The teacher from Bodø ordered a Tesla a little over a month ago, but the new car did not quite live up to expectations. The problems with the car are many. Among other things, there is a strange window defect on the car that has caused a lot of frustration for the unhappy owner. – When you open the passenger door, the window on the same side goes down at the same time, says Rekkedal. The button to raise the window doesn’t work as it should either, so Rekkedal takes a couple of minutes to raise the window again. Since the electric car arrived, it has been in the workshop around seven times in three weeks. Almost every other day. – This takes quite a lot of time, and not least a lot of irritation, says Rekkedal. Several attempts at the workshop At the workshop they try to repair the car, but when Rekkedal gets home and opens the passenger door, the same thing happens again. – I feel my blood pressure rise every time there is a new mistake, new problems and a new postponement, he says. And Rekkedal is not the only one who experiences persistent problems with a new electric car, we are to believe Secretary General of the Royal Norwegian Automobile Association (KNA), Børre Skiaker. Already in 2019, they had an article in which they mentioned that many electric car owners experience faults with their new cars. And that hasn’t changed over the years. – The number of cases dealing with defects in the cars is not greater for electric cars than for fossil cars. But we often see that the problems with electric cars are often more complex and difficult to fix, says Skiaker. – The main experience is that there are compound errors. Such errors are more difficult to explain, and thus more difficult to fix. Skiaker believes that part of the challenge is a cultural difference at the companies that develop electric cars. – It may seem that the engineers who worked on the more mechanical vehicles often did a better job of testing before releasing the cars onto the market. Those who deal with electronics and digital things seem more inclined to release versions they think are good enough for the market without enough testing, says Skiaker. – The customers become guinea pigs to a much greater extent. For Tesla buyer Lars Petter Rakkedal in Bodø, it went so far that he wanted to cancel the entire purchase, but he was persuaded by a man at the workshop to postpone it. The workshop postponed the collection date several times, and finally Rekkedal turned up to get a clear answer. – It will be 26 October at the earliest, Rekkedal received in response. The car came straight from the factory in Belgium and was delivered to Rekkedal in less than a week. Photo: private Wants to raise the purchase At the workshop in Bodø, Rekkedal gets good help, but centrally at the dealer, things are completely different. Rekkedal does not think it seems as if they trust that he is telling the truth. – It doesn’t seem like they are trying to find solutions, he says and adds: – In the end I just say “Can you get Bodø to call me?”, and then it gets better. news has been in contact with the General Manager of Tesla Bodø. They do not wish to comment on the matter. Rekkedal first waited for three weeks. After he was told that it would be at least another three weeks, he canceled the purchase. He received a positive response from the dealer. According to Rekkedal, they say that the lawyers in Tesla must approve the lifting of the sale. When that is done, he can buy a new car. – You choose to buy a new Tesla? – I’m giving them one more chance, as everyone I know who has a Tesla is delighted. The Consumer Council: – Some childhood illnesses Thomas Iversen of the Consumer Council says this is not the first time new electric cars have had problems. – New electric cars have had a number of childhood illnesses, and such occur in the first few years after purchase, says Iversen. For this case, a concrete assessment must be made, whether the customer has the right to cancel the purchase or not. – If the parties cannot agree, it is possible to bring the matter to the Norwegian Consumer Protection Authority for mediation. Iversen explains that the seller basically has both the right and the duty to repair. If the error cannot be corrected, if it takes too long to correct, or if the same error appears for the third time, the consumer will have the right to cancel the purchase. Thomas Iversen is senior legal adviser at the Norwegian Consumer Council. Photo: Helen Mehammer / Forbrukerrådet The law has a specific deadline that states when the car must be repaired, but the repair must take place within a reasonable time. – What is a reasonable time can vary. Three weeks is a short time to be able to raise the purchase, and one must be able to expect that obtaining parts may take some time, says Iversen, and adds: – But I don’t know what is wrong with the car. When it approaches two months without the consumer having received the car back, there may soon be talk of canceling the purchase.
ttn-69
New Tesla never worked – at workshop seven times in three weeks – news Nordland
