Just my own data point–I have a 2018 Model 3, from back before they really dialed in the manufacturing. I’ve had only a single tiny issue with it; the driver’s seat started to squeak after a while. I took it in and they tightened up the bolts and did a few things, which helped, but the squeak came back. I greased up the seat rails myself and the problem went away permanently.
No problems other than that (though granted, I only have 11k miles on it). Zero maintenance aside from refilling the wiper fluid. No additional service visits aside from upgrading the Autopilot computer and having them install the referral bonus wheels.
As for the overall driving experience, I love it. Autopilot works great on long trips, and even though I have almost the slowest Tesla you can buy (takes a leisurely 5 seconds to get to 60 mph), it’s still quick enough to bring a smile to my face. And I really appreciate the minimalist interior.
I charged with a plain 120v household outlet for a long time, and it worked fine. Compared to a fast charge system, you have to plan things a bit earlier if you want to get the max range by charging to 100%. I have a 240v/24A setup now and I hardly have to think about that at all. Just enable the charger a few hours before I leave.
My battery started taking less and less charge. First 90% was 280 miles and over 3000 miles it dropped so 90% was 230 miles. The way Tesla does the primary range display it is not based on driving style, route, or anything else. It is only based on the battery’s estimated state of charge, and any charge that is being held back due to the battery being cold. So the drop in mileage represents either a true drop in the capacity of the battery, or the battery controller not having a good estimate of the actual charge in the battery.
Tesla kept telling me there wasn’t a problem, and I figured eventually I was going to hit the 70% battery capacity warranty threshold and they’d be forced to replace it. Then one day the car said something like “the battery will not charge, contact service.” I wasn’t even trying to charge at the time. I contacted service, they saw the error, and immediately ordered a new battery for me.
The car could still be driven, but I was limited to remaining capacity in the battery. Coincidentally I was going out of town for a week, so the car sat unused while waiting for the new battery. When I got back the new battery had arrived, I drove to the service center, they gave me a Model S loaner, and three days later I picked up my 3 with the new battery.
Whether a Honda, Toyota, or BMW would be as likely to have a transmission or engine fail at 8000 miles is a legitimate comparison to make, but I think the actual process of getting a major repair done on the Tesla was easier than on other cars. They were able to diagnose the car remotely, so I tapped a few buttons in the app, and they diagnosed the problem and ordered the battery before ever seeing the car.
In the future, don’t depend on getting a loaner car for warranty repairs. Some people get them, and some don’t. It seems to depend on what’s available.
The onsite service does make things much easier for more minor repairs. I had my charge door replaced at home, because it would go up and down on it’s own, I had a tail light replaced because it had moisture inside, and the charge door replaced again because of a not-a-recall recall to a new revision with pins that don’t break off in superchargers.
So in those instances it didn’t interrupt my use of the car at all. As long as it is parked in a predictable spot, they can come fix it.
I had the Volkswagen as my only car for years, and when it was in the shop, I just had to deal with it however I could.
But I do have a high end car that likes to sleep in the shop with its litter-mates for a week at a time. And more frequently than I’d prefer. Having the shop provide a rental car is simply expected. Outfits like Enterprise valet you from the repair shop to their store to pick up your replacement car. A week later when your car is fixed you just leave the rental at the repair shop when you pick up your car. So a 45-minute PITA at the start & zero hassle at the end. The warrantee on the vehicle eats the cost.
Being car-less because your only one is in the shop is so last century. I would expect Tesla to provide the same service to you.
For my handful of appointments so far, once I got a rental car from Enterprise or somebody (which was already at the service center), while another time I just got some Uber coupons. That was just a one-day job so not a big deal (plus the service center is within walking distance from work). The final time was a same-day job and I didn’t get anything for that (though I probably could have requested some coupons).
Not sure what they’d have given me under more demanding circumstances, but it seemed adequate to me. The Ford Fusion was a pretty significant downgrade from the Model 3, though…