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Tesla’s $16k Quote for a $700 Fix Is Why Right to Repair Matters

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Re: Tesla’s $16k Quote for a $700 Fix Is Why Right to Repair Matters

#31

Post by stevev »

namdnay wrote: post #3

A bit of a stretch to classify this under right to repair.. if you rent a car from tesla, it’s going to be up to tesla to choose how it’s repaired. And it doesn’t seem unreasonable that they won’t accept a hack fix (however safe it may be) - that car is going to be sold to someone once the lease expires, they just can’t take the risk I would read this as a cautionary tale against renting your cars. If you can’t buy i…

Hack fix are subjective. That same logic can be applied to any car makes. Repairs are not a black box. They’re not using duck tape. A fix is a fix

Re: Tesla’s $16k Quote for a $700 Fix Is Why Right to Repair Matters

#33

Post by throwaway0a5e »

mschild wrote: post #19
namdnay wrote: post #3

A bit of a stretch to classify this under right to repair.. if you rent a car from tesla, it’s going to be up to tesla to choose how it’s repaired. And it doesn’t seem unreasonable that they won’t accept a hack fix (however safe it may be) - that car is going to be sold to someone once the lease expires, they just can’t take the risk I would read this as a cautionary tale against renting your cars. If you can’t buy i…

Sure, except Tesla has a history of performing just as janky repairs on their cars themselves. Its even stated in the article.[0] Another question to consider is why the repair is 16k. Does is actually cost Tesla that much or do they just quote that much because they are realistically the only ones who can fix it so they can charge the price? Driving around with a shoddy fix on a combustion engine can be just as dang…

>Sure, except Tesla has a history of performing just as janky repairs on their cars themselves. Its even stated in the article.[0]

Drilling and tapping a broken off plastic barb for a brass (or steel, or plastic, or whatever) barb is a very, very, very, standard procedure in any trade where you repair things.

I wouldn't call this hack. Appealing to authority is fashionable. People will poo-poo anything if they think they can get a few cheap virtue points for appealing to authority. Heck people will poo-poo the aftermarket versions of OEM stuff that's designed to fix specific issues with the OEM stuff on the basis of if the OEM wanted it that way they would have done it that way.

>Another question to consider is why the repair is 16k

Because the service writer couldn't get that part separately so they chose to quote for the whole assembly rather than ask the tech who did the diagnosis if there's any other options. They are not accustomed to having to think for themselves and do a quick fix. The environment of a service center is set up for a part replacing workflow. When all you have is a hammer everything is a nail. Whatever, shit happens. Rookie mistake.

Re: Tesla’s $16k Quote for a $700 Fix Is Why Right to Repair Matters

#34

Post by MattGaiser »

raz32dust wrote: post #20

When a company like Apple says that only their app store can run on iPhones, HN crowd usually sides with Apple, with the justification that "It is a free market. People can buy another phone if they don't like it." Why doesn't the same principle apply here? If your car company does not offer the right to repair, then buy another car. What is the difference? Both are instances of big companies gating access to their d…

Same reason HN goes against Apple when it comes to battery repairs. App Store is optional extended functionality. A battery impacts your ability to use your phone or car for its fundamental purpose.

Re: Tesla’s $16k Quote for a $700 Fix Is Why Right to Repair Matters

#35

Post by turtlebits »

roflchoppa wrote: post #14
mindslight wrote: post #2

Oof, that's not even a $700 repair. What's pictured looks more like a $200 repair. The rest is straight profit for Electrified Garage, for having Tesla knowledge at this point in time. Personally, I would have used a plastic fitting so that if it were to get hit again, the fitting would take the damage instead of the part that has been threaded into. The driving force being this story seems to be that the owner didn'…

Honestly I’m surprised that it would be exposed like that, rather than tucked behind a panel. The rubber fuel lines on my 1973 240z are behind a removable panel at the rear wheel. 3 screws and it’s off for access.

If you watch the video, the connector is behind a plastic panel (albeit not very rigid).

Re: Tesla’s $16k Quote for a $700 Fix Is Why Right to Repair Matters

#36

Post by cptskippy »

endisneigh wrote: post #7

I'm very curious about the insurance rejecting the repair. My understanding (I've never leased a car) is that if you lease a car you must have comprehensive (full coverage) insurance. Either the person failed to do what their lease contract (presumably) mandated, or shockingly you can lease a car without full coverage. Obviously it depends on what the insurance policy states, but usually comprehensive insurance cover…

The owner failed to get full coverage and Tesla failed to verify that he had full coverage and turned the car over to him.

Re: Tesla’s $16k Quote for a $700 Fix Is Why Right to Repair Matters

#38

Post by mulmen »

namdnay wrote: post #3

A bit of a stretch to classify this under right to repair.. if you rent a car from tesla, it’s going to be up to tesla to choose how it’s repaired. And it doesn’t seem unreasonable that they won’t accept a hack fix (however safe it may be) - that car is going to be sold to someone once the lease expires, they just can’t take the risk I would read this as a cautionary tale against renting your cars. If you can’t buy i…

When I rent a car I am not responsible for repairs. If I am on the hook for the repair bill I should get a choice in how the car is repaired. I can buy whatever tires I want for a leased car. If Tesla wants to make these kinds of demands then the repair should be part of the warranty and priced in to the car.

> I would read this as a cautionary tale against renting your cars. If you can’t buy it, don’t! This holds true for any depreciating asset.

If the asset depreciates what's the benefit in buying it? The fact that cars depreciate seems like the best reason to "rent" them. The manufacturer ends up dealing with the now less valuable asset.

Re: Tesla’s $16k Quote for a $700 Fix Is Why Right to Repair Matters

#39

Post by iamcreasy »

xmprt wrote: post #16
iamcreasy wrote: post #8

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This 2017 news from electrek[1] contradicts your claim. [1]: https://electrek.co/2017/01/30/tesla-opening-up-service-repl...

Electrek is a very biased website in favor of electric vehicles so it makes sense they would say positive things about Tesla. Also, the first sentence of that article is about how this is only a thing in Massachusetts because of right to repair laws. If Tesla could, they would brick or make certain systems not operational if you don't use first party parts.

I agree that Electrek is biased, but they usually provide substantive materials in terms of source and quotes to backup their claim.

Also, it is a 2017 article, and things have improved since then. For example, Tesla has released their parts catalog for all models.

Things are still far from prefect though, as you still can not buy those parts. Hopefully with this new Right to Repair Executive order - this situation will improve.

Re: Tesla’s $16k Quote for a $700 Fix Is Why Right to Repair Matters

#40

Post by smt88 »

raz32dust wrote: post #20

When a company like Apple says that only their app store can run on iPhones, HN crowd usually sides with Apple, with the justification that "It is a free market. People can buy another phone if they don't like it." Why doesn't the same principle apply here? If your car company does not offer the right to repair, then buy another car. What is the difference? Both are instances of big companies gating access to their d…

> HN crowd usually sides with Apple, with the justification that "It is a free market. People can buy another phone if they don't like it."

My anecdata says the exact opposite. The HN crowd seems (to me) to be very, very against walled gardens.

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