With Tesla’s becoming more frequent in Malaysia, many people are jumping at the opportunity to own one. Even though Tesla have yet to officially make it to Malaysia, big importers like PEKEMA have already starting their efforts to bring in models. Well, who wouldn’t want to own a Tesla if they could? Plus, Tesla’s aren’t as expensive as people thought thanks to the generous import tax incentives and free road tax incentives by the Malaysian government.
However, there is still a big issue that many people aren’t talking about or haven’t realized yet. We recently talked about the charging issues in Malaysia, today let’s talk about the issues a Tesla buyer will face when their car gets into an accident.
Because Tesla have not officially come to Malaysia, there is no official Tesla centre or workshop in the country. It is really important that Tesla vehicles go to the proper workshop as they aren’t your average vehicle. The systems that run the Tesla as well as the software inside cannot be fixed at your average workshop.
Especially in Malaysia, road accidents are quite common. Even a tiny scratch or fender bender isn’t easily fixable when it comes to a Tesla. Okay, so what options do Tesla owners have? Well, if necessary, they can make the drive to Tesla Singapore which is the closest Tesla centre. That will be a long drive for many, plus if the accident is severe enough, you might have to tow your Tesla all the way from Malaysia to Singapore which isn’t cheap. Even once your Tesla is in Singapore, Malaysians have to pay with Singaporean currency which is usually more than triple.
Accidents aren’t the only issue that Tesla owners have to worry about. Since the Tesla’s in Malaysia are bought through importers and dealers, its up to those importers and dealers to provide a ‘dealer’ warranty. It doesn’t end there either. If Tesla makes another recall like they did earlier this year for rear-view camera and trunk issues, will the Malaysian imported Tesla’s be eligible for the recall?
With all these issues in mind, people interested in buying a Tesla soon might have to think twice. Whether it’s worth owning a Tesla in Malaysia right now is still questionable. Maybe more incentives will be implemented in the future for the ease of Tesla owners. But for now these issues are still a huge question mark.
