Tesla has been a complete disruptor in the automotive industry. Years ago people thought that electric vehicles were pretty much uncool and the definition of lame.
Now, it's the "IT" car for those who want to display to their respective neighbors that they've "made it." And, Tesla is a big part of it.
With the debut of the Model 3 there's been an unbelievable amount of interest in the car. Over 350,000 people put their money where their mouth is and plonked down $1,000 USD. On the surface, it seems like Tesla is just killing it; however, there's more to the story.
There's been a lot of customers plagued with quality problems. Sure, we've heard of the door handles and we've personally seen Model S' that jerked uncontrollably in reverse. But now it's gotten a bit more serious. That's because the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is investigating a suspension problem in the Model S. Even worse, there's allegations that TSLA forced buyers to sign non-disclosure agreements about their experience.
So, we have to ask: Is TSLA its own WORST enemy? Are GOOD or BAD days ahead for the automotive industry disruptor?
...Yet the automaker has also been struggling with the quality of its vehicles. On Thursday, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration revealed it was investigating a possible safety problem with the suspension of Tesla's flagship Model S sedans. The reported flaw is the latest in a long series of quality and reliability problems with Tesla's vehicles.
Industry analyst Edward Niedermeyer, who blogs at the Daily Kanban, argues that Tesla's challenges with vehicle quality are only going to get worse in the coming years. Tesla is preparing to release the Model 3, whose modest $35,000 price tag is designed to appeal to mainstream customers. And Niedermeyer argues that middle-class customers are less forgiving of quality problems than the wealthy customers Tesla has served so far...
Read Article