Some Tesla owners said they were surprised when they had to replace their tires much sooner than with previous cars.
EVs go through tires about 30% faster than traditional combustion-engine vehicles because they're heavier due to their massive lithium-ion battery, according to Bridgestone.
Typically electric car tires wear out between 10,000 to 20,000 miles. Though, Auto Trader editor Brian Moody told Insider speeding and heavy braking accelerate the issue.
Some Tesla owners said they were surprised when their insurance rates climbed after they bought their electric car.
Insider's Alexa St. John previously reported that EV owners typically face higher insurance bills in part because many electric cars are generally more expensive than gas-powered vehicles.
Insurance companies also must weight the higher costs of potential damages to the vehicle's pricey lithium-ion battery, as well as the lack of repair shops that are certified to work on the cars.
Earlier this year, The New York Times reported that a Rivian owner was hit with a $42,000 repair bill after a fender bender.
Eventually, the cost of insuring an EV is expected to drop as more people and companies transition to all-electric cars.
Over the years, some Tesla owners have complained about issues with the carmaker's service centers, including long wait times, poor repairs, and exorbitant prices.
Last year, Vox reported that Tesla owners had filed thousands of complaints about the company's service centers. The complaints varied from concerns about available parts and unresponsive service centers to detailed complaints about Teslas that were returned in worse condition than when they went into the shops for repairs.
More recently, a Model S owner filed a proposed class-action lawsuit against Tesla over the issue, claiming she'd suffered from Tesla's "monopolization" of the repair market for its vehicles. She said Tesla had caused her to "suffer lengthy delays in repairing or maintaining" their electric vehicles, "only to pay supracompetitive prices for those parts and repairs once they are finally provided," according to the complaint.
A spokesperson for Tesla did not respond to a request for comment from Insider regarding concerns about its service centers. Last year, Tesla CEO Elon Musk said the company is working on improving its service in North America. To date, Tesla has less than 200 service centers in the US. For comparison, GM or Ford owners can choose from thousands of independent repair and maintenance shops.
"That's one of my biggest complaints with Tesla," Steve Almassy, a Model S owner since 2014, said, adding he still loves the car. "They're getting better, but they still haven't gotten their service model down to a good process. Unfortunately, they have a long way to go on that."
Tesla's signature sleek door handles can be a hassle at times, several owners told Insider.
From issues with getting the doors to open in freezing temperatures to door handles breaking off — some Tesla owners said the sleek door handles on the EVs can be a source of frustration.
Multiple Tesla owners said the handles broke off in their hands on a few occasions. Robbie Mack, a former Tesla salesman and owner of a Model S said it was a common issue with earlier models of the company's higher-end Model S vehicle that has since been resolved with the Model 3 and Model Y.
Other owners said they've had trouble getting their phone to connect and open the doors using keyless entry.
"It'd be raining, or you're carrying groceries and you're having to fiddle with your phone to get it to connect and unlock," tech YouTuber Austin Evans previously told Insider regarding the keyless entry on his Model Y. "It's a great feature when it works, but you never know when it's going to fail you."
Steven Elek, a Senior Automotive Data Analyst at Consumer Reports, said the publication has received multiple reports from owners regarding phone pairing issues with Teslas.
Depending on the electrical setup at the house, setting up a fast-charging home charger can cost anywhere from $250 to thousands of dollars — and some Tesla owners said they were surprised by the extra cost of setting up the system.
Most cars come with a Level 1 charging cord which can plug into a 110-volt household outlet and slowly trickles electricity into a car's battery, but it only adds a few miles an hour to the car's battery life. Many drivers prefer faster methods.
Setting up faster Level 2 charging requires a certified electrician, as well as a home electrical assessment. Ken Sapp, senior vice president at Qmerit, previously told Insider's Tim Levin that most of his jobs cost about $1,600.
For Tesla owners, it's apparently not uncommon for new vehicles to be returned to local service centers for small fixes upon delivery and Tesla owners have reported minor build issues with the EVs over the years, including poor paint jobs and panel alignment.
John Brusniak said when he received his Model S in 2020, one of the doors wouldn't close properly.
"They're just minor things and they fixed it all for free, but it just shows a lack of attention to detail that you wouldn't expect for the money you've spent on the car," he said.
Chris Harto, a senior policy analyst at Consumer Reports, said the publication's reliability survey for Tesla owners found that "paint and trim," "noises and leaks,"and "body hardware" are "common trouble spots for Teslas."
Tesla has long been known to have some issues with quality control, especially when new models are launched. In 2018, engineering consultant Sandy Munro said Tesla's Model 3 had serious production flaws.
"I can't imagine how they released this," Munro said at the time.
In response, Musk admitted that the electric carmaker has had issues with quality control. In an interview with Munro, the Tesla CEO warned it might not be a good idea to buy a Tesla during a new model's ramp-up period.
A spokesperson for Tesla did not respond to a request for comment on the issue ahead of publication.
Some Tesla owners who shelled out about $15,000, or $199 per month, for the Autopilot add-on say they wish they hadn't.
"FSD is kind of why I bought the car to begin with," Brusniak told Insider. "I paid extra for it, but I'm too scared to use it now because it has its own way of doing things. It'll stop 50 yards from a red light or sometimes it'll even seem to stop at random."
Tesla first released FSD in 2020 to select drivers, and since then, the software has been added to over 100,000 cars in the US. The feature enables Teslas to automatically change lanes, enter and exit highways, recognize stop signs and traffic lights, and park. The software is still in a beta testing and requires a licensed driver to monitor it at all times.
Tesla drivers have posted YouTube videos of the buggy software in the past — from turning into oncoming traffic to apparently confusing Burger King signs and even the moon with stop signs and stop lights. Still, some beta testers say the software has improved over the years.
Spokespeople for the company have not commented directly on concerns about FSD. Though, Musk has said feedback on the software is "welcome" and has encouraged users to report bugs in the program.
Some Tesla owners said their car has braked at random.
Kala Taylor, a former Model S owner, said there were multiple instances when her vehicle would stop, seemingly at random — and it once tried to stop in the middle of a freeway while she was using Autopilot.
"It was very scary and I never felt quite safe again driving it after that," Taylor said.
Last year, over 750 Tesla drivers reported instances of phantom braking and many of them said the issued typically occurred while using Tesla's Autopilot driver assist feature, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
"Tesla gives you zero credit for FSD on a trade-in and doesn't even let you transfer it over to you next Tesla," said Nelson Jackson, a Model S owner and FSD user. "That's a major flaw and huge deterrent when it comes to trading in the vehicle."
Musk temporarily addressed the gripe during the company's earnings call on Wednesday. The billionaire said he would allow FSD users to transfer the software over for a limited time in next three months.
"This is a one-time amnesty, so you need to take advantage of it in Q3," he said.
There's a learning curve when it comes to owning a Tesla, especially when it comes to the high-tech features in the car, several owners told Insider.
"Most people with an ICE vehicle don't look at a manual because everything is pretty much the same across the board," Almassy said, referring to a gas-powered car. "With a Tesla, you basically have a computer on wheels that you have to figure out. So you need to take the time to sit down and go through all the things on the infotainment system and read up on all the new features or you'll be missing out."
Even Tesla owners can experience a bit of range anxiety every now and then.
"There's been times when I've gotten home with only about 2 or 3% to spare," Nick Caraciolo, a Model 3 owner, said regarding his battery life. "300 miles of range can quickly become 100 miles of range if you're speeding or it's hot outside or too cold. It can be very deceptive and gas-powered car can seem more accurate in that way."
Though, many owners say range anxiety was a short-lived concern.
"People who are new to the experience can get super-anxious about the battery just because it's different from driving a gas-powered car," Jackson said. "But Tesla always gives you warnings so the only time I really think about it is when I'm going on a long trip."
Tesla has an internal navigation system that will alert drivers to which charging sites will be most efficient and which ones are busy — and it's a favorite feature with owners. Tesla drivers also have a major advantage when it comes to using the company's network of Superchargers, which is larger and viewed as more reliable than other charging systems.
Many Tesla owners told Insider that — while they know the car can have its issues — many of the perks of owning the EV outweigh some of the head aches.
"If you want to be an early adopter you've got to put up with some stuff and people are spoiled if they don't realize that," Mack told Insider.
"some" - Google News
July 24, 2023 at 04:05PM
https://ift.tt/D05jRQa
Tesla owners share unexpected headaches of owning the EV - Business Insider
"some" - Google News
https://ift.tt/cHprGzo
Shoes Man Tutorial
Pos News Update
Meme Update
Korean Entertainment News
Japan News Update
Bagikan Berita Ini
0 Response to "Tesla owners share unexpected headaches of owning the EV - Business Insider"
Post a Comment