I own a Tesla Model 3, and I love it. However, not everything is good about a Tesla car. In this article, I’m going to talk about the bad things regarding Tesla.
If you’re in the market to buy an electric vehicle, and you have the money, then, by all means, buy a Tesla. However, before you make your final purchase decision, this article will illuminate some of Tesla’s shortcomings.
I’ve seen many people who bought Tesla very enthusiastically, but later they describe their Tesla as a lemon car. Nevertheless, the percentage of this occurrence is rare but is not unheard of.
In this article, I’m going to compare Tesla with other cars from other manufacturers. Pointing out a lack of features in the Tesla car is not a shortcoming. For example, sometimes people say that Tesla vehicle’s maps do not have waypoints. But it’s not a shortcoming of Tesla; it’s a feature wish, which Tesla may soon add in their car.
Tesla cars are costly:
Tesla’s are expensive. Even the cheapest Model 3 costs around $40,000. This price goes up to $200,000 for the Tesla Roadster.
We know that Tesla cars are famous for their self-driving software features. But, that FSD software price is an extra $10,000. This FSD is not tied to a user, instead of tied to a car.
Insurance companies only insure the cars, not the software in Tesla. Therefore, if you total your car in an accident, the insurance company will only cover the car’s price, not the FSD software cost. Moreover, people can buy performance packages over the air through the Tesla app. Your insurance also does not cover this.
If you sell your Tesla car, Tesla will remove all the software features you purchased before allowing you to hand over your vehicle to a new owner. Even if your car had the $10,000 FSD, Tesla will remove it and force the new owner to pay another $10,000 to activate the FSD again. On Tesla’s part, it’s a shady practice.
Not luxurious compared to Tesla’s competitors:
Tesla sells their car in the luxurious car segment, but its interior is not as elegant as it should be. Compared to BMW, Mercedes Benz, Tesla’s interior feels cheap and plasticky.
I know many Tesla owners who previously owned multiple BMWs. All of them agree that the Tesla car’s interior is in no way comparable to BMWs. Therefore, if you care about the luxurious ride, Tesla may not be the perfect vehicle for you.
Fit and finish issues:
Tesla car’s fit and finish are in no way comparable to other luxury cars. It’s common knowledge that Tesla vehicles finish is not up to the mark as customers expect for their money.
However, most customers overlook this because they buy a Tesla because of the Tesla cars’ technology. As we all know, it’s a common saying, “Tesla is an iPad on a wheel.”
If you are too worried about your car’s build quality, I highly suggest you think twice before placing your Tesla buying order. Numerous times we have seen low quality control from Tesla.
Service center issues:
Tesla has service issues. Though we know that electric vehicles need less maintenance, but Tesla is different.
We know that not everyone’s experience is not the same. But we have met numerous Tesla owners in our Tesla owner’s club, where the owners complain about Tesla service centers.
Tesla does not allow an owner to service their cars. The car must be diagnosed and serviced by Tesla service centers. As Tesla’s fleet is multiplying, the service centers are not growing that fast. Therefore, if your vehicle has some serious issues, your Tesla may sit in the service centers for an extended period. Though sometimes Tesla provides a loaner vehicle, but not all the time. Sometimes, they only give Uber ride credit, which is in no way a replacement for a personal car.
Takes forever after an accident:
The situation is worse after an accident. Tesla does not allow everyone to work on their car. You have to take your Tesla cars to Tesla certified body shops. Tesla takes forever to ship replacement body parts. There’s no time frame for how long your vehicle will take to get fixed. It could be three to four months. No one knows.
Previously we wrote an article where we showed that Tesla takes forever to fix and a lot of money.
If you total your car and previously bought the $10,000 FSD, your insurance will not cover this FSD loss. Therefore, you lose your investment with the vehicle.
If you don’t live near a Tesla service center, I do not recommend buying a Tesla. If you insist, please make sure you have a second vehicle for backup.
Used car issues:
If you buy a used car from Tesla, they don’t reveal that car’s service history. Therefore, it’s impossible to know whether that car was in any significant accident or not. Therefore, if you want to buy a used Tesla, use your discretion and instinct.
Highway range degradation:
Gasoline vehicles have higher gas mileage on the highway compared to city driving. For example, a Toyota Camry can go up to 300 miles on a full tank in city driving but can go up to 500 miles on continuous highway driving.
On the other hand, Tesla has more range in city driving compared to highway driving. Moreover, Tesla does not go according to its sticker range. For example, a 310 miles Tesla will never even achieve 300 miles range.
Winter range degradation:
Yes, all cars indeed lose their range in the winter season, including the gasoline cars. However, Tesla is a little bit different. They lose more range due to cold weather.
If you park your gasoline vehicle, it will not lose range. However, even a parked Tesla uses significant battery power overnight. It’s roughly 1% per day. Therefore, if you want to park your car for an extended period, you must keep this in mind.
Charging:
I know charging is not an issue anymore. We have Tesla superchargers throughout the US. However, if you take your Tesla on a long road trip, you have to plan your road trip according to Tesla supercharger’s locations.
Towing:
Though Tesla claims that we can tow using the Tesla Model X, the statement is not complete. Towing anything with a Tesla decimates Tesla’s range. Model X can’t pull anything for a practical purpose. It may be okay on a short trip, but it’s a big No-No on a long road trip.
Out of warranty cost:
Tesla’s are expensive to repair. If you are under warranty, it’s not a big issue. However, once you are out of warranty, it could become a significant headache. You may have to fork out tens of thousands of dollars to repair your Tesla if anything breaks.
Conclusion:
I love my Tesla. I bought it because of Tesla’s technology. I also know all the issues mentioned above related to Tesla. However, I consider it as a cost of enjoying something.
Please take a few days before you finally place your Tesla buying order. However, if you decide to purchase, I’m sure you will NOT be disappointed.
