Worrying about numbers instead of the quality of its products made Tesla fall into a trap that is set on its own. Rich Benoit gives another example of how serious that is with his latest video on the quality of Tesla servicing. When you finish watching the video, you could only say that everything is ok if you are afraid your investments in the company will vanish.
Benoit starts the video in his usual irreverent way. Apart from cherishing his Porsche 911 whenever he has a chance to do so, he also makes fun of how important it is that the company delivered 250,000 cars in a quarter, even if it forgot to put brake pads in at least one of them. That’s a clear reference to what happened to April Gillmore and her Tesla Model 3 Performance – a story we already told our readers.
The YouTuber jokes that achieving 250,000 cars in a quarter sometimes demands “a human sacrifice or two for the greater good” and teases everyone that claims they want Tesla to succeed because of “the mission” of saving the Earth. According to Benoit, that is naive. However, some of the company’s fans are “starting to wake up a little bit.”
Photo: Rich Rebuilds
The first case reveals a real problem but in a light way. The Tesla customer states he cannot make an appointment to fix his Model X in the shadows, as if he did not want to identify himself. But he does: he’s Zac, from the YouTube channel “Now You Know.” Not by coincidence, he and his son Jesse released a video called “Tesla We Love You, But…” It is also embedded below, and it comes from people that really support the brand. Sadly, we do not doubt people will accuse them of spreading FUD (fear, uncertainty, and doubt).
The second case is from Will Prowse, who has a YouTube channel called “DIY Solar Power with Will Prowse.” This YouTuber shared his experience with a Model S Plaid that he drove for only 280 miles before the drive unit failed. Ironically, he was heading to the Tesla Service Center because the door handle on the passenger side was already broken. His car also came without the trunk floorboard that covers the hollow space close to the rear bumper. At least it was not a brake pad, right? You can check his video about that below.
Prowse waited one week for the diagnosis and two more for the MDU (main drive unit) to be replaced. He’s now trying to sell the lemon back to Tesla. In the meantime, Prowse had to deal with the usual Tesla supporters and heard that the was being financed by “big oil.” He seems to even have fun with how stupid such an accusation is: just check what his YouTube channel is about. He also praises his Porsche and mentions it get.
Photo: Rich Rebuilds
The third case involves Steven Salowsky, Rich Rebuilds’ manager. He has been waiting to fix his Model 3 since July 10, 2020: there’s an issue with the airbag sensor that will demand the entire seat to be replaced. Salowsky records his conversation with his Tesla Service Center and what we get is a confession that they “just don't have any parts.”
The last consumer to share his experience with Benoit does not identify himself. On the other hand, this Tesla customer gave the YouTuber his recording with two different people from his Tesla Service Center. After buying a Tesla Model S Plaid and taking delivery in July 2021, the car has been broken for about 60% of the time he owned it. The car sat in his driveway for about a month until it was taken to the Service Center by the end of November. It was still there waiting to be repaired when he recorded the call.
What this Tesla owner discovered was that he was still being charged for an FSD subscription that he was not using due to the car’s defects, so he was asking for a reimbursement. Two different people tell him to forget about it: Tesla’s policy is not to return this money. According to both Tesla clerks, this customer should have canceled the subscription, and that’s it.
Photo: Rich Rebuilds
If FSD was not sufficiently involved in controversy due to how badly it behaves in traffic, paying to use it is also problematic. Those that disbursed up to $12,000 in the beta software do not get to sell it with the EV because it is not connected to the vehicle. They also do not get to transfer it to another Tesla because it is not connected to the customers: it is just a license to use it that Tesla decides when and how to grant.
Summing up, when these guys sell the car, they just lose all they paid for FSD. This Tesla customer dodged the bullet by subscribing to the service. However, it still makes us wonder: why would anyone pay for such a deal? We have no idea, but they do.
Unhappy with what he heard, this Model S Plaid owner still tried to argue that he had no idea how much time his car would be sitting at the Tesla Service Center waiting to be repaired. He also stressed that he just expected the company not to charge him for something he could not use due to Tesla’s fault. When he asked the first attendant if he was blaming him for the charges, the Tesla worker said he was not blaming anyone, just telling him why he would never see this money again in what depended on the EV maker.
Be sure you will see people defending the company and blaming him for not canceling the subscription. They are the ones that brag about never having had an issue with their Teslas, but Benoit reserves a warning for these guys: it is just a matter of time. When that happens, and they decide to complain as any sane customer would, they’ll hear from their former peers that they are FUDsters, short-sellers, or financed by “big oil.” It is a pity that some only learn about being in other people’s shoes when they actually “wear” them. Hopefully.
Google News