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This is why I will probably sell my Tesla when it gets even close to the 50k bumper to bumper warranty. Used car prices for Teslas are awesome, I could sell it

This is why I will probably sell my Tesla when it gets even close to the 50k bumper to bumper warranty. Used car prices for Teslas are awesome, I could sell it to Carvana for more than I paid for it I think right now. I'm already having a load of trouble this morning getting a flat fixed because it has a slow leak and the tires have the acoustic foam inside them that prevents using green slime. Tesla wants $81 to fix it- if I drive an hour and a half to a service center. I love the gas savings but I don't want to drive a John Deere that can't be worked on when things go wrong.

philg_jr 5y ago
I took option to have the Tesla mobile tire service come to my house. I had several screws in one of my tires, and one was too close to the sidewall to plug. The guy in the van showed up to my house and had the full tire removed/mounted/balanced in about 15-20 minutes. I had to pay for the tire and service fee (obviously) but it was incredibly fast and convenient for me. I found the whole process impressive.
- misiti3780 5y ago
  I agree, i would just use their mobile service. they can fix everything minus software/sensor issues as far as i know.
- FartyMcFarter 5y ago
  That must be ridiculously expensive compared to using a generic tire fixing shop?
  - vagrantJin 5y ago
    I would argue, fairly, that a person who drives a Tesla is not too wound up about ridiculous costs.
  - philg_jr 5y ago
    The tire needed to be replaced regardless, and no shop around me had the exact tire in stock, so I would have had to wait and I needed to be able to drive safely (without screws in my tire) for work travel requirements. Most shops won't give you a discount on a single tire anyway, and Tesla's price on the tire was cheaper than Discount Tire Direct on eBay. The fee to replace the tire was $20, which is in line with a normal tire shop (mounting and balancing 4 tires is usually $60-80 in my experience).
- JohnJamesRambo 5y ago
  The Tesla rep on the phone said I am out of the area for that service. I don’t think I would have paid the extra anyway. I’m too cheap to pay such a markup for fixing a flat out of principle alone.
kampsduac 5y ago
> getting a flat fixed because it has a slow leak and the tires have the acoustic foam inside them that prevents using green slime I had the same issue with Costco and another tire shop refusing to patch a nail in my 2020 Model Y tire. I tried a Discount Tire - they fixed it within a few hours for free, with a smile. They only asked I consider purchasing from them when I'm in the market for new tires.
- JohnJamesRambo 5y ago
  Thank you for your comment. I called Walmart and they said they could do it, we shall see...
- gnarcoregrizz 5y ago
  Patches can be dangerous. Most shops nowadays recommend replacing the tire, it's not in bad faith.
  - mikestew 5y ago
    8 minutes, and someone already hit the downvote button? Parent isn't wrong, a patch (and especially a plug) does decrease the structural integrity of the tire, no controversy there. From my previous life as an auto mechanic, many times some of the strands of the steel belt(s) will be broken. And what used to be a solid sheet of rubber now has a hole in it. IIRC, plugging a tire at a minimum knocks off a speed rating. That's not to say I haven't driven a plugged tire until it's bald. And that's not to say that I wouldn't tell my sister to go ahead and get that pricey tire patched. But if you think that repaired tire is now as good as new, you are wrong. Would I do a track day on a repaired tire? Would I whip my Tesla up to ludicrous speed on a patched tire? Would I ride a plugged motorcycle tire any further than I have to? Fuck no. If I can afford a track day, I can afford a new tire.
    - effingwewt 5y ago
      HN seems to be getting worse with the feels>facts lately. As have the downvotes with no rebuttal. Just slides closer to reddit every day. And I agree if it's not in the sidewall or something it would definitely at least get you by. until you get a cheap tire.
madgnome 5y ago
We had the same issue in the middle of Montana and a Les Schwab shop fixed it for us for free YMMV
wumpus 5y ago
You can get your tire fixed anywhere that's willing to work on tires with acoustic foam.
jsight 5y ago
There's nothing really magical about the tire foam that is Tesla specific. Shops should be able to fix them by cutting out a piece, but some don't want to for one reason or another. I definitely would try to avoid going to the service center for it. Discount Tire tends to be better.
jhallenworld 5y ago
Can you not plug the flat with one of these? Does the foam prevent it from working? https://www.amazon.com/ITW-GLOBAL-BRANDS-1034-HANDLE/dp/B00PJ8ZOCW/ref=asc_df_B00PJ8ZOCW/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=416650478316&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=8381458466386237237&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=1018145&hvtargid=pla-869259531267&psc=1&tag=&ref=&adgrpid=93124985039&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvadid=416650478316&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=8381458466386237237&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=1018145&hvtargid=pla-869259531267 https://www.amazon.com/ITW-GLOBAL-BRANDS-1034-HANDLE/dp/B00P...
- pengaru 5y ago
  That requires actually removing the wheel, breaking a sweat, and getting dirty...
  - capitainenemo 5y ago
    I know you're probably kidding, but plugging a tire doesn't require removing it, and while lying down on dirty ground might be helpful, it's not a terribly sweaty activity either .
    - pengaru 5y ago
      It certainly does on my car, we don't all drive vehicles with pickup truck levels of wheel well clearance... And the few times I've aided others with installing a plug, attempting it without removing the wheel first just made it more difficult, sweaty and dirty, than had we just taken the wheel off for better access.
      - capitainenemo 5y ago
        hm. kay. I've not had any reason to use my plug kit myself so far, but the 2 times I had a slow leak, on front tire they just had me turn it at a nice sharp turn for good access, and on the rear one, they jacked it up nice and high without removing it.
asdff 5y ago
A few more years of depreciation and getting hit with a bill like this could mean your insurance company salvages your title. Probably good to pass this live grenade of a car to someone else before that happens.
rastafang 5y ago
> Used car prices for Teslas are awesome, I could sell it to Carvana for more than I paid for it I think right now. That's true for most used cars right now.

philg_jr 5y ago

I took option to have the Tesla mobile tire service come to my house. I had several screws in one of my tires, and one was too close to the sidewall to plug. The guy in the van showed up to my house and had the full tire removed/mounted/balanced in about 15-20 minutes. I had to pay for the tire and service fee (obviously) but it was incredibly fast and convenient for me. I found the whole process impressive.

misiti3780 5y ago
I agree, i would just use their mobile service. they can fix everything minus software/sensor issues as far as i know.
FartyMcFarter 5y ago
That must be ridiculously expensive compared to using a generic tire fixing shop?
- vagrantJin 5y ago
  I would argue, fairly, that a person who drives a Tesla is not too wound up about ridiculous costs.
- philg_jr 5y ago
  The tire needed to be replaced regardless, and no shop around me had the exact tire in stock, so I would have had to wait and I needed to be able to drive safely (without screws in my tire) for work travel requirements. Most shops won't give you a discount on a single tire anyway, and Tesla's price on the tire was cheaper than Discount Tire Direct on eBay. The fee to replace the tire was $20, which is in line with a normal tire shop (mounting and balancing 4 tires is usually $60-80 in my experience).
JohnJamesRambo 5y ago
The Tesla rep on the phone said I am out of the area for that service. I don’t think I would have paid the extra anyway. I’m too cheap to pay such a markup for fixing a flat out of principle alone.

kampsduac 5y ago

> getting a flat fixed because it has a slow leak and the tires have the acoustic foam inside them that prevents using green slime I had the same issue with Costco and another tire shop refusing to patch a nail in my 2020 Model Y tire. I tried a Discount Tire - they fixed it within a few hours for free, with a smile. They only asked I consider purchasing from them when I'm in the market for new tires.

JohnJamesRambo 5y ago
Thank you for your comment. I called Walmart and they said they could do it, we shall see...
gnarcoregrizz 5y ago
Patches can be dangerous. Most shops nowadays recommend replacing the tire, it's not in bad faith.
- mikestew 5y ago
  8 minutes, and someone already hit the downvote button? Parent isn't wrong, a patch (and especially a plug) does decrease the structural integrity of the tire, no controversy there. From my previous life as an auto mechanic, many times some of the strands of the steel belt(s) will be broken. And what used to be a solid sheet of rubber now has a hole in it. IIRC, plugging a tire at a minimum knocks off a speed rating. That's not to say I haven't driven a plugged tire until it's bald. And that's not to say that I wouldn't tell my sister to go ahead and get that pricey tire patched. But if you think that repaired tire is now as good as new, you are wrong. Would I do a track day on a repaired tire? Would I whip my Tesla up to ludicrous speed on a patched tire? Would I ride a plugged motorcycle tire any further than I have to? Fuck no. If I can afford a track day, I can afford a new tire.
  - effingwewt 5y ago
    HN seems to be getting worse with the feels>facts lately. As have the downvotes with no rebuttal. Just slides closer to reddit every day. And I agree if it's not in the sidewall or something it would definitely at least get you by. until you get a cheap tire.

madgnome 5y ago

We had the same issue in the middle of Montana and a Les Schwab shop fixed it for us for free YMMV

wumpus 5y ago

You can get your tire fixed anywhere that's willing to work on tires with acoustic foam.

jsight 5y ago

There's nothing really magical about the tire foam that is Tesla specific. Shops should be able to fix them by cutting out a piece, but some don't want to for one reason or another. I definitely would try to avoid going to the service center for it. Discount Tire tends to be better.

jhallenworld 5y ago

Can you not plug the flat with one of these? Does the foam prevent it from working? https://www.amazon.com/ITW-GLOBAL-BRANDS-1034-HANDLE/dp/B00PJ8ZOCW/ref=asc_df_B00PJ8ZOCW/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=416650478316&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=8381458466386237237&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=1018145&hvtargid=pla-869259531267&psc=1&tag=&ref=&adgrpid=93124985039&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvadid=416650478316&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=8381458466386237237&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=1018145&hvtargid=pla-869259531267 https://www.amazon.com/ITW-GLOBAL-BRANDS-1034-HANDLE/dp/B00P...

pengaru 5y ago
That requires actually removing the wheel, breaking a sweat, and getting dirty...
- capitainenemo 5y ago
  I know you're probably kidding, but plugging a tire doesn't require removing it, and while lying down on dirty ground might be helpful, it's not a terribly sweaty activity either .
  - pengaru 5y ago
    It certainly does on my car, we don't all drive vehicles with pickup truck levels of wheel well clearance... And the few times I've aided others with installing a plug, attempting it without removing the wheel first just made it more difficult, sweaty and dirty, than had we just taken the wheel off for better access.
    - capitainenemo 5y ago
      hm. kay. I've not had any reason to use my plug kit myself so far, but the 2 times I had a slow leak, on front tire they just had me turn it at a nice sharp turn for good access, and on the rear one, they jacked it up nice and high without removing it.

asdff 5y ago

A few more years of depreciation and getting hit with a bill like this could mean your insurance company salvages your title. Probably good to pass this live grenade of a car to someone else before that happens.

rastafang 5y ago

> Used car prices for Teslas are awesome, I could sell it to Carvana for more than I paid for it I think right now. That's true for most used cars right now.