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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

#491
post #262

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> on your car. As OP pointed out, it wasn't even OP's car - it was a lease, not a loan. The risk of allowing mechanics to do quick fixes is too high for them.

Which is one of the issues with leases. I have some (mostly) non-functional damage to my car from a couple self-inflicted low-speed collisions in a driveway/garage. I'll take some hit when I eventually trade the car in. But I usually trade in cars at 15-20 years and the hit will be far less than if it were a leased vehicle. Though, in this case, I'm not sure why the owner didn't have comprehensive on a presumably fai…

Talked about in the video. The owner (lessee actually), messed up, and admits to the mistake.

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

#492
post #37

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Not exactly. Apple is renowned for the build quality of their hardware.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AUaJ8pDlxi8 - The horrible truth about Apple's repeated engineering failures. - Louis Rossmann

The only difference between Apple and its competitors (Dell, Acer, Samsung, etc) is that Apple's shiny brand image makes content like Louis Rossmann's compelling. If the same treatment was applied to the likes of Dell and Acer, they'd be looking just as bad if not far, far worse than Apple.

(To be clear, the above is regarding Apple's engineering specifically, not about their business practices. I agree that Apple's competitors are generally far better at parts supply and general right-to-repair matters.)

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

#493

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Whenever I see contract language like > bird or animal I want to know the background behind why some lawyer found that necessary. :)

My guess is that it happens so frequently that it wouldn't be profitable to cover damages caused by hitting animals.

I am referring to the fact that birds are animals.

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

#494
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…

Mate, your talking about a brass nipple being threaded into a broken plastic part to replace a plastic reducer that was [probably] poorly ultrasonic welded in place. What I see in the article is a common sense repair. Anyone who turns a wrench is laughing at the Tesla fanboy pearl clutching over this. Not an attack on your post btw, just a general statement that every Tesla owner comes out of the cracks in these post…

> How would you feel if I told you only Dell/HP should make computers because people make dangerous repairs that will allow hackers to attack systems?

Yeah, that's pretty much what Apple, the Tesla of computer manufacturers, does.

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

#495
post #436

Earlier quoted context omitted.

They should also have to state how much the repair would cost if done at the factory where they can actually service the battery pack. Imagine if other cars were like that: "Sorry, we're not able to service engines so instead of replacing your timing belt for $400 you have to buy a new engine for $6000"

Ahh the apple model. I'm not sure they even have a screwdriver in the back of an apple store any more.

I think most Apple products don't even have screws you could use one on these days

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

#496
This issue seems only adjacent to Right to Repair. As far as I can tell from the article, there was no licensing or software locks preventing the fix, nor were there any making the fix more expensive. Rather, this is an issue where a very expensive part contained an exposed molded flange that breaks easily. In other words, just a bad design. And he suffered no impediment to having it fixed at a 3rd party garage.

Pretty shady that they wouldn't return his old battery pack to him, though.

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

#497
post #184

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don’t get this. If I’m leasing the car, why would I be on the hook for the repair? The whole point of paying the lease premium is that you aren’t.

I hope you aren't currently leasing any vehicles. If you are, and this is your understanding of how leases work, you REALLY need to reread the contract. Tesla is in no way responsible for repairing this car under these circumstances.

That depends entirely on what is in your contract. I’m not currently leasing, but any I can get here automatically has me pay for insurance too.

I think that’s a fairly smart idea, exactly to avoid issues like this.

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

#498

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is exactly it. The guy doesn't want a $16,000 at-fault claim on his record.

> The guy doesn't want a $16,000 at-fault claim on his record. Pedantically[0], he doesn't want a $16,000 no-fault claim misclassified as at-fault on his record. See: > > obviously damage from road debris falls under my no-fault comprehensive 0: The record entry would be the same (eg "road debris, at-fault") either way.

Not sure where that quote is from, but whoever said it is confused.

If you hit an object in the road, that is normally (in the US) classified as a collision incident.

The only time that comprehensive would cover a claim like this (in the US) is if the object was a projectile, or an animal.

I’m guessing they are thinking about the common scenario where a truck kicks up a rock and it hits your windshield… and they are falsely assuming this is normally a comprehensive claim because it is “road debris”, when the real reason it is covered that way is because it is a projectile.

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

#499
post #348

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It is mentioned in the article that the person was actually driving without the right insurance due to an error when moving his policy from his old to his new car so while it sucks, the liability is not with Tesla nor should it considering the consumer made the error.

> due to an error when moving his policy from his old to his new car Where does it say that? > without the right insurance Not having that coverage isn't objectively wrong, and it shouldn't mean you lose tons of money because you can't choose the mechanic.

https://youtu.be/vVSw3KSevEc?t=6m30s

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

#500
post #202

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>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 But why are you calling it a hack fix? Also, why would a competent third-party repair shop be "risky"? A customer should be free to pick out an experienced and competent repair-shop just the way they currently do for their cars. And if they don't want to, they can…

> But why are you calling it a hack fix? My first question would relate to "dezincification". A chemical process where the zinc leaves brass and leaves a copper sponge behind. Does the coolant cause dezincification? Is zinc tolerable in the coolant? Learned this one in my home when my city water dezincified a kitchen faucet causing water to escape through to "solid" surfaces. My second question would be about how tha…

I'm certain that the mechanic, who took 3 or 4 years to learn his trade, has thought of these things.

That repair will likely last longer than the car. Brass fittings have been standard for hydraulic and cooling systems for over 150 years. Tesla has been cheap and used plastic instead.

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