Vibration problem fixed w/ motor replacement (new version)

I got a call from my Tesla Service Center today informing me that they fixed the vibration problem that occurred at highway speeds since I took delivery of my Cybertruck on Feb 28th. I posted on the problem here. After verifying the existence of the vibration (it was subtle but quite annoying) using a vibration testing instrument, they received an okay from Austin to replace one or both motors as necessary. They first replaced the front motor which didn't eliminate the vibration, so they replaced the rear motor. No vibration! I can pick up my truck on Monday once it's cleaned and charged.

The rear motor was replaced with the new version that Tesla is offering early VIN owners the option to upgrade to for better efficiency and reliability. I wonder if my problem was related to some known reliability issue with CT's permanent magnet motor. Maybe I'll see some range improvement with the new rear motor? The Tesla SC manager said they will send the faulty motor to Austin for technical analysis.

wonder if new motors will fix the latest version Model X vibration issues at 40+mph. Mine is now starting at a lower speed

That’s great news, CG!! I know it’s been quite the ordeal getting it fixed.

Cybergirl said:

I got a call from my Tesla Service Center today informing me that they fixed the vibration problem that occurred at highway speeds since I took delivery of my Cybertruck on Feb 28th. I posted on the problem here. After verifying the existence of the vibration (it was subtle but quite annoying) using a vibration testing instrument, they received an okay from Austin to replace one or both motors as necessary. They first replaced the front motor which didn't eliminate the vibration, so they replaced the rear motor. No vibration! I can pick up my truck on Monday once it's cleaned and charged.

The rear motor was replaced with the new version that Tesla is offering early VIN owners the option to upgrade to for better efficiency and reliability. I wonder if my problem was related to some known reliability issue with CT's permanent magnet motor. Maybe I'll see some range improvement with the new rear motor? The Tesla SC manager said they will send the faulty motor to Austin for technical analysis.

Click to expand...

I took delivery of my AWD CT March 9 with VIN in the 2800 range. I barely drive it, but will now get it on the open road to check for vibration issue. When you say that Tesla is offering early VIN owners the option to upgrade the rear motor, is that something (like an email or in-app message) you received from them directly, or just through your multiple visits to the service center? Thanks for the heads up!

CliffsCT said:

I took delivery of my AWD CT March 9 with VIN in the 2800 range. I barely drive it, but will now get it on the open road to check for vibration issue. When you say that Tesla is offering early VIN owners the option to upgrade the rear motor, is that something (like an email or in-app message) you received from them directly, or just through your multiple visits to the service center? Thanks for the heads up!

Click to expand...

Information on this matter is sketchy. This article sums up what's generally known. Apparently, some owners of early production trucks are being contacted by Tesla with an offer to swap out one of the motors for a study, not saying which one. I was told by Tesla Service that my CT's rear motor was replaced with the improved version. I didn't receive an invitation to have it replaced, however. I have less than 6000 miles driven. They may be looking for high mileage motors at this point.

That's great news! We've been documenting our vibration problems since we picked up our truck also in February in this thread:

https://www.cybertruckownersclub.co...ng-on-cybertruck-repair-since-02-24-24.16618/

Our truck is back at the service center right now in fact (for over a week at this point) so I'm hoping *THIS* time they finally replace the motors. To sum up our multi-page thread, our loooooong wait on getting this issue resolved is basically just down to the Jacksonville, FL service center being woefully understaffed and underequipped. It shouldn't take months to get a service appointment scheduled, especially when you are literally driving it home from the last service appointment and say the problem still exists. "Sorry sir, but our next opening is 10 weeks from now."

Sigh....

PunkOuter said:

That's great news! We've been documenting our vibration problems since we picked up our truck also in February in this thread:

https://www.cybertruckownersclub.co...ng-on-cybertruck-repair-since-02-24-24.16618/

Our truck is back at the service center right now in fact (for over a week at this point) so I'm hoping *THIS* time they finally replace the motors. To sum up our multi-page thread, our loooooong wait on getting this issue resolved is basically just down to the Jacksonville, FL service center being woefully understaffed and underequipped. It shouldn't take months to get a service appointment scheduled, especially when you are literally driving it home from the last service appointment and say the problem still exists. "Sorry sir, but our next opening is 10 weeks from now."

Sigh....

Click to expand...

I can understand your frustration dealing with problems like this . . .

My vibration issue was not serious, but it did annoy me to the point that I would avoid driving between 50 and 65 mph whenever possible. In the beginning I debated whether to even call it to the attention of Tesla (the nearest SC was 160 miles away in Las Vegas). I did make an appointment at that SC on March 6th, and took a test drive with a tech who tried to convince me that it was normal for all-terrain tires. He suggested I put a thousand miles on the vehicle to see if it improves. He also said they didn't have the equipment to balance the truck's large wheels. I rotated the tires on my own to no effect on the vibration.

After well over 1000 miles the vibration hadn't gone away so when I returned to my home in Illinois I made another appointment at a SC 20 miles away on May 13th. Another test drive with a tech who acknowledged the vibration and suggested it was likely due to the foam lining separating from the inside of a tire. I was given a loaner for two days while they balanced the wheels, and, indeed, they found foam separation in one of the rear tires. They replaced the tire.
Driving home, I so wanted to find that the vibration was gone, but it wasn't gone. I made another appointment for June 6th. I mistakenly went in a day early. The service manager was nice enough to have a senior tech take a test drive with me. He reported that he heard “rumbling” between 50 and 70 mph with minor vibration. He wanted to drive another CT to compare. I was to return the next day for my official appointment.

They didn't have a licensed CT to drive for comparison. They balanced all four wheels again and sent me home. The vibration was still there so I made another appointment for June 19th.

I attended the Summer Meetup in Muskegon, MI, on the 15th and while there asked four CT owners if they were experiencing any vibration problem. None were.

Tesla called and pushed my appointment to the 26th. The service manager said they would need to keep the truck for 5 days to diagnose the vibration problem. They would give me a loaner car during that period. The next day I got a call from the SC manager who told me that an abnormal vibration had been confirmed at those speeds. They used a sensitive vibration measuring instrument to capture the vibration signature of my truck and compared it to that of another Cybertruck. The next step was to consult with Tesla engineering in Austin to determine the root cause of the vibration and decide on a repair. While my truck is being worked on they loaned me a relatively new Model X with free Supercharging to get around.

On July 2nd, I received word from the service center that Tesla Austin had authorized the replacement of both front and rear drive units to address the vibration problem. I was told it will take a week to complete the work. That was a bit too optimistic. Tesla called me yesterday with news that the vibration problem has been eliminated. Both drive motors were replaced and me truck will be ready to pick up tomorrow, July 22nd.

Despite the frustration this problem has caused me, working with the Tesla SC in Naperville, IL, has been a good experience overall. The manager kept me informed of progress and answered all my questions. Of course, the final test will come tomorrow when I drive my Cybertruck home.

You and I share the same beginnings. I wasn't sure if I should report it as it wasn't really a major issue. More of an annoyance. Our experiences differ vastly after that though, haha. My service center experiences have been terrible with them not really doing any kind of research or test drives before asking me to pick it up again. And not listening to me when I tell them others are having this problem (here on this forum), and the ones matching my symptoms were ones who's service centers had to replace the motors.

I look forward to a smooth truck. I've loved every moment of driving it to date, and while I'm enjoying the new Model S loaner this time around (last time was an old, smelly Model 3), I would much rather be in the truck! Just makes me appreciate it even more.

PunkOuter said:

You and I share the same beginnings. I wasn't sure if I should report it as it wasn't really a major issue. More of an annoyance. Our experiences differ vastly after that though, haha. My service center experiences have been terrible with them not really doing any kind of research or test drives before asking me to pick it up again. And not listening to me when I tell them others are having this problem (here on this forum), and the ones matching my symptoms were ones who's service centers had to replace the motors.

I look forward to a smooth truck. I've loved every moment of driving it to date, and while I'm enjoying the new Model S loaner this time around (last time was an old, smelly Model 3), I would much rather be in the truck! Just makes me appreciate it even more.

Click to expand...

I've noticed that Tesla service center performance is quite variable. I understand that some parts of the country have a higher concentration of Tesla owners than other parts, and there can be insufficient service center support in place to meet high service demand. That could be the case in Jacksonville, FL. In other situations I suspect it's a problem with the quality of the staff. Human resources are not spread uniformly throughout the country. Not all service centers have ready access to top quality personnel, or the management at a service center is unable to attract and hold high performing individuals. Any organization is only as good as the people in the organization and the culture that has taken root within.

One thing I've noticed at Tesla is that employees tend to be young. The experience level may be lacking at a SC for handling more complex problems like yours and mine. Techs with experience at traditional auto dealership service organizations that moved to Tesla may struggle with Tesla's EV technology.

Having had a long career at several major growing corporations, I can attest to fact that finding qualified, top talent can be challenging. People may look good on paper, but turn out to be under performers. Under performers can really hurt the operational efficiency of an organization at all levels.

Elon doesn't tolerate under performance and has an interesting way of dealing with it, as I see it. Handling it on a case by case basis is very time consuming. It opens a company up to discrimination lawsuits if the reasons for dismissal are not well documented. It's often more efficient to conduct a mass layoff, even if it means temporarily crippling the organization, and restaff by rehiring high quality former employees and back filling with high potential new hires.

Mine Goes in Aug 3 for this vibration issue i have a 9xx vin, they said through the tesla app my truck doesnt qualify for motor replacement. but once they drive it on Aug 3 I hope they do.

MadCyber said:

Mine Goes in Aug 3 for this vibration issue i have a 9xx vin, they said through the tesla app my truck doesnt qualify for motor replacement. but once they drive it on Aug 3 I hope they do.

Click to expand...

Did you mean 9xxx vin? If so, maybe your CT was built with the improved motor.

Cybergirl said:

Did you mean 9xxx vin? If so, maybe your CT was built with the improved motor.

Click to expand...

No,

MY Vin is 000968

Does anyone know of the VIN cutoff for when the new motors were being installed? Trying to figure out if I have them already.

MadCyber said:

No,

MY Vin is 000968

Click to expand...

MadCyber said:

No,

MY Vin is 000968

Click to expand...

Apparently, not all early CT production units are getting a motor swap. I asked Grok . . .



Those of us that are experiencing vibration at highway speeds attributed to the drive train will likely get a motor swap.

Red Beard Ops said:

Does anyone know of the VIN cutoff for when the new motors were being installed? Trying to figure out if I have them already.

Click to expand...

Based on the information provided, Tesla started producing Cybertrucks with the improved electric motor in early 2024. The exact month is not specified in the provided context. --Grok