Battery faulted after sitting in Tesla Service for 5 months - still in service

[rripp]

I have a 2013 Model S that I took into Tesla Santa Monica November 29th, 2021 for a recall and because the AC wasn't working. When it was returned to my property, I got in and it wouldn't start. I took it to Tesla Burbank where they diagnosed the problem as related to the ACDC converter. They returned the car, and yet again it wouldn't start. This then happened two more times. Early April they asked if the screen had any bubbling when I brought it in. Definitely not. Thankfully they agreed to fix it for free, saying damage had occurred while they were replacing the ACDC converter. Two weeks later, they called and said the battery had faulted and would need to be replaced in its entirety and I'd need to pay for a whole new battery - $11k. They are crediting back the payments I already made that didn't fix the car, but still that's a very hefty bill. The car was working fine back in November sans the broken AC.

Has this happened to any other owners? Tips on getting this solved? It's still unclear how the battery just randomly faulted and why this wasn't caught five months ago. I keep trying to reason with the manager and regional manager, but they are sticking me with the bill and said either pay it or they can give me the car back broken.

I am looking at hiring a lawyer to assist, as this seems ludicrous and the car is no longer covered by warranty. It has 82,000 miles but is past the 8 year mark. Recommendations would be helpful. I loved Tesla but now having one of their cars and experiencing customer service, it's been far from ideal or even fair.

 

[Tam]

...far from ideal or even fair.

Sorry to hear but it's another reminder that it can be expensive to own a Tesla without the warranty.

 

[HankLloydRight]

$11k less the credit (whatever that is) for a replacement battery is likely less than what a lawyer is going to cost as well as the significant time and hassle to litigate this.
You also may have signed an arbitration agreement, so you might not even need a lawyer.

Sometimes life just sucks that way. Good luck with whatever avenue you choose.

 

[henderrj]

You could check with Jason Hugh's company, wk057.com, and see if they are less, but with shipping, I doubt it. Plus, 11k is probably not a new, but a repaired pack. Last I heard it was 22k for new.

 

[wk057]

Yeah it's getting a little pricier to ship to/from California. I still likely beat the $11k, though, just probably not by enough for it to be worth it vs just going with Tesla.