Although the disappearing power door handle is one of the groundbreaking exterior features of Tesla electric cars, it is also one of the most common problems besieging its vehicle lines.
The door handles in the Model S retract electrically so they rest flush with the sides of the car when they’re not in use. Once the driver walks up to the car with the key fob in his pocket, the handles shall move out to allow the driver to grip them, details Consumer Report.org.
Tesla Model S has been undergoing testing as of late before the company officially launches and rolls it out to the market either late this year or early next year, but according to Consumer Reports, the brand new $127,000 Tesla Model S, whose performance version is called the P85D, hit a snag during its testing phase.
Accordingly, the fancy retractable door handles refused to let its test driver in rendering the car ‘undriveable.’ The sad part is that the P85D that was being tested was for a mere 27 days only and it just has a little over 2,300 miles on its odometer when the driver-side door handle failed.
Fixing the problem
Consumer Reports eventually was able to fix the problem using a smartphone app that allowed its test driver to unlock the car and authorize two minutes of keyless driving, enabling also a resourceful staffer to crawl behind the steering wheel from the passenger seat.
The problem encountered by Consumer Reports only confirmed the magazine’s car reliability survey that shows that Tesla’s biggest trouble areas are its doors, locks and latches, with the Model S experiencing the highest number of problems than the other models.
The Model S connectivity along with the over-the-air software updates allowed Tesda to diagnose and fix most problems in the Model S without the owner coming in for a service to a Tesla Motors dealer. According to a spokesperson from Tesla, their company always strive to make it painless for a customer to get their Model S serviced.
Consumer Reports was also satisfied with the convenience that its P85D was service without having to take the car to the local Tesla service center. The company just sent a local technician the following day and provided the on-site servicing for minor problems. A problem in the door handle is basically a minor problem.
The technician diagnosed and repaired the problem quickly. He just replaced the door handle control module, the part inside the door itself that includes the electronic sensors and motors to operate the door handle and open the door. The whole repair took about two hours and was basically covered under the warranty of the car.