Tesla Bricked Itself After I Was 30 Minutes Late—No Warning, No Support, Nothing

They definitely do not brick the car if you’re 30 minutes late to return it from a 2 day test drive.

Tesla doesn’t sell cars they sell dreams, now pay up

I can most certainly promise you they do. Why would I lie about it?

they sell trash

Not to defend Tesla here but there are usually soft gear buttons in the car somewhere. The bricking is crazy and I totally believe that it is something that they would do.

One day a foreign entity will hack Tesla and brick them all. I’m not interested in a car that can be bricked remotely.

You bought one and was test driving another, I would say your are a trash fan!

You're probably using the word"brick" differently than most people use/understand it

ummm. the 2021 is a good one. i wanted to try a new one... you never wanted to upgrade?

Dude, get real, nobody senior at Tesla gives a shit about this. The entire operation revolves around keeping Elon content and if anyone did DM a customer he/she would probably be fired. There’s plenty of better options on the market from automakers that make some attempt at satisfying customers.

perhaps

Why would you want to upgrade from "the good" trash?

thats not the point. quality brands have a presence in reddit subs to protect their brand.

and this is more of a PSA. what if a pregnant woman does a demo and gets stuck somewhere?

i didnt assume that after 4 years of development one of the largest companies in the world would DOWNGRADE their car.

Tesla stock just went up with this story 😂

Hey the trunk opens when you walk up to it now! Your car can't do that!

lol

You have to touch the screen to change gears???? Whaaaat?!?!?

As a pregnant woman, thanks for the heads up and for caring.

2018 model 3s had way more features than new ones. Crazy luxuries like ultra sonic sensors. Radar sensors, and turn stalks.

Tesla has never been a quality brand. They've regularly been at the bottom of quality lists.

yes. or the roof. lmao. hot trash.

Its because you're using the term Bricked incorrectly. It sounds like they just set up the loaner vehicles to turn off exactly after 48 hours which seems like a security feature for them. The lack of communication and support is a different issue which I agree is pretty embarrassing.

honestly, i like my 2021, and i do get another one, it wont be a new one. thats for sure.

To be fair at least you have the brain power to notice it’s a downgrade. Many people are so deep into Tesla fandom that they convince themselves every change is fantastic.

Not “bricked” just no longer operable by you. Probably something in the fine print when you agreed to the test drive terms. They definitely need a smoother way to restore functionality for cases like yours, but you also failed to meet the terms of the rental period so you kinda FAFO the hard way with a careless brand.

Could be true, but the only thing I signed was their iPad with my contact details. It is possible that there were terms including this, but it is still a terrible idea. And they never verbalized this whatsoever as a possibility.

Bricked implies it is either locally or remotely disabled. All that happens when you dont return it after 48hrs is you are removed automatically as a guest driver. The vehicle owner (in this case Tesla itself) would have to re-add you for vehicle access. Not defending how tesla handles customer service by any means, but "bricking" a car implies that manual recovery/repair is needed in order for it to drive again. In the context of EVs, bricking a car is usually done by physically blowing the HV Pyro fuses to prevent the HV from powering anything, by purposefully installing bad firmware or wiping existing firmware for the car or ECUs. All of this can easily be done remotely, but is highly likely not what happened in this case. Still shitty for there not to be a reminder or warning prior to this happening.

“If anyone senior from Tesla see this, dm me” Yeah I’m sure they’ll dive right on that bud. 😂

Semantics

Driving a car that can be shut down at any time by a fascist billionaire is a bad idea

Tesler sells appliances. You will get better service and support from the lowest rated appliance repair shop.

I mean to be fair if you look at the Volkswagen, Nazis historically have made pretty decent cars.

That’s the worst part… just bricking itself. They should give you a two hour grace period and give you a clear countdown with clear instructions on the best place to park it if you can’t make it back, and a phone number to call for assistance. Maybe you’re 10 minutes away and they can extend that 2 hour limit another 10 minutes. Geez, they know where the car is by GPS.

None of your issues matter because the car will drive itself by 2077. SpaceX Bitcoin rocket propulsion package will come shortly thereafter.

Nah you just didn't read the full agreement when you checked out the car. Clearly states you are removed from vehicle access and that you should bring the car back before 48hrs or leave it in place and call tesla to pick it up if you won't make it. Your car was never bricked and your original post is an insane exaggeration.

yes yes yes. all of this.

On the no buttons, or switches... They cost more than software on the screen that is already there. Elon cuts things out, to cut costs, and pretends it is an upgrade and thus charges more for less cost.

when you test drive a honda do they tell you to be back in 14 mins and 22 seconds or else the car wont move? lets be real

100% factual. what motivates me to lie? go do a demo drive for yourself and test it.

Lol.  You should contact their PR dept about this issue.

1) It feels like Tesla is currently rearranging the chairs on the Titanic and care nothing of their customers. 2) What if Tesla decides to just turn every car off? Suppose they go the way automakers often do and go bankrupt, and just unplug the master switch?

Maybe she’ll be smart enough not to exceed the 48-hour window of *48 hour test drive*?

give your head a shake my guy

I am American living in Mexico. BYD is the answer to this problem. Unfortunately, it’s N/A on your side of the border. If it were, these stories wouldn’t exist because Tesla wouldn’t exist. Good luck.

we can only wish. i would love a chinese EV

Lesson learned, I hope.

That’s a good one.

I would have just left the car there and not returned any calls.

sounds on par to the typical Tesla experience

That would require caring at all or being remotely competent, both are unacceptable to tesla.

Mine does, so long as I press a button on my keychain, but that bitch pops up like a virgin on prom night.

i would have if my car wasnt parked at the dealer lol

Did you eat at the Tesla Diner?

Better not have the audacity to ever publicly complain/criticise about tesla or felon in any way.

MUSKED.

But thats what your missing up on with the new amazing features. You can just walk up to it, but you need the new bluetooth. Its not like a camera could do it or some thing.

Do you know if the high beam controls are still only on screen?

This will happen, imagine the ransom they could charge.

i think thats a button on the steering wheel, never checked. wouldnt be surprised. soon youll probably steer with the screen too. why should tesla spend 1k on the steering wheel? /s

you mean touch the roof to change gears, or touch the screen to change roof? Genuine question, I'm not sure which sounds more stupid...

Sounds like you got exactly what you deserve.

Bro, I returned the car late once because a friend had insane diarrhea, so we waited a bit. I brought the car back 15 minutes late, and the showroom guy didn’t make a big deal, he just said, “Next time bring it back earlier.” The next time I went in to test drive the Model S, they wouldn’t even let me drive it, let alone buy it. Turns out the manager, who acted nice at first, put some restriction on me. I couldn’t use the Tesla app or anything tied to my name. I called Tesla support, and they said it would be “repaired” or something, but to this day I can’t step into a single showroom without getting kicked out. Anyone with me gets flagged too. All this just for being 15 minutes late. I’ve driven cars for way longer at other car dealerships and never had an issue. That’s exactly why I’ll never buy a Tesla, and why I stick to ICE cars. Fuck electric cars.

damn

lol...right

The screen thing was my question as well when I rented one. First thought was what if this stops working like on my old phone and what if it gets cracked, are you just dead in the water? Stupid ass car

Don’t make that mistake again.

dumbest thing they ever did

Tesla produces 700 000 cars less than BMW, yet is valued at all of the major manufacturers combined. They are not one of the largest companies in the world. They are however really good at selling false promises.

This has nothing to do with cars being electric…

Well I could tell you thousands more but I worked there for a little bit lmao. This was before I knew how shitty of a company they were though. I actually really wanted to work there 😂. Now I basically have ptsd about the place.

"Largest" only in terms of stock market capitalization. And now you have learned that this form of "largeness" is not unlike the kind Elmo sought with his botched implant surgery. It's fake.

I can't say that I've ever been interested in doing an overnight test drive of a car. I'd certainly pay very close attention to the details of the return

like how he runs Starlink

Why were you in one to begin with?

I recently traded my two remaining Tesla for a Lucid Air and a Taycan so I’m no Tesla fanboy. Having said this, 48 hours is a generous enough amount of time to be able to test drive a car and have it back on time.

Not the point

GO... FUCK...YOURSELF. - Elon Musk.

Yeah, this is the real question. Who is (redacted) enough to consider buying a Tesla in 2025?

Turn stalks? Holy shit! Genius of Tesla!

The car was swirving off the road with FSD. I didn't include that part. All the hype is bs.

I’m pretty sure all the senior staff has left the building. Only people left have nicknames like Big Balls and are like 20 years old.

Read the contract when you signed before you took the car. 48 hours is 48 hours not any less or anymore. Lmao what a fool.

"it's not a bug, it's a feature"

They are busy selling Tesla stock.

This is why I love my car, it never gets "bricked".

I mean he did literally explain why it happened.

18 years old more like it, only teenagers lol

Better off tweeting Elon directly lol

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This is why BYD will kill off Tesla, that and Elon dicking about in the Oval Office for a few months.

This hypothetical woman is about to be responsible for a brand new life, it’s better she learn these lessons sooner.

All emails to Teslas pr department goes to /dev/null

What in Teslas actions the last years have made you think they care? I am mostly worried myself as Tesla have asked if they can test drive their autopilot in my extremely bike heavy town. Bikes do whatever they like here, as in no respect for laws, light and similar - so it is a great test for a good self driving car. But I do not trust Tesla.and thin we will see hospital visits if they get an OK.

A quality brand do not give anyone 48 h of test drive. That is a desperate brand that let you have a car more than 1 hour.

> No warning. No grace period. No support. Just a $70,000 brick. something about the structure of this sentence that makes it so obvious you used AI.

Consider yourself lucky that you got to experience this without purchasing the car! It’s a good lesson.

Part of the plot of the new "The Naked Gun" movie.

First one. There’s a gear selector on the roof, as well as on the screen

Newb company

Then you have learned nothing.

Probably low voltage battery. Jump it like any other car.

You clearly have never owned a Golf TDI. That thing was only slightly less of a POS than Goebbels.

I just shared your post with a cousin that has a test drive coming up. Good to know that “you’re fucked” is their go to if you accidentally go over.

They are actually overwhelmed with orders recently due to tax credit expiring, hence the lack of customer service.

Make sure they give you a physical key if you do again

Why would you even consider a Tesla?

Another fake post with more Tesla hate replies. This sub is the worst.

id leave the car on the side of the road, call an uber, and tell them to send a tech to pick it up. fuck em

With all the information available to you in this day and age, if you took a Tesla for a spin not expecting to get screwed over somehow, then shame on you

We live in a world where empathy no longer exists in customer service.  I’m not looking for the guy behind the counter to apologize when the app doesn’t work. It’s not their fault.  But I am looking for a bit of shared humanity — “I’m so sorry you had to deal with this…” You’re unlikely to get that anymore. So, hey, let me be the one to say, that sounds like a really shitty experience. Food poisoning always sucks, but to get stranded by a self-bricking vehicle? That just suhhhhhks.

No need for a 2 hour grace period. Then you essentially just have a 50h limit and people will complain why didn’t they just get a bit more time just in case. Clear instructions and some warning would be a good and easy idea though. The rest really is on the person with the car to get it back when they are supposed to. If you have 2 days with the car there is no need to cut it that close to the time limit to return it.

Why do you think anyone cares? You don’t care yourself, you drive a Tesla. Don’t all of a sudden once bad things happen to you expect the world to up and care about you. You are the problem.

You are waking up and seeing Elon does not care about you?

Sure, but bricking a car on somebody without any warning is just dangerous. Also, there should be some sort of customer service intervention possible for this situation. But no, Tesla doesn’t do human interaction very well.

On #2 has anyone tried removing/disabling the telematics system in a Tesla? I'm assuming it'll throw a bunch of errors/brick the system. But I know on older "connected car" systems (OnStar CDMA days) it could be disconnected with the only consequence being the telematics system and buttons would stop working.

Didn’t a guy write a song about Tesla’s and they bricked his cybertruck?

While it is absolutely not good to have no physical way to select gears, it’s worth noting that the only gears to be selected is forwards or backward. There aren’t multiple forward gears like in a manual or traditional automatic. I still don’t like the idea of no physical lever in an emergency, and I would never buy a car like that unless it was no longer possible to have it any other way.

Can’t tell if sarcasm.

There are many good reasons not to buy a Tesla. You just mentioned a few. There are way better, way cheaper and way less annoying cars out there

Sounds pretty crappy all around, thanks for sharing the story. It blows my mind the tech support people right off the bat didnt say: it will shut down after exactly 48hrs. It doesnt surprise me in the least they did that... but it speaks volumes about the quality and training of support that they wouldn't be aware of that little gem. Not sure what more to say, your posts indicate you would buy another... so I guess you aren't that upset by how the company treats its customers. Personally this is just one of a thousand stories I have read on here which absolutely ensure I will never buy one. But it is thoughtful of you to want to make this clear and out there should someone with a health condition ever try and return one right at the 11th hour.

Learn what lesson, exactly? That shithead tech companies will fuck you over and leave you no recourse? Wow what useful insight the school of hard knocks bestows

Personal responsibility matters. Even if they are a shithead tech company, this buffoon would have known this could happen to him with a little preparation and research. Don’t just do shit because you have faith in it all working out.

At this point, anyone still having anything to do with Tesla should blame themselves only. You had more than enough time to figure it all out.

You can get a sweet used Taycan for that.

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Correct. It’s a different, yet salient point and we can keep more than one thought going simultaneously, no? And that point is that you are acting like a whiny little child because you’re own failure to abide by the rules landed you in a difficult situation and you are trying to externalize the locus of responsibility on Tesla rather than accepting the fact that you fucked up.

> If anyone senior from tesla sees this, dm me. Oh my sweet summer child.

This forum is harsh. That really sucks. Hope you get your money back soon.

fElon is a "real men of genius" shampoo commercial

I mean you did decide to test drive a swastikar so idk why you would expect it to be pleasant, consider it the universe telling you it's a shit car and saving you money

Not sarcasm. That's the backup option in case the screen is dead.

Oh that makes sense.  Wait no it doesn’t. What the fuck.

I think you’d be discounting how deeply integrated the telematics is in a Tesla. Much of their vehicles are designed around telematics and communication back to the mothership. The OnStar callout seems very different. Those systems were essentially bolt-ons to OEMs, whereas Tesla is fully integrated end-to-end. They made data and telematics a focal point of their vehicles from day one.

The fact that Tesla can (and does) brick a car makes it a complete non-starter (pun intended) as a purchase. Fuck them.

Correct, that's what I figure and why I said "I'm assuming it'll throw a bunch of errors/brick the system". I was curious however if anyone tried it/had a report of what happened. Reason I pointed out OnStar is it was still fully integrated via canbus and interacted with a large majority of vehicle systems and is why I found it surprising those systems could be disconnected without further issues.

I still feel like OnStar sat “on top” of those systems vs being fully integrated. But who knows. In the case of Tesla, it’d basically take software + hardware level hacking to accomplish the end result. From what I’ve researched, their cars are actually quite secure. Nothing is impossible, but I suspect it’d be no light or easy task..and have marginal results

You know people can’t control when they feel sick yeah?

He obviously didn’t know he was going to get food poisoning when he took the car for a drive. What a stupid comment.

My sister has a model 3 and she likes it but she definitely loves her ford Mach e more, primarily because she loves the service.

I can criticize Tesla for a lot, but not for your stupidity. Grow up!

What do you mean? Losing more of the already minimal interior totally makes the car sooooo futuristic and amazing /s

Do you think computers care? Because that's what he was driving--a computer with a fool-proof ant-theft device. Cutting it close regardless of reason was never going to end well.

I’m not sure if it’s different where you’re at, but where I’m at there is always a salesperson with you on the test drive so there is no worry about you returning the car.

Tbqh, sounds like the car actually broke down. I was at the service center one time talking to the parts guy to get a new strut, while waiting for him to get it, I overheard the test drive people talking about how a a car that was supposed to be returned 2 hours ago was going the opposite direction 200 miles away and how they couldn’t do anything about it but keep calling the police. Came back a few days later coz they needed to order the strut and asked them about the car. It was just stolen and they still haven’t gotten it, even though they were able to see it was at a garage a few hundred miles away. Was the car just dead? Or did it have messages on the center screen?

Yeah nothing unexpected ever happens in life. Especially with a newborn child. You’re delusional. I’m not the the one who got bricked out of a car I didn’t own because I wasn’t aware of the terms and conditions of me borrowing it to go run errands for a couple days,

I’m delusional? It’s stupid to think someone should plan around anything that could possibly happen. If you were to do that, why even bother doing anything?

😂

They used to have one that replied with a shit emoji, does it not even do that anymore?

Well 48hours is 48hours not 48 hours 30 minutes

Bro, you should be aware what happens if you keep a test vehicle too long. You can’t just stay in a hotel room forever, they have checkout times. Would you bitch to the internet if the Hilton locked you out of the room you paid for last night at 5pm the next day? Stop making excuses because this guy forgot to take his car back and may or may not have shit his pants.

I was in South Africa for work back in 2013 to 2016 and have rented quite a few Polos. One time I got a brand new Polo. It was a tough car for going on the gravel roads.

Getting rid of the industry-standard turn signal stalk was insane. This is like selling computers with some bizarre 25-key keyboard and expecting users who are accustomed to QWERTY keyboards to adapt to it. Moronic. But that's what toxic narcissist billionaires do, I suppose. Gotta dance to their tune.

They clearly didn’t forget. You ever had food poisoning? Doesn’t surprise me that they were late from it. Also explaining to places these sorts of things will usually give you a tiny bit of leeway. Tesla also would’ve been able to see if the dude was bringing it back or not. Would’ve wasted more time towing the car than letting the guy bring it back, even if it was late.

You would be a horrible software designer. Or horrible designing any kind of system for humans to use for that matter. You should apply at Tesla. Apparently they’d love to have you.

What an inane analogy.🤦🏻‍♂️

Sounds like they have some work to do to earn your business Jk it’s not a great car there are better options

You're missing the point, I presume deliberately. Good design for daily use has nothing to do with it. It's about theft-deterence. The car turns into a brick after 48 hours not because it's a good system for humans to use but because it's exceedingly difficult to steal that way. I suppose ideally after 48 hours it would return itself to the dealership, but we all know what Tesla's "autopilot" is like. Actually, most people here don't. They've neither driven nor owned a Tesla.

A good system would have warnings and/or a grace period. People run late. Things come up. A properly designed system would account for these things. It certainly shouldn’t assume that a prospective customer hitting the time limit is now a car thief.

i keep telling people the cars can be driven remotely. driven off bridges and cliffs and into buildings. remotely. why anyone would get in one is a mystery.

I'm not a fan of Tesla's or Elon or anything like that but at the same time...why are you here with a big post about a situation where you screwed up. It sucks you got sick but it was a test drive...why would you need more than 48 hours? Why would there need to be a grace period for a test drive? You passed 48 hrs, they bricked the car. You called roadside assistance, they came and picked up you and the car. You missed the timeline and it may be shitty customer service but you probably could have called them BEFORE the 48 hours ran out and arranged for them to pick up the car. That said, like others have said...no one senior at Tesla will care about this...the senior folk that made the brand what it was were purged long ago most likely.

richrebuilds has done some videos on the EV cars where the company went bankrupt. its pretty grim. because obvious secret car company isnt going to just tell people its secrets after going bankrupt.

Thanks for the laugh loving my Model 3 Performance.

Why should they apologize? Shouldn't you be the one apologizing for not returning it on time?

I felt compassion until you started with the "hunk of junk" nonsense.

This isn't a system for daily living. This is a security system designed to prevent theft. Once you've blown past the deadline, you are now indeed a propsective thief. Does that make your feel badly about yourself? Why does a system have to assume you need to be held by the hand? You're an adult with a drivers license and are old enough to buy a car. Rather than your nannying assumptions, why can it not assume that people are adults and can track time and don't need a voice of doom counting down with big red numbers that take over the display? In this fantasy of hand-holding of yours, do these count-down numbers start out discreet and then get bigger? Does the warning voice start out polite and then get more insistent? When does it hector people for being incapable of managing their affairs? And really, why a grace period? You have 48 hours with the car--why would you take it far enough away that you'd be racing back to the dearership by the skin of your teeth? I live near two Tesla dealerships and ever major highway to get to them is under constructing. The papers have actually posted notices of which interstates will be shut down (jeez, this city...). Why can people not pan accordingly. You know, like an adult who's being temporarily entrusted with someone else's property. You have done nothing but argue for fecklessnes.

That's insane. When I did the 48h test I asked what would happen if I was late and they just said I would be black listed from ever test driving a Tesla ever again.

No, it has an auto shift that makes it so you very rarely have to shift at all. On the rare case you need to, you slide on the edge of the screen or touch a button near the rear view mirror, but that's used less than 5 percent of the time. Also it didn't brick the car, it just removed the phone key. If it had been in gear it would have kept going.

Lol. I blacklisted myself.

There's buttons near the review mirror as well as a backup, but normally you don't select gear at all. 95+ percent of the time it knows what you're trying to do contextually and just does it for you.

95 percent of the time it shifts for you without having to touch anything. If you need to correct it and the screen is broken, the buttons by the rear view mirror are a backup.

They didn't brick it. They removed it from OP's phone so he couldn't start it anymore after he stopped it. They took the key away when he failed to return it on time.

Because LoJack was never a thing in ice vehicles...

It didn't brick. They removed the car from his app which meant he couldn't use the car anymore.

48 hours!! He could have called the dealership before his time was up!

What did you expect to happen in the 48 hour mark? For them to keep letting you ride in their car? The nerve of some people.

You would think limp mode to allow to pull over safely and move the car

Well, clearly your name rocks.

70k for that fucking shit? hahahaha what the fuck.

Good lord dude Elon isn't gonna let you suck it

What haven't they done that to our cell phones or computers or other smart devices yet? Maybe there are some cases? I know many items such as cameras are remotely hacked by the manufacturers, but I think its in everyone in powers interest to keep the money in the world flowing to a degree of not bricking 7 million cars across the globe

And they don’t have time to read here, got to fire some more federal agencies

OP was 30mins late with the return…I wouldn’t expect anything less of Tesla lol

Imagine it happen in rushed crossroads or at railway crossing.

people turn on each other now? was it that easy?

I got bad news for you, every modern car can be disabled by the manufacturer. And they do as well. But because they are not tesla its not news.

Boy i hope you never find out about public transport.

All moderns cars can be bricked. Tesla is not the odd one out here.

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In a normal automatic car you have to litteraly disassmble the interior of the car to get to the emergency gear selector. Teslas version is top tier in comparison to any other carmaker in this regard.

What would a physical selector change? There is no gearbox.

I would have walked away from the car and left the dealership an angry voicemail.

Once a year or so when I have to visit the Tesla service center to buy a part to fix a feature I never wanted, they always start with: “Your car is 9 years old and out of warranty. Have you considered buying a new one?” And I always have to tell them I literally can’t drive any of their current vehicles, because they don’t have physical buttons for things I need to use while driving. My Model S has 3 stalks! Yet even it is missing the important headlight control, which is required here in California to comply with “Daylight Headlight Section” signs. Easy to automate that in software, yet 9 years later I’m still waiting 🤷‍♀️

This seems over-complicated. Like having digital buttons to open the doors as well as manual backup door release handles. Many cars have windows that go up into the door jam to reduce wind noise, yet they use simple reliable mechanical sequencing to ensure the window retracts a bit in time for the door to open. And you can still use the same handle to get out if power is lost. Heck even the original Model S does it that way!

To be clear: All cars made after 2016 can get remotely bricked - you just haven’t experienced it. Like the majority of Tesla drivers. This doesn’t make it a good idea though. It’s just part of the “enshitification of everything ™”.

Did you have to put out any money for the tow? I assume no right?

Given the folks Elon runs with, we hope they are at least 18. Elon, you downloaded all the government records, Release the Epstein files!

How dare you make fun of the 25-key keyboard! You’ve obviously never used one! It’s so much more convenient to use a 5-key combo for basic cursor key movement. It’s the way of the future!

I hope nobody is in the habit of stopping on a railroad crossing and getting out of the vehicle!

OP is being intentionally misleading (not a shocker for this sub). The car did not brick itself, it deactivated his phone key after he had already pulled over and he couldn’t start it again. If he kept driving he would’ve been fine. It’s not like the car suddenly stopped responding to commands or stopped in the middle of the road.

Yeah I learned how to drive a car like 16 years ago I’m all set on all that lmao.

I’m mean there probably is a Hokey Pokey dance you can do to work around whatever issue but the problem is no one knows how to do any of the shit until it’s too late. Nor does anyone think they need to relearn how to drive a car, they think it’s supposed to work as it should. Like they always have lmao. And who wants worse mileage hell even turning on the lights will make the car go less far and they want to advertise that you can play video games on it? Yeah that might be fun if you plan on going nowhere.

You were test driving a new Tesla? What are you - some kind of Nazi lover?!

That's not mandatory until 2026.

I worked for 3 carmanufacturers, i know for a fact all three could do this a decade ago and its not a secret that they and most others can as well. Its pretty well talked about on defcon even.

no fan of tesla but you had 48 hours, WTH hell else are you going to learn after about the 24 hour point? They probably thought was stolen.

The car is at the side of the road, as useless as a brick, and is not responding to commands and is indeed stopped. No, it didn't happen in the middle of the road. But how is OP being intentionally misleading by stating these facts?

Meaning the car was as good as a brick to him.

You lost any sympathy with just the headline

There's video of a Tesla advancing on a rail crossing in FSD even though the barriers are down, the lights are all flashing, and the train is coming. Stopping would be an improvement!

They can see its location. OP was on his way back. It's not difficult (except for Tesla).

He was being misleading because the car wasn’t bricked, he was locked out. If you really don’t see a difference between the two, perhaps that’s your problem.

I agree customer service is a complete shit show.How ever I am on my second plaid and the plaid is an amazing vehicle. No significant vehicle issues yet( knock on wood). But you are 100 percent correct.tesla doesn’t give a fck and that comes from the top, need I say more

Teslas are very dependent on cellular data connections to function, what happens if Tesla goes bankrupt and stops paying for all that cellular network access?

This is a typical thing to do when dealing with a stolen car, which is what it is when they fail to return it as agreed upon. It also doesn't shut the car down mid drive, only prevents them from putting it in gear again after they stop, allowing Tesla to recover the vehicle.

Sure, connected cars are all susceptible to the evil nasty government deciding to turn them off, but this was more about cars getting bricked due to software _failures_ not software working as intended. Notwithstanding I think I would prefer to drive a car that can be remotely bricked by a lawful court order rather than a ketamine-addled, capricious, and vindictive manchild. I've never heard of anyone waking up one morning to find their car didn't work because they tweeted something that upset the CEO of Ford, GM, Toyota, or Honda, [Elon Musk](https://theweek.com/69234/elon-musk-cancels-rude-bloggers-tesla-order), on the [other hand](https://www.forbes.com/sites/markjoyella/2024/01/09/elon-musk-silencing-his-critics-as-journalists-are-suspended-by-x/) has a [long, documented history](https://www.businessinsider.com/jet-tracking-meta-ban-jack-sweeney-faith-social-media-2024-10?op=1) of [using his companies](https://www.jalopnik.com/tesla-ordered-to-hire-back-pro-union-employee-ortiz-1850312651/) to [punish people](https://www.reuters.com/business/aerospace-defense/eight-spacex-employees-say-they-were-fired-speaking-up-against-elon-musk-2022-11-17/) for disagreeing with him.

My 2018 EV isn’t even online. Good luck trying to brick it.

i had a 2016 bmw that was capable.

I would've left it there and Uber'd home

I suppose everyone knows how he shut down Starlink right as it was needed by Ukraine going into battle against the Ruskies.

"Are you driving now?" Yup, just casually composing this email while I drive, NBD. This type of experience is surprising, but honestly it shouldn't surprise anybody. They have no marketing or PR team, and the brand is supported by Elon's cult of personality.

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> No turning signal stock. No gear shift stock This means the newest Teslas will never again get a 5-star NCAP crash safety rating... > Starting Jan 1, 2026 [...] a car must use analog controls—buttons, stalks, or dials—for five tasks: turn signals, emergency flashers, horn, windshield wipers, and calling emergency services (eCall SOS, in Europe) https://www.hagerty.com/media/news/buttons-are-best-says-euro-safety-org-years-after-everyone-knew-it/

Your first mistake is you chose Tesla for a test drive.

He faked that for publicity

Correct answer.

It is a hunk of junk. Stop gargling Elon's ballsack and be objective.

Hmm

Bro, Elon is on another social network

It could've been worse. The battery could have flashed over spontaneously and the doors locked with you still inside (they often do that in response to a fire). At least you're still alive. Tesla vehicles are full of screens and flashy gadgets but they're poorly constructed, vastly overpriced glued-together deathtraps. Thankfully they're no longer the main option for EVs. Traditional automakers have their own lines of more reasonably priced and better built cars. Plus you're not supporting a fascist freak show.

Yeah but no other car manufacturer is run by a fascist man child.

just because not every CEO own their own social media platform doesnt mean they are not fashists. ask any german, they can probably list off large german companies that has fasist leadership like naming their top 10 soccer players. even a cursory google search would result in a bunch of names from companies wich you will have products from at home or used in public.

Learn the lesson you were taught Do Not Buy Tesla!

Having to hit the brake to change gears makes car washes interesting.

“My fans won’t care and I’m saving money”

As much as I despise the Nazimobiles, why would they NOT shut down after 48 hours? It’s a test drive not a rental. Return it on time.

Not only that, but if the car doesn’t have power, the manual door release is quite hard to get at if you don’t know where to find it. You have to reach into the pocket on the door, lift the felt/carpet, open the latch that hides it, and pull hard on the red tab inside. My husband asked if we should consider a Tesla to replace my car and I said nope. I won’t even consider it until my kids are out of car seats. They’d never be able to get to the manual door release while strapped in a 5-point harness.

I wouldn't consider a Tesla if I even won the lotto

I mean, at this point I absolutely wouldn’t either but around a decade ago I had some interest in them lol

we can only assume a white supremecist.

Which still has nothing to do with the car being electric.

Bro no one wants to drive an electric car. Go touch grass.

I’m so confused. When did you apologize for being 30 minutes late bringing back a car you already had for 2 days. The entitlement in the post is bizarre. Sounds like Tesla let you drive a car for free for two days and you didn’t even have the courtesy for the other people waiting to bring the car back on time. Imagine the person who was scheduled after you and didn’t get to drive because of your selfishness.

i'm still trying to figure out your point on this one. some public transport maybe driven by computer, i'd assume some kind of subway or train. most have human operators/engineers though.

“And, as a side note, the new tesla is a hunk of crap. No turning signal stock. No gear shift stock. Who wants to touch the screen to change gears? What is the screen stops working (as the often do...).?” That’s why Australia is banning tech like this in cars. Too many accidents.

they are all about shareholder interest and could care less about the end user. It's profit maximization and safeguards for preserving them. Unfortunately, this all sounds pretty dystopian to me.

No one cares at Tesla. I would not buy their car.

This is what you get when you buy a Nazi car from a Nazi🤷‍♀️

And this is why I have a car that's over 57 years old 😁🥰

That's what I said! Only a Nazi or Nazi sympathizer would buy one of those cars in 2025! In fact if anyone bought a Tesla after 2020 they knew they were supporting white supremacist nazi racists and that's on them and I hope they get all the Karma that comes to them for supporting the dismantling of our democracy.

Tesla bad, mmmkay?

Tesla delivered approximately 384,122 vehicles in the second quarter of 2025.

It continues to astonish me that the board lets him stay on. He does not have a controlling interest. And he’s cray. OP, I’m assuming when you say there was no apology you meant *you* did not apologize. You should have, you’re the one that breached the agreement.

I'm surprised they didn't just let you arrive late and then charge you for the extra time. They know exactly who has the car, they can see exactly where it's located, they can likely even see you on an inside camera. Should have just thrown up on the passenger's seat to avoid missing the deadline.

that's why there's white hat hackers given awards if they find ways in. One was once given a Tesla for free because he found an exploit in the supercharger network that allowed him to hack any car.

there's hidden buttons in the ceiling between the visors to change gear if the screen stops working. They only light up sometimes, like if the screen stops.

You can change the gear if the screen is off. The gear selector is on the roof.

then Elon sues her and takes everything.

so, did you buy it? /s

I don't even think this is real. I can agree their service is sub par but the level that's going to cost them extra money from a tow and not talking to you and turning it back on sounds unliveable. And I'm sure there is somewhere else you can put it in drive or park that is not on the screen just like all the ol Teslas that have lost the stalks in case the screen goes out.

This is also a warning not to cut it so close on returning it. Give yourself a couple hours at the very least before the 48 hour deadline!

When I test drove my EV (not a Tesla) it was a Saturday morning they told me to bring it back Monday whenever I got around to it. Tesla doesn’t trust me,I don’t do business with them.

I mean, if you're not put off from the brand by now, you kind of get what you deserve.

Why would anybody buy a Tesla in 2025 after a decade-long track record of crap quality and egregious customer service?

That's the important word though, *rented*. It wasn't yours, so you don't care about it. It's the same reason you don't let that gearhead friend of your drive your car

Don’t need to touch anything to change gears, at least I don’t. I just tap the break and it goes into R and D. Also never have to put it in P either, just goes into P.

I love my new model y maybe the food poisoning affected your brain. Also the auto shift is awesome

They might be fascists but they are not spending billions helping fascists topple democracy like Elon is.

they actually are. they spend a LOT of money on supporting parties like AFD in germany. they are obviously not spending elon-money but they do spend a LOT. its not exactly a secret. they are just a lot less charismatic and attention seeking like musk and trump.

Read The Fall of Rome. We are at the point where democracy turns into mod rule which is the end state of democracy. It was not easy, it took 250 years of people not caring. Elon destroyed America with Doge, go look up PBS replacement in schools. I bet you are the problem too. Then people still drive their Tesla like they are doing good, fuck no. People support the billionaires who are taking everything from them. Learn to care more guys. Until then enjoy the Fall of USA.

Like who?

I mean that's on you for trying to buy a Nazi car.

$70000 M3?? You’re getting hosed!

Yup, welcome to life.

You know that no seniors at any of the major car companies would care about this. The idea that this is a Tesla thing.

I’m very happy with my model y, my car is great, no quality issues, never needed customer service. The few times i did I got appt right away, never had an issue. My guess is you never drove one, or couldn’t afford one anyway, you just hate. Which is ok, but let’s be clear about you.

It’s not. Op is trolling

Makes you want to buy a Tesla, doesn’t it?

Got it, dont buy modern cars.

Can you quote a time when starlink was shut down by Elon's decision?

[Musk ordered shutdown of Starlink satellite service as Ukraine retook territory from Russia](https://www.reuters.com/investigations/musk-ordered-shutdown-starlink-satellite-service-ukraine-retook-territory-russia-2025-07-25/)

Perfect, exactly what i was waiting for. What you've linked is fake news. Starlink was never enabled in Crimea, Ukraine requested it be enabled for the attack mentioned, but it was not granted as there was a sanction on Crimea by the US government which does not allow it. It was never turned off, and it was never enabled because doing so is illegal. Maybe you should stop spreading bullshit when you don't know what you're talking about, and do some research first. And because you're just going to downvote me without reading, here are multiple sources. It's also mentioned in the article that you linked, but i doubt you even read it. [Starlink in the Russian-Ukrainian War - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Starlink_in_the_Russian-Ukrainian_War) [Musk says he didn't turn on Starlink near Crimea due to US sanctions on Russia](https://kyivindependent.com/musk-says-he-didnt-turn-on-starlink-due-to-us-sanctions-on-russia/) [Elon Musk biographer moves to 'clarify' details on Ukraine, Starlink](https://www.cnbc.com/2023/09/09/elon-musk-biographer-moves-to-clarify-details-on-ukraine-starlink.html)

You drive a car from a company who's lead is a Nazi. You support a Nazi. You're the problem.

Whoah. I just started a 48hr test drive. This is good to know.

Sorry you had toblearn the hard way. But yea, much better evs out there.

You didn't have the key? Could be why...

She'd pull over, give birth and name it *^@!?£

Hold on, if you're worried that your kids couldn't operate the release from their harness, then what do you suppose they'll do if they can open the door but are still strapped in a harness? Also, kids aren't *supposed* to be able to open the doors. That's the entire point of a child safety lock, which has been mandatory on all cars in the US for 40 years.

You bought a 2021 m3, you’ll buy this. I’m sure after you pay for it they’ll unbrick it. But I’m confused about why the support people were asking if you were driving a bricked car…. if they thought it was running why didn’t they just enter the dealership as a FSD destination? For years things like Roomba find their charging port, so Tesla should wait 48 hours and return to dealer, right? Are they really too stupid to think of this?

He’s probably not in the Epstein files, but if he released them you know Trump would release something on Eloon for revenge. Does anyone doubt Eloon has his own skeletons in the closet? That can’t be found by the FBI, CIA, NSA, … under presidential order?

By tweeting you mean Xing…. He doesn’t acknowledge tweets.

I’m guessing her last name is Stone.

I will call it Twitter til the end of time. All time fumble changing the name IMO

As OP owned said, but the amazing part is what Tesla decided to do about it. At least they didn’t do an execution after 60 hours (hey the OP did go over 48, right?) Too bad Tesla technology was incapable of: Have someone call Or text Or flash notice on screen Or get car location, offer to send help at customer expense (kinda like repo) If Waymo designed this they would have it drive back to the dealership, but obviously Tesla admits their cars are incapable of L4 self drive (as promised 10 years ago?). Their choice: disable car, wherever the potential customer is. Service rep plays with them on phone, won’t restart car, but will send a tow truck for a “new” car.

lol do you honestly believe this is how car rental companies react when you rent for 2 days and call them after 2 1/2 and say “I went past 2 days but I’m trying to bring the car back now. It’s not running, you can get it running please do so so I can return it”. No, they would work to get everything resolved. I might even add “you offered FSD for 10 years, can you just set yourself as the destination and bill me for the extra 1/2 day, thanks”

I’ve seen it before. I worked for a company that had trouble building a product called System 500. They had a contest to come up with a better name. The winner? System 5000. Yep, the company had big problems. I moved in…

It's hard to think of a name that creative! Lol

Like for the sister of the wife of Mitch mc Coneld . It was clearly a murder to send him a message

I love my 2021 M3. It’s got 80k miles & hasn’t given me any issues. But, its resale value has been intentionally tanked by Elon. That alone has me frustrated. But when I look at new teslas I tell myself the same thing, “never again” It’s a real bummer but I’m not buying a Tesla ever again. Completely done with all the bullshit

Who still thinks teslas are anything other than death traps? You will be melted so thoroughly inside one that your bones will disintegrate. Jfc

Wow, what dangerous garbage.  Why not just a warning screen and then a count down timer.  So pathetic.  There is a reason these are now nazi cars. No one is going to buy them anymore.

That cant be real. Why would it be on the ceiling. That is insane and poor engineering.

Happy for you! Enjoy your TeSSler!

Are you 1 on Elmo’s baby mamas?

I figure he wasn't personally on the list but I suspect that his orange friend is and I suspect there are others. I don't think Elon has sex with anyone he can't internally impregnate and Epstein knew that wasn't good for his business.

Dude, the new 3 is a miles step up from the older version. I have both, they are not even close

Or just ask for the keycard next time? Never test drove one for a weekend without the keycard

Honestly I like the no buttons and no stalk. Also you can buy a stock if you really dont like not having it.

Thats most cars now unfortunately. Tell me a new car that they cant do that on

Im pretty sure theres a higher risk of a someone crashing into you head on at a high speed than that ever happening.

I know several comapnies that can run these on there own custom servers to re-enable features so it shouldn't be a problem. Luckily its popular enough unlike the majority that go under who are small. There are enough out there they have far better support

Lol imagine having two days but still being unable to be on time.

They run just fine even if gps and network isn't working. Also you can restart the computer while driving so it will work without it

You know tesla exists in China right?

cant fool me. i saw it in a movie. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IniwjSfs4fs](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IniwjSfs4fs)

Tesla stock should be worth $2/share

Tesla is DOOMED , and anyway it’s all about super intelligent androids now . Get a Genesis GV60. Superb vehicle , incredible customer service compared to Tesla

There's no such thing as a $70,000 M3.

Are you that guy from It's Always Sunny?

you're a joke, I work at TESLA, you are tracked and you must bring it back!

Tell me another car company led by a Nazi ceo determined to replace democracy with techno fascism

You were considering buying a car from a nazi, so I have no tears for you. BUT this is a growth opportunity. If you do buy one of these nazi cars, this is the sort of treatment you will get as a customer. Is that what you want? As a driver you can expect to get the finger on a regular basis for giving big stacks of money to a nazi. Is that what you want?

I recently took my M3 in for service and they gave me a ‘22 Y for a loaner, only 8k mi. Car drove smooth, everything seemed fine until I get to the supercharger at 4% battery and it wouldn’t charge. They gave me a lemon car, knowing it had issues with charging, what other reason would a 22 loaner only have 8k miles.. One thing Tesla does not give AF about is customer service

Your phone key gets disconnected once the vehicle is turned off after your scheduled demo drive is over. This is to prevent you accessing the vehicle after the period you agreed to is finished. This would not happen to an owned vehicle, it did not brick itsself, you just turned the car off after your demo so obviously the phone key unpaired. Sorry you had a bad experience but this is 100% user error and not Tesla’s fault.

Other car companies have previous ties, musk just is alot more public. I have no doubt other wealthy ceos have the same beliefs. Tesla is also not only run by musk he is just a loud voice. If other car companies would catch up to Tesla in terms of technology then there would be more available options.

So it’s your fault this happened, you kept the car past the return time. This isn’t a Tesla problem. The new models are way better than the older ones, and screens don’t often go out, and if they do you use the buttons on the roof. By the map lights.

His brother is though....

daaaaayuummm!

You are a bot

It took you a month to come up with that Nazi?