I will provide five reasons not to buy a Tesla written by a Tesla owner. Let me start by saying my family has owned a Model S and Model X Tesla since 2018. We love electric vehicles’ convenience, lower maintenance, and ownership cost and cannot imagine returning to a gas-powered car.
We bought our Tesla electric vehicles when the company offered lifetime supercharging and internet connectivity.
However, times have changed, and now the automotive industry is transitioning to electric vehicles. As a result, the automotive industry is turning out many appealing well-built electric cars. However, consumers seem biased toward Tesla and are not giving other electric vehicles much consideration.
We are still paying off our electric vehicles. But if we were in the market today, we would be giving some electric cars not made by Tesla serious consideration. So here is a breakdown of reasons not to buy a Tesla.
Tesla Build Quality
While Tesla has improved build quality, there are issues you do not see with other vehicle manufacturers. My wife and I both experienced fit and finish problems on our vehicles. For example, our Model X Tesla had a misaligned hood. For a $100K+ luxury vehicle, you expect the attention to detail you see with other luxury brands. Other car companies have refined the art of building vehicles over the past several decades. However, Tesla is still learning and is not on par with other manufacturers from a build quality standpoint. However, I will give Tesla a leg up on its excellent software.
Waning Customer Service
As Tesla has grown from a startup to an EV market leader, the organization has experienced growing pains. One of the more recent pains is Tesla’s customer service. Early on, the company used a combination of technology, mobile service technicals, and over-the-air updates to take care of my electric vehicle. Now, however, service has waned. Between my family and friends, there are some first-hand experiences where we could not use our electric vehicle and had to wait days to get some help. I still love my Tesla, but poor customer service issue creates some cause for concern.
Tesla Opens Supercharging Network to Other EV Makers
For those in the market for an electric vehicle, it’s important to consider all factors before making a decision. One key factor that has set Tesla apart in the past is their Supercharger Network, which has been exclusive to Tesla owners. However, starting in 2023, Tesla is opening up their charger network to other vehicle manufacturers like Ford, General Motors, Mercedes Benz, and Rivian, with more companies expected to follow suit.
What makes Tesla’s chargers so desirable is their reliability, with the least amount of issues compared to other DC fast charge providers. While this may seem like a positive for Tesla, it’s also important to note that this feature is no longer exclusive to Tesla owners. This is why we suggest considering other EV brands that support the Tesla charging standard. By doing so, you can enjoy Tesla-like charging reliability without being locked into buying a Tesla. It’s important to weigh all options and make an informed decision when choosing the right electric vehicle for you.
Tesla’s pace of Delivered Innovation is Slowing Down
Give credit to Tesla for pushing the automotive industry toward building electric vehicles. To drive change, Tesla put on the market environmentally friendly products that provided consumers with convenience, lower cost of ownership, and time-saving features. In many ways, Tesla’s story is similar to the Apple iPhone, changing the cell phone market. While the iPhone shifted cellphones towards smartphones, Apple’s pace of innovation slowed down, and other manufacturers like Samsung and Google were able to step in and innovate at a faster pace. Tesla still is technologically one of the leaders in the electric vehicle space. However, models by Mercedes, Lucid, and other electric vehicle makers are putting out products that can match Tesla on innovative features. In a way, though, Tesla is starting to feels a bit like a company starting to rest on its laurels.
Tesla Has a Tendency to Oversell
The last issue is Tesla tends to oversell their products and services. Some examples of overselling behavior include Tesla’s handling of their fully self-driving capability and the release of new vehicles like the Tesla Cybertruck.
When I bought my Tesla back in 2018, and purchased the full self-driving upgrade, Tesla presented a solution where the vehicle could drive itself safely. Tesla signaled to consumers that full self-driving would be available later in the year. However, as of 2023 Tesla released a limited beta of the full self-driving capability that has fallen short and received criticism from those within the automotive industry, academia, and governments. Similar issues exist with Tesla’s summon function. Tesla has a tendency to oversell some of their capabilities.
Similar claims can be made with new vehicle releases like CyberTruck. Tesla started collecting Cybertruck reservation deposits back in 2019 from consumers. The Cybertruck was supposed to be released in 2021, but production has been delayed. As a result, the Cybertruck, as of 2023, has still not been released. Tesla tends to oversell.
I love electric vehicles, and my experience owning two Teslas has been great. However, if I were in the market for an electric car today, I would be looking at Tesla and some of the other electric vehicle manufacturers. Visit Electric Driver to learn more about what electric vehicles best fit your unique needs and get a personalized recommendation.