‘DO NOT GET A TESLA’: Woman Buys Tesla in California. Then She Moves to Tennessee
'Same I want to get rid of mine.'
If you’re thinking about buying a Tesla—don’t, according to one woman who leased a car from the popular EV manufacturer. Pay (@everydayispaydayyy) uploaded a viral TikTok delineating a slew of gripes she’s had with the car. She says that despite enjoying her Tesla’s feel and chic looks, several factors are making her want to “switch back” to a gas-powered car.
In her clip, Pay can be seen sitting in her Tesla, which is parked outside of one of the automaker’s dealerships.
At the onset of her video she unequivocally states that folks who are considering getting a Tesla should stay away from the brand. Despite the fact that she enjoys her car and is grateful to have it, she said some inconveniences outweigh its positives. This is particularly true when it comes to the terms of her lease.
Tesla Registration Frustration
The TikToker mentions that when she first leased the vehicle in California, she had questions pertaining to registration. Consequently, she reached out to the Tesla leasing office on two separate occasions to inquire about this paperwork. Since she had planned on moving to Tennessee, she wanted to know if relocating would cause any issues with her lease.
However, she was assured in both of these phone calls that this wouldn’t be the case and that the process would be swift and easy and she wouldn’t need any additional paperwork.
Then she moved to Tennessee, where she, in fact, did come across problems with registering a vehicle she leased from out of state.
The Department of Motor Vehicles in Tennessee said that she needed paperwork from Tesla in order to register the car.
Generally, all U.S. states, Tennessee included, require a copy of a vehicle’s title in order to successfully get it registered. Of course, there are alternative methods to registering a car, depending on the state that you’re in, to have it registered without a title. Like getting a re-bonded one. This multi-step process can be arduous, but once those particulars are sorted out, folks can be on their way to get their cars registered.
Title Blues
In Tennessee, car owners will also need proof of identification along with proof of residency and proof of insurance to register their cars. But what if you lease your vehicle and don’t own it outright?
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Folks who finance their cars don’t own its original title. That belongs to the lienholder, which is usually the financing company in charge of one’s loan. Once that loan is paid off, the finance company will mail the title over to the address that’s on file.
But since lessees don’t own their vehicles and are only paying to use them for a pre-set time for a predetermined number of miles, they don’t have immediate access to the car title. The Tennessee Department of Revenue instructs leasees to reach out to the company they leased their car from to request specific documentation necessary for vehicle registration. This includes the title for the vehicle, which will be attributed to the leasing company that owns it. Furthermore, a “copy of [the] lease agreement between lessor and lessee” is also required.
Oftentimes, leased cars are pre-registered for the states in which they are sold. Tesla also writes on its website that for a number of U.S. states, the dealer will pre-register cars for customers to get them on the road as soon as possible.
However, folks who move to another state permanently are instructed to re-register their vehicle(s) to their new home state. And that’s even if their previous registration is still valid.
Customer Support Purgatory
But it appears that whoever Pay reached out to when she was initially leasing her Tesla neglected to inform her of these out-of-state registration particulars. Either that, or they were just attempting to get her to sign on the dotted line for the lease and worry about that issue later.
To make matters even more frustrating, she remarked that attempts at follow-up correspondence with the Tesla leasing company culminated in a bunch of dead-ends. “I would get hung up on or they would just transfer me somewhere else,” she stated. Ultimately, she was subjected to a perpetual passing of the buck until she decided to give up on trying to solve the problem over the phone.
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Consequently, she drove “40 minutes” out of her way to a Tesla dealership to try and locate someone who could assist her with her paperwork to get the vehicle registered in Tennessee.
Ironically, Pay says that the biggest selling point of her Tesla was its promise of a “low maintenance” experience for drivers. However, she says that her new state registration ordeal proved otherwise.
Other Tesla Gripes
Paperwork woes weren’t the only qualms she’s had with her Tesla, either. Pay echoed the concerns other drivers had pertaining to the brand’s range claims. And while Tesla’s supercharging network is the largest fast-charging solution in the world with over 70,000 terminals, they’re not as ubiquitous as gas stations. Which means that they may not always be directly on the route to where you need to go. So factoring in detours, plus supercharging wait times, can turn a five-hour road trip into a longer ordeal. As one Tesla driver remarked in the Tesla Motors Club forum, folks should prepare to add 20-25% more driving time for any road trip they plan on taking in their EV.
She also said that she’s been having difficulties getting car wash businesses to keep her vehicle clean, due to “bad experiences” they’ve had with the brand. Although she does say that she brings her car into drive-thru car washes, despite being told this is a bad idea.
Repairing a Tesla: Annoying
The TikToker also added that when she was living in California with her Tesla, someone had rear-ended her vehicle on the freeway. Not only did she have to deal with the accident aftermath and what was likely a heart-sinking feeling at seeing her ride ruined, but she had trouble finding a repair shop. That’s because there were only a few repair centers that were qualified or even willing to actually work on her EV.
She adds that while she felt like she was complaining a lot, the numerous inconveniences she couldn’t anticipate prior to leasing the car really soured her perception of the brand. Despite the high marks she gave for its driving dynamics and aesthetics, she was let down by customer support failing to provide adequate support for her queries.
She capped off her video by asking other Tesla drivers on the application if they’ve had the same experience with their own vehicles.
Commenters Sound Off
Anecdotes similar to the one shared by Pay were found in the replies section of her video. “Not bratty at all this is so smart and realistic. My friends boyfriend has a Tesla and has had so many issues and had to shell out so much,” one person penned.
Someone else said that they, too, had the same issue with another EV brand. “This is me with my AUDI. Thinking about going back to a gas vehicle,” they said.
“Same I want to get rid of mine,” another person echoed.
However, there were other folks who offered up some recommendations as to how Pay could rectify her registration problems. “Did you reach out to the bank who did the lease?” one asked.
Whereas someone else was also done with customer support runaround tactics. “I hate calling companies and 5 different people tell you 5 different things. It’s the absolute worst!” they said.
InsideEVs has reached out to Pay via TikTok comment for further information.
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