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There is hardly any maintenance on them. I had a minor wind noise issue when I first got it that they took care of in a couple hours. Since then, it’s been wash

by jm4 6y ago

There is hardly any maintenance on them. I had a minor wind noise issue when I first got it that they took care of in a couple hours. Since then, it’s been washer fluid and tires. The kinds of routine maintenance and repair items you typically don’t want to take your car to a dealer for aren’t much of a thing on a Tesla. Then there are the big ones where you probably do want the dealer working on it. Like if some significant mechanical problem occurs I want Tesla working on it. Not to mention, a lot of the more expensive repairs are going to be covered by warranty or insurance anyway. Sure, they’re expensive, but so is everyone else. If you bought a new or new-ish Ford and there was a mechanical failure would you want to take it to a Ford shop or a random mechanic? Yes, there’s a significant number of people in the latter group, but they’re going to feel that way no matter what they drive. Most of them probably don’t buy new cars because of it. Many people who buy new cars either don’t care or actually prefer to go to the dealer.

deleted 6y ago
[deleted]
FireBeyond 6y ago
> Not to mention, a lot of the more expensive repairs are going to be covered by warranty or insurance anyway. Sure, they’re expensive, but so is everyone else. This ignores the timing aspect too. What other major manufacturers might have up to 6 weeks or more lead times for repair parts for current vehicles? > Many people who buy new cars either don’t care or actually prefer to go to the dealer. I own a new, high-end car. I'd rather find (an orthogonal issue) and go to a passionate mechanic than a dealership who has lock-in (and of the two issues my vehicle has had, I am fairly certain the dealer service center _caused_ one of them, and then couldn't answer a simple question that anyone with a multimeter could, with the other).
- jjoonathan 6y ago
  Yeah. Independent mechanics are a mixed bag. Dealerships aren't -- they're all bad.
nicoburns 6y ago
> but they’re going to feel that way no matter what they drive. The difference is that a "random mechanic" is an option with most manufacturers. And it's not with Tesla.
- jm4 6y ago
  But my point is that most people don’t care. Certainly the ones who buy a Tesla don’t. This is like arguing that the iPhone is a bad phone because it doesn’t have a removable battery. For some, that’s a real issue. It may have been somewhat controversial in the beginning. These days no one cares because it hasn’t turned out to be a major issue for most. A bunch of manufacturers find ways to get owners back to the dealership. Sure, Tesla has more lock in than most, but try taking any other electric car to an independent mechanic. Or a high end import.
  - close04 6y ago
    > But my point is that most people don’t care. Plenty do, they just also want a premium electric car despite the downsides, not because it has none. You just keep oscillating between your point being that "you" don't care, or "most people" don't care. I think the biggest single disadvantage Tesla has compared to other manufacturers is the service network, either dedicated or partnerships. Even in places where there's no "dealership mafia" like the EU. Outside of internet discussions where someone needed to convince themselves that everyone shares their point of view I never met a person who said "I don't care how much my personal car costs to repair, how long it takes, or how many hoops I have to jump through to do it". Definitely not after they faced the challenges. Some may afford to absorb the extra costs but this doesn't mean they don't care.
    - jm4 6y ago
      Sure, the service network is a weakness, but it's partially mitigated by the fact that there's far less service for which you need to return to Tesla than there is with other cars. In practice, it's just not a major concern because there's no dealer maintenance schedule. You're not taking it in every few months like with a gas car. You fill the wiper fluid, you get the tires rotated and you change the tires once in a while. You can take it almost anywhere for tires. Brakes aren't an issue because you hardly use them in a Tesla. The rest is mostly warranty type stuff you'd go back to the dealer for anyway and collision repair which sucks no matter what you drive. It's just not really as much of an issue as critics want to make it out to be. I've never had a lower maintenance car in my life. People are on here talking about suspension replacements and other high mileage repairs and most people, particularly the ones who buy a Tesla, won't own the car long enough to be concerned about that.
throwaway0a5e 6y ago
>The kinds of routine maintenance and repair items you typically don’t want to take your car to a dealer for aren’t much of a thing on a Tesla. They're still cars. Give it 10yr and you'll still need all the same suspension and steering related service that every other car needs. Nobody wants to pay a dealer to do something trivial like CV boots or wheel bearings.
- jm4 6y ago
  True, but I won’t own the car in 10 years so I don’t care. I’m not discounting your point or anyone else’s on merit. What I’m getting at is that it’s a minority position and most people don’t care. How many 10 year old cars do you see out on the road? Yeah, they’re out there, but most of them are a lot newer than that. Most buyers just don’t keep a car long enough for any of this to matter and the ones that do care have 100 other options.
  - bcrosby95 6y ago
    > Yeah, they’re out there, but most of them are a lot newer than that. What do you think happens to a car when you're done with it? In the USA, the average passenger vehicle age in 2019 was 11.8 years: https://www.bts.gov/content/average-age-automobiles-and-trucks-operation-united-states https://www.bts.gov/content/average-age-automobiles-and-truc...
    - jm4 6y ago
      It ends up on a used lot, at an auction, shipped overseas or in a junk yard depending on how long I drove it and what kind of shape it’s in. But I don’t care. The next owner isn’t my problem and I’m not going to give it a second thought. The fact is I’m not going to keep a Tesla long enough that the warranty expires and I can trade it or sell it for reasonable value in order to get a new one so the ability to get it repaired by a third party is irrelevant to me. What I’m arguing is that this is true for most Tesla buyers and Tesla doesn’t have to cater to buyers who demand right to repair because there are 100 other options in that space.
olyjohn 6y ago
Other than oil changes, what maintenance does the Tesla not have? Even ICE cars these days have very little maintenance. Oil changes every 7000-10000 miles is about the only thing, and that cost is not very high.

by jm4 6y ago

deleted 6y ago

[deleted]

FireBeyond 6y ago

> Not to mention, a lot of the more expensive repairs are going to be covered by warranty or insurance anyway. Sure, they’re expensive, but so is everyone else. This ignores the timing aspect too. What other major manufacturers might have up to 6 weeks or more lead times for repair parts for current vehicles? > Many people who buy new cars either don’t care or actually prefer to go to the dealer. I own a new, high-end car. I'd rather find (an orthogonal issue) and go to a passionate mechanic than a dealership who has lock-in (and of the two issues my vehicle has had, I am fairly certain the dealer service center _caused_ one of them, and then couldn't answer a simple question that anyone with a multimeter could, with the other).

jjoonathan 6y ago
Yeah. Independent mechanics are a mixed bag. Dealerships aren't -- they're all bad.

nicoburns 6y ago

> but they’re going to feel that way no matter what they drive. The difference is that a "random mechanic" is an option with most manufacturers. And it's not with Tesla.

jm4 6y ago
But my point is that most people don’t care. Certainly the ones who buy a Tesla don’t. This is like arguing that the iPhone is a bad phone because it doesn’t have a removable battery. For some, that’s a real issue. It may have been somewhat controversial in the beginning. These days no one cares because it hasn’t turned out to be a major issue for most. A bunch of manufacturers find ways to get owners back to the dealership. Sure, Tesla has more lock in than most, but try taking any other electric car to an independent mechanic. Or a high end import.
- close04 6y ago
  > But my point is that most people don’t care. Plenty do, they just also want a premium electric car despite the downsides, not because it has none. You just keep oscillating between your point being that "you" don't care, or "most people" don't care. I think the biggest single disadvantage Tesla has compared to other manufacturers is the service network, either dedicated or partnerships. Even in places where there's no "dealership mafia" like the EU. Outside of internet discussions where someone needed to convince themselves that everyone shares their point of view I never met a person who said "I don't care how much my personal car costs to repair, how long it takes, or how many hoops I have to jump through to do it". Definitely not after they faced the challenges. Some may afford to absorb the extra costs but this doesn't mean they don't care.
  - jm4 6y ago
    Sure, the service network is a weakness, but it's partially mitigated by the fact that there's far less service for which you need to return to Tesla than there is with other cars. In practice, it's just not a major concern because there's no dealer maintenance schedule. You're not taking it in every few months like with a gas car. You fill the wiper fluid, you get the tires rotated and you change the tires once in a while. You can take it almost anywhere for tires. Brakes aren't an issue because you hardly use them in a Tesla. The rest is mostly warranty type stuff you'd go back to the dealer for anyway and collision repair which sucks no matter what you drive. It's just not really as much of an issue as critics want to make it out to be. I've never had a lower maintenance car in my life. People are on here talking about suspension replacements and other high mileage repairs and most people, particularly the ones who buy a Tesla, won't own the car long enough to be concerned about that.

throwaway0a5e 6y ago

>The kinds of routine maintenance and repair items you typically don’t want to take your car to a dealer for aren’t much of a thing on a Tesla. They're still cars. Give it 10yr and you'll still need all the same suspension and steering related service that every other car needs. Nobody wants to pay a dealer to do something trivial like CV boots or wheel bearings.

jm4 6y ago
True, but I won’t own the car in 10 years so I don’t care. I’m not discounting your point or anyone else’s on merit. What I’m getting at is that it’s a minority position and most people don’t care. How many 10 year old cars do you see out on the road? Yeah, they’re out there, but most of them are a lot newer than that. Most buyers just don’t keep a car long enough for any of this to matter and the ones that do care have 100 other options.
- bcrosby95 6y ago
  > Yeah, they’re out there, but most of them are a lot newer than that. What do you think happens to a car when you're done with it? In the USA, the average passenger vehicle age in 2019 was 11.8 years: https://www.bts.gov/content/average-age-automobiles-and-trucks-operation-united-states https://www.bts.gov/content/average-age-automobiles-and-truc...
  - jm4 6y ago
    It ends up on a used lot, at an auction, shipped overseas or in a junk yard depending on how long I drove it and what kind of shape it’s in. But I don’t care. The next owner isn’t my problem and I’m not going to give it a second thought. The fact is I’m not going to keep a Tesla long enough that the warranty expires and I can trade it or sell it for reasonable value in order to get a new one so the ability to get it repaired by a third party is irrelevant to me. What I’m arguing is that this is true for most Tesla buyers and Tesla doesn’t have to cater to buyers who demand right to repair because there are 100 other options in that space.

olyjohn 6y ago

Other than oil changes, what maintenance does the Tesla not have? Even ICE cars these days have very little maintenance. Oil changes every 7000-10000 miles is about the only thing, and that cost is not very high.