20 Reasons Not To Buy Tesla Cars

16. Takes Too Long to Recharge the Car

How long does it take to fill your tank at the gas station? It probably takes five minutes in most cases, and then you are ready to go. Well, if you have the Tesla, recharging takes around an hour and a half to top your battery.

And that’s an extremely long time compared to the five minutes you spend at the gas tank. Also, if you charge the car at your home, it can take several hours longer.

15. Roadside Service is Limited and Expensive

Since the Tesla is a highly specific car brand, roadside service is quite limited and not available in all areas. In fact, you can count on it only in major urban areas and along well-traveled interstate highways.

Also, roadside service won’t help you if you run out of electricity, which is the most common problem. If you want full coverage, try the AAA Gold Plus package, but that is an expensive service not many owners can pay.

14. No Spare Tire

You heard it right. Tesla cars come without a spare tire. That means that if you get a flat tire in the middle of nowhere, there is nothing you can do. Of course, you can always buy a spare wheel and carry it in your trunk.

But most consumers believe all cars must come with a spare tire or some kind of tire repair system. However, it looks like Tesla has a different opinion on this matter.

13. Tire Wear

One of the best aspects of Tesla and all-electric vehicles is the amount of torque electric motors produce. This is the secret of Tesla’s insane acceleration numbers and brutal force.

In fact, it punches you in the back when you press the throttle. However, this also has a bad side since the tires wear down quickly compared to regular cars.

12. Cold Temperatures

It is long known that electric devices are not dependable under cold temperatures. If you think of Tesla as a big, four-wheeled electric device, you will understand why when outside temperatures get close to freezing.

Simply put, the batteries drain sooner. Even when the car is parked, it loses power. Also, some systems may stop working like the all-important range meter.

11. Tough to Drive on Slippery Roads

Due to the enormous torque which is available from 0 rpm, Teslas are known to be a handful on icy or slippery roads. Simply, even the slightest acceleration is problematic.

That’s due to the fact that the car transmits so much power to the ground, even at low speeds. And it could be dangerous for inexperienced drivers in challenging conditions.

10. Brake System

Tesla brakes work a bit differently than on a normal car. First, they use regenerative braking to recharge the battery, and second, they sometimes brake without stopping the wheels by cutting the power to the engine.

However, it can provide a slightly different feel to the inexperienced driver. To be perfectly honest, Tesla brakes are effective but drivers may need time to get used to them.

9. Charging Stations

The main concern when you have a Tesla in your garage is charging. You need to know when, where, and for how long to charge it. So it is easy to experience range anxiety when your car is in a remote area where there are few charging stations.

Also, if you want a good charging station at your house, it will cost you and take time to install.

8. Unique Buying Process

Tesla has introduced a new way of constructing cars and driving, as well as a new way of selling them. There is a dealer and service network, but not similar to any other on the market. Also, there is no test drive.

Dealers have no test cars and they are not allowed to take you on promotional drives. You can also buy a car online without even seeing it in person. That’s strange, isn’t it?

7. Lack of Cup Holders

Although cup holders aren’t the most important car feature, for people who spend a lot of time in their cars, they matter. But the Tesla has only two, one for the driver and one for the front-seat passenger.

What about the passengers in the back? Apparently, Tesla’s engineers didn’t think they need a beverage during the trip.

6. Fit and Finish

Since Tesla is a new brand on the market and their production process is quite different than other car manufacturers, the overall fit and finish of Tesla models are lacking. Some systems stop working and most of the time, there are squeaks and rattles in the interior.

This will not affect the overall performance or durability, but for a car at this high price point, it can be a problem.

5. Hardware vs. Software

They develop Tesla cars like smartphones or modern computers. That means they have the running gear or drive train that are hardware and control systems that are software. Of course, the software gets regular updates to improve the performance, power usage, and comfort of the passengers.

However, sometimes, the updates are too advanced for the drivetrain. So, to keep up with the new version, you need new hardware or a new drivetrain. And that is not only costly, but it also requires technical support from a Tesla dealer.

4. Steep Price

Unfortunately, Tesla cars are too expensive, regardless of the model. Even the least expensive one, the Model 3, is over $35,000. And that is more expensive than comparable electric cars from other manufacturers. On the other hand, the Model X in full specs is $100,000.

That is serious money for a car you can’t even test drive that needs a chain of charging and repair stations to be fully functional. In anyone’s book, this is simply too much.

3. Resale Value

With any regular car, you know its resale value and the dealer trades you for a newer model. But that is not true with Tesla. Tesla models are still too new and advanced to predict how much they will be worth on the used car market. This is a problem, not only for current owners of Tesla cars but also for people who want to buy them second hand.

Originally, Tesla made plans to recycle their cars for new ones. However, this is not possible since the batteries aren’t recyclable. Also, to recycle all those cars they would need an enormous and expensive infrastructure.

2. Impossible to Repair Yourself

Even though they don’t design modern cars for the backyard mechanic, there are things most people can do to make a car run if they get stranded by the side of the road.

However, even if you are the most skilled mechanic on the planet, if your Tesla breaks down, all you can do is call a tow truck and helplessly look on while they tow it away on a flatbed truck.

1. Self-Driving Scandals

One of the most talked-about features of the Model S and Model X is the self-driving mode. In the last few years, lots of manufacturers have introduced autonomous driving models in their cars. However, Tesla is famous for being one of the first. But most manufacturers have had problems since these new systems are imperfect. Self-driving can provide a false sense of safety.

And Tesla cars had been particularly problematic. In fact, there are reports of numerous crashes with fatal outcomes due to self-driving mode failing to work properly. These are the 20 reasons why you shouldn’t buy Tesla cars. Do you still want to get one? If so, make sure you do your homework first. You want to make sure you have a way to charge it, as well as a repair shop to fix it should it break down. Hopefully, Tesla will perfect their cars over time so there will be fewer problems with them.