10 Reasons Buying A Tesla Just Isn't Worth It

If you're looking to ditch fossil fuels and buy an electric vehicle, one manufacturer's name likely springs to mind. Tesla has led the way in the EV market for over a decade now and is many people's go-to when it comes to environmentally friendly personal transport. The company earned its spot at the top through a combination of cutting-edge tech, clever marketing, and the attention-grabbing antics of its eccentric CEO. 

However, there are some things you should consider before buying a Tesla. There's the fact it may result in you getting injured, either in a minor way or quite badly. It could also kill you or someone else if certain campaigners are to be believed. Then there's the fact you might not get what you paid for. There are also other options on the market, some of which are cheaper, and others are arguably better than a Tesla. Here are a few reasons why a Tesla might not be worth its massive price tag.

With a car as expensive as a Tesla, everything should be on point. Unfortunately, this isn't always the case with high-end electric vehicles. In his Model Y, a prominent YouTuber has pointed out several quality control problems. As the video shows, the windshield wiper protrudes in a weird way, the steering wheel squeaks when it's being adjusted, there are several cleanliness-based issues you wouldn't expect to see on a brand new high-end car, 

one of the trunk's plastic stoppers fell off, some upholstery came loose, and some of the exterior paint didn't match. These aren't major performance issues, but you don't expect simple quality control problems like this on a $60,000 car. Worse yet, there were some problems that prevented the car from functioning properly. One of the seat folding buttons was disconnected and did not work. The rear motor was incredibly loud at speeds above 40 mph. Fixing both of these issues requires a trip back to the dealership

The Model 3 is also experiencing a number of quality issues. The entry-level model has issues with its paint — with some customers criticizing the finish. Others have reported the paint chipping or degrading faster than it should. Several points on the vehicle are prone to leaks, problems with the keyless entry system have seen customers locked out, and a touchscreen overheating issue led to a recall. A number of customers have also highlighted an issue with the vehicle's charging ports

While Tesla's are high-end products that use top-of-the-line technology, customer service problems can still arise. Despite the fact it's both a major selling point and exists to make life easier, that top-of-the-line tech can make getting help extremely difficult when things go wrong. A good example of this is what happened to Glenn Howerton, who is known for playing popular sociopath Dennis Reynolds in the hit FX show, "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia." Howerton experienced a perfect storm of Tesla problems which resulted in his high-end EV getting stuck in an LA parking garage for over a day.

Keyless entry and Tesla's app, are both beneficial most of the time. You can unlock your car without rifling through your pockets. However, when Howerton's key fob broke he ran into a bit of an issue. The app wouldn't work as the garage didn't have WiFi, and Tesla wasn't keen to provide a solution. Howerton was left angrily denouncing Tesla due to the way they handled the incident, claiming he had been bounced between several departments, none of which were able to solve his problem. He was eventually able to unlock the car, but couldn't start it, and had to find a specialist tow truck due to the fact that towing a Tesla could destroy its motors. This proved an even greater issue as very few of those trucks could fit in the garage Howerton's vehicle was parked in

It's no secret that the government wants drivers to look towards more sustainable methods of transportation. Plenty of effort is being put into upgrading U.S. infrastructure to meet the growing demands of the EV market. The government also wants that market to grow even further, with the Biden administration setting several ambitious targets. If those targets are met, by the year 2030 half of all the vehicles sold in the U.S. will be electric.

To meet these targets, a number of incentives have been put in place. One effective incentive involves putting money back in the hands of people who have made an EV purchase. EV tax rebates have been around for many years, but many Tesla owners missed out due to the company hitting a cap on the number of eligible vehicles sold. The rules changed last year, which removed the cap on the number of vehicles sold and gave Tesla's cars a chance of qualifying again. However, a price cap of $55,000 for sedans and $80,000 for all other vehicles means many automobiles in Tesla's current range don't qualify for the rebate. This makes the cheaper options even cheaper. When buying a Model S or a Model X, you have no chance of getting the credit. Any optional extras will also send the Model 3 performance and Model Y long-range over the limit, meaning you'll pay a premium price while missing out on a generous incentive.

There are a number of reasons why you may not be able to just wander into a dealership and drive off in a brand-new Tesla. A global semiconductor shortage, coupled with various factors related to the coronavirus pandemic, made manufacturing electric vehicles a bit of a problem in recent years. As a result, customers were likely to spend months on a waiting list, and "used" Teslas were being sold — to people who couldn't be bothered to wait — for well over the vehicles' MSRP. 

Things have gotten a little bit better over the last few months, and this was never really a Tesla issue. It's more of an industry-wide problem. However, you should probably hold off on buying a Tesla if there is a long wait involved. EV technology is improving at a rapid pace, so if you're sat waiting for a year or two there may be something better out when the car you ordered actually arrives.

 In Tesla's case, the company will be coming out with several cheaper, and more efficient, models in the near future. Hanging on for months, only to see something better come along at a lower price point may be frustrating. Even if the new vehicles are a long way off, you should still hold off until the prices stabilize.