Buying a Tesla? You Might Face Some Issues
Since being founded in 2003, Tesla has arguably become the most famous electric car company in the world. It's dominated the market for years. But as it turns out, its vehicles aren't perfect. Lots of Tesla owners have experienced similar problems with their cars, ranging from frustrating to dangerous.
Battery Degradation
While battery degradation is bad news for any car owner, it's especially troublesome if you've got an electric motor. It can lead to reduced range and efficiency out on the road. Unfortunately, this is an issue that many Tesla drivers have been forced to contend with over the years.
Faulty Door Handles
The retractable door handles on Teslas are actually pretty cool — when they work, that is! The handles should pop up when you get close to the car. But some poor motorists can't get them to extend, making it impossible to open the door. How frustrating must that be?
Charging Port Issues
Without charging ports, there's no way to juice up an electric car. They're incredibly important. So you can probably imagine the fury felt by Tesla owners when these ports start to malfunction on their vehicles. It's a common problem that isn't always the cheapest to fix.
Media Control Unit Failure
The Media Control Unit, otherwise known as the MCU, is the Tesla's central computer. It's located on the dashboard. Using the touchscreen, you can manage anything from the climate control settings to the infotainment. But the MCU is prone to locking up at times, and that can cause issues.
Autopilot Problems
Who hasn't wanted to put their car on autopilot during long journeys? It seems like a dream feature! In practice, though, it's something of a nightmare. Teslas have an autopilot system, but it's horribly unpredictable. Due to bugs and software glitches, it's caused several accidents down the years.
Mobile App Issues
The Tesla mobile app can be very helpful. If you've got it installed on your phone, you can control certain functions inside the car from a distance. Yet it doesn't always work. Folks have experienced connection problems with the app, so they can't really do anything.
Faulty Air Suspension
Unlike a lot of other cars on the road, Teslas use air suspension. It's supposed to make your journeys more comfortable. But these high-end systems can be problematic. Tesla owners aren't strangers to air leaks, which can cause uneven ride heights and, potentially, major malfunctions.
“Ghosting” Effects
Just to be clear, folks — there's nothing supernatural about "ghosting" effects in Teslas. No spirits are involved here! Instead, it's a double vision problem caused by the sheer size of some Tesla windshields. To say it's disconcerting would be a major understatement.
Condensation in the Lights
It's not unusual for a car's headlights to develop condensation. But even so, this issue is particularly common in Teslas. And it can lead to bigger problems. For instance, the condensation might make it harder for other motorists to see your lights, while the excess water could damage them, too.
Unusual Rattling
Does your Tesla make a strange rattling noise when you're traveling over rough terrain? If so, you're not alone. This is a frequent issue reported by many Tesla owners. It could be a sign that something's wrong with your suspension system, so try to get it checked out.
Paint Defects
Sadly, paint defects have become a very common problem for Tesla owners down the years. Chips are known to appear around the bodywork, while some areas also get quite flaky due to the weather. The fenders and wheel wells are particularly prone to this irritating issue.
Panel Gap Issues
Most cars have some type of gap between the external panels. But with Teslas, this can be a really troublesome issue. There are inconsistencies with the sizes of the gaps on certain vehicles, giving them a weird look. On top of that, these spaces can lead to rattling and wind noise as well.
PTC Heater Problems
Much like any other car heating system, Tesla's PTC heater is absolutely vital during the colder months of the year. Yet it can be very unreliable in older models. If the system fails, you won't just lose heat from the interior. It may also cause a noisy popping sound.
Phantom Braking
While we've already touched on the dangers of Tesla's autopilot system, this issue deserves its own entry. Phantom braking is one of the scariest aspects of it — that's when the car suddenly stops dead in its tracks for no reason. This can happen in adaptive cruise control mode, too, so it's something to be wary of.
DRL Faults
In case you didn't know, Teslas are equipped with daytime running lights — aka, DRLs. The light comes from LED strips inside the headlamps. But these strips can stop working after a time, and replacing them isn't easy. Some Tesla owners have even needed to swap out the whole light assembly to fix the issue.
Unreliable Auto Wipers
Yes folks, Teslas do indeed have auto wipers. There's just one problem, though. They're extremely unreliable. The computer vision that operates the wipers often has trouble figuring out how strong the rain is. So that means they might not actually start up during a heavy shower!
Tire Wear
Much like other electric vehicles, Teslas are very heavy cars. And that can come at a cost. Yep, due to carrying the excess weight, Tesla tires can wear out pretty quickly. The intensity of the performance models doesn't help matters, either. All that horsepower and torque puts them under extra pressure.
Seatbelt Issues
How's this for a scary issue? Certain Teslas have experienced problems with their seatbelts in recent times. To give you a couple of examples, the seatbelt anchors in some cars became faulty, while other owners saw that their seatbelt warning system had stopped working.
Wheel Alignment Problems
Unfortunately for Tesla owners, their cars aren't immune to wheel alignment problems. Whether it's due to general wear and tear or pothole impact, misalignment can make your journeys quite uncomfortable. It could cause the vehicle to veer off the center of the road in some cases.
Faulty Window Regulators
Here's something else to watch out for if you've got a Tesla. The window regulators have been known to cease up at times, which means that you can no longer control them. Regardless of whether they're open or shut, the windows will be stuck until you get it fixed.
Through: Ivan Radic