Tesla was quick to fix the issue
Unlike in normal cars, these handles remain in the door and extend automatically when a driver reaches the car with keys in hand, purse or pocket.
The good thing is that Consumer Reports magazine was wholly satisfied with the service as the company took care of the issue, picked up the car at the service center and repaired the malfunction.
According to the magazine, the doors and the latches are a persistent problem in Tesla’s Model S. However, despite all the issues and criticism, the Tesla Model S is still one of the best cars Consumer Reports has ever tested.
Tesla spokeswoman Alexis Georgeson stated that the Model S is integrated with over-the-air software updates that help Tesla to find and fix most problems in the Model S without the requirement of the owner coming to a service station. The executive added that in case there arises an issue, they aim to make the service a hassle-free affair for the customer. In an email to AutoblogGreen, Georgeson said, “Every fix is an opportunity for us to learn and apply towards making owning a Model S a great experience.”
Aims to make service ‘painless’
Last fall, Consumer Reports assigned an “average” score to the Tesla Model S for reliability after taking into account the responses from 1,300 Tesla drivers and its own experience while driving the car for around 16,000 miles. At that time, Consumer Reports stated that the windshield wipers were noisy and the door handles had some issues. Consumer Reports came raved about the Model S in May 2013 when it gave a score of 99 out of 100, referring to the vehicle as the most practical electric car it had ever tested.
In a separate test in Germany, Tesla’s Model was tested at 125 miles per hour. The vehicle managed 12 minutes before the car’s system lowered the power to protect the battery from overheating.