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2013/2014 Model S

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Budget is mid $20K, it will be a daily driver to work and around town. I noticed that all the ads specify when the warranty is to expire (2 years or less) is that a big concern?

I currently drive a Volvo V60, nice car but it too is getting close to being out of pre-owned warranty. Some of the "covered" repairs of late are making me look at late model S.
 
Budget is mid $20K, it will be a daily driver to work and around town. I noticed that all the ads specify when the warranty is to expire (2 years or less) is that a big concern?

I currently drive a Volvo V60, nice car but it too is getting close to being out of pre-owned warranty. Some of the "covered" repairs of late are making me look at late model S.
No disrespect intended, but for that budget, I'd look at other brands. Stay away from an early model year Tesla Model S.
 
With that budget and your commute needs I'd rather see you in a used Bolt or even Volt for the same price or even high $teens, you'll probably end up with a significantly lower cost of ownership than the Tesla.

Something like this.

https://www.carmax.com/car/18820710

I think you have to be incredibly careful when buying expensive luxury cars that have depreciated significantly and are out of warranty, because you have a low budget. You likely have a low budget for a reason, and you may end up with costly repairs or needing to sell the car at a loss to avoid costly repairs, negating the savings you were expecting. You really have no idea what the car has been through in the last 6-8 years. How the battery was treated. How hard it was driven. It isn't different than buying a cheap 8 year old BMW 7 series. Same problem. And Teslas, even worse than BMWs, force you into one single expensive channel for all repairs. Despite replacement parts being expensive for BMWs, at least you can still take them to somewhat more affordable third party shops.

If you are looking for the performance and luxury of a Tesla I recommend you save up for a more recent model year. Other posters here are right, the warranty was pretty important for those early model year cars.
 
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I had a feeling the early models would have some issues and I’d hadn’t heard of a P60 before. Could it be a Tesla service loaner?

We just got Bolts at work to drive, pretty cool little car but too small for my needs. It seems roomy when driving by yourself, but as soon as a passenger is in the seat next to you it feels cramped.

The low budget is just to get a decent deal on a Tesla I can drive for a couple years and then give to my daughter when she starts driving.

But maybe kids won’t need to drive in the future, lol.
 
I had a feeling the early models would have some issues and I’d hadn’t heard of a P60 before. Could it be a Tesla service loaner?

We just got Bolts at work to drive, pretty cool little car but too small for my needs. It seems roomy when driving by yourself, but as soon as a passenger is in the seat next to you it feels cramped.

The low budget is just to get a decent deal on a Tesla I can drive for a couple years and then give to my daughter when she starts driving.

But maybe kids won’t need to drive in the future, lol.

If you do get an old Tesla, make sure you calculate the maximum charge range to ensure there hasn't been crazy battery degradation, and assume you wont' be able to supercharge nearly as fast as newer cars.
 
P60 is a fake model. No such thing.

Older Teslas can be fine. Don't be scared by the fact it is old. It will lack the tech and refinements, but they are amazing cars. Way better than a bolt or leaf. 25k is possible but you do need to watch for scams because the desirable ones usually sell above 30k. Another 6 months and the introduction of the plaid S and I bet the used market drops further.

No matter the car, 60 or 85, you'll have ample range and if 85, longer than most new non Tesla EVs. Charging at work ensures you'll be ok.
 
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P60 is a fake model. No such thing.

Older Teslas can be fine. Don't be scared by the fact it is old. It will lack the tech and refinements, but they are amazing cars. Way better than a bolt or leaf. 25k is possible but you do need to watch for scams because the desirable ones usually sell above 30k. Another 6 months and the introduction of the plaid S and I bet the used market drops further.

No matter the car, 60 or 85, you'll have ample range and if 85, longer than most new non Tesla EVs. Charging at work ensures you'll be ok.
Agree with this......older does not necessarily mean that problems are eminent....in fact there's a good chance the drive unit and battery have been addressed already and maybe even the mcu. Almost all the older ones I've looked at do not have the original battery. 25 to 30 should get you a higher mileage ( doesnt really matter that its higher) model S. I would shoot for a P85 if it were me.
 
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I would have no problem buying a well maintained 2013 (like I sold 1.5 years ago). But you really need to check history, current battery charge / range, etc. There are a number of things that Tesla “upgraded” along the way for owners that were diligent (eg, ceramic bearings on motor to eliminate whirring noise). For a solid, well maintained car, the biggest risks would be MCU failure due to memory chip writes and heater / DC converter failure, both of which cost $2000 + to repair. So you could check to see what’s already been done and budget for repairs if necessary, and even preempt the MCU failure with 3rd party fix. Other than that, I would avoid air suspension (they fail on many expensive, older cars). Finally, I would opt for an 85 to provide longer term decent range with degradation.

Get some help from someone who knows Tesla maintenance / service history to evaluate your options. If you find a good car, no reason it can’t last for 100s of K miles, offering safety, performance and no more gas.
 
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Early Model S can be a bargain just no AP/FSD . I'd ask what repairs have been done. Many known issues like door handles, TPMS, Liftgate, etc may have been fixed under warranty. MCU1 bubbles/dying can happen all the way up to 2018 cars so that's a risk with most used S/X. The battery system warranties still have a 1 or 2 years left for 2013/14 and I'd imagine unless it is low mileage the drive unit milling sound to have shown up by now and replaced. Haven't heard too many 60 battery issues. More 90s and some 85s. With only around 3,000 2012s made starting in June they're not even a month out of battery system warranty so no real data on out of warranty battery replacements (except salvage). I would also ask for a pic of the battery pack revision. Found on the battery pack behind front right wheel. An "A" pack could be risky. "B" is better. And like others have said there is no P60
 
Battery and Drive Unit warranty on the 60 is mileage limited (150k), while the 85 has unlimited mileage. So do check how much is left.
There is at least one account I recall of a failed 60 battery outside warranty, and that was a 13k$ replacement cost if memory serves.

For the 60, do also check if it can use the Supercharger network (aka SuC). It was an option on the 60 (included in the 85). Your might not think you need the SuC, but you would not be the first Tesla owner who started road tripping just because it's such a great car to roadtrip (*).

For both, do check if they have the navigation enabled: yes, all Tesla have the Google map, but that does not mean it can do turn by turn navigation. In the early days, the navigation part was an option (eg Teck Package).

As mentioned above, MCU is an expensive repair (2000$) that I experienced in my 5th year, with the car around 190k km/120k miles.
Door handle are expensive to replace (500$ ?). A little less to fix. (200$)
I have some noise coming from the front suspension, guess sway bar links or other components will need replacement too. If you are a DIY guy, you can find help around the forum on how to do some repair yourself.

Other than that, even the most early years cars are amazingly great to drive. Even without AP.

So do not underestimate the cost of ownership. If you're fine with it, hope you join the Tesla family soon !

(*) Side note, before "hell brakes lose": 60 and 85 (and early 90) batteries have had their SuC speed reduced. Some owners concluded they cannot roadtrip anymore due to this. I personnally still roadtrip twice a year (summer and winter). We had planned a roadtrip to Italy this year, but cancelled it over Covid. Looking forward to our winter trip, hoping this one will still be on.
 
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