Posted on 05/18/2015 7:06:09 PM PDT by concernedcitizen76
A new car shouldn't have problems when you’ve owned it for less than a month. Yet Consumer Reports' brand-new $127,000 Tesla Model S P85 D, with the fancy retractable door handles refused to let us in, effectively rendering the car undriveable.
After we’d owned the P85 D for a mere 27 days, with just over 2,300 miles on the odometer, the driver-side door handle failed. The door handles in the Model S retract electrically so they rest flush with the sides of the car when they’re not in use. Walk up to the car with the key fob in your pocket, and the handles move out to allow you to grip them.
Driver's door handle is stuck.
Except this time, the one on the driver’s door of our P85D didn’t pop out, leaving us no way to open the door from the outside. And significantly, the car wouldn't stay in Drive, perhaps misinterpreting that the door was open due to the issue with the door handle. We have observed other vehicles likewise prohibiting driving with a door open.
We’re far from the first Tesla owners to experience this problem. Our car reliability survey shows that doors, locks, and latches are the biggest trouble areas with Teslas and that the Model S has far higher than average rates of such problems.
“Model S’ connectivity paired with over-the-air software updates allow Tesla to diagnose and fix most problems in Model S without the owner ever coming in for service,” said a Tesla Motors spokesperson via e-mail. “In instances when hardware, like the door handle, need to be replaced, we strive to make it painless for a customer to get their Model S serviced. ”
The good news: Getting our Tesla fixed could hardly have been more convenient. We called our local Tesla service center to have the car picked up and hauled 60 miles away to the service center for repair. But instead, the company sent a local technician to our Auto Test Center the next morning. Tesla maintains a fleet of repair vans with technicians to provide on-site service for minor problems. Such house calls are part of the Tesla ownership experience, available to all customers.
The technician diagnosed and repaired the problem quickly. Our car needed a new door-handle control module—the part inside the door itself that includes the electronic sensors and motors to operate the door handle and open the door. The whole repair took about two hours and was covered under the warranty.
Now that we can open the driver’s door and slide behind the wheel, our P85D is ready to start our formal test regimen. We’ll keep you posted on how it performs and let you know whether we have any more problems with it.
"Except this time, the one on the driver’s door of our P85D didn’t pop out, leaving us no way to open the door from the outside.
And significantly, the car wouldn't stay in Drive, perhaps misinterpreting that the door was open due to the issue with the door handle. We have observed other vehicles likewise prohibiting driving with a door open.
We’re far from the first Tesla owners to experience this problem. Our car reliability survey shows that doors, locks, and latches are the biggest trouble areas with Teslas and that the Model S has far higher than average rates of such problems."
Yes, but you can still look smug standing in the rain trying to decide whether the break out the window so you can get in your car. Because you are standing next to your Tesla. Be sure to order it in lemon yellow.
By the way - do Teslas still ‘self ignite’?
It would get stuck in my driveway.
I also did not think this ‘news’...but still amusing.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/3291131/posts
Tesla, another overpriced must have, just like the Yeti coolers.....
Always leave the windows down, problem solved.
What kind of a dumb ass buys a $127,000 liberal POS car anyway? Oh, the same dumb ass that voted for Obama, twice....
Tesla? Nein, danke.
LOL That very funny post gives rise to a question.
Q: Why is a Tesla like a fire alarm?
A: You must break glass in order to activate it.
Of course, once activated, the Tesla might self-ignite, as you say. Then you really need the fire department. It’s no win situation.
You’re a damn fool to buy a car so over featured as to have retractable door handles.
It used to be that a car was made to get you reliably from point A to point B, in reasonable comfort at a reasonable expense. Now a days that’s a far out concept.
Oh, sorry. I hadn’t seen that one.
“Model S’ connectivity paired with over-the-air software updates allow Tesla to diagnose and fix most problems in Model S without the owner ever coming in for service,” said a Tesla Motors spokesperson via e-mail. “In instances when hardware, like the door handle, need to be replaced, we strive to make it painless for a customer to get their Model S serviced. ”
The good news: Getting our Tesla fixed could hardly have been more convenient. We called our local Tesla service center to have the car picked up and hauled 60 miles away to the service center for repair. But instead, the company sent a local technician to our Auto Test Center the next morning. Tesla maintains a fleet of repair vans with technicians to provide on-site service for minor problems. Such house calls are part of the Tesla ownership experience, available to all customers.
...
Oh well, things go wrong with cars, even expensive ones. Even ones that are powered with gas. It’s good to know that Tesla is good with service.
Oh, not again! The Tesla Model S P85D breaks before the test? A $127,000 high tech rock would really upset me as the driver (not to mention the embarrassment for Tesla Motors). If reliability is so bad, I foresee some major changes to the test program lest testers be stranded in the middle of nowhere.
No need to apologize. I’m so busy I miss posts all the time and only catch them when reposted.
“It used to be that a car was made to get you reliably from point A to point B, in reasonable comfort at a reasonable expense. Now a days that’s a far out concept.”
LOL. You should get out more!
2 doors, one handle... brilliant
“I’m sorry, Dave, I can’t let you do that.”
How are they doing on driveable miles per charge? The last I heard it was about 200 miles.
There’s new aluminum battery technology that looks very promising in its prototype stages. This UK article describes it.
“I’ve just picked up a fault in the AE35 unit. It’s going to go 100% failure in 72 hours.”
re “The door handles in the Model S retract electrically so they rest flush with the sides of the car when they’re not in use.’”
Does a discharged Tesla batttery therefore make it impossible to open the doors even if the door handles are not defective?
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