ANY TESLA OWNERS? Or have friends with Teslas?

[Wayne M.]

I am now afraid of Teslas. i will do what's required to avoid them in traffic.

I was wandering around on the Internet, and I stumbled onto a topic where there are suspension and structural issues with these cars. Tesla being in denial and NTHSA not being informed makes it worse.

https://teslamotorsclub.com/tmc/threads/suspension-problem-on-model-s.69204/

 

[jgillott]

One passed me on the PA turnpike Wednesday. That's the first one I have seen out here. The owner was certainly not taking their time in traffic.

Sounds like Tesla is having some growing pains with their vehicles in real world driving conditions.

 

[RustyJC]

There was an interesting editorial in either Car and Driver or Road & Track (can't remember which and too lazy to go check) this month. It's been reported elsewhere that Tesla is losing about $15K on every car it sells, but the editorial opines that cars are not Elon Musk's end game. Rather, the Tesla cars are flagship pieces to get the electric vehicle concept accepted as something other than enclosed golf carts. According to the writer, Musk knows that the major automakers are going to corner the market on electric vehicles, but he wants to be the one to supply the batteries through the new plant he's building and to supply the recharging through his network of SuperCharging stations. Who knows....he didn't get to be a multi-billionaire by doing dumb stuff.

Rusty

 

[Tractorat]

A couple of years ago a tesla here in the seattle area ran over a piece of metal and caught on fire.

 

[RustyJC]

Wayne, apparently the thread you linked has generated some action. NHTSA says they're now looking into Tesla suspension problems. See HERE.

Rusty

 

[Wayne M.]

Yes. I'm watching on Twitter. Not so much this morn, but yes, there's too much to ignore. I'm really concerned about the knuckle failures!
I read about the battery market scheme. I believe it.

 

[Regcabguy]

Norway's getting on the electric bandwagon with bookoo subsidies paid for by their enormous oil and natural gas reserves.

 

[Wayne M.]

HEY JGILLIOT---

"Tesla blamed its customer. The owner of a Model S with a faulty ball joint represents “a very unusual use case,” says Tesla, because the “owner lives down such a long dirt road that it required two tow trucks to retrieve the car.” Nobody who wants to stay in the auto business blames customers, period, and especially not for durability issues, or for where customers live. Of course, this customer was immediately heard from on the Tesla Motors Club forum, saying that “Tesla has lost all credibility,” due to the fact that he lives “on a paved road in the city of Connellsville, PA.’ However, “the car was towed from a dirt road as I stated earlier because I was out morel mushroom hunting that day with my wife.” With that, we will leave the matter of busted ball-joints and dirt road customers to the NHTSA and Tesla to sort out."

http://dailykanban.com/2016/06/tesla-scares-customers-worthless-ndas-daily-kanban-talks-lawyers/

 

[Shadrach]

I saw two of them today at a car show. They do has lots of storage as there is a trunk in the front and back.

 

[SnoKing]

I saw two of them today at a car show. They do has lots of storage as there is a trunk in the front and back.

That would be a boot AND a bonnet! Snoking

 

[JR]

I'm not defending Tesla in any way but I do wonder if that is an actual picture of the failed ball joint. I live in the same general area as the guy with the Tesla and have seen 12+ year old failed ball joints that didn't look anywhere near that corroded. There is actually scale built up on the ball, not sure how that could happen on a 3 year old vehicle that's driven regularly. The combined weight of the vehicle and close-ish tolerances shouldn't permit that kind of corrosion. It looks like it's been sitting in salt water for the last 3 years, not installed in a 3 year old vehicle thats been driven on a regular basis.

The part that would really chap my rear out of the whole deal is Tesla's attacking of the owners character. They could have simply refused warranty (and rightfully so, being the car was out of warranty) and moved on. Taking shots at your customers isn't best buisiness practice.

 

[Wayne M.]

Yes, JR, That is supposed to be the actual part. If you poke around on the tesla site link, you'll see it as being such. Seems that there are a few issues going on there, relating to galvanic corrosion, issues with dissimilar metals, and I would add RFI and grounding issues with the high voltage management.
Theres a theory out there that Tesla has no interest in being in the auto manufacturing biz long. They want just the battery market. The car is the platform to push it with.
Theres also a "Silicon Valley" biz mentality that's far different from the Detroit biz mentality.

 

[jhenderson]

He can't afford to stay in the car mfg business after the tax breaks and the sales of cafe credits disappear.