10 ms·

Partial Tesla Model S recall

189 points by psychotik 13y ago

JackWebbHeller 13y ago
I bought my first ever share - a single share in Tesla - two weeks ago. I saw the headline and my heart sank. But if you have to deliver bad news, that is how you do it - proactively and efficiently. It answers every question a Model S owner will have whilst providing solutions to every problem. Brilliant.
- InclinedPlane 13y ago
  Meh, it's not a huge deal. All car makers have recalls of some sort and many car model-years end up with at least one recall eventually. My car, a Corolla, is one of the most reliable on the planet but it has two recalls on comparatively minor things. And it's good to remember that an automotive recall is very different from other sorts of product recalls. People bring their cars in and get them repaired.
- thomasjames 13y ago
  It is only for cars manufactured in such a limited time frame. This is part of what it means to be a responsible auto maker. Tesla is growing up, and this is par for the course. I seriously doubt this will have any long-term significance in terms of its stock price.
- nknighthb 13y ago
  This kind of recall happens all the time. Critically, it has absolutely nothing to do with the electrical/drivetrain systems, a similar (if not virtually identical) problem could have happened with any car at any manufacturer. Tesla's going to spend a little money fixing ~1000-2000[1] brackets and that'll be the end of it. [1](Last I heard, they're building about 2000 cars/month.)
- mseebach 13y ago
  > I saw the headline and my heart sank. You should consider getting out of the stock market until you have better nerves, or you're gonna have a bad time.
- path411 13y ago
  According to google finance, it seems like their stock actually went up from this headline.
- aidenn0 13y ago
  Meh, every single new car I've owned has had a recall on it.
cloudwalking 13y ago
The Model S does not need to be brought to our service center by the owner. Tesla will pick up the car at a location of the owner’s convenience, provide a Model S loaner if needed, perform the work and bring the car back to the owner a few hours later. Does anybody else offer service like this?
- adamtulinius 13y ago
  That paragraph just made me want a Model S even more. :-)
- Ygg2 13y ago
  No? And not just in the automotive industry. Apple comes close, but from stories like smoke being considered a biohazard, I'd say no (they did offer replacement if you broke your screen on iPad IIRC). That said I don't consider that Tesla won't ever have a gaffe, but they are doing things perfectly so far.
  - merijnv 13y ago
    IIyama, twice I've had an IIyama screen die on me, once within warranty (due to the high volume of electric devices dying I installed a surge protector, since then no problems) and once outside of warranty. Both times they send a courier service to pick up the screen at my house and deliver me a replacement one at no charge.
    - masklinn 13y ago
      Logitech will also do that, had a mouse die, call them: > Yeah so my mouse doesn't work anymore, it's a <whatever model> >> Ok do you have a serial number? > Sure it's <serial number> >> Could I have your address to send a replacement? > <address> >> OK thanks a lot, we'll get the new one send right away > How do I send the old one back? >> It's broken yeah? > Yeah >> Then you just throw it out or whatever, try to repair it if you enjoy that No charge, no fuss, no bother. Love it when companies do that.
MichaelApproved 13y ago
A bit OT financial advice: it's almost never worth it to buy a single share. The reason is the commission will eat you up. Assume a low $7/trade commission. That could possibly cost you $14 round trip (purchase/exit). With Tesla ~$100/share, It'll have to go up 14% just to break even on the trade. Even if you just buy in single shares but exit in multiple shares to spread the commission, you still have to fade 7% commission. Not worth it. If you're investing in the hundreds of dollars, you should look for low commission options such as CDs. Edit: I accidentally replied to the post. My comment was meant in response to this comment. https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=5904397 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=5904397
- psychotik 13y ago
  Unless it's BRK.A ;)
  - MichaelApproved 13y ago
    Very few exceptions. Even Google, at $900/share, is not worth the $14 round trip commission. And if your investing in hundreds, you're likely doing it through a bank or some other service will probably costs >= $20/trade. Ouch OP.
    - joshhart 13y ago
      I'm not sure they offer it any more (I'm grandfathered in), but Wells Fargo PMA accounts have 100 free trades / year. You do need 50k in total assets with Wells Fargo to get it though. Still, it's saved me at least 1k over the last 2 years.
- ian_cyw 13y ago
  Not necessarily, there are cheap $1 brokers like Interactive Brokers. I've used them, they get the job done. http://www.interactivebrokers.com/en/?f=commission http://www.interactivebrokers.com/en/?f=commission
  - 13y ago
angersock 13y ago
Very impressive service for what sounds like a blown weld. I wonder if this will result in a robot getting reprogrammed or welder getting retrained (or fired).
- Cthulhu_ 13y ago
  I for one don't think an employee should get the blame or punishment for a production error like this; after all, he was taught by someone, was instructed by someone, was overseen by a foreman / manager, and his work was checked (possibly numerous times) by QC and seen by other employees.
  - mseebach 13y ago
    Yes, absolutely. This is at the heart of The Toyota Way (aka lean). Failure (and, on the corollary, success) is always cultural.
  - rscale 13y ago
    And if you fire somebody because they make a mistake, the result is a culture of coverups and blame shifting.
  - SonicSoul 13y ago
    this is true up to a point. really depends if this was a first time such mistake was made, was it a bad judgement or was she following company practice? It is extremely hard for a manger or QA to insect 100% of every employees work.
  - angersock 13y ago
    Oh, goodness no, I don't suggest that firing would be proper action! Part of making new things is learning how to make them, and that means mistakes. I hope they get this sorted out and everyone comes away happy.
- gvb 13y ago
  "[D]ue to body side alignment adjustments in the factory, the bonded section of the joint was compromised and the welded section of the joint was weakened in some cars." Sounds more like the frame isn't holding tight enough tolerances for the body to be "right," so they are pushing or pulling the frame into position on the factory floor. The forcing of the frame into position is what broke the weld.
codebeaker 13y ago
Tesla deserves to be the leader in the future of car manufacturing, they're a company that understands what it is to create a great product, execute well, and to care about their customers. It's almost impossible to believe it's from the same background as PayPal who have one of the worst (anecdotal) customer satisfaction records I have ever seen. But, great news for Tesla.
- bmj 13y ago
  (This isn't meant to ding Tesla) They have to offer this level of customer service because other luxury makers do. I don't have a luxury vehicle (I own a 2001 VW Eurovan), but my mechanic, who services European cars, offers rides and loaner cars to his customers because that's what someone who owns an Audi or a BMW expects. Anything less than this would have meant lost sales.
magoon 13y ago
If it's a PR stunt then I love this even more.
- loceng 13y ago
  They should loan out a higher end version of a Tesla to tease them with it.
  - wbrinkley 13y ago
    They do: see http://www.teslamotors.com/blog/creating-world%E2%80%99s-best-service-and-warranty-program-0 http://www.teslamotors.com/blog/creating-world%E2%80%99s-bes... "Tesla is building a fleet of top of the line Model S loaners. These will not be our basic model – they will be state of the art with all the best features and options." And it's available for immediate purchase, of course. And, "customers in most markets will have the choice of taking home one of our Tesla Roadster sports cars when their car is in for service."
    - loceng 13y ago
      Thanks
conformal 13y ago
i can't tell if this partial recall is a Total Recall joke or not. quaid, start the reactor... FREE MARS!
MarkMc 13y ago
It's not a big deal, unless there's another recall in quick succession. One vehicle recall may be regarded as a misfortune; two looks like carelessness. (With apologies to Oscar Wilde)
etjossem 13y ago
Reading this actually made me feel better about Tesla as a company. For every new vehicle concept, I expect the manufacturer to find at least one safety-related design flaw after production begins. If you are that manufacturer, you can save a little money by quietly telling your service centers how to fix it without informing the public. Auto manufacturers do this on a regular basis, even with serious powertrain safety issues like the ones found in Ford's 2009+ Ecoboost engine and Audi's 2002-6 CVT. Like Ford and Audi, you will probably get away with it. Your customers won't notice the pattern until their cars are well out of warranty, and then they'll blame it on age. If anyone dies as a result (and their family connects it to you) you'll just settle confidentially out of court. As far as I can tell, that is not what Musk chose to do. Tesla will be fixing the issue at no expense to the customer, before the NHTSA or the class action lawyers force their hand. I truly respect that decision.
teawrecks 13y ago
Something tells me a*b<c and yet they're still recalling. Bravo!
- etjossem 13y ago
  Well played. An explanation for others: (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calculus_of_negligence http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calculus_of_negligence)
- Esifer 13y ago
  Fight Club quote: "A new car built by my company leaves somewhere traveling at 60 mph. The rear differential locks up. The car crashes and burns with everyone trapped inside. Now, should we initiate a recall? Take the number of vehicles in the field, A, multiply by the probable rate of failure, B, multiply by the average out-of-court settlement, C. A times B times C equals X. If X is less than the cost of a recall, we don't do one."
toddmorey 13y ago
This is a beautifully crafted announcement. Very clear, matter-of-fact, and without that all too common feeling of spin. It certainly helps that they are doing right by their customers in fulfilling this recall, but as someone who has had to deliver bad news myself, I think they nailed the messaging and crafted a case study in how to communicate with customers. Also, I love that it's attributed to Elon and signed with his first name.
MaxScheiber 13y ago
This could easily be a solid example in years to come of how a business should handle a negative event such as a recall. For another really great example of this sort of thing, watch the Domino's pizza prank response (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dem6eA7-A2I http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dem6eA7-A2I).
joshdance 13y ago
Very effective recall. Almost an advertisement for Teslas service and quality.
nickmccann 13y ago
"We do not wish to cause undue alarm, so it is perhaps worth clarifying that: The weld has not actually detached on any car There have been no customer complaints" Hmmm, I know someone who had this fail and brought it back to Tesla with a complaint. She was told this would be the beginning of the first Tesla recall.
teeja 13y ago
Classy operation.

189 points by psychotik 13y ago

I bought my first ever share - a single share in Tesla - two weeks ago. I saw the headline and my heart sank. But if you have to deliver bad news, that is how you do it - proactively and efficiently. It answers every question a Model S owner will have whilst providing solutions to every problem. Brilliant.

InclinedPlane 13y ago
Meh, it's not a huge deal. All car makers have recalls of some sort and many car model-years end up with at least one recall eventually. My car, a Corolla, is one of the most reliable on the planet but it has two recalls on comparatively minor things. And it's good to remember that an automotive recall is very different from other sorts of product recalls. People bring their cars in and get them repaired.
thomasjames 13y ago
It is only for cars manufactured in such a limited time frame. This is part of what it means to be a responsible auto maker. Tesla is growing up, and this is par for the course. I seriously doubt this will have any long-term significance in terms of its stock price.
nknighthb 13y ago
This kind of recall happens all the time. Critically, it has absolutely nothing to do with the electrical/drivetrain systems, a similar (if not virtually identical) problem could have happened with any car at any manufacturer. Tesla's going to spend a little money fixing ~1000-2000[1] brackets and that'll be the end of it. [1](Last I heard, they're building about 2000 cars/month.)
mseebach 13y ago
> I saw the headline and my heart sank. You should consider getting out of the stock market until you have better nerves, or you're gonna have a bad time.
path411 13y ago
According to google finance, it seems like their stock actually went up from this headline.
aidenn0 13y ago
Meh, every single new car I've owned has had a recall on it.

cloudwalking 13y ago

The Model S does not need to be brought to our service center by the owner. Tesla will pick up the car at a location of the owner’s convenience, provide a Model S loaner if needed, perform the work and bring the car back to the owner a few hours later. Does anybody else offer service like this?

adamtulinius 13y ago
That paragraph just made me want a Model S even more. :-)
Ygg2 13y ago
No? And not just in the automotive industry. Apple comes close, but from stories like smoke being considered a biohazard, I'd say no (they did offer replacement if you broke your screen on iPad IIRC). That said I don't consider that Tesla won't ever have a gaffe, but they are doing things perfectly so far.
- merijnv 13y ago
  IIyama, twice I've had an IIyama screen die on me, once within warranty (due to the high volume of electric devices dying I installed a surge protector, since then no problems) and once outside of warranty. Both times they send a courier service to pick up the screen at my house and deliver me a replacement one at no charge.
  - masklinn 13y ago
    Logitech will also do that, had a mouse die, call them: > Yeah so my mouse doesn't work anymore, it's a <whatever model> >> Ok do you have a serial number? > Sure it's <serial number> >> Could I have your address to send a replacement? > <address> >> OK thanks a lot, we'll get the new one send right away > How do I send the old one back? >> It's broken yeah? > Yeah >> Then you just throw it out or whatever, try to repair it if you enjoy that No charge, no fuss, no bother. Love it when companies do that.

MichaelApproved 13y ago

A bit OT financial advice: it's almost never worth it to buy a single share. The reason is the commission will eat you up. Assume a low $7/trade commission. That could possibly cost you $14 round trip (purchase/exit). With Tesla ~$100/share, It'll have to go up 14% just to break even on the trade. Even if you just buy in single shares but exit in multiple shares to spread the commission, you still have to fade 7% commission. Not worth it. If you're investing in the hundreds of dollars, you should look for low commission options such as CDs. Edit: I accidentally replied to the post. My comment was meant in response to this comment. https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=5904397 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=5904397

psychotik 13y ago
Unless it's BRK.A ;)
- MichaelApproved 13y ago
  Very few exceptions. Even Google, at $900/share, is not worth the $14 round trip commission. And if your investing in hundreds, you're likely doing it through a bank or some other service will probably costs >= $20/trade. Ouch OP.
  - joshhart 13y ago
    I'm not sure they offer it any more (I'm grandfathered in), but Wells Fargo PMA accounts have 100 free trades / year. You do need 50k in total assets with Wells Fargo to get it though. Still, it's saved me at least 1k over the last 2 years.
ian_cyw 13y ago
Not necessarily, there are cheap $1 brokers like Interactive Brokers. I've used them, they get the job done. http://www.interactivebrokers.com/en/?f=commission http://www.interactivebrokers.com/en/?f=commission
- 13y ago

angersock 13y ago

Very impressive service for what sounds like a blown weld. I wonder if this will result in a robot getting reprogrammed or welder getting retrained (or fired).

Cthulhu_ 13y ago
I for one don't think an employee should get the blame or punishment for a production error like this; after all, he was taught by someone, was instructed by someone, was overseen by a foreman / manager, and his work was checked (possibly numerous times) by QC and seen by other employees.
- mseebach 13y ago
  Yes, absolutely. This is at the heart of The Toyota Way (aka lean). Failure (and, on the corollary, success) is always cultural.
- rscale 13y ago
  And if you fire somebody because they make a mistake, the result is a culture of coverups and blame shifting.
- SonicSoul 13y ago
  this is true up to a point. really depends if this was a first time such mistake was made, was it a bad judgement or was she following company practice? It is extremely hard for a manger or QA to insect 100% of every employees work.
- angersock 13y ago
  Oh, goodness no, I don't suggest that firing would be proper action! Part of making new things is learning how to make them, and that means mistakes. I hope they get this sorted out and everyone comes away happy.
gvb 13y ago
"[D]ue to body side alignment adjustments in the factory, the bonded section of the joint was compromised and the welded section of the joint was weakened in some cars." Sounds more like the frame isn't holding tight enough tolerances for the body to be "right," so they are pushing or pulling the frame into position on the factory floor. The forcing of the frame into position is what broke the weld.

codebeaker 13y ago

Tesla deserves to be the leader in the future of car manufacturing, they're a company that understands what it is to create a great product, execute well, and to care about their customers. It's almost impossible to believe it's from the same background as PayPal who have one of the worst (anecdotal) customer satisfaction records I have ever seen. But, great news for Tesla.

bmj 13y ago
(This isn't meant to ding Tesla) They have to offer this level of customer service because other luxury makers do. I don't have a luxury vehicle (I own a 2001 VW Eurovan), but my mechanic, who services European cars, offers rides and loaner cars to his customers because that's what someone who owns an Audi or a BMW expects. Anything less than this would have meant lost sales.

magoon 13y ago

If it's a PR stunt then I love this even more.

loceng 13y ago
They should loan out a higher end version of a Tesla to tease them with it.
- wbrinkley 13y ago
  They do: see http://www.teslamotors.com/blog/creating-world%E2%80%99s-best-service-and-warranty-program-0 http://www.teslamotors.com/blog/creating-world%E2%80%99s-bes... "Tesla is building a fleet of top of the line Model S loaners. These will not be our basic model – they will be state of the art with all the best features and options." And it's available for immediate purchase, of course. And, "customers in most markets will have the choice of taking home one of our Tesla Roadster sports cars when their car is in for service."
  - loceng 13y ago
    Thanks

conformal 13y ago

i can't tell if this partial recall is a Total Recall joke or not. quaid, start the reactor... FREE MARS!

MarkMc 13y ago

It's not a big deal, unless there's another recall in quick succession. One vehicle recall may be regarded as a misfortune; two looks like carelessness. (With apologies to Oscar Wilde)

etjossem 13y ago

Reading this actually made me feel better about Tesla as a company. For every new vehicle concept, I expect the manufacturer to find at least one safety-related design flaw after production begins. If you are that manufacturer, you can save a little money by quietly telling your service centers how to fix it without informing the public. Auto manufacturers do this on a regular basis, even with serious powertrain safety issues like the ones found in Ford's 2009+ Ecoboost engine and Audi's 2002-6 CVT. Like Ford and Audi, you will probably get away with it. Your customers won't notice the pattern until their cars are well out of warranty, and then they'll blame it on age. If anyone dies as a result (and their family connects it to you) you'll just settle confidentially out of court. As far as I can tell, that is not what Musk chose to do. Tesla will be fixing the issue at no expense to the customer, before the NHTSA or the class action lawyers force their hand. I truly respect that decision.

teawrecks 13y ago

Something tells me a*b<c and yet they're still recalling. Bravo!

etjossem 13y ago
Well played. An explanation for others: (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calculus_of_negligence http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calculus_of_negligence)
Esifer 13y ago
Fight Club quote: "A new car built by my company leaves somewhere traveling at 60 mph. The rear differential locks up. The car crashes and burns with everyone trapped inside. Now, should we initiate a recall? Take the number of vehicles in the field, A, multiply by the probable rate of failure, B, multiply by the average out-of-court settlement, C. A times B times C equals X. If X is less than the cost of a recall, we don't do one."

toddmorey 13y ago

This is a beautifully crafted announcement. Very clear, matter-of-fact, and without that all too common feeling of spin. It certainly helps that they are doing right by their customers in fulfilling this recall, but as someone who has had to deliver bad news myself, I think they nailed the messaging and crafted a case study in how to communicate with customers. Also, I love that it's attributed to Elon and signed with his first name.

MaxScheiber 13y ago

This could easily be a solid example in years to come of how a business should handle a negative event such as a recall. For another really great example of this sort of thing, watch the Domino's pizza prank response (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dem6eA7-A2I http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dem6eA7-A2I).

joshdance 13y ago

Very effective recall. Almost an advertisement for Teslas service and quality.

nickmccann 13y ago

"We do not wish to cause undue alarm, so it is perhaps worth clarifying that: The weld has not actually detached on any car There have been no customer complaints" Hmmm, I know someone who had this fail and brought it back to Tesla with a complaint. She was told this would be the beginning of the first Tesla recall.

teeja 13y ago

Classy operation.