Episode 127: A Record Quarter?

Published: July 2, 2019, 2:33 a.m.

b'Another leaked Elon email, is Summon REALLY gonna be enhanced and LOTS of GFY candidates
\\xa0

Kevin\'s long email:
To Whom It May Concern:
I like my Tesla Model S. More than like it \\u2013 I LOVE IT!
I saved for several years, knowing that THIS is the car for me. Good looking, fast and great for the environment. I\\u2019m not giving my money to oil companies or hostile countries that don\\u2019t have our best interests at heart. On or around December 24, 2016, I took delivery of my Model S 75D. It wasn\\u2019t the battery size I wanted, but I was already near $100K for a car. I am not rich and that\\u2019s all I could afford. I\\u2019m happy with my purchase. I love the car, support Tesla and its mission\\u2026
After about a year, the main battery develop a defect and it was necessary to send the battery back to Tesla for service. The Service Center in Tysons, VA install what I was led to believe was a \\u201cloaner\\u201d battery. I was told my original battery would be repaired, sent back from Tesla and installed. After waiting almost, a year, I stopped by the Tyson\\u2019s Service Center to find out where my original battery was. I work about a quarter of a mile up the street from the Service Center, so it was no problem coming by. I was told that the loaner battery is now to be my permanent battery. I was told that this is an \\u201cupgraded\\u201d battery; less prone to failures. No offers of an actual replacement battery \\u2013 not even an offer of a used higher capacity battery. I left feeling somewhat cheated\\u2026
I love the car, support Tesla and its mission\\u2026\\xa0
During the time of the battery fiasco, my tires were beginning to show wear. My Tesla, which I have named KITT, is my primary car and I drive it 80+ miles a day to and from work. I also noticed the car starting to drift slightly,; I can\\u2019t remember right or left. I decided to get better all-season tires and had them mounted on 20\\u201d wheels. After having that done, Tesla informed me that they could not do a necessary wheel alignment with the 20\\u201d wheels installed. Fortunately, I kept the original wheels. By this time, I did not want to go back to the Tysons, VA Service Center, both out of frustration with them and embarrassment. It was then I made an appointment with the Rockville, MD Service Center. I had COSTCO swap my new wheels and tires with the original ones. I then went to Tesla \\u2013 Rockville for the alignment and went back to COSTCO to have them sway the wheels back for me. The Rockville Service Center did a great job .
I love the car, support Tesla and its mission\\u2026
In recent months, I suppose that Tesla Service has gone though some sort of re-organization. Attempts to call and speak to an actual person in the Service Center go in vain. On 21 May 2019, I ended up using my mobile app to report an issue with the driver\\u2019s seat being loose and sounding squeaky, the driver\\u2019s side DRL appearing dim and yellowish and the AC sounding like an airplane taking off when it\\u2019s really hot outside. At that time, it was scheduled for Rockville. On 10 June 2019, I used the app to add that the previous problem now appears on the passenger side, but to a lesser extent. Rockville could not be chosen as my preferred Service Center. What happened to my original service request?
I love the car, support Tesla and its mission\\u2026
Today, 29 June 2019, I am at my Dad\\u2019s condo, taking care of him. He\\u2019s 95 with dementia, (Mom passed away last week at 93). If I need to take his somewhere, KITT\\u2019s huge trunk can easily handle his wheelchair with no problem. Anyway, I went to get something I had in my trunk and it wouldn\\u2019t open. Actually, it unlatched partially, but did not open fully. You can\\u2019t close it either. I tried using the key fob, app and manual latch, without success. I had the idea of using the emergency release in the trunk. So, I removed my third-party rear armrest, (who was the genius behind the design of the Model S rear seat?)\\u2026 Folding the seats down, I was able to remove the items in the trunk and get to the manual hatch release. This turned out to be an exercise in futility. Due to the passing rain showers in our area today, my partner ended up swapping KITT out with his Nissan Leaf; fearing getting water in the trunk.
Currently, my service appointment is with the Baltimore, MD Service Center. The Rockville, MD Service Center was not given as an option. I will not go to the Tysons, VA Service Center. All done through the app, instead of speaking with a real person\\u2026
I love the car, support Tesla and its mission\\u2026
After this stressful day, I am relaxing at home, watching YouTube videos on the new Mercedes EQC. That\\u2019s what my partner REALLY wants\\u2026 Now, as I stated before: I am not a rich person. I work very hard for my money; I have worked in IT Customer Support for over 25 years. I don\\u2019t have a YouTube channel or podcast. Just an average hard-working guy, who likes cars and care about the environment. I\\u2019m sure Elon will never see this email and it may end up just being deleted. However, I have to ask if THIS is what you get when you spend almost $100K with Tesla? I\\u2019ve owned cars from Honda, Acura, Audi and BMW. All of them made me feel like my purchase meant something and that I was a valued customer; not like I just bought a TV from my local Best Buy. Maybe Tesla is forgetting about the earlier Model S buyers and putting all their resources into Model 3 buyers. How will Tesla fix this? Inquiring minds would like to know.
Always remember\\u2026 I LOVE the car. I support Tesla and its mission. The service? Ehhh\\u2026 I just feel Tesla can and need to do better. I have no doubt that they will.
A Somewhat Annoyed Customer,Kevin A. Jackson

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