanical. And according to people who have recently had the replacement, there is no sure-fire fix for it yet...and the fact that they are replacing them with refurbished units just makes it that much more likely to continue to be a problem.
@duck87 said:
redxsage: You didn't refute anything that Fordson1 just said.
The fact that you don't even have a Model S yet you're making
all these claims is just BS all around.
I'm pretty sure that I noted above I was speaking of someone else's experience, as noted on the Tesla Motors forums. I doubt this site will allow me to post a link to the conversation in question. But I'll try anyway... Please check the messages found in the thread titled, 'Is Annual Service Necessary?':
In particular, please note the messages left by 'jordanrichard' on May 21 and May 22, 2014.
That's all the corroboration I have. I do believe it is truthful, and accurate. Do I have proof? Of course not.
I'm just some guy on the internet. I have no formal or informal ties to Tesla Motors, their Service Centers, or knowledge of their internal policies regarding inspections, repairs, or replacement parts. I just like pretty cars that go fast. Thus, it would probably be a good idea to ignore anything I write. So please, pretty please, with sugar on top, don't like, sue me and stuff. Thanks.
Note that Tesla has added an eight-year, unlimited miles warranty for the drive unit, same as for the batteries. I have 43,000 miles on Tesla cars with never any of these problems. I know several Tesla owners and have never heard from them of a drive failure.
Note that Tesla has added an eight-year, unlimited miles warranty for the drive unit, same as for the batteries. I have 43,000 miles on Tesla cars with never any of these problems. I know several Tesla owners and have never heard from them of a drive failure.
I think the drive failures will become fewer and fewer as Tesla learns more about how they perform in real world situations. They made enough of the car modular that even changing things like A-arm dimensions and steering components is no where near the terrifying ordeal that it is for most auto manufacturers. I personally think that's why we are not likely to see the main format change between the X and S models... just a different body put on it.
I have just purchased a model S90D and will be taking delivery this month. I am not the average car buyer since I buy vehicles that I enjoy and then drive the hell out of them until the wheels fall off. I fully intend to do this with the Tesla as well. Since it's all the rage today, I may start a blog to chronicle my personal experience with the car. If something comes up to make me get rid of this car... the readers should know that I have hit a show stopper.
Some background on my choice. I finally reached a point in my professional life where I could afford and wanted to treat myself to a really nice high performance vehicle. I wanted a touring car, however, so I was looking to something like A Ferrari 612 or perhaps that crazy new hatch back they came out with. Other contenders were the Porsche Panamera and Jaguar XJ. When looking at each of these vehicles what struck me was the cost of ownership of these vehicles for people like me who intend to actually drive them.
So with eyes open, i go into this and will be looking forward to comparing my personal ownership experience with those of Edmond's as well as measuring them against friends of mine that own some of the other vehicles mentioned. I have this feeling that I won't be spending anywhere near what it costs to maintain say a Jaguar... but actual experience will be the only true indicator. Everything else if just typing.
Comments
"Other's have suggested that Tesla isn't ready for prime-time. I would disagree. They have created a incredibly safe, fast, and technologically advanced car that competes with car companies that have been manufacturing automobiles for over 100 years."
So says the author.
I disagree, this car is NOT safe. This 103 thousand dollar car left one staff member and his son stranded at the end of a busy freeway on ramp dead in the water, right out in traffic, at night. There was no way to push the car out of traffic, and worse still the hazard flashers failed right as the tow truck arrived.
People could have died because of this car.
For any other new car to fail like this would earn it the scorn it would deserve. Somehow the staff members of Edmunds have lost all perspective with this car. Excusing the monthly failures of the Tesla as somehow justified because it's breaking new ground is inconceivable.
The staffer who compared it to his Xbox was a good example of this loss of reason with the Tesla. People don't die when Xbox's fail, people can and do die when cars are poorly made and have catastrophic failures.
I suggest one of the staff members buy this car and keep it past it's warranty. Then let us know how much fun those 15k a pop drive train changes are.
Edmunds needs to take off the reality distortion glasses and see the Tesla for what it is, a toy for the techno-loving 1% who don't mind it's limited usability, unsafeness and continual breakdowns.
Sound generated from INVERTER unit which is attached to motor/differential, the three pieces known as the 'power unit'. So this issue is an INVERTER issue, not a motor or differential issue, so 80% of posters can go sit in the corner. Comments wrt inverters would be most welcome!! My MS just started making the 'milling sound' @21k miles.
Perhaps you are correct, there is much discussion as to exactly what is going wrong with the unit. But Tesla is going to replace your drive unit to fix it. The going rate for that for people out of warranty is reported at $15,000.
Edmunds car is on their third drive unit. $45,000 dollars in repairs for those keeping track, just for this one continually recurring problem.
How does this make it any better? And don't forget that the entire battery pack was replaced on this car once.
And how can YOU distinguish between an inverter failure and a bearing/gear issue? Did the dealer declare the inverter to be the problem?
Then you have a mechanical issue. There are some inverter problems which result in a replacement, but the majority of them are mechanical. And according to people who have recently had the replacement, there is no sure-fire fix for it yet...and the fact that they are replacing them with refurbished units just makes it that much more likely to continue to be a problem.
are you seriously on your 4th drivetrain? I have never heard that in my life that a new car would need 4 drivetrain replacements
Uh, Edmunds, what's going on here?
http://insideevs.com/real-imagined-tesla-model-s-drivetrain-defective/
Why is InsideEVs reporting that you sold this car? Is this true?
If so, why did you do so after so many of us recommended that you keep it a very long time, especially after you asked the question?
If this car is gone, why isn't it being reported here, and why do we have to learn it from other sources?
If this car is gone, when did you plan to come clean about it?
If this car is gone, why are you repeating the same behavior as you did when the Dart disappeared?
If this car is gone - and you sold it - who bought it, and for how much? What did that process look like?
I got suspicious - just as I did with the Dart - when a long silence developed about the Model S. Am I wrong?
I'm pretty sure that I noted above I was speaking of someone else's experience, as noted on the Tesla Motors forums. I doubt this site will allow me to post a link to the conversation in question. But I'll try anyway... Please check the messages found in the thread titled, 'Is Annual Service Necessary?':
http://www.teslamotors.com/forum/forums/annual-service-necessary
In particular, please note the messages left by 'jordanrichard' on May 21 and May 22, 2014.
That's all the corroboration I have. I do believe it is truthful, and accurate. Do I have proof? Of course not.
I'm just some guy on the internet. I have no formal or informal ties to Tesla Motors, their Service Centers, or knowledge of their internal policies regarding inspections, repairs, or replacement parts. I just like pretty cars that go fast. Thus, it would probably be a good idea to ignore anything I write. So please, pretty please, with sugar on top, don't like, sue me and stuff. Thanks.
Note that Tesla has added an eight-year, unlimited miles warranty for the drive unit, same as for the batteries. I have 43,000 miles on Tesla cars with never any of these problems. I know several Tesla owners and have never heard from them of a drive failure.
Note that Tesla has added an eight-year, unlimited miles warranty for the drive unit, same as for the batteries. I have 43,000 miles on Tesla cars with never any of these problems. I know several Tesla owners and have never heard from them of a drive failure.
I have just purchased a model S90D and will be taking delivery this month. I am not the average car buyer since I buy vehicles that I enjoy and then drive the hell out of them until the wheels fall off. I fully intend to do this with the Tesla as well. Since it's all the rage today, I may start a blog to chronicle my personal experience with the car. If something comes up to make me get rid of this car... the readers should know that I have hit a show stopper.
Some background on my choice. I finally reached a point in my professional life where I could afford and wanted to treat myself to a really nice high performance vehicle. I wanted a touring car, however, so I was looking to something like A Ferrari 612 or perhaps that crazy new hatch back they came out with. Other contenders were the Porsche Panamera and Jaguar XJ. When looking at each of these vehicles what struck me was the cost of ownership of these vehicles for people like me who intend to actually drive them.
So with eyes open, i go into this and will be looking forward to comparing my personal ownership experience with those of Edmond's as well as measuring them against friends of mine that own some of the other vehicles mentioned. I have this feeling that I won't be spending anywhere near what it costs to maintain say a Jaguar... but actual experience will be the only true indicator.
Everything else if just typing.
We'd love to have you blog about it here. We'll even crosspost on the same page with our long term fleet blogs.
How to Start Your Own Long-Term Blog
If it's not too late, maybe you can do the referral thing with one of your friends and save a thousand bucks.
This was interesting too - Tesla Expands Reach With Used-Car Market.