Battery replacement - can I keep the old battery?

[planemechanic]

I am getting my Model 3 battery replaced by my insurance due to a large rock that scrapped the bottom. I have heard there is value in these batteries for home storage with a solar system. I want to recoup some of the value of this old battery, that I own as part of my car, either for my use or for sale to someone who wants to use it in their solar/home storage system.

Has anyone had this experience or heard of it from others? Any idea how to move this large heavy battery from the service center to my home? Any other pitfalls or concerns I should be worried about here? I would sell it in an "as-is" condition of course.

TIA

 

[jmaddr]

The rules would be the same as if your insurance totaled your car and you wanted to buy it in salvage. It’s an arrangement between you and your insurance company. Your insurance company technically owns the battery if they paid for the repair and it’s at their discretion if they want to sell it to you. I personally have not heard of anything like this.

By the way, I’m curious what circumstances allowed a rock to hit your underside? Are you lowered or was it just a really hig rock you didn’t see?

 

[ewoodrick]

I dare say that whoever does the replacement calculates that into the replacement cost.

 

[gecko10x]

The rules would be the same as if your insurance totaled your car and you wanted to buy it in salvage. It’s an arrangement between you and your insurance company. Your insurance company technically owns the battery if they paid for the repair and it’s at their discretion if they want to sell it to you. I personally have not heard of anything like this.

By the way, I’m curious what circumstances allowed a rock to hit your underside? Are you lowered or was it just a really hig rock you didn’t see?

I believe there was a thread on here last year with the exact same question, and this was the consensus, IIRC.

 

[planemechanic]

The insurance company is out of it at this point, Tesla does not like two party checks and they prefer the insurance company send me a check, then I pay Tesla for the repair. This also allows me to use a rewards credit card to get some cash back out of this deal. Since the total repair was close to $19,000 the cash back is not small.

The "rock" is what is called rip rap, it is those cantaloupe sized rocks used to hold embankments in place. Unfortunately the rip rap itself decided to roll down the embankment just before my wife drove by.

Since the deal is now between me and the Tesla service center I think I am the owner of the battery. There is no mention of a core charge on the estimate, and it is a new OEM battery not a remanufactured one.

 

[Akikiki]

I dare say that whoever does the replacement calculates that into the replacement cost.

ewoodrick, I think you are right. Probably the first thing on a model this new was Tesla injected into the conversation with the insurance company that they want the old battery back and made them an offer for the exchange. The OP unlikely has a chance.

 

[Rocky_H]

I believe there was a thread on here last year with the exact same question, and this was the consensus, IIRC.

June this year--four pages. Pretty informative discussion in there. Here ya go:
Battery damaged

 

[planemechanic]

Tesla is now claiming they want a $8,000-$11,000 core fee. Since it is not mentioned anywhere on any estimate I think I could fight it, but it is more than I want to bother with right now. I am dropping this idea. Thanks everyone.

 

[Daniel in SD]

Tesla is now claiming they want a $8,000-$11,000 core fee. Since it is not mentioned anywhere on any estimate I think I could fight it, but it is more than I want to bother with right now. I am dropping this idea. Thanks everyone.

Someone should fight them on this at some point. I can understand not wanting to bother with it though. In California they have to give you back the used parts if you tell them any time before the repair is complete. So if they write up the estimate without the core charge then that's on them.
I wonder if they do this to avoid someone writing an article saying "The Model 3 battery costs $20k!". That's the only explanation I can come up with.

 

[ZOMGVTEK]

Someone should fight them on this at some point. I can understand not wanting to bother with it though. In California they have to give you back the used parts if you tell them any time before the repair is complete. So if they write up the estimate without the core charge then that's on them.
I wonder if they do this to avoid someone writing an article saying "The Model 3 battery costs $20k!". That's the only explanation I can come up with.

With how many people are highly concerned about replacement pack costs, I could very well see this being the case. It’s not a big number of cars that have out of warranty battery replacement, so it’s not insane to think they would be willing to create the illusion the pack isn’t QUITE so expensive. And presumably the idea is by the time people might legitimately need an out of warranty replacement the costs would be inline with expectations.

 

[jmaddr]

In California they have to give you back the used parts if you tell them any time before the repair is complete

I think this is only if they don't charge a core.
Now I'm not a lawyer, but I don't think an estimate is a binding legal document (there are not dual signatures, notary, etc). If anytime before they do actual work, they come to you in good faith and say, we were incorrect and here is a new estimate, I would think they are entirely within their legal right.

 

[Daniel in SD]

I think this is only if they don't charge a core.
Now I'm not a lawyer, but I don't think an estimate is a binding legal document (there are not dual signatures, notary, etc). If anytime before they do actual work, they come to you in good faith and say, we were incorrect and here is a new estimate, I would think they are entirely within their legal right.

It just doesn’t seem plausible that they’re forgetting to put a core charge on the estimate every single time they do a battery replacement.

 

[jmaddr]

It just doesn’t seem plausible that they’re forgetting to put a core charge on the estimate every single time they do a battery replacement

I hope you're right but Tesla service is...shall we say...learning.... As long as they don't mention/document the core before you drop off your car (and you sign the work slip) and they begin their work, then you have a point and a leg to stand on.

 

[Daniel in SD]

Maybe there's some sort of tax accounting advantage to not having a core charge.

 

[ucmndd]

It just doesn’t seem plausible that they’re forgetting to put a core charge on the estimate every single time they do a battery replacement.

How many out of warranty / full cost battery replacements do you think they’ve done at this point? I imagine that number is quite small.

 

[Daniel in SD]

How many out of warranty / full cost battery replacements do you think they’ve done at this point? I imagine that number is quite small.

Not sure how to scale what I've seen in the forum to actual numbers. I think I've seen about five here.