(1) Serious and clearly visible body panel alignment issues. They got fixed, but it took a while and Tesla didn't have a loaner car. There was also a scratch on the car when it was delivered.

(2) Door handles not extending. This problem occurred multiple times. The first "fix" was to reboot the computer.

(3) A whole host of software bugs including constant apparently false (according to Tesla) warnings about suspension problems, inability to pair with Bluetooth devices, UI glitches, inability to lock the car (turned out this was a 'feature' but one with no documentation and no UI feedback), etc.

(4) Dangerous autopilot failure modes.

The car's drive train is indeed excellent. It accelerates great, has great range, and performs and drives well. The rest of the car however is really problematic.

The big thing causing him to want to return the car is that Tesla service has apparently been less than helpful and evasive. It's been back and forth, back and forth, back and forth... The dangerous failure modes in the autopilot are the brick that broke the camel's back.

He said he's been many times more patient than Tesla than he would have been with any other car company because he like me believes in what Tesla is trying to do.

All surveys about panel gaps points to Tesla being above average (expect in the first few cars out of the line, which are generally owned by employees).

If your friends' Tesla has serious software bug, I'm curious to know his experience with other brands! Unless he can't stand a small bug in an optional, beta feature.

As for autopilot, he knows he can turn the autosteer off and still get the best ADAS available on the market?

>inability to lock the car (turned out this was a 'feature' but one with no documentation and no UI feedback), etc.

I don't own a Tesla and only test drive one and somehow I was aware of that. Looks like PEBCAK to me.

But this part...

Unless he can't stand a small bug in an optional, beta feature.

That’s not okay. Shadow braking is not a small bug. It’s a dangerous thing that can happen. Calling something “beta” doesn’t work when you’re driving down the road at 70 MPH. That’s just plain dangerous. Putting something like that out into the public as a “beta” feature puts not only the customer but everyone else on the road in danger.

I have no problem with a company testing car features on the road with test drivers who are well trained (with well marked cars). But “beta” doesn’t belong on the highway in the hands of a customer.

Most brands have actual knobs and handles instead of putting everything in a digital interface in the entertainment console.

Maybe he got a "lemon," but in that case Tesla should have been much more ready to fix or exchange the vehicle instead of dragging their feet and arguing over minutia.

I also question what's happening at Tesla when they even ship a vehicle with such obvious defects to a customer.

Do your Subaru is electric? Does it range compare to the Model 3? How does it compare to its acceleration?

Don't ever buy a product for a feature in beta. For the sake of anyone, never ever EVER do that.

On the other hand, none of the features on my Subaru are in beta. Most importantly, it has fully functioning adaptive cruise control, which is a crucial feature for making highway drives more pleasant (particularly when driving in traffic), and in this day and age, I wouldn't buy a commuter vehicle which lacks a fully functioning adaptive cruise control system.