Has anyone else had a long string of expensive repairs needed for their older Model S? We purchased a 2nd hand 2013 Model S in 2017. In the past 4-5 years we have pumped over $10k in repairs into the thing. Replaced every door handle. A few years ago a coolant leak destroyed important parts under the hood and we got hit with a $6k+ repair. It's been in the shop almost every month lately. Now the latest issue (won't charge in cold temps) is going to run us $3k+. For a car with under 80k miles, and under 10 years old, this seems excessive. Just wondering if anyone else is having a similar experience.
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2013 Model S a money pit
- Thread starter Cookaloris
- Start date
Is really any big surprise?
Very expensive car, brand new design, brand new tech.
I’d say you should be happy you CAN even get it repaired.
Plus I don’t think you are doing that bad. It cost more money to maintain a $100K vehicle than a $30k one.
A $30k car gets $3k of repairs after 9 years it’s ok.
A $100k car gets $10k of repairs after 9 years and it’s excessive?
Very expensive car, brand new design, brand new tech.
I’d say you should be happy you CAN even get it repaired.
Plus I don’t think you are doing that bad. It cost more money to maintain a $100K vehicle than a $30k one.
A $30k car gets $3k of repairs after 9 years it’s ok.
A $100k car gets $10k of repairs after 9 years and it’s excessive?
SigRed12
Member
Tesla service could see remotely that the "heater was not activating". I'm bring it in for evaluation Thursday so I can keep you updated.
Personally it would go to CaxMax and I would be trying out something a little newer.
GASP a 10 year old luxury electric car with 80k miles needs repairs?!!!!!!! UNACCEPTABLE! CALL ELON MUSK NOW
At least you haven't had to replace the battery pack or motor out of warranty
Guys, be nice. There's enough negativity out there. OP obviously came here to learn more. Why not give him/her more info instead of sass?
Anyway, as ThomasD pointed out, this isn't the bottom. Considering the market and the rising cost of fuel, now might be a good time to re-evaluate your situation.
Don't be afraid to ask questions.
Anyway, as ThomasD pointed out, this isn't the bottom. Considering the market and the rising cost of fuel, now might be a good time to re-evaluate your situation.
Don't be afraid to ask questions.
Any car after 9 years will start becoming a money pit. Tesla is last in reliability, number 1 in customer satisfaction.
ucmndd
Well-Known Member
Even the very last car off the assembly line in 2013 was one of the first 25,000 vehicles ever produced by a brand new automaker.
It goes without saying they were not the pinnacle of reliability.
Also, is ~$2,000/year over 5 years really an unreasonable amount of repair and maintenance for a 9 year car that cost $100k new?
It goes without saying they were not the pinnacle of reliability.
Also, is ~$2,000/year over 5 years really an unreasonable amount of repair and maintenance for a 9 year car that cost $100k new?
My 2013 Model S is starting to feel like that...
Handle change $500 + headache v2.5 - v3.0
IC Screen leaking glue ~ $1,300
- which brings up TS yellowing and MCU upgrade potential
Suspension feels like it needs work.
Then who knows about the battery.
Tempting to move on ....
Handle change $500 + headache v2.5 - v3.0
IC Screen leaking glue ~ $1,300
- which brings up TS yellowing and MCU upgrade potential
Suspension feels like it needs work.
Then who knows about the battery.
Tempting to move on ....
Attachments
I have a 4000 series vin 2013, and I feel your pain. Just paid $3k for repairs because it got water in the HV battery. Apparently a part on the undercarriage rusted and water got in.
Oh no, we did have to replace the battery out of warranty. That same visit, needed a new dcdc converter, and two new chargers (over $2k each). All due to "a coolant leak."
strider
Active Member
Except that Tesla Marketing goes on and on about how little maintenance EVs need, fewer moving parts, blah, blah, blah. It's simply not true. Tesla's cost the same to maintain as BMWs and Porsches.
We've really lucked out on our used 11/13 built S85. Had it for just over 3 years/50K miles and have had the following issues:
low coolant warning and rear window defroster stopped working - corrected under warranty
Tesla SC replaced original drive unit, 12v battery, pyro fuse, and HV contactors under warranty
Tesla SC retrofitted TPMS with 2nd gen system under warranty after the original receiver failed
Items not under warranty and out of pocket costs have been 2 broken key fobs and the MCU2 upgrade.
My brother's experience has been very different on his P85 with 60K miles. He's had 3 out of 4 door handles replaced, DC-DC convertor replaced, HVAC issues, navigation issues, moisture in the taillights, and door speaker failures. I think his out of pockets costs have been around $6K but he still loves the car and is still both more reliable and less expensive to own than his previous 3 BMWs...granted he's in the Boston, MA area where the weather, road salt, and potholes really beat up the cars. He's also got a little kid and wife who are known to be door slammers.
low coolant warning and rear window defroster stopped working - corrected under warranty
Tesla SC replaced original drive unit, 12v battery, pyro fuse, and HV contactors under warranty
Tesla SC retrofitted TPMS with 2nd gen system under warranty after the original receiver failed
Items not under warranty and out of pocket costs have been 2 broken key fobs and the MCU2 upgrade.
My brother's experience has been very different on his P85 with 60K miles. He's had 3 out of 4 door handles replaced, DC-DC convertor replaced, HVAC issues, navigation issues, moisture in the taillights, and door speaker failures. I think his out of pockets costs have been around $6K but he still loves the car and is still both more reliable and less expensive to own than his previous 3 BMWs...granted he's in the Boston, MA area where the weather, road salt, and potholes really beat up the cars. He's also got a little kid and wife who are known to be door slammers.
ucmndd
Well-Known Member
Many of the early ones sure did.
My late 2016, on the other hand, has cost me less than $1,000 in repairs and maintenance over 135,000 miles (excluding consumables like tires).
my 2013 is a money pit, yes. and when i complain about it i get smoked by the 2017+ owners... as this forum ages. There are less and less of us early model owners as they get wrecked/parted out etc; pre 2014 is a painful model s to own, there are alot of issues, and tesla doesnt do a good job of supporting the repairs of older cars (much like apple with iphones)
and to those who say ~9k on 100k is not bad in repairs, the cars are barely worth 30k these days and most of that is the battery. so yes 9k on 30 is alot.
and to those who say ~9k on 100k is not bad in repairs, the cars are barely worth 30k these days and most of that is the battery. so yes 9k on 30 is alot.
This is definitely true, but sometimes thread titles invite a specific type of response. This thread title, for example, complaining about a 2013 model year luxury car as a "money pit" is going to elicit responses along the lines of "most 2013 model year luxury cars would be money pits under those definitions".
Luxury cars are expensive to maintain, and the older they get, the more they cost. With that being said, 10k over the amount of time they owned it does not seem out of bounds to me, for a luxury car. It would be out of bounds if one was comparing it to a toyota camry, but not to a BMW 7 series, Audi A7 / S7, Merc S class, etc.
If the thread title was more "Is this a lot to spend to maintain a 2013 Model S?", the responses would likely be a bit more supportive.
With that being said, I do agree with you, for sure. TMC members can be pretty rough, if the question is phrased a certain way. Thats definitely true.
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