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Tesla recalls 53,000 cars over brake issue

bbc.com

31–40 of 47 posts

Re: Tesla recalls 53,000 cars over brake issue

#31

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> All that's required is a visit to a service centre. Doesn't seem like a big deal. This is probably true for now when the Teslas in production are mostly in the hands of people who can work out time and have a job secure enough to allow for that kind of thing. Tesla keeps having issues like this - and if they don't fix it by the time the Model 3 hits, this kind of thing could be their killer. They're basically throw…

Regarding your edit. I imagine the downvotes are in response to the hand-wringing statement about people who don’t have secure jobs being unable to get their cars fixed. This isn’t different from any other car that gets recalled. And recalls happen all the time across the industry.

If you have to go without your car for several days at a time - unlike other manufacturers - that's common for Tesla right now, that'd be a bigger problem for people who don't have access to a car otherwise. Or for Tesla to buy everyone rentals every time a situation like that happens.

Just speaking based on 3rd party hearings about Tesla service.

Re: Tesla recalls 53,000 cars over brake issue

#32
post #20

Earlier quoted context omitted.

But now all the people using their parking brake while moving will be performing a possibly unsafe action!

The thing I haven't figured out yet is whether this is the brake engaged when you shift an automatic transmission into park, or if it is the emergency brake. If the latter, I'm not sure what the big deal is, since you should almost never use the e-brake.

It's the parking brake, not the transmission in park.

Though commonly called an e-brake, the parking brake is actually intended to be used when parking, especially when parking on a hill.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parking_brake

Re: Tesla recalls 53,000 cars over brake issue

#33
post #20

Earlier quoted context omitted.

But now all the people using their parking brake while moving will be performing a possibly unsafe action!

The thing I haven't figured out yet is whether this is the brake engaged when you shift an automatic transmission into park, or if it is the emergency brake. If the latter, I'm not sure what the big deal is, since you should almost never use the e-brake.

IIRC Teslas only have a simple single gear transmission, so I suspect the parking brake is mechanically more similar to the e-brake on a car with an automatic transmission.

Re: Tesla recalls 53,000 cars over brake issue

#34

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don't think you could write the headline any less sensational and more informative. Tesla has to repair 53.000 cars, this is in itself newsworthy as it becomes clear that they are struggling with the same issues as any other car manufacturer and it should be a challenge to their operational logistics.

"Tesla Recommends Parking Break Update"

I would hope that the BBC had better spelling than that!

Re: Tesla recalls 53,000 cars over brake issue

#35
post #5

I...okay, that headline is just bad. Core issue: "A small gear may be defective in some cars; you should come into the service center and get it checked. If it breaks, you may be unable to disengage the parking brake." Headline: "Massive recall over brake issue!" It's not technically wrong. But it misleads more than it informs.

I don't think you could write the headline any less sensational and more informative. Tesla has to repair 53.000 cars, this is in itself newsworthy as it becomes clear that they are struggling with the same issues as any other car manufacturer and it should be a challenge to their operational logistics.

> Tesla has to repair 53.000 cars, this is in itself newsworthy

You're right, that would be very newsworthy! Of course, it's not true, which I think rather supports my point about the headline.

(If you read the article, the number of repairs needed is actually only ~1k, because only 2% of the 53k cars actually has a faulty gear that needs replacement. The recall is for 53k cars because they don't know which 2% has the issue, so the headline is technically true, but there's a big difference between "Tesla shipped 53k defective cars" and "Tesla shipped 1k defective cars". The former is much more newsworthy! But also false.)

Re: Tesla recalls 53,000 cars over brake issue

#36

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This can be said about any problem in any car, "one of their suppliers f'ed up" because most things in a car are manufactured by suppliers today. Car manufacturers only assemble sub systems from 3rd parties. How comes if Ford f'ed up, it's Ford. If Toyota f'ed up, it's Toyota. If Tesla f'ed up (doors, brakes) it's a supplier?

If the issue were the brakes not engaging, sure, I'd blame Tesla. When the issue is "the parking brake may not disengage and then you'll have to call AAA and your ice cream will melt," I'm okay with blaming the supplier.

I've seen a v-long once from a guy in UK whose breaks had this problem (in retrospect) and he couldn't move his car outside of the parking area; they couldn't even tow it at first, because the towing company didn't know how to get an immovable object out of its space.

Granted, from what I understand Tesla paid for everything and fixed his car; it's only his time that was spent on this, but every car breaks down at some point too.

Oh, and they were able to eventually move his car by elevating it onto a set of rolling beds, and then rolling it onto a truck that way. It looked pretty funny :)

Re: Tesla recalls 53,000 cars over brake issue

#37
post #20

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The thing I haven't figured out yet is whether this is the brake engaged when you shift an automatic transmission into park, or if it is the emergency brake. If the latter, I'm not sure what the big deal is, since you should almost never use the e-brake.

It's the parking brake, not the transmission in park. Though commonly called an e-brake, the parking brake is actually intended to be used when parking, especially when parking on a hill. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parking_brake

Ah, I see. I was always taught not to use the parking brake. If not used regularly, it has a tendency to seize up, particularly in cold conditions. On all but the steepest slopes, park in an automatic is sufficient. With a manual transmission, I'd either put it in gear in 1st or reverse, depending on the orientation.

Re: Tesla recalls 53,000 cars over brake issue

#38

A very sensational title. One of their suppliers F'ed up, and now Tesla needs to check and replace a small part in some of their cars. All that's required is a visit to a service centre. Doesn't seem like a big deal.

> All that's required is a visit to a service centre. Doesn't seem like a big deal. This is probably true for now when the Teslas in production are mostly in the hands of people who can work out time and have a job secure enough to allow for that kind of thing. Tesla keeps having issues like this - and if they don't fix it by the time the Model 3 hits, this kind of thing could be their killer. They're basically throw…

Very true, but we're talking about here and now, and given the near-future, and not the time when Tesla hits a billion cars on the road. It's a good concern though, and I am sure they are well aware.

Anecdotally, our Camry broke down today, and sucked up hours of our time, and still isn't fixed. No magical genie appeared to take it to service for me, so time sucked up on my end is just as much as any other service. At least Tesla requires virtually no maintenance, outside of occasional bugs and tires.

Re: Tesla recalls 53,000 cars over brake issue

#39
post #5

I...okay, that headline is just bad. Core issue: "A small gear may be defective in some cars; you should come into the service center and get it checked. If it breaks, you may be unable to disengage the parking brake." Headline: "Massive recall over brake issue!" It's not technically wrong. But it misleads more than it informs.

Except if they wrote a good headline, it would not be upvoted to the front page. Such is the value system we have created.
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