Tesla's Direct Sales Structure Legally Leaves Independent Repair Shops In The Cold

I have said before - and repeat - this policy is the one that will eventually doom Tesla. If independent used car dealers cannot service these cars themselves - they are unlikely to take them in on trade at high prices - if at all. New Car Dealers will have the same problem. Tesla cannot prop up the used car prices for long if they enter a mass market (They currently do not sell enough cars). Once YOU buy a Tesla - you will be stuck with Tesla - only they will offer value for a trade. Once the Tesla has competition - and/or ends being the "IT" car it is now - the value of a Tesla will Plummet.

I think it's clear when consumers buy any Tesla (today) - If anything fails, breaks, etc call Tesla immediately. Do not allow some independent (or non-Tesla certified/licensed) service shop work on the car. Yes you can buy parts, but how will they be installed to maintain warranty?

I understand the situation, but as an owner, I wouldn't let anybody but Tesla attempt to do any repairs or maintenance.

While that works for those cars under warranty and in a situation where service is easily available - the number of service facilities for Tesla in most states can be counted on one hand. WHen a car is used - and there is no warranty - you are limited to Tesla service prices and locations. I would not want to have to tow MY car several hundred miles for a problem that a regular mechanic should be able to take care of - maybe a broken suspension part for instance. Or a bad wiper motor - or lots of other problems.

Again - requiring Tesla only to service the car Diminishes its value - since it prevents a person who could not afford a new one - to buy a used one because they cannot afford the cost of service. That will limit who will take a car in trade and what they will offer for them. Tesla car owners may need to sell their own car when it will not be taken in trade for another car - as well.

AND - according to law - in a wreck - a car owner should have the right to use the service department of his choice to make body repairs. In this case - this is limiting the choices to ONE (Tesla only) and in doing so - adding tremendous additional cost and potential long Tow bills. I wonder if your insurance will cover those tows as well.

But the biggest problem is that it prevents and OWNER of a car from servicing his car himself. WE already have examples of situations where Tesla has refused to re-start the computer systems in a car unless the repairs done meet their requirements. That is simply blackmail as far as I am concerned. I would NEVER buy a Tesla until they make repair manuals available to all owners.

Tesla loves its unlawfulness and idiot greenie liberals think they are brilliant.

Incomprehensible words spoken by an ignorant used cars salesman with a drug addled brain. Where is the proof that Tesla's model is illegal?

I'm not a liberal and I think Tesla's model is brilliant. Let's see where Tesla is in 5 years vs GM.

Sorry it does not leave independent shops in the cold, all the independent shop has to do is get certification. Which is pretty easy, if you already work on cars with aluminum (aka Audi, Jaguar and now Ford F150, etc). You just need to send someone for a 2 week course. And then you have certification to work on Tesla cars as an independent shop.

So again the headline is really deceptive.

That certification is for Auto Body shops - not mechanical repairs. Eventually there will be cars that will need brake jobs and lots of other normal maintenance that a "car" still needs outside of the engine. I should not need a dealership to replace a windshield wiper motor - and again - that will only cost them in lower resale values on the regular car aftermarket. Tesla has about a 3-4 year window where it can get away with this nonsense until other manufacturers come out with competition. At that point - what competitor will want to take a trade in that he cannot use his own service department to repair? At that point - Tesla cannot itself take all of the used Tesla cars on the road - so something will have to change - including their non-negotiable pricing. IT did not work for Saturn who had to abandon it - and so will Tesla eventually - if they survive the next 5 years. IT is when real competition is available that you will be able to tell if their model works - right now it is a monopoly.