I will never give my TESLA to a ServiceCenter SeC again
“Why I repeatedly got my vehicle back in “more defective” condition than when I handed it over to TESLA.”
After the e-Corso “Berlin – Usedom” with my friend Volker from the TFF-e.V. (TeslaFahrerFreunde) in his ModelS85 i was infected by the TESLA virus.
In particular, he told me about his personal experiences. The service concepts in this american e-car start-up were so different to what we were accustomed by our local “DieselGate” manufacturers.
Example 1: The free installation of the s.c. “Highway Package” (stabilizers on the rear axle) in his ModelS as part of a regular inspection. That retrofit significantly improves driving stability for the driver.
Example 2: The free provision of a “Loaner vehicle” as a compensation for a longer stay in the SeC.
Since the end of 2017 I’ve been driving a ModelS85 from 2014 myself and since then I haven’t really regretted having decided on this vehicle. I like to pimp vehicles myself. Through the TeslaFahrerFreunde-forum i’m connected to a very large circle of like-minded friends. My tuning test object is always my own vehicle first and if others users like it, they are welcome to integrate it into their own vehicles under supervision. In the meantime, our own family of e-vehicles @home got additional members (2 * smart electric drive and 1 * VW e-Golf).
So I’m an e-mobilist myself and don’t just walk around as a TESLA nerd.
My personal goodbye from the TESLA SeC
Just because I would decide to build a new SeC everywhere doesn’t automatically mean that the experts are always hired there from the start. That’s why I’ve always been travelling to veteran SeC’s (Berlin and Nuremberg) for service appointments.
Now, for the third time, I have been confronted with software-related limitations of my high-voltage battery capacity and its charging speed. This happened now for the second time directly after visiting the SeC of Tesla Germany GmbH.
In both situations I was told by SeC employees in front of witnesses that the work was only possible after a software update of my car. Which is a lye! The direct result of that software installation was the reduction in the total battery capacity and slower charging behavior on the Superchargers.
This type of subsequent manipulation of my vehicle is done on purpose in the SeC’s and, in my opinion, represents a manipulation of my purchased car. I have therefore limited Tesla’s access to my vehicle down to the absolute minimum.
In August 2020 (@SeC Nuremberg), following the installation of software version 2020.20.17, the battery capacity was reduced by 6.9 kWh. At that SeC visit the 22kW double AC-charger was installed. I downgraded the software version after one week driving an unusable car.
In May 2022 (@SeC Berlin) a further battery capacity reduction of 5.8 kWh was following the software installation of the 2021.24.28 in my car. According to SeC employees, this software update should be mandatory as part of the diagnostics of my high-voltage insulation errors. I downgraded that software version as well after one week driving the car and monitoring some data for the TESLAlogger project.
In my opinion, that attitude from TESLA is unacceptable, since in both cases a vehicle was handed over to me, which no longer corresponds to the originally purchased car. Especially regarding the most expensive single component of the car, the high-voltage batterypack.
That’s why I’ll never return for repairs there and will proceed maintenance only in specialist workshops outside of the TESLA SeC network. Luckily there are already workshops nearby in Germany.
TESLA is allowed (and forced to that by EU-laws) to sell me spare parts for my e-vehicles, but never again service labour.