12 volt battery warranty issue

[widodh]

I just got charged $450 to fix this by Service Center in Los Angeles. They said it wasn't under warranty since I was over 50,000 miles... so I just feel like I got robbed... $450 to change a 12V battery ..... are you kidding me? That's ridiculous

The battery is about €/$150, so they charged $300 for the labor, which is a lot.

I understand the feeling you have.

 

[David.85D]

I think the 12V battery is excluded in the fine print of the ESA. Nice that some people seem to get treated better than the minimum required.

And, $450 is not unusual for a stealer battery replacement. That’s why we need a national “right to fix” law! I used to be a BMW guy and it was in the $600 range, even knowing you could buy an identical battery for $150 from an Indy and it was a 10 minute job, or free installation at many battery stores. And, if you looked like a sucker, the BMW guy would tell you that they also change the battery cables with each new battery for an additional $500.

 

[AmpedRealtor]

Toyota charged me just over $300 for a 12v Prius battery. Given what Toyota charged, $450 doesn't seem out of the ordinary for a "premium" vehicle like a Tesla. But it's still a lot. Given the stupid location of the battery in my 2013 design, it's not exactly user serviceable.

 

[Modded_S]

At 50,000 did you buy the extended service?

No. I did not. I don't mind paying for replacement parts.. but when it's 3x the cost of replacing the battery on a standard car that is not right.

I also have to question the poor design/placement of the 12V battery. They could have easily made it more user-friendly and able to be swapped out like a battery on a standard car.

 

[Willy3988]

Takes about one hour of labor to change out the battery so I can see why this is where the price id set at.

 

[Decibelle]

Would the battery be hard to change on your own? Is the battery of a type available at your local parts store?

 

[murphyS90D]

Would the battery be hard to change on your own? Is the battery of a type available at your local parts store?

It is not a wet cell lead acid battery. It is an AGM battery that is not available from most parts stores. "D" model cars are much easier to change than the previous model. The frunk liner and tub must be removed to access the battery.

 

[bwherry]

Thread resurrection!

So I got the "12V battery requires service/Replace 12V battery soon" alert last week. My car is at the SC (Los Angeles, Centinela) now getting the battery replaced. The service manager told me up front that the battery replacement isn't covered by warranty, and that it will be $250. Ugh. My car is a 2016, which I bought CPO from Tesla this past July (so I've only had it five months) and the car still only has like 20k miles on the odo. Shouldn't the 12V battery replacement be covered under the original 4 years or 50,000 mi. warranty?

I just searched through both the new vehicle warranty and used vehicle warranty PDFs (https://www.tesla.com/sites/default/files/downloads/tesla-new-vehicle-limited-warranty-en-us.pdf and https://www.tesla.com/sites/default/files/downloads/tesla-used-vehicle-limited-warranty-en-us.pdf, respectively) and the only mentions of "battery" are the main battery. Maybe the 12V battery is considered an "expendable" item, so wouldn't be covered due to this warranty limitation: "Expendable maintenance items (such as wiper blades/inserts, brake pads/linings, filters, etc.)"

¯\_(ツ)_/¯

If anybody has tips for me to get them to cover it, I'm all ears.

Thanks!

Brian

 

[98ramair]

I have an appointment at the SC on Monday to cover a bad wheel speed sensor and some MCU issues. I just not the 12 volt warning this morning. I emailed the tech assigned to me and he said he added it to the service order. No mention of cost, yet.

I bought the car through Tesla a month and a half ago and assumed this would be covered under the pre owned warranty...after reading this thread I am not so convinced.

I am going to play dumb with the service manager and still assume it's a warranty item... I will post my experience after Monday.

2015 P85D odo @ 35k

 

[bwherry]

Update! My 12V battery replacement was covered under warranty! The service advisor said something along the lines of "Sometimes the techs enter the wrong code for that..." I don't know if it's supposed to be covered by the warranty they tack on for CPO cars or if it's because my car is still covered under the original warranty (since my car is only three years old and has 20k miles). The invoice says "Pay Type: Basic Vehicle Limited Warranty." At any rate, here's a screen shot of the invoice, in case it's helpful for anyone:

The 12V battery replacement was fast, too - I dropped off the car at 9:15am and it was ready for pickup at 10:45.

They also must have vacuumed my (admittedly dirty) floor mats! Everyone was very friendly too. Props to Tesla Centinela Los Angeles! Tesla is awesome.

Brian

 

[Ed Hart]

My 2014 S now needs its second 12V battery. Not happy. Guess I need to fix it and sell it.

 

[rsg123]

My 2014 S now needs its second 12V battery. Not happy. Guess I need to fix it and sell it.

Two 12V battery replacements in 6 years? Sounds more than reasonable. My 2014 is also on its 3rd. Next time I get the error I will look into one of the aftermarket lithium ones.

 

[Ed Hart]

Two 12V battery replacements in 6 years? Sounds more than reasonable. My 2014 is also on its 3rd. Next time I get the error I will look into one of the aftermarket lithium ones.

Obviously, if the main battery had failed twice, you would not say that, right?!

 

[docbrown]

Obviously, if the main battery had failed twice, you would not say that, right?!

Of course he wouldn't say that if the main pack failed, what's your point? 12 volt battery failures are pretty common and minor, even in non-Tesla vehicles. My 12v battery failed after 1 year. I'm not about to sell my car over it.

 

[aerodyne]

I got some error messages about car needs service, car wont start.

Teslafi and SMT are showing higher than normal vampire drain, charge current to the 12V, and the voltage is not going to 14.2V under charge like it used to. Batt is 30 months old.

I called Tesla service, not roadside, talked to a live person right away (Van Nuys CA S.C.) Now awaiting quotes for a new batt and some other minor parts.

A Quality AGM/SLA batt of this type is going to run 80-130 USD, I don't mind that every 2-3 years, and I can store the spare in the frunk until I need it...

 

[rsg123]

Obviously, if the main battery had failed twice, you would not say that, right?!

No, I wouldn’t.

 

[PoBear]

Update! My 12V battery replacement was covered under warranty! The service advisor said something along the lines of "Sometimes the techs enter the wrong code for that..." I don't know if it's supposed to be covered by the warranty they tack on for CPO cars or if it's because my car is still covered under the original warranty (since my car is only three years old and has 20k miles). The invoice says "Pay Type: Basic Vehicle Limited Warranty." At any rate, here's a screen shot of the invoice, in case it's helpful for anyone:
View attachment 487930

The 12V battery replacement was fast, too - I dropped off the car at 9:15am and it was ready for pickup at 10:45.

They also must have vacuumed my (admittedly dirty) floor mats! Everyone was very friendly too. Props to Tesla Centinela Los Angeles! Tesla is awesome.

Brian

EXCELLENT to hear! I just got my 12v battery warning and have been dreading the potential $500 bill. I'm in the Valley and have had excellent experiences with the CPO warranty on my 2016 90D. They even fixed the hinges on my driver's side door that the previous owner messed up. My mobil service is set for Monday morning so fingers crossed they'll warranty it.

 

[aerodyne]

The 12V was not the problem. The SuC ended up pulling my HV pack, peeled back the cover at the rear, and replaced contactors, BMS, and precharge boards. My car was pretty cherry before, but I can't say that anymore, at least in regards to the HV pack...lol....

Apart from missing fasteners in the adjacent aerosheilds, all is well. Mobile is scheduled to deliver the missing bits next week.

Today's vampire drain about a mile of RR.

 

[RVTechNomad]

October 2019 X-LR, 30,000 miles.
I have an mobile appointment to replace the 12V battery. The service rep told me it is covered by my 4 year warranty.

 

[aerodyne]

October 2019 X-LR, 30,000 miles.
I have an mobile appointment to replace the 12V battery. The service rep told me it is covered by my 4 year warranty.

That is correct.