The 2,000-mile report

[joec]

(I promise, I won’t do this every 1,000 miles. Maybe the next one will be at 5k?)

I passed the 2k mark with my Touring this morning. I just want to reiterate how much I love driving this car.

So far, I have had a few issues of note:

• My passenger windshield wiper got loose and stopped operating. I posted about the fix in the How To section, but the TLDR is that I was able to fix it myself in a few minutes. And I believe the cause was partially my own fault. (The auto-wipers engaged while I was drying the windshield, and the wiper got caught in my microfiber towel, thus loosening the bolt.) I leave my wipers in “off” mode now until it’s actually raining, so this issue has not come up again. And I carry a socket wrench in the trunk in case it does.
• My frunk “froze” shut. On a particularly cold and snowy day here in Boulder, after driving on the highway for about 30 minutes, I stopped at a cafe and attempted to retrieve my laptop bag from the frunk. The frunk would not fully open. And then it would not close, either. Thinking the highway drive had probably left the frunk area rather frigid, I waited about 30 minutes to see if it would warm up on its own. It did, but still not enough to open. So I grabbed the edge of the bonnet with my fingers while pressing the fob button to “open” the frunk (probably a very dumb thing to do, but so be it) and I was able to pry the thing open at last. The foam gasket on the driver’s side ended up dislodging completely, while the one on the passenger side had ice stuck to it. I managed to get the foam to “stick” back on the bonnet where it belongs, though it will likely fall off again. But in the meantime, my frunk is now fully operational again. I am awaiting a service appointment to have the gasket replaced. (Their next appointment isn’t until next week.)
• My steering wheel has started a very slight “creak.” This was not the case when I got the car, but over the last 2,000 miles, it has started just occasionally to creak a little bit. I’m having service look into this while they take my car for the frunk. I also let them know about the rear deck creak, even though I fixed that with the Bobby foam method. Might as well get them to replace that properly while they have the car, if they can get the part.

Other than that, the car has been trouble free. Back in December and early January, I had some software issues that required valet card resets a few times. And I had to do a “nuclear” steering wheel reset twice. But all of those issues have disappeared for me with the most recent OTA updates. No more audio bugs. No more camera bugs. No more frozen pilot panel bugs. I really think updates have eliminated those issues for me permanently. We’ll see.

So now I get into the car every day and just drive. I don’t worry about things going wrong, because they don’t for the most part. The next time it’s -14 here, I may use the trunk instead of the frunk. But beyond that, I just drive like a normal person without a care in the world.

The ceramic coating on the inside and out has made cleaning a lot easier. Which is essential for Boulder winters. I still think I’m out of my mind for going with Santa Cruz, but keeping the carpets clean hasn’t been too bad. They will never be perfect again, but they look pretty darn clean, all things considered, with constant scrubbing and vacuuming. And the Lucid winter mats. I’m looking forward to spring, when I can wash the car every few weeks instead of every few days.

Give me CarPlay, and I honestly think I’d be completely happy with this car after that. It’s not like all the other software is perfect by any means, but I can live with most of it. I’ll love whatever other improvements they make. Don’t get me wrong. But CarPlay is the only thing I am truly missing at the moment.

I’m happy with the range. I’m happy with the handling. I’m happy with the constant thumbs up and stares I get. And I’m still happy to answer people’s questions. It’s definitely a conversation starter.

Given how infrequently I see other Airs on the road here, I also like the “exclusive” nature of driving this car. However long that lasts. Knowing Boulder, it won’t be long before I see more Airs on the road regularly, though.

 

[VoitureElectriq]

Thank you for your honest assessment! Looking forward to reading your impressions at 5000 miles!

 

[stratus]

I had the same thought that I was crazy for going with the Santa Cruz carpet . I really thought I would regret it. But with the Scotchgard, and being as careful as possible with my feet, they have managed to stay pretty much spotless, with the help of a few intermittent cleanings.

 

[VoitureElectriq]

I had the same thought that I was crazy for going with the Santa Cruz carpet . I really thought I would regret it. But with the Scotchgard, and being as careful as possible with my feet, they have managed to stay pretty much spotless, with the help of a few intermittent cleanings.

You can also get a set of black carpets from Lucid. It'll be a bit of a contrast with the rest of your lighter interior, but it won't look bad - at least not in my opinion.

 

[lsbuffs]

I still have my $16 Motor Trend mats over the carpet.

 

[stratus]

You can also get a set of black carpets from Lucid. It'll be a bit of a contrast with the rest of your lighter interior, but it won't look bad - at least not in my opinion.

I now have the 3D mats Lucid floor liners and prior to that I had the motor trend liners.
Without those my car would be a total disaster.

 

[GMan]

(I promise, I won’t do this every 1,000 miles. Maybe the next one will be at 5k?)

I passed the 2k mark with my Touring this morning. I just want to reiterate how much I love driving this car.

So far, I have had a few issues of note:

• My passenger windshield wiper got loose and stopped operating. I posted about the fix in the How To section, but the TLDR is that I was able to fix it myself in a few minutes. And I believe the cause was partially my own fault. (The auto-wipers engaged while I was drying the windshield, and the wiper got caught in my microfiber towel, thus loosening the bolt.) I leave my wipers in “off” mode now until it’s actually raining, so this issue has not come up again. And I carry a socket wrench in the trunk in case it does.
• My frunk “froze” shut. On a particularly cold and snowy day here in Boulder, after driving on the highway for about 30 minutes, I stopped at a cafe and attempted to retrieve my laptop bag from the frunk. The frunk would not fully open. And then it would not close, either. Thinking the highway drive had probably left the frunk area rather frigid, I waited about 30 minutes to see if it would warm up on its own. It did, but still not enough to open. So I grabbed the edge of the bonnet with my fingers while pressing the fob button to “open” the frunk (probably a very dumb thing to do, but so be it) and I was able to pry the thing open at last. The foam gasket on the driver’s side ended up dislodging completely, while the one on the passenger side had ice stuck to it. I managed to get the foam to “stick” back on the bonnet where it belongs, though it will likely fall off again. But in the meantime, my frunk is now fully operational again. I am awaiting a service appointment to have the gasket replaced. (Their next appointment isn’t until next week.)
• My steering wheel has started a very slight “creak.” This was not the case when I got the car, but over the last 2,000 miles, it has started just occasionally to creak a little bit. I’m having service look into this while they take my car for the frunk. I also let them know about the rear deck creak, even though I fixed that with the Bobby foam method. Might as well get them to replace that properly while they have the car, if they can get the part.

Other than that, the car has been trouble free. Back in December and early January, I had some software issues that required valet card resets a few times. And I had to do a “nuclear” steering wheel reset twice. But all of those issues have disappeared for me with the most recent OTA updates. No more audio bugs. No more camera bugs. No more frozen pilot panel bugs. I really think updates have eliminated those issues for me permanently. We’ll see.

So now I get into the car every day and just drive. I don’t worry about things going wrong, because they don’t for the most part. The next time it’s -14 here, I may use the trunk instead of the frunk. But beyond that, I just drive like a normal person without a care in the world.

The ceramic coating on the inside and out has made cleaning a lot easier. Which is essential for Boulder winters. I still think I’m out of my mind for going with Santa Cruz, but keeping the carpets clean hasn’t been too bad. They will never be perfect again, but they look pretty darn clean, all things considered, with constant scrubbing and vacuuming. And the Lucid winter mats. I’m looking forward to spring, when I can wash the car every few weeks instead of every few days.

Give me CarPlay, and I honestly think I’d be completely happy with this car after that. It’s not like all the other software is perfect by any means, but I can live with most of it. I’ll love whatever other improvements they make. Don’t get me wrong. But CarPlay is the only thing I am truly missing at the moment.

I’m happy with the range. I’m happy with the handling. I’m happy with the constant thumbs up and stares I get. And I’m still happy to answer people’s questions. It’s definitely a conversation starter.

Given how infrequently I see other Airs on the road here, I also like the “exclusive” nature of driving this car. However long that lasts. Knowing Boulder, it won’t be long before I see more Airs on the road regularly, though.

What is a "nuclear steering wheel reset" ?

 

[Adnillien]

What is a "nuclear steering wheel reset" ?

There is a reset that uses buttons on the steering wheel along with the brake. It should only be done when Customer Care instructs you to do it because he can damage the car and/or erase error logs. It was nick named the nuclear reset since it should only be done in limited circumstances and with Customer Care's involvement.

 

[LucidNJ]

I just passed 2400 miles in my Touring and have had the rear deck creak for a while, but it only happens when I drive over a particularly uneven stretch of road with lots of vibrations. I noticed today that my steering wheel started creaking ever so slightly. Did you put in a call/text to CS about this or just contact your local service guy directly? I have some due bill stuff and some other issues that have occurred over time and they are scheduled to fix it at some point in the future, so I'm trying to figure out the best way to add these 2 minor things to the list.

 

[joec]

I just passed 2400 miles in my Touring and have had the rear deck creak for a while, but it only happens when I drive over a particularly uneven stretch of road with lots of vibrations. I noticed today that my steering wheel started creaking ever so slightly. Did you put in a call/text to CS about this or just contact your local service guy directly? I have some due bill stuff and some other issues that have occurred over time and they are scheduled to fix it at some point in the future, so I'm trying to figure out the best way to add these 2 minor things to the list.

I texted Customer Care about the frunk thing. At that point, I added in the rear deck and steering wheel issues, just so they would be noted. They said they were grateful to be told as many issues at once as possible, so that they won’t need to schedule multiple visits. I’m sure you can text them and let them know you want to add a few issues to your existing list. That way, if they need parts, they can order them ahead of time.

 

[Adidas]

I have over 3300 miles in less than a month on my Pure. No issues other than audio sometimes takes a while to connect. QC may be getting better. Car is a blast to drive.

 

[Bobby]

I have over 3300 miles in less than a month on my Pure. No issues other than audio sometimes takes a while to connect. QC may be getting better. Car is a blast to drive.

Does the audio take a while to connect when you are first leaving your home? If so, disabling Wi-Fi helps. The handoff between Wi-Fi and cellular is too slow.