Tesla To Owners: Please Don't Pimp Your Rides

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Tesla isn't too thrilled with the idea of people modding their cars. No performance mods, no seat swaps, no wheels and tire upgrades or aftermarket stereos. At least there are no rules about painting your Tesla...yet. :eek:

If our vehicle owners customize our vehicles or change the charging infrastructure with aftermarket products, the vehicle may not operate properly, which could harm our business. Automobile enthusiasts may seek to "hack" our vehicles to modify its performance which could compromise vehicle safety systems. Also, we are aware of customers who have customized their vehicles with after-market parts that may compromise driver safety. For example, some customers have installed seats that elevate the driver such that airbag and other safety systems could be compromised. Other customers have changed wheels and tires, while others have installed large speaker systems that may impact the electrical systems of the vehicle. We have not tested, nor do we endorse, such changes or products. In addition, customer use of improper external cabling or unsafe charging outlets can expose our customers to injury from high voltage electricity. Such unauthorized modifications could reduce the safety of our vehicles and any injuries resulting from such modifications could result in adverse publicity which would negatively affect our brand and harm our business, prospects, financial condition and operating results.
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Once you buy it, its yours to do what you want with.

Perhaps instead of stating it like they did they should have basically put out a warning pointing out that when you put new seats in it changes the point in which the airbag would contact you...which is a legitimate concern.

They come across as pricks when they say it like "don't do it, it hurts our ability to make money!"
 
Regular auto manufacturers have been voiding warranties for engine mods (even just perf tunes) and other crap for years... why should Tesla be different?
 
OEM said:
They come across as pricks when they say it like "don't do it, it hurts our ability to make money!"
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i read it as "It's not good for you, it's not good for us, it's not good for anybody."
 
Most car companies frown on modifications performed by the customer. Who cares? If you can't afford to fix things that you may break, don't mod the car, and if you do, well you have to pay to play :)
 
They aren't. Like OEM said, they should just put warnings on everything.
 
It's just cover their ass legalise to shift liability over to the car owner in any lawsuit down the line.
 
pigpen said:
i read it as "It's not good for you, it's not good for us, it's not good for anybody."
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But when a billionaire owns the company, its seen by many as him crying that he'll be losing out on money. And that makes people mad.
 
So... when you buy a Tesla you're buying an Apple Product?

I agree with the above on a few aspects of things.
Replace the seats & get hurt Tesla shouldn't be liable since you broke their safety design
Modify the electrical system and complain about range when your stereo knocks you down to 1/3 the stock range is -- too bad sol there.
Modify the charging capabilities - void the electronics and battery's warranty

However wheels/tires/wearable items such as brakes/cosmetic items as long as they meet or exceed the manufacturers spec requirements it should all be fine

All in all it could have been worded much better.
 
Tesla:

"Warning. Modifiying your vehicle will void your vehicle's warranty and may void your life warranty as well."
 
Interesting ... Tesla is not so propriertary as I thought. Owners are modding their cars? Sweet!
 
Pyro411 said:
So... when you buy a Tesla you're buying an Apple Product?

I agree with the above on a few aspects of things.
Replace the seats & get hurt Tesla shouldn't be liable since you broke their safety design
Modify the electrical system and complain about range when your stereo knocks you down to 1/3 the stock range is -- too bad sol there.
Modify the charging capabilities - void the electronics and battery's warranty

However wheels/tires/wearable items such as brakes/cosmetic items as long as they meet or exceed the manufacturers spec requirements it should all be fine

All in all it could have been worded much better.
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I wouldn't say you're buying an Apple product. I think the reason they're so concerned about this is because they're under a microscope. There are people who not only want Tesla to fail, but to go down in a blaze of glory so they can say "SEE!! ELECTRIC ISN'T THE WAY TO GO!" (I don't think it is the way to go, I think hydrogen is, but I also don't want Tesla to fail).

So, their business model is delicate...so they're trying to keep from any unnecessary bad PR.
 
pigpen said:
i read it as "It's not good for you, it's not good for us, it's not good for anybody."
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That's how I read it also. There is plenty of jackasses that will mod the car and then wonder why their car gets half the range that every other Tesla gets. This is just Tesla covering their ass from being sued by jackasses nothing more. It would be a shame to have Tesla go through one of those I spilt my McD's coffee on my lap and it was too hot law suits.
 
I read it as "We spent a ton of money and time engineering this to be a work of engineering art and function, please don't junk it up with some added bolt on crap, thanks"
 
Actually he's right in a way.

Nowadays if people want to buy a second hand classic or performance car thats a few years old they will in most cases want to find a un-molested one.

People will pay more for a used 'performance' car if it's stock original and not modded by a moron.

Plus as alluded to already by others here, with a technical car like the Tesla, I'm sure the guys at Tesla know more about what's good for the car than some self-appointed 'guru' on a car modding forum.
 
Such unauthorized modifications could reduce the safety of our vehicles and any injuries resulting from such modifications could result in adverse publicity which would negatively affect our brand and harm our business, prospects, financial condition and operating results.
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All of which is Tesla's problem and not the problem of any Tesla owner.

If Ford or Toyota put out a statement like that they'd be eviscerated by the press in a heartbeat. No car company should be telling the people who buy their cars that they can't put aftermarket wheels or tires on their vehicle "because it might harm the brand".
 
The reason Tesla is more abstinent against mods is because the vehicle is unproven. It uses too many new technologies, engineering techniques and compromises just to get it to work that they cant vouch for what will happen no matter what you change. It's like trying to mod an airplane. Nobody says "Hey I want to put an extra rudder on my Cessna because it looks cool". Good luck with that, maybe it'll work maybe it wont. There simply arent enough models available with history to yield useful results. Someone goes and puts a 2000 watt stereo system in their Tesla and next we'll hear a reddit controversy about how their battery life was cut 50% in 2 years, with nary a word of what really happened.

Tesla gets thrown under the bus for so much crap that is the users fault the last thing they want is people overtly breaking their cars on a brand new platform that is basically 1st gen.
 
I once held this company in high regard.

After reading this they can go off themselves. Probably the most proprietary statement I've read in my lifetime.

I give you my money, you give me your product. I own it now as my property and do as I want with it.

I never signed a contract (or do Tesla owners sign contracts to purchase one?) to let you have this "DRM-esque" control over my purchased property.
 
rewted said:
Regular auto manufacturers have been voiding warranties for engine mods (even just perf tunes) and other crap for years... why should Tesla be different?
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Modifying an engine which deals with explosive forces is the same as a different Tire?
 
McFry said:
The reason Tesla is more abstinent against mods is because the vehicle is unproven. It uses too many new technologies, engineering techniques and compromises just to get it to work that they cant vouch for what will happen no matter what you change. It's like trying to mod an airplane. Nobody says "Hey I want to put an extra rudder on my Cessna because it looks cool". Good luck with that, maybe it'll work maybe it wont. There simply arent enough models available with history to yield useful results. Someone goes and puts a 2000 watt stereo system in their Tesla and next we'll hear a reddit controversy about how their battery life was cut 50% in 2 years, with nary a word of what really happened.

Tesla gets thrown under the bus for so much crap that is the users fault the last thing they want is people overtly breaking their cars on a brand new platform that is basically 1st gen.
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But that's the risk of starting any business.

Did they really think they would break ground in an already oversaturated market and not expect people to modify their cars?

If they did then they should've made binding contracts or sold the vehicles on a lease-only basis similar to what Honda did with their first hydrogen powered car the FCX.
 
rotarymotor said:
I once held this company in high regard.

After reading this they can go off themselves. Probably the most proprietary statement I've read in my lifetime.

I give you my money, you give me your product. I own it now as my property and do as I want with it.

I never signed a contract (or do Tesla owners sign contracts to purchase one?) to let you have this "DRM-esque" control over my purchased property.
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I think as far as they are concerned you are perfectly able to mod your Tesla.

It's just that as you aren't as clued up on their car and the technology inside it you'll more than likely screw it up. They would just like you to avoid that pain.

Basically they DO know more than you do so leave it alone. "We did tell you..."

I think they are quite right.
 
rotarymotor said:
I once held this company in high regard.

After reading this they can go off themselves. Probably the most proprietary statement I've read in my lifetime.

I give you my money, you give me your product. I own it now as my property and do as I want with it.

I never signed a contract (or do Tesla owners sign contracts to purchase one?) to let you have this "DRM-esque" control over my purchased property.
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]

Don't worry about it. You can't afford one anyway.
 
Well there goes my plans to buy a Tesla, completely gut it, and put a LS9 engine in it... maybe I'll try a Leaf instead.
 
rotarymotor said:
I once held this company in high regard.

After reading this they can go off themselves. Probably the most proprietary statement I've read in my lifetime.

I give you my money, you give me your product. I own it now as my property and do as I want with it.

I never signed a contract (or do Tesla owners sign contracts to purchase one?) to let you have this "DRM-esque" control over my purchased property.
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You forgot one more step after "...and do as I want with it".

"I blame you when the car catches on fire, gets reduced mileage, or just plain sucks after being modified"

The Tesla image is currently riding on a single car. We've already seen how the news likes to run with anything that happens to a Tesla. Imagine what will happen when someone finally dies in one. The news will be quick to point out that the safety features failed but won't notice until much later that the reason they failed was because the owner modified the car and made it unsafe. By then it will be too late and the damage will be done. I don't blame them for pleading with their customers to not alter the vehicle. They have a very sensitive image that needs to be protected.
 
"The motor blew in my Celica and Toyota will not replace it." is what the scrub ricer says,
"I put a 200Hp NOS kit on my stock Celica and it blew up." is the truth. It's nothing any other car maker does not have to deal with. Get used to it Tesla, it is the way of it.

Oh, btw, am I the only one that waits til a car is no longer my primary and no longer under warranty b4 the hard core mods come out?
 
GORANKAR said:
"The motor blew in my Celica and Toyota will not replace it." is what the scrub ricer says,
"I put a 200Hp NOS kit on my stock Celica and it blew up." is the truth. It's nothing any other car maker does not have to deal with. Get used to it Tesla, it is the way of it.

Oh, btw, am I the only one that waits til a car is no longer my primary and no longer under warranty b4 the hard core mods come out?
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No you're not, I'm the same way. I don't mod my car until I pay it off is the difference.

I usually pay it off before the warranty is up but by that time I have less than a couple years left on the warranty anyways and just modify my car.
 
Abraxas601 said:
You forgot one more step after "...and do as I want with it".

"I blame you when the car catches on fire, gets reduced mileage, or just plain sucks after being modified"

The Tesla image is currently riding on a single car. We've already seen how the news likes to run with anything that happens to a Tesla. Imagine what will happen when someone finally dies in one. The news will be quick to point out that the safety features failed but won't notice until much later that the reason they failed was because the owner modified the car and made it unsafe. By then it will be too late and the damage will be done. I don't blame them for pleading with their customers to not alter the vehicle. They have a very sensitive image that needs to be protected.
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Why should Tesla be treated any differently than any auto company in that regard, if anything Tesla is more inclinded to get a break.
 
OEM said:
But when a billionaire owns the company, its seen by many as him crying that he'll be losing out on money. And that makes people mad.
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I think this came out from an investors meeting, so that is the basis. But the reality of a person modding their seat so they miss the airbag or messing with the high voltage lines in an EV car is that there are legit dangers present here. I don't think this should be lumped in with Apple soldering memory to the MB so that customers are locked into factory only overpriced upgrades. This is shit that can kill you.
 
Such unauthorized modifications could reduce the safety of our vehicles and any injuries resulting from such modifications could result in adverse publicity which would negatively affect our brand and harm our business, prospects, financial condition and operating results.
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Had the company left this out of its statement no one would be talking about this at all. This statement makes Tesla sound like a bag of money grubbing dicks.


I drive a "modded" car every day and you can bet your ass I know that a 502 cubic inch big block could easily kill me if I lose control of the vehicle AND that is a legitimate concern, but that in no way would "result in adverse publicity which would negatively affect our brand and harm our business, prospects, financial condition and operating results" for Chevy.

Safety concerns are totally legit. The "negatively affect our brand" stuff is stupid and, in my opinion, gives them worse publicity that a car that blows up because someone modded the shit out of it.
 
I would hope that a lot of the components in a Tesla are sealed and tamper-proof anyway.
 
Welcome to the car industry, get used to it. Idiots with badly modded cars plague every car brand on earth. Don't get me wrong, there are great modded cars too, but there are still plenty of ill-advised mods people have out there. You all know a guy who has dumped thousands of dollars into a Pontiac Sunfire.
 
The Auto Sale Industry / Auto Unions are foaming at the mouth trying to shut Tesla down. A few nice electrical accidents or deaths would likely give them the power to push it through legislature. I dont blame Tesla for saying "Hey Dumbasses dont mess with crap".
 
pigpen said:
I think this came out from an investors meeting, so that is the basis. But the reality of a person modding their seat so they miss the airbag or messing with the high voltage lines in an EV car is that there are legit dangers present here. I don't think this should be lumped in with Apple soldering memory to the MB so that customers are locked into factory only overpriced upgrades. This is shit that can kill you.
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Yeah, let's not take this out of context. It wasn't like it was a newsletter sent to owners. This was part of their annual report to the SEC. This was just a small part of their very extensive section on "Risks Related to Our Business and Industry". Taken in that context, it's a very legitimate concern.
 
Steve said:
Had the company left this out of its statement no one would be talking about this at all. This statement makes Tesla sound like a bag of money grubbing dicks.


I drive a "modded" car every day and you can bet your ass I know that a 502 cubic inch big block could easily kill me if I lose control of the vehicle AND that is a legitimate concern, but that in no way would "result in adverse publicity which would negatively affect our brand and harm our business, prospects, financial condition and operating results" for Chevy.

Safety concerns are totally legit. The "negatively affect our brand" stuff is stupid and, in my opinion, gives them worse publicity that a car that blows up because someone modded the shit out of it.
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I wholeheartedly agree with your statement.

Steve, I needed to be your adopted son when I was younger. You sound like you would be a kickass father.
 
daglesj said:
I would hope that a lot of the components in a Tesla are sealed and tamper-proof anyway.
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This as well.

So many current car manufacturers do this when I pop the hood of many new vehicles my friends and family buy.

They make things so tamper-proof or they make proprietary dealer tools that you will have a very hard time to get a hold of just to service the component you're looking at
 
Cali3350 said:
The Auto Sale Industry / Auto Unions are foaming at the mouth trying to shut Tesla down. A few nice electrical accidents or deaths would likely give them the power to push it through legislature. I dont blame Tesla for saying "Hey Dumbasses dont mess with crap".
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Tesla still has kit-car sales volume so they are not threat to auto companies or unions and the auto industry needs to buy the fuel economy credits off of Tesla so they can sell the cars most people want, so nope.

Although, dealerships hate Tesla trying to cut them out of their dealer friendly State and local franchise laws.
 
If they don't already do this they could require all purchasers to sign a disclaimer that any modification of the vehicle from its stock configuration or using any non-authorized products will void the warranty and indemnify Tesla and its suppliers from any potential legal actions. Although that would still require Tesla to protect their brand when needed it would eliminate all legal actions that could result from any issues.
 
Steve said:
Had the company left this out of its statement no one would be talking about this at all. This statement makes Tesla sound like a bag of money grubbing dicks.


I drive a "modded" car every day and you can bet your ass I know that a 502 cubic inch big block could easily kill me if I lose control of the vehicle AND that is a legitimate concern, but that in no way would "result in adverse publicity which would negatively affect our brand and harm our business, prospects, financial condition and operating results" for Chevy.

Safety concerns are totally legit. The "negatively affect our brand" stuff is stupid and, in my opinion, gives them worse publicity that a car that blows up because someone modded the shit out of it.
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Come on, Steve, at least read the original document you're second hand quoting and made an effort to understand the point of said document. This is an annual report to the SEC. The whole point of the "Risk Factors" section is to lay out potential risks to the company's bottom line.

The phrase "business, prospects, financial condition and operating results" is standard boilerplate verbiage and appears 25 times in that section of the report.

And really, if someone puts in some high powered electronics causing the car's range to suffer or installs some 3rd party seats and is injured in an accident because the safety systems don't operate correctly, you don't think the media would hesitate to spout all kinds of negative Tesla bullshit, do you?
 
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