Buying a new car can be a genuine pleasure, or it can turn into an irritating experience. In the specific case of the Model S, Tesla's vehicle manages to deliver a little bit of both at the same time. Tyler Martin is the owner of a Tesla Model S purchased in December 2016, and he posted a video on YouTube highlighting all the problems the car suffered since he received the keys. While he acknowledges that Tesla managed to resolve some of the issues, it is the sheer number of them that draws attention.
Imagine having the chance to acquire a Tesla Model S. The 60D variant has a base price of $73,000, and upon receiving it, anyone would expect the car to be impeccable. But Tyler Martin's story shatters the illusion and shows us that things do not always go well. Tesla delivered Martin's 60D in December 2016, and he immediately detected several cosmetic details that should not have been there, starting with paint defects, some scratches, a lot of dust, some residue on the touchscreen, and alignment problems on one of the rear doors. Most of these points were corrected, but Martin's adventure had barely begun...
https://www.youtube.com/embed/dKQPHC4JyAUSix service visits in less than eleven months
In this 25-minute mini documentary, he explains that his Tesla S had to go in for service six times in less than eleven months, and is on track for a seventh visit. Martin insists that he did his homework and knew about the quality control limitations affecting Tesla, although he never imagined anything like this. The first service was last March, at 4,600 kilometers. During the first three months, several minor defects emerged, but being an hour and a half away from the service center, he decided to document everything to provide a complete report to the technicians. The driver's side rearview mirror did not deploy fully, the alignment problem on the rear right door was still there, along with a delay in its opening and strange noises, the steering wheel was slightly crooked... I think you get the picture: multiple minor issues piling up, and on the verge of reaching a critical mass.
The 'within specifications' problem
In the first service, the technicians managed to fix only one of seven reported defects. With additional visits, their accuracy improved, but the fundamental conflict lies between Martin's expectations as a driver-customer and what Tesla calls solutions "within specifications". Even so, Martin says that driving a Model S is a fantastic experience, and that the interaction with the technicians was always good, despite the half-fixed problems and a bit of bad luck. Six services in eleven months is not normal, and if we set aside the nearly obsessive attention to detail of Martin, the truth is that he is not alone, and the complaints are not limited to the Model S. That might explain why the Model 3 is missing in action, with fewer than 300 units delivered.
