Another Extremely Poor Tesla Model 3 Quality and Experience

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Paulla Weddle

New Member
Extremely Poor Tesla Model 3 Quality and Experience

  1. February 10, 2020 - Paulla

    1)I agree with Ven Cho on the poor quality, poor experience and poor service and response. I have driven quality cars my entire life, and had never had as many problems as this car. I have had many of the same problems as you have.
    2)Including "frunk" opening and closing problems.
    3) Also, having to schedule online and NEVER being able to speak to a person is unbelievable!
    4) My brakes are embarrassingly loud, and have been for about a year. About the 3rd time I took it in, they finally said, "that's the way it is". Their "fix" is to regularly slam on the brakes for a sudden stop to "clear" off something that builds up. This is ridiculous!! Dangerous, difficult, AND causes everything in the car to fly forward.
    5) Now the car has started making louder and louder creaking noises - extremely distracting and irritating. Also, scary - what does this mean? Is something going very wrong?
    6) Between the loud brakes and the loud creaking sounds, it is embarrassing to be driving this car!
    7) Earliest appointment 3 weeks!!!
    8) And, when you take the car in, all they offer you is Uber credits! I have had a very scary experience with Uber, and it is very inconvenient with the various driving needs I have. Every other car I have owned has had some kind of loaner. I don't care what kind, just something that allows me to get around while they have my car. Is that too much to ask?!


 
Mine has been perfect. For example 714 mi to Detroit cost $25. A 1,980 mi trip through winter storms cost $60 using free motel chargers overnight.

Perhaps it is time to trade it in on an iPace, e-tron, or Taycan? Hyundai and Kia have pretty good EV and plug-in hybrids. The engine noise of a hybrid will mask what the Tesla lets you hear. There are many fine gas and diesel vehicles too.

There is no need to keep a car you hate. Pass it on to someone looking for the EV experience.

Bob Wilson
 
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Paulla Weddle said:
Extremely Poor Tesla Model 3 Quality and Experience


  1. 5) Now the car has started making louder and louder creaking noises - extremely distracting and irritating. Also, scary - what does this mean? Is something going very wrong?
Click to expand...
My son had the creaking noise in his M3. They had to replace the LF upper control arm. I have pasted the desc from the work invoice below here. Not sure what caused it, as he has never hit a curb or big pot hole with it.

Description Of Work Amount (CAD)
1
Concern: A clunking and creaking sound is coming from the front left of the car. If can be heard from inside around the pedals. Seems to happen mostly when the car first starts up, turns or goes over bumps. - road test. Confirmed noise from left front.
Technician replaced left front upper control arm as required. Road tested and validated operating as designed.
Correction: Control Arm - Upper - Front - LH (Includes Alignment) (Remove & Replace)
Parts Replaced or Added
Part Quantity
FR UPR CTRL ARM ASSY, LH(1044321-00-G) 1.0
Pay Type: Basic Vehicle Limited Warranty
 
I’ve become suspicious of trolls. Those who have only one post that is litany of their complaints and no follow ups.

After the first and only post, my answer is to advocate they sell the car that gives them so much ‘grief.’ Of course a troll doesn’t own one. We’ve seen this pattern in the Prius community.

In the Tesla centric forums, we see posts that deal with Tesla problems but as a simple ‘here is what happened’ ... we deal with the problem(s) and move on.

Bob Wilson
 
Well, I didn't see you or anyone step up to try and help him. Since my son had the exact same problem, thought it might help him if he knew what was replaced to fix it. This is an M3 forum, so he came to the right place, didn't he?

On other forums, like my Kona and my Crosstrek, people are always trying to help if they can. Would have expected the same here...

But you still didn't answer why you asked if my son was trading in his M3?? Even that question to the initial poster wasn't exactly friendly either.
 
I see two or more Tesla's every day on my morning walk. I have yet to hear any brake issues.

Since Tesla hasn't fixed your issue after multiple attempts, then I suggest you look into using the lemon law to get rid of the vehicle if you live in the states.

As far as a loaner vehicle, my local Hyundai dealer has never had one available for my use when I have requested one. So maybe Hyundai is not for you either.
 
marshall said:
I see two or more Tesla's every day on my morning walk. I have yet to hear any brake issues.

Since Tesla hasn't fixed your issue after multiple attempts, then I suggest you look into using the lemon law to get rid of the vehicle if you live in the states.

As far as a loaner vehicle, my local Hyundai dealer has never had one available for my use when I have requested one. So maybe Hyundai is not for you either.
Click to expand...
My son has had his M3 in quite a few times, and always got a loaner, incl an S and X models to try out. This time they gave him a BMW X1.

I have also always had loaners in the past with Subaru, but haven't had my Kona in yet for anything. Not sure if that is car manufacturer thing or the dealer.

My son's warranty though, is getting close to expiry (high mileage), so he is hoping that he won't be facing any expensive repairs going forward.
 
Just did a Google on this creaking noise problem, and came up with a lot of hits. Turns out to be quite a common problem with Tesla cars, not just the M3. Fix is to replace suspension parts, as it was with my son's car.

Hope the OP's car is still under warranty. Shouldn't be hard to get fixed. Take it in to your service center, and they should be able to make it good again. Son's car was in the shop for only 3 days, so that didn't take too long. And yes, try to get a loaner car from them. Obviously some do provide them, as my son has had several already with his service visits.
 
R P said:
Someone list some problems, someone else tries to help with a possible fix for one of them (#5). And instead of trying to help yourself, you admonish the person that does?? Why are you even responding to this thread??
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Reply #2:
bwilson4web said:
Mine has been perfect. For example 714 mi to Detroit cost $25. A 1,980 mi trip through winter storms cost $60 using free motel chargers overnight.

Perhaps it is time to trade it in on an iPace, e-tron, or Taycan? Hyundai and Kia have pretty good EV and plug-in hybrids. The engine noise of a hybrid will mask what the Tesla lets you hear. There are many fine gas and diesel vehicles too.

There is no need to keep a car you hate. Pass it on to someone looking for the EV experience.
Click to expand...
If someone is unhappy with their Model 3, by all means, replace it. Or if everything was fixed under warranty and the car works great today, then keep it. Regardless, the solution is simple. Like a Prius, a Model 3 is not for everyone.

Bob Wilson
 
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Yeah, my cars have been good, too, (touch wood). But problems do happen with every make and model. A good thing with car forums, though, is people can go and discuss their problems with others and see if there might be some common experiences. Quite often there are (although may not be anywhere near the majority of owners), and they may get some good advice on potential solutions. Tesla is no different.

And yeah, sometimes people are so unhappy with their car, they might as well go and replace it. But that can be a very expensive proposition, esp for an expensive car. So getting the problems fixed, esp under warranty, is usually the much better option.
 
As you say, Bob, if she really dislikes the car that much, then she should trade it in for something else. No one car model is for everyone, not even Tesla cars.

The good news for those trading in a Model 3 is that it holds its value for resale far better than the industry average.
​
 
R P said:
Just did a Google on this creaking noise problem, and came up with a lot of hits. Turns out to be quite a common problem with Tesla cars...
Click to expand...

Due to the lack of engine noise, BEVs run significantly quieter than gasmobiles. Therefore, noises such as body squeaks and tire noise are easier to hear, which some people find annoying. That's a problem with BEVs in general, not just with Tesla cars specifically.
​
 
Pushmi-Pullyu said:
Due to the lack of engine noise, BEVs run significantly quieter than gasmobiles. Therefore, noises such as body squeaks and tire noise are easier to hear, which some people find annoying. That's a problem with BEVs in general, not just with Tesla cars specifically.
​
Click to expand...
That may be true, but my son's creaking was definitely bad, and getting louder. It wasn't there when the car was new. When he took it in, the techs knew right away what the problem was, so they had obviously seen it before. When he got the car back, creaking was gone. Some suspension parts had to be replaced.

And this is confirmed, too, when you do a google search on Tesla creaking noises. Affects all models, not just M3. My son's M3 is one of the first out, and he has quite a few miles on it, almost out of warranty. So, because it was early, it is possible he has had more problems with his than a new one coming out of the factory today. But he certainly has had more than his share of problems with a new car. Just good so far that they were all under warranty. Now he is just hoping all the bugs are worked out, and no expensive repairs going forward outside of the warranty.

He would like to keep the car at least a couple years longer, as long as it holds up. He wants to buy an EV SUV in 2022 or 23. Should be lots of models to choose from then, and maybe prices will be a bit lower, too. He does have his reservation in for the Cybertruck, but that is refundable if he decides not to go with it.
 
R P said:
That may be true, but my son's creaking was definitely bad, and getting louder. It wasn't there when the car was new. When he took it in, the techs knew right away what the problem was, so they had obviously seen it before. When he got the car back, creaking was gone. Some suspension parts had to be replaced.

And this is confirmed, too, when you do a google search on Tesla creaking noises. Affects all models, not just M3. My son's M3 is one of the first out, and he has quite a few miles on it, almost out of warranty. So, because it was early, it is possible he has had more problems with his than a new one coming out of the factory today. But he certainly has had more than his share of problems with a new car. Just good so far that they were all under warranty. Now he is just hoping all the bugs are worked out, and no expensive repairs going forward outside of the warranty.

He would like to keep the car at least a couple years longer, as long as it holds up. He wants to buy an EV SUV in 2022 or 23. Should be lots of models to choose from then, and maybe prices will be a bit lower, too. He does have his reservation in for the Cybertruck, but that is refundable if he decides not to go with it.
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There have been some reports of potentially loose bolts that could lead to these type sounds. The Service Center should be able to take care of this.

Regarding the loaner vehicles mentioned above, sometimes the Service centers just don't have extra Tesla vehicles to loan out and have to resort to rentals or Uber credits or whatever. It's not a permanent problem. I imagine it just depends on what loaner vehicles they happen to have on hand (these are sometimes sold as well).
 
Remembering my first Prius, a used 2003, I counted down the days for the warranty to end because I wanted to do some modifications. My happiest day was passing 80,000 miles and no more warranty. Regardless, a retired engineer, I love a deep dive into my cars BUT I always have a back-up car.

There are three options with a single, broken car:
  1. Warranty repair - should always be the first choice. For example, a motor mount bolt broke on our 2014 BMW i3-REx. It was down for three weeks while parts came from Germany. But the replacement mount hardware on the body and drive assembly were solid blocks of aluminum replacing the plastic with embedded bolt holes. Best of all, the mounting bolt went from ~7/16" to ~3/4". It is a much better car today. motor_230.webpmotor_240.webp
  2. Repair and sell - with a popular car, it can be an excellent trade-in.
  3. Self-repair - our Model 3 drive train, the motor, battery, and electronics are sealed (FOR GOOD REASON!) But the body, suspension, and everything else are 'fair game.' A good set of tools, patience, and access to the tech manuals makes this fun (for a retired engineer): https://service.teslamotors.com/purchase-subscription. While replacing the wheel bearings, I found three 'push pins' were missing from a wheel well liner. For $2, I got replacements and a potential rattle was gone.
Since my first Prius, every car has become a science experiment and training tool. It isn't that I want the car to break as much as I look at it as an opportunity to learn.

Bob Wilson
 
R P said:
Yeah, my cars have been good, too, (touch wood). But problems do happen with every make and model. A good thing with car forums, though, is people can go and discuss their problems with others and see if there might be some common experiences. Quite often there are (although may not be anywhere near the majority of owners), and they may get some good advice on potential solutions. Tesla is no different.

And yeah, sometimes people are so unhappy with their car, they might as well go and replace it. But that can be a very expensive proposition, esp for an expensive car. So getting the problems fixed, esp under warranty, is usually the much better option.
Click to expand...


I do not agree "problems do happen with every make and model". Even cheap cars by most of the rest car manufacturer are with good quality, I mean in most cases.
 
ven cho said:
I do not agree "problems do happen with every make and model". Even cheap cars by most of the rest car manufacturer are with good quality, I mean in most cases.
Click to expand...
I should have said "But problems may occasionally happen with every make and model". Consumer Reports is probably the best guide for which cars are the most reliable. I was fortunate to own two of the most reliable cars (#1 Prius C and #4 Crosstrek) in their reports. And both were totally trouble free. I still have the Crosstrek, but traded in the Prius for the Kona (jury still out on this one, but so far so good for me).
https://www.carscoops.com/2019/02/10-reliable-cars-2019-according-crs-annual-survey/
 
Paulla Weddle said:
Extremely Poor Tesla Model 3 Quality and Experience

  1. February 10, 2020 - Paulla

    1)I agree with Ven Cho on the poor quality, poor experience and poor service and response. I have driven quality cars my entire life, and had never had as many problems as this car. I have had many of the same problems as you have.
    2)Including "frunk" opening and closing problems.
    3) Also, having to schedule online and NEVER being able to speak to a person is unbelievable!
    4) My brakes are embarrassingly loud, and have been for about a year. About the 3rd time I took it in, they finally said, "that's the way it is". Their "fix" is to regularly slam on the brakes for a sudden stop to "clear" off something that builds up. This is ridiculous!! Dangerous, difficult, AND causes everything in the car to fly forward.
    5) Now the car has started making louder and louder creaking noises - extremely distracting and irritating. Also, scary - what does this mean? Is something going very wrong?
    6) Between the loud brakes and the loud creaking sounds, it is embarrassing to be driving this car!
    7) Earliest appointment 3 weeks!!!
    8) And, when you take the car in, all they offer you is Uber credits! I have had a very scary experience with Uber, and it is very inconvenient with the various driving needs I have. Every other car I have owned has had some kind of loaner. I don't care what kind, just something that allows me to get around while they have my car. Is that too much to ask?!
Click to expand...
Paulla Weddle said:
Extremely Poor Tesla Model 3 Quality and Experience

  1. February 10, 2020 - Paulla

    1)I agree with Ven Cho on the poor quality, poor experience and poor service and response. I have driven quality cars my entire life, and had never had as many problems as this car. I have had many of the same problems as you have.
    2)Including "frunk" opening and closing problems.
    3) Also, having to schedule online and NEVER being able to speak to a person is unbelievable!
    4) My brakes are embarrassingly loud, and have been for about a year. About the 3rd time I took it in, they finally said, "that's the way it is". Their "fix" is to regularly slam on the brakes for a sudden stop to "clear" off something that builds up. This is ridiculous!! Dangerous, difficult, AND causes everything in the car to fly forward.
    5) Now the car has started making louder and louder creaking noises - extremely distracting and irritating. Also, scary - what does this mean? Is something going very wrong?
    6) Between the loud brakes and the loud creaking sounds, it is embarrassing to be driving this car!
    7) Earliest appointment 3 weeks!!!
    8) And, when you take the car in, all they offer you is Uber credits! I have had a very scary experience with Uber, and it is very inconvenient with the various driving needs I have. Every other car I have owned has had some kind of loaner. I don't care what kind, just something that allows me to get around while they have my car. Is that too much to ask?!

Click to expand...
That's Tesla for you! I live in Norway and had a Model S which I sold after just 10 months. Every time I took it to our local Tesla dealer with a problem, I got the same reply "That's Normal"....Tesla came rock bottom in the customer's satisfaction list, and Volvo came top. Because of this we decided not to buy a Model 3 and opted for a Hyundai Kona EV. Best decision ever! :)
 
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