The 6 most annoying things about Tesla electric cars
Tesla makes some of the best electric cars on the road. Not only does Tesla make amazing cars, it also has one of the best charging infrastructures in the world. Its cars are of high quality, top class and very fast.
But all is not perfect in Tesla Land. There are some annoying things Tesla does when it comes to their cars, as well as some crazy decisions when it comes to interiors.
1. A small range of paint colors
Car manufacturers now offer beautiful earth tone paint jobs across their range. Other manufacturers finish their cars in various bold matte shades. Unfortunately, when it comes to Tesla, the options are few.
Not only are there no paint options, but they are dull colors that don’t shake things up. This is very strange for a company that prides itself on innovation above all else. Another strange thing is the pricing scheme for the limited color options available.
If you want a Model Y, the only free color in Tesla’s online configurator is a soft white called Pearl White Multi-Coat. If you want a different color option like Midnight Silver Metallic, you’ll have to pay $1,000.
If you want red on the Y model, you’ll have to pay double that figure; It’s a $2,000 option. Why is red twice as expensive? You’ll have to ask Tesla for that. Moving on to the ultra-advanced Model X, things get even crazier. Again, the only color option that isn’t free is white. If you prefer the black color, you will have to pay $1,500 and the red one will cost $2,500. A really weird price convention for a limited color palette.
2. Questionable build quality
Over the years, Tesla has come under fire for its build quality, especially when it comes to fairly mundane things like misaligned panels, uneven clearances, and doors that don’t close properly.
These issues may seem trivial, but when you’re paying a lot for a high-end electric car, you expect good build quality. YouTuber TechChris reviewed the build quality issues of the 2021 Model 3 and it’s shocking how poor the build quality is.
One of its doors doesn’t even close properly from the factory. Although Tesla has made some strides in terms of improving build quality, especially in the interior.
The super-fast Model S Plaid has a gorgeous interior, especially when covered in Ultra White vegan leather. But production quality issues continue to pile up at the auto giant. The infamous yoke steering device is the latest area of criticism from owners.
The caliper trim seems to be of poor quality, and some owners complain that the unit looks awful after relatively little mileage on the car. And then there was an incident where someone came out of the steering wheel while driving, which is a scary safety issue.
If this customers report is correct, it is totally unacceptable to have a caliper liner fall apart after so little use, especially in such an expensive car.
Even more unacceptable is Tesla charging a customer an insane amount of money to fix a problem that shouldn’t have happened in the first place.
3. Touch screen controls
Tesla is famous for his ability to innovate in terms of technology, even when it’s not absolutely necessary. A good example is the central touchscreen and the functionality it packs.
Of course, this makes the car very versatile. You can even play games on the Tesla’s center screen. However, having all the controls on the touchscreen can be overwhelming and distracting when looking for a function that even has its own dedicated button.
The steering wheel has controls for various functions, which is very useful, but it would still be nice to see dedicated buttons for the climate control system.
It would be great if Tesla could implement a wheel to adjust the volume. This wheel can even be neatly integrated into the touchscreen, as Ford did with the Mach-E’s infotainment screen.
4. Crazy battery replacement costs
An electric car may have a simpler powertrain than an internal combustion car, but that doesn’t mean the components are cheaper. In fact, batteries make up a large percentage of the total cost of an EV.
In Tesla’s case, replacing batteries is quite expensive. This is especially true for older Model S vehicles that are nearing the end of their battery warranty, potentially leaving owners on the hook for a battery that could be worth as much as the car.
Popular YouTuber Rich Rebuilds tweeted a picture of Tesla’s parts catalog battery prices, and it’s about as bad as you can imagine. In the EPC screenshot, the 75 kWh battery costs $17,500.
The cost of a 90 kWh battery was $21,000. Obviously, EV battery failure is a dreaded topic for many EV owners, and after seeing prices like these, it’s not hard to see why.
5. Multi-function steering wheel
Tesla has received complaints from owners about the location of the horn button on the control lever. Most of those complaints were about it not being intuitive (or easy) to press the small, tactile horn button on the steering wheel in an emergency.
Elon Musk tweeted that the November production cars will come with a “press center for the horn” feature.
Other controls given to the steering wheel touch controls include turn signals as well as high beams. The high beams, in particular, look out of place on the steering wheel, not least because the flashing functionality is misplaced in the form of a button.
6. Yoke
Speaking of the touch controls on the handle, the device itself is more than a little annoying. Not only is the build quality questionable, but the actual functionality of the device is in question.
The shape is far from conventional and may not be the most comfortable to handle during an emergency maneuver. Tesla has capitulated to widespread disdain for the yoke and now offers a circular steering wheel as an option for its flagship Model X and Model S electric vehicles.
Tesla Makes Great Cars, But It Can Still Improve
Tesla is one of the best automakers on the planet, but there are still areas where improvements would be beneficial. But then again, no other automaker is perfect, and the same can be said for most of them.
