-
Want to remove ads? Register an account and login to see fewer ads, and become a Supporting Member to remove almost all ads.
2013 Model S P85
- Thread starter petacus
- Start date
kpeters000
Member
First thing to note: There is no longer such thing as CPO - It is a used car. Tesla does NOTHING to refurbish the car.
2013 was a really early model, which was prone to a lot of manufacturing derps and didn't have a lot of included features or ergnomics. For exactly that reason, I opted for a post April 2015 build, which included standard things like folding mirrors, interior lights, auto rear lift gate, etc.
Please reference the following document which was pretty damn well kept up to date as features rolled out, so you can know what you're getting:
Model S - Options by Year - Tesla Motors Club Wiki
2013 was a really early model, which was prone to a lot of manufacturing derps and didn't have a lot of included features or ergnomics. For exactly that reason, I opted for a post April 2015 build, which included standard things like folding mirrors, interior lights, auto rear lift gate, etc.
Please reference the following document which was pretty damn well kept up to date as features rolled out, so you can know what you're getting:
Model S - Options by Year - Tesla Motors Club Wiki
My 2013 P85 has 67K miles. The main issue I’ve had is the handles. All 4 have been replaced and the front passenger door one has failed again. But they never charged (before) for replacing the door handles.
I also had a fog light burn out. They don’t replace just the bulb. They replaced the whole unit.
I’m on the original battery and drive unit. I would recommend you charge the battery to 100% SOC before buying the car to see what its range is. My range was 257 miles range. Basically, the 7,000 plus cells that make up the battery pack used to be charged to 4.2 volts per cell, but now they only charge to just 4.1 volts per cell. This is referred to as capping of the battery pack.
On June 20, Tesla forced an update onto my car that reduced the range to 226 miles. Not all cars are affected by this. But all 85kWh battery now supercharge at a reduced rate, so it takes longer to charge the car. There is a class action lawsuit in the US with respect to the battery capping. There is a huge thread on TMC here you can read.
if you find the battery range is around 226 miles at 100% SOC, the battery is capped and I would pass on the car.
I also had a fog light burn out. They don’t replace just the bulb. They replaced the whole unit.
I’m on the original battery and drive unit. I would recommend you charge the battery to 100% SOC before buying the car to see what its range is. My range was 257 miles range. Basically, the 7,000 plus cells that make up the battery pack used to be charged to 4.2 volts per cell, but now they only charge to just 4.1 volts per cell. This is referred to as capping of the battery pack.
On June 20, Tesla forced an update onto my car that reduced the range to 226 miles. Not all cars are affected by this. But all 85kWh battery now supercharge at a reduced rate, so it takes longer to charge the car. There is a class action lawsuit in the US with respect to the battery capping. There is a huge thread on TMC here you can read.
if you find the battery range is around 226 miles at 100% SOC, the battery is capped and I would pass on the car.
A lot of these have already had Drive unit, handles and battery replacements. If you can find one with those items already done, you are probably in good shape. I think most of the P85s have had the drive unit upgraded at this point so I would guess it would actually be rare to find one with an old/original motor. Listen for "milling noise" when testing the car, easy to hear at low speeds with windows open. Doubt you can get a service history, but that would help sort things too. The MCU issue will probably come up eventually and is supposedly $3-5k from Tesla, or under $1k using one of the refurb people online. My '13 P85 had all the above done and the person who bought it from me should have a really solid car. The range and charge rate could be an issue if like to do a lot of long trips, but otherwise the car should be just fine even with battery capped.
Other things to look for:
-Condensation in rear tail lights. There is some type of drain upgrade for this (done on my car)
-Wind noise from sunroof if present, also some type of fix for that (they put in a new seal and actually removed and replaced the front roof panel- I think it sat a little high)
-Wheel noise. Two issues; rear has some type of spindle noise that can be solved with lubricant and fronts can actually lose a sealed bearing. The rear is not actually something that is a mechanical issue, but can be fixed. You will hear both at low speeds with windows down. Rear sounds like a groan or creak with light acceleration/deceleration. Front is subtle grinding at low speeds while cornering. Front bearing is sealed and just gets replaced as unit.
-12V battery, it will fail if it hasn't already. If it has been recently replaced that would be nice. Just like any other 12V battery it will probably not last more than 5 years.. Mine was replaced once at the four year mark.
-Takata airbag like every other car in US...
-There is an issue with rear seat belts locking tight and not releasing for larger people in back. Pretty rare to have that upgraded, but Tesla does know about it and swapped the rear belts to the upgraded version on mine no cost. Drive around with a LARGE person in back to see if that is an issue while test driving.
-Make sure air suspension lowers/raises appropriately. Pretty rare to have an issue, but make sure the car levels and nothing looks weird with height. I did not have this issue but recall reading something about it.
I sold mine at 88k mi. It was an AWESOME car. I just wanted a M3P. Definitely not sold because I was unhappy. Look around for one with all the upgrades and you should be in good shape.
Other things to look for:
-Condensation in rear tail lights. There is some type of drain upgrade for this (done on my car)
-Wind noise from sunroof if present, also some type of fix for that (they put in a new seal and actually removed and replaced the front roof panel- I think it sat a little high)
-Wheel noise. Two issues; rear has some type of spindle noise that can be solved with lubricant and fronts can actually lose a sealed bearing. The rear is not actually something that is a mechanical issue, but can be fixed. You will hear both at low speeds with windows down. Rear sounds like a groan or creak with light acceleration/deceleration. Front is subtle grinding at low speeds while cornering. Front bearing is sealed and just gets replaced as unit.
-12V battery, it will fail if it hasn't already. If it has been recently replaced that would be nice. Just like any other 12V battery it will probably not last more than 5 years.. Mine was replaced once at the four year mark.
-Takata airbag like every other car in US...
-There is an issue with rear seat belts locking tight and not releasing for larger people in back. Pretty rare to have that upgraded, but Tesla does know about it and swapped the rear belts to the upgraded version on mine no cost. Drive around with a LARGE person in back to see if that is an issue while test driving.
-Make sure air suspension lowers/raises appropriately. Pretty rare to have an issue, but make sure the car levels and nothing looks weird with height. I did not have this issue but recall reading something about it.
I sold mine at 88k mi. It was an AWESOME car. I just wanted a M3P. Definitely not sold because I was unhappy. Look around for one with all the upgrades and you should be in good shape.
I have a 2013 P85+ it has every option. I would not trade it for anything. Yes the handles and milling motor noise are major issues but normally Tesla will replace them in the form of goodwill.
I know a guy in Virgina that has 4-5 Tesla’s at any time and is always willing to sell them for a deep discount.
PM me if you want me to put you in contact with him.
I know a guy in Virgina that has 4-5 Tesla’s at any time and is always willing to sell them for a deep discount.
PM me if you want me to put you in contact with him.
Attachments
Handles are potentially goodwill, but drive units in all 85 cars are still under warranty as long as the vehicle isn't a salvage recovery. A 2013 will have a battery and drive unit warranty until the month of its manufacture in 2021.
@swegman covered my biggest issues right now. If your car is capped it will have less range and be slower than other P85 cars. If you're buying from Tesla, the other things should have some form of limited warranty but they are refusing to honor warranty right now if you're in the capped "test group"
@swegman covered my biggest issues right now. If your car is capped it will have less range and be slower than other P85 cars. If you're buying from Tesla, the other things should have some form of limited warranty but they are refusing to honor warranty right now if you're in the capped "test group"
I sold my 2013 at 65k miles, and would have kept it if not for the Calif carpool lane expiration. Awesome car with few issues. Motor was replaced at 30k due to milling noise and I had 2 door handles fail. Note that the parking sensors came out mid-year, and they are very nice to have. Same goes for folding side mirrors.
geoffmanley
Member
2013 P85+ with 62K, here. Love it. The two front door handles have been replaced, along with the heater unit, electrical contactors, and a few other things, Still on the original battery pack and motor. I get about 224 miles at 90%.
Retrospected
Member
2013 P85 at 108k miles. Drive unit was replaced twice (2nd time was the "better" built motor) and haven't had issues there since. Battery just went a couple months ago, and was completely replaced under warranty. 3 Door handles were replaced by Electrified Garage, which are built with a better piece which is virtually break-proof. Coolant pump went before the recent battery, which cost about 1200$ to replace. Pano roof has no issues, which is something you should look out for when you're looking.
Overall the car is amazing, and I would have bought it again if I knew about the things that would go wrong. Although the 13 p85 is great, I would still buy the newest vehicle you can afford. The warranty on battery/motor is too important for me, and I'll be sad when I know the replacement would come out of pocket.
Overall the car is amazing, and I would have bought it again if I knew about the things that would go wrong. Although the 13 p85 is great, I would still buy the newest vehicle you can afford. The warranty on battery/motor is too important for me, and I'll be sad when I know the replacement would come out of pocket.
Similar threads
- Question
- Question
