We recently entered our electric car era. I had mixed emotions about making this transition, mostly concerned with battery life and having no juice left in an emergency. But several months in, those (possibly irrational) fears have been put to rest and I’m obsessed with our new car. Not only is the Tesla Model Y aesthetically appealing, sexy if you will, it drives beautifully and takes comfort to a high level. The tech functionality is genius and intentional, making it all very user friendly (even for a non-geeky mom). I will leave actual car reviews to the experts, but I’m here to talk from the perspective of a busy mom, how the Tesla way of doing things earns mega points and appreciation.
When I recently scheduled our first tire rotation I was completely blown away by the mobile option. Wait, what? Tesla will come to our home and do the tire rotation? Heck ya says this busy mom!
Just like when purchasing a new Tesla, scheduling is done in the app, which was smooth and seamless. On the day of our appointment, I received a text when the technician was on his way. And once the technician arrived in his Model 3, he reviewed the plan and got to work. Shoutout to Edwardo who was professional and thorough, including tire pressure and camera checks.
As a busy mom this “at home” service appointment is a HUGE deal. I am always juggling multiple tasks and running around town. So crossing this chore off my “to do list” while simultaneously getting laundry done, prepping dinner, and tackling my kid’s ridiculously long camp packing list, puts another check mark in the Tesla appreciation box!
So I’m here for it all. Zero emissions, convenience of home charging (120V), comfortable ride, sleek features. But the fact that I just got my tires rotated in my driveway is seriously the coolest thing ever. Almost cooler than the car itself.
As her husband and the weekend driver, the ride is not as comfortable as I’d like, cabin noise on highways intrudes, and there are some quirky technological decisions/approaches… but the instant acceleration is everything and mobile service, when available, is certainly a convenient perk. I do know the “Juniper” refresh comes with a new suspension and more/better sound deadening. But it also looks worse and I’m not sure I/we can further patronize the company.
Shame on you for buying a Tesla in 2025 when there are several better options.
I’m all for electric! I’m looking at the Hyundai Ionic 5, the Mini Cooper Countryman, or the VW ID.4 or maybe even the ID.BUZZ! (I used to own a VW bus back in the 1980s.) They all have their unique features. I’m retired and I don’t have a daily commute so I’ve been considering that maybe a lease might be the best option because I want to experience a variety of EVs over the next decade? Regardless, it’s an exciting time in transportation technology!
Buying/owning a Tesla has certainly become fraught. I parked next to a Y yesterday that had two decals on the back– one pointing to the Tesla logo that said “I wish this was a Rivian!” and another that said “Vintage Pre-Madness Edition”. I gave a thumbs up within view of the left B-pillar camera, on the off chance the owner reviews his footage.
Honestly the potential for mobile service is about the only thing about a Tesla that appeals to me. I love my Hyundai Ioniq 5, but scheduling– and then going in for– service is always miserable experience, even for rudimentary stuff like tire rotations or recalls– of which there have been several– which usually involve nothing more than a software update.
Dave, your “when available” comment re: Tesla mobile service got me thinking. As a non-Tesla owner I have no experience with it of course, but I’m guessing there are a lot of caveats involved? I’d imagine there are geographical restrictions, and perhaps significant waiting periods to schedule a visit?
I’d also assume providing mobile service represents a considerable expense to Tesla, so I’d fully expect the company to be stingy about providing it, and for it to be the first thing on the chopping block as it’s financials deteriorate further.
So, a friend who has a Tesla managed to get a puncture and called a regular tire company. However, they advised that only Tesla can repair flats, so he had to call a towing company and they piggybacked his car back home. He contacted Tesla and they duly came to the tire. It was two weeks before they returned the tire and he had to rent a replacement or be without a car.
A local garage owner told me of a time a customer dropped off his Tesla with them for a service. The garage arranged for Tesla to visit their premises and the curious garage mechanics asked the Tesla technician about the car. He told them he could not answer questions as everything was a trade secret and in addition, he had a camera checking his every move and was miked up! I suppose if you are comfortable in the Tesla-verse then it culd be for you, but personally, I don’t like this type of overbearing control.
Tom, we purchased December, 2024. Incentives were strong, came in less than most hybrid SUV (original plan) and other EV. We test drove and sat in quite a few new EV, including Mach E, ID.4 (tho sales were halted), Honda Prologue, Ionic 5. Wife fell in love with the Tesla and here we are. If the Mach E’s infotainment wasn’t so terrible and slow, I might have pushed her in that direction.
Brian, EVs depreciate significantly faster, deeper than say the Honda CRV we traded in. We had contemplated getting in on the $299/36mo lease deal, but psychologically struggled with that approach as we don’t want to be locked into to rental timeframes and conditions, including thinking we’d likely blow thru the mileage allotment(s). At 6900 miles in 5 months, we probably made the correct call – but I agree leasing is not a bad idea for your scenario.
Joseph, no idea how, where, or when the Tesla mobile service is offered. Seems reasonable not to count on it, but we will appreciate if/when it’s available. If Ioniq 5 had another inch of ground clearance, we might have gone that direction. And as miserable as your dealership experience may be, I’m guessing your insurance rate is better than ours. Tesla seems universally high.
Allan, how long ago was this? I’m guessing that place was either ignorant or didn’t want to deal with it. From reading reddit, many have their tires serviced and replaced at places like Discount Tire and Costco. Fwiw given four nail/bolt incidents over a two year period and local mobile service (for now?), we did pay $200 for tire/wheel insurance — supposedly they’ll bring a replacement right out to us. Hopefully measured in minutes vs hours, but having AAA for decades, I’m prepared for either.
Regarding secretive garage experience, it seems to us Tesla encourages self-help — we bought the front mudflaps online to install ourselves and that’s how everyone is expected handle filter replacement. They’ll even sell your friend a tire repair kit. Also people basically hack their cars, with wiring harness for wireless buttons/dials/stalks, extra screen, rotating screen mount, etc that could be locked down or warranty penalized yet aren’t.
There is nothing special about Tesla tires. Some shops won’t patch them because they have sound insulation in them (it is a pain to remove to apply the patch), but this technology isn’t specific to Tesla, tire companies offer the feature in plenty of tires.
That being said, Tesla doesn’t have very good support for independent shops, which I believe isn’t malicious, they just haven’t prioritized supporting them.
The mobile service option is nice, but I did find this post funny, since out of all the things I love about my Tesla, having someone rotate my tires at my house isn’t on the list.