Consumer Reports Locked Out Of Their Tesla P85D, But Still Loves It

While Consumer Reports has been one of the biggest fans of the Tesla Model S, testers found themselves locked out of the $127,000 P85D after just 27 days and 2,300 miles of testing. You’d think that’d diminish Tesla’s allure for Consumer Reports, but once again Tesla’s exceptional service saved the day.

When the Fisker Karma that Consumer Reports bought to test out broke down on the way back from the dealership, it did not bode well for the fledgling automaker. Beyond just breaking down, it took Fisker techs quite some time to get the Karma tester backup and running. But in the case of the Tesla P85D tester, a Tesla tech came to Consumer Reports the next day and replaced the door-control module, a common part failure for those fancy pop-out door handles. The Model S didn’t even need to be brought in for service. The whole on-site repair took just a couple of hours.

Though Tesla has had to deal with a few reliability concerns with both the battery pack and electric motor, the door handle issue seems to be one of the most common problems Model S owners deal with. Getting locked out of your six-figure vehicle is no fun, but Tesla’s response it what continues to set it apart from other automakers. When’s the last time Ford or Mercedes sent a technician to fix a car in your driveway?

Even in the way the Model S breaks down, Tesla is setting a new standard.