I’m a billionaire and drive a £90k Tesla – but I’m fuming after EV’s catastrophic failure on ‘day warranty ran out’
A BILLIONAIRE was left fuming after his £90,000 Tesla suffered a catastrophic failure - on the day the warranty ran out.
John Caudwell revealed to followers on his X account how his Tesla Model X broke down and slammed the US car brand - claiming they needed to “up their game.”
The 72-year-old ex-used car salesman, of Stoke-on-Trent, who made his fortune by starting Phones4U, which he sold in 2006 for £1.5 billion, shared a photo of his Tesla in the snow at his Ecclehsall mansion.
Along with the pic, he wrote: "'Tesla really needs to up its game to survive, let alone prosper. What kind of appalling customer service is this?
"My Tesla Model X broke down the day the four-year warranty expired. Or possibly just before.
“While still under warranty, we charged it overnight, and by morning - despite being fully charged - it wouldn't move.
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“You'd think this would be straightforward to resolve, but not with Tesla."
John explained to followers that he was forced to use the Tesla app to request help - instead of speaking to a person.
He added: "Frustrated, my security driver (in another car) drove over an hour to the nearest Tesla dealership, only to be told the earliest available appointment was three weeks away.
“Otherwise, I'd have to arrange costly, specialised transport to get the car there because the Model X requires a specific loading method."
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John explained that the car’s main battery has its own eight-year warranty, meaning the repair would be covered if that was the problem.
But if it was the 12-volt auxiliary battery, then that's part of the expired four-year warranty – meaning he would be forced to fork out on repairs.
He said: "Up to now, I have generally loved my Tesla and its many innovations.
“It's a pleasure to drive – despite autonomous controls occasionally causing dangerous brake slamming – and I love that it's environmentally friendly.
"But all of this has really disgusted me and soured my experience of the brand.
“In light of the lack of customer service, we worked on the car ourselves and found, as suspected, the critical 12-volt battery discharged
"After externally charging it, all was good, though we still have no idea why this catastrophic failure occurred. Given their recent reduction in sales and the Chinese onslaught in the EV market, Tesla really needs to up its game to survive, let alone prosper."
The Model X is considered the height of Tesla’s range of cars, offering buyers a spacious cabin with a large panoramic windshield and in-car entertainment, including touchscreens for playing games and streaming videos.
It comes with unique falcon wing doors that provide access to the vehicle.
Its top speed is an impressive 163 mph, while it boasts an estimated range of up to 358 miles.
To that end, a new Chinese car brand that could rival Tesla will begin rolling out affordable EVs in the UK in a matter of weeks.
The tech-focused vehicle can automatically slow down when passing a sign that suggests the speed limit on the road has changed.
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