This is exactly why I want one, and I’ve been close to ordering a Model 3 several times now. But it seems like each time, I hear a horror story from a friend with a Tesla: random stuff breaking, bad service experiences, weird behaviors. Just last month a coworker had the brakes fail on her day-old Model 3.
I bought a used Nissan Leaf 3 years ago and haven’t had a single thing go wrong with it. I’m afraid to give up the reliability of a more conventional car to drive “the future.”
It is telling, however, that pretty much everyone I know with a Tesla (including the ones who have had problems) love it and don’t regret their decision to buy it.
That stuff happens. It happens with other cars too. A few problems here and there, mediocre service and still being (subjectively) the best car in the world are not mutually exclusive.
I had to take mine in for service twice - once for a flat tire near a service center and the other time for a cracked windshield - and it was a mixed bag. The tire replacement experience was horrendous. The windshield replacement was easy.
Their customer service isn’t great. The people I’ve interacted with are very friendly, but they never seem very knowledgeable and they all seem new. If you ever have to call, you end up being sent in circles.
But then there are all the other things that make the whole experience unlike any other car. I could go on all day.
I’ve driven an EV before my Tesla and I went back to a gas car after less than 2 years. There is no other car in the world at any price point that I would rather drive than a Tesla. It’s hard to understand until you’ve had some experience driving one. There are so many little details than add up to a driving experience that is significantly less effort than in any other car.
I bought a used Nissan Leaf 3 years ago and haven’t had a single thing go wrong with it. I’m afraid to give up the reliability of a more conventional car to drive “the future.”
It is telling, however, that pretty much everyone I know with a Tesla (including the ones who have had problems) love it and don’t regret their decision to buy it.