Buyer beware. Buying a CPO Tesla feels like a SCAM.

[EVDRVN]

Unfortunately I don't think this is a specific delivery center. When this happened, they had an opportunity to do the right thing and put in place procedures to deliver a quality and respectable product to future customers. Instead they have pretty much institutionalized that horrible experience by getting rid of whatever meager standards they had back then and the current status quo is that they will sell cars that barely pass state inspection.

As long as the wheels turn, they will sell the car as they now only promise the car will function "mechanically."

My guess is pics of this on social media would stop this fast in this present environment.

 

[Barnes]

Unfortunately I don't think this is a specific delivery center. When this happened, they had an opportunity to do the right thing and put in place procedures to deliver a quality and respectable product to future customers. Instead they have pretty much institutionalized that horrible experience by getting rid of whatever meager standards they had back then and the current status quo is that they will sell cars that barely pass state inspection.

As long as the wheels turn, they will sell the car as they now only promise the car will function "mechanically."

What's their lease return policy? Never leased one, so are they charging the leasee for all that damage? I don't understand why they would even take that car back into inventory in that condition unless the leasee had to pay numerous penalties or an installment/cash owner traded it in well below market value of a decent condition vehicle.

 

[firewire]

WOW! I think OP was given the Tesla Founder's Edition as in " Found in a junkyard"!! Seriously reading this thread makes me wonder how Tesla not only dropped the ball in his case but refused to take responsibility until the very last moment when Elon took notice of it. It shouldn't have taken this long for Tesla to resolve his issue.

I remember when I bought a used '92 Lexus ES300 from a local used car dealer in Colorado about 10 years ago. I went in to the Lexus dealership to do a full fluid replacement and still remember how amazing their customer service was. They treated me as if I had bought a brand new car from them. It left me with such an impression that afterwards even for an oil change I would choose them over any local garage mainly for the way they used to take care of my old car and secondly they were not that much expensive either!. For me customer service is just as important as the car and maybe even more so. I never had this level of care or service even from a BMW dealership to be honest.

I think Tesla really needs to send their staff for training to a local Lexus dealership to show what customer service really means.

 

[SO16]

They might be getting the same mechanical warranty as a traditional CPO, but the wear and tear on some of their pre-owned cars wouldn't qualify for the "CPO" label from traditional dealerships.

LOL. That’s just completely WRONG! I have looked at several CPOs from dealerships and their multi point inspection is an absolute joke!!!!

 

[Firewired]

It’s a whole different world as they no longer make ready the used cars and just sell them “as is”.

 

[Olds442]

It’s a whole different world as they no longer make ready the used cars and just sell them “as is”.

truth.

i'm so glad i bought in late 2017 when they still did the whole re-furb thing. i couldn't figure out how they sold me my car at that price, at the time. especially considering the thing is literally pristine and flawless.

it doesn't seem like the costs dropped after doing away with the re-furb part. also kind of a bummer.

 

[PhilDavid]

truth.

i'm so glad i bought in late 2017 when they still did the whole re-furb thing. i couldn't figure out how they sold me my car at that price, at the time. especially considering the thing is literally pristine and flawless.

it doesn't seem like the costs dropped after doing away with the re-furb part. also kind of a bummer.

Just realize that the flawless car Tesla sold you is nothing exceptional at all in the industry, if you've ever bought a premium CPO car. Look up the CPO inventory of any premium car maker and you will see literally thousands of CPO cars for sale that are like new. They all manage to sell CPO cars in like new condition and make a very decent profit. Selling beat up cars in poor condition seems to be unique to Tesla for used cars sold in this price segment.

I agree about the cost part. When they changed the policy, they did not adjust prices taking into account the condition of the car.

As it is, some people get lucky and end up with a car that is like new, as it should be, and others end up being screwed when they are presented with a car that is all beat up with damage all over the place.

When you buy a Tesla CPO, be sure to very thoroughly inspect the car. As long as the wheels turn and the car works "mechanically," they will try to sell it.

 

[Hanchee]

Ill try to keep this short and to the point. I'll also keep names out of it as I really do not intend to cause anyone any harm.

First of all, I love Tesla. An amazing company that makes a kick ass car led by a true visionary.
For most of the past 10 years i've been driving different BMW's as they provide the best driving experience in my opinion -- that was until I drove a model S.

So, I spoke with a sales person at Tesla. We went over options and available CPO's.
Overall a very helpful and accommodating person.
KEY POINT:
me: I never bought a car that I haven't seen in real life, or taken out for a test drive. What guarantee is there that the car is in good shape.
him: All of our CPO cars go through the rigorous Tesla certification process and have passed the Tesla quality standards in terms of esthetics and function.

This was enough of an explanation for me. it made sense. If its good enough for Tesla, its sure as hell good enough for me.

So, I bought a sexy white MS85D with 40K miles. All i saw was a photo of the car in what looked like a tesla workshop of some sort. I was referred to the nearest service center to my location (4 hours away) who were supposed to handle the delivery

Theres a bit of a mini-fiasco story with the delivery but lets skip that to keep this post on point. All i'll say is that after the papers were signed via overnight fedex back and forth (and people were super nice and friendly too) it felt like they forgot about me and sounded very annoyed every time I called to ask about when the car is getting delivered. Apparently it was being delayed because of the necessary detailing that had to be done.


Delivery:
delivery was in the late afternoon on a dark and gloomy day.
Took the car, signed the papers. Truck left.
I immediately call to ask about the cleanliness of the car. I was told that as a CPO it is within the Tesla standards.

Next day, in the sunlight, I had a better look at the car. and thats when I realized just how bad the car's condition is.
Issues:
- Headliner in TERRIBLE condition, Truly disgusting
- Steering wheel leather has what appears to be permanent damage. Maybe its just
- Blemish / paint chip on the front of the hood
- Leather seats have dark streaks of what looks like oil / grease stains
- Dirt and gravel pretty much everywhere.
- The rear trunk center storage compartment (requires lifting the trunk floor) has dirt and gravel, some weird clothing item, and most revoltingly a dental hygiene tool (an interdental floss -- is it used?? I hate to even consider the thought)
- Headliner is peeling and coming off in a couple of areas
- Center console has 2 deep gouges in it.

Other issues:
- BT audio connectivity SUCKS ( i have had to do a soft reset a total of 9 times now in 5 weeks).
- Wheels need alignment. The autopilot blue steering wheel looks funny at an 11 o'clock position when driving in a straight line.

Obviously I called and raised hell with the service dept. Sent them the photos. they apologize and say "let me see what I can do and ill call you back."
No call back, so I call next day. " Whats the update?"
"We are still looking into it, give me until the end of the day."
Car was delivered Monday. By Friday absolutely nothing was done. Each and every day I was told "I'll get right back to you with a way to correct this."
So, I call and tell them that ill take it to a local Auto detail specialist and get it cleaned up. Detail guy says headliner is beyond repair.
I call back and give the service team the update on Saturday. Service guy says "ok, we will have to send a truck to pick it up and bring it here. We will provide a loaner while we work on your car. Let me call you monday when my manager gets here to get it set up for you."
Monday comes. Nothing. Late afternoon I call the sales guy I bought the car from. "Hello -- Here's he deal, if this car was in a dealership there is no way in hell i would have bought it. I trusted you and the company when you said it is within the Tesla quality standards being a CPO car. whats the return policy on the car? and don't worry, i'll purchase another CPO, I just don't want this one"
"There is no return policy. The car is in good shape. Just cause you don't like it, does not mean you can return it."
"i'll send you the pictures, then lets talk about the Tesla quality standards"

I sent the pics, with a written request to return the car and to have my money back.
this was 4 weeks ago. I have sent him maybe 4-5 other emails and called about 4-5 as well. Have not heard back from Mr. Sales guy.

The service team eventually got back Tuesday. "We are working on the details on the loaner give us a couple of days."
I call Friday "no movement yet. Please be patient"
Another week goes by with absolutely nothing happening. Dodging my phone calls, everyone is in a meeting, and people are getting sick all of a sudden. I called Tesla headquarters in CA. they say all they can do is have the service center in charge of the car handle the problem. But, they will send it over to the escalations department. they recommended I speak with the manager in the service department but refuse to say his name.


On a Monday I get in touch with the manager. Super rude individual.
verbatim : "We are not sending a truck to pick your car up -- it is too expensive."
My reply was : "you know whats too expensive? paying $70K for a car with black and brown grease marks all over, a peeling headliner, and dental hygiene products in the trunk."
He insists that its too expensive to send a truck to pickup the car and provide a loaner. He said the best he can do is fix it in a Tesla approved body shop, and order the parts necessary and have it sent there. And they will arrange for a Luxury rental from Enterprise.
I explain to him that if the repairs take a month, and I have already been dealing with a month, then I will have paid for a car that I am completely unhappy with for 2 months -- thats not cool. And who wants to pay for a Tesla and then drive a car with an ICE and have to put gas and stuff..??
All he could do is send the mobile unit to fix the issues, scheduled on Friday, which will be 25 days from delivery.

Mobile unit gets here, the poor guy is shocked. He takes photos, all the while shaking his head. Says there is no way this can be done in the field. Recommends the car be sent back. this was 10 days ago.

Despite the recommendation from the mobile unit, it took the service team a whole week to give me straight answer about sending a loaner and picking my car up.
this is supposed to happen by Saturday. It will be almost 6 weeks from delivery.


I don't know what to think about the whole thing. But I will definitely never buy CPO from Tesla again, and quite frankly I am questioning whether I should ever buy another Tesla at all.
For $70K I would have bought a very nice beamer, and would have received excellent customer service from a very reputable auto maker.
I paid $70K for a car that, and lets all be honest with each other here, is severely lacking on the inside. But, we are all ok with it because it drives amazing, and we all buy into the company and its mission as a whole. For me though, this touchy feely crap only goes a certain distance. Once I started getting treated like dirt, and spent my commutes alongside a lot of dirt, reality set in that I've been conned.

I would still love to be able to get my money back and give this dirt pile back.

Ill try to keep this short and to the point. I'll also keep names out of it as I really do not intend to cause anyone any harm.

First of all, I love Tesla. An amazing company that makes a kick ass car led by a true visionary.
For most of the past 10 years i've been driving different BMW's as they provide the best driving experience in my opinion -- that was until I drove a model S.

So, I spoke with a sales person at Tesla. We went over options and available CPO's.
Overall a very helpful and accommodating person.
KEY POINT:
me: I never bought a car that I haven't seen in real life, or taken out for a test drive. What guarantee is there that the car is in good shape.
him: All of our CPO cars go through the rigorous Tesla certification process and have passed the Tesla quality standards in terms of esthetics and function.

This was enough of an explanation for me. it made sense. If its good enough for Tesla, its sure as hell good enough for me.

So, I bought a sexy white MS85D with 40K miles. All i saw was a photo of the car in what looked like a tesla workshop of some sort. I was referred to the nearest service center to my location (4 hours away) who were supposed to handle the delivery

Theres a bit of a mini-fiasco story with the delivery but lets skip that to keep this post on point. All i'll say is that after the papers were signed via overnight fedex back and forth (and people were super nice and friendly too) it felt like they forgot about me and sounded very annoyed every time I called to ask about when the car is getting delivered. Apparently it was being delayed because of the necessary detailing that had to be done.


Delivery:
delivery was in the late afternoon on a dark and gloomy day.
Took the car, signed the papers. Truck left.
I immediately call to ask about the cleanliness of the car. I was told that as a CPO it is within the Tesla standards.

Next day, in the sunlight, I had a better look at the car. and thats when I realized just how bad the car's condition is.
Issues:
- Headliner in TERRIBLE condition, Truly disgusting
- Steering wheel leather has what appears to be permanent damage. Maybe its just
- Blemish / paint chip on the front of the hood
- Leather seats have dark streaks of what looks like oil / grease stains
- Dirt and gravel pretty much everywhere.
- The rear trunk center storage compartment (requires lifting the trunk floor) has dirt and gravel, some weird clothing item, and most revoltingly a dental hygiene tool (an interdental floss -- is it used?? I hate to even consider the thought)
- Headliner is peeling and coming off in a couple of areas
- Center console has 2 deep gouges in it.

Other issues:
- BT audio connectivity SUCKS ( i have had to do a soft reset a total of 9 times now in 5 weeks).
- Wheels need alignment. The autopilot blue steering wheel looks funny at an 11 o'clock position when driving in a straight line.

Obviously I called and raised hell with the service dept. Sent them the photos. they apologize and say "let me see what I can do and ill call you back."
No call back, so I call next day. " Whats the update?"
"We are still looking into it, give me until the end of the day."
Car was delivered Monday. By Friday absolutely nothing was done. Each and every day I was told "I'll get right back to you with a way to correct this."
So, I call and tell them that ill take it to a local Auto detail specialist and get it cleaned up. Detail guy says headliner is beyond repair.
I call back and give the service team the update on Saturday. Service guy says "ok, we will have to send a truck to pick it up and bring it here. We will provide a loaner while we work on your car. Let me call you monday when my manager gets here to get it set up for you."
Monday comes. Nothing. Late afternoon I call the sales guy I bought the car from. "Hello -- Here's he deal, if this car was in a dealership there is no way in hell i would have bought it. I trusted you and the company when you said it is within the Tesla quality standards being a CPO car. whats the return policy on the car? and don't worry, i'll purchase another CPO, I just don't want this one"
"There is no return policy. The car is in good shape. Just cause you don't like it, does not mean you can return it."
"i'll send you the pictures, then lets talk about the Tesla quality standards"

I sent the pics, with a written request to return the car and to have my money back.
this was 4 weeks ago. I have sent him maybe 4-5 other emails and called about 4-5 as well. Have not heard back from Mr. Sales guy.

The service team eventually got back Tuesday. "We are working on the details on the loaner give us a couple of days."
I call Friday "no movement yet. Please be patient"
Another week goes by with absolutely nothing happening. Dodging my phone calls, everyone is in a meeting, and people are getting sick all of a sudden. I called Tesla headquarters in CA. they say all they can do is have the service center in charge of the car handle the problem. But, they will send it over to the escalations department. they recommended I speak with the manager in the service department but refuse to say his name.


On a Monday I get in touch with the manager. Super rude individual.
verbatim : "We are not sending a truck to pick your car up -- it is too expensive."
My reply was : "you know whats too expensive? paying $70K for a car with black and brown grease marks all over, a peeling headliner, and dental hygiene products in the trunk."
He insists that its too expensive to send a truck to pickup the car and provide a loaner. He said the best he can do is fix it in a Tesla approved body shop, and order the parts necessary and have it sent there. And they will arrange for a Luxury rental from Enterprise.
I explain to him that if the repairs take a month, and I have already been dealing with a month, then I will have paid for a car that I am completely unhappy with for 2 months -- thats not cool. And who wants to pay for a Tesla and then drive a car with an ICE and have to put gas and stuff..??
All he could do is send the mobile unit to fix the issues, scheduled on Friday, which will be 25 days from delivery.

Mobile unit gets here, the poor guy is shocked. He takes photos, all the while shaking his head. Says there is no way this can be done in the field. Recommends the car be sent back. this was 10 days ago.

Despite the recommendation from the mobile unit, it took the service team a whole week to give me straight answer about sending a loaner and picking my car up.
this is supposed to happen by Saturday. It will be almost 6 weeks from delivery.


I don't know what to think about the whole thing. But I will definitely never buy CPO from Tesla again, and quite frankly I am questioning whether I should ever buy another Tesla at all.
For $70K I would have bought a very nice beamer, and would have received excellent customer service from a very reputable auto maker.
I paid $70K for a car that, and lets all be honest with each other here, is severely lacking on the inside. But, we are all ok with it because it drives amazing, and we all buy into the company and its mission as a whole. For me though, this touchy feely crap only goes a certain distance. Once I started getting treated like dirt, and spent my commutes alongside a lot of dirt, reality set in that I've been conned.

I would still love to be able to get my money back and give this dirt pile back.

I think you are over reacting. The problems you listed are all cosmetic. It is a 3 year old car after all. It should have been cleaned prior to delivery but it’s really not a big deal. Just take it to a car wash and detail it.

 

[PhilDavid]

I think you are over reacting. The problems you listed are all cosmetic. It is a 3 year old car after all. It should have been cleaned prior to delivery but it’s really not a big deal. Just take it to a car wash and detail it.

Ah, those were the good old days when receiving a bad CPO car meant you just had to wash and clean it.

Now when you receive a bad CPO, it means not only can the car be trashed and dirty but there could also be damage all over the car with no recourse to get it fixed. I've seen some CPO cars with actual holes in the bumper and some so bad that just about every single body panel has damage.

What do you mean it is a "3 year old car after all?" Go to the CPO lot of any premium carmaker and you will see thousands of 3 year old cars that look new. Heck go to a Toyota CPO lot and you will see thousands of 3 year old Toyotas offered for sale that look new.

This notion that 3 year old cars costing around the median household income of the US should be accepted trashed and damaged is unique to Tesla. Perhaps that is acceptable when you buy a car but we don't consider that acceptable and I doubt many others paying their hard earned money for a car find it acceptable either...

 

[mongo]

Ah, those were the good old days when receiving a bad CPO car meant you just had to wash and clean it.

Now when you receive a bad CPO, it means not only can the car be trashed and dirty but there could also be damage all over the car with no recourse to get it fixed. I've seen some CPO cars with actual holes in the bumper and some so bad that just about every single body panel has damage.

What do you mean it is a "3 year old car after all?" Go to the CPO lot of any premium carmaker and you will see thousands of 3 year old cars that look new. Heck go to a Toyota CPO lot and you will see thousands of 3 year old Toyotas offered for sale that look new.

This notion that 3 year old cars costing around the median household income of the US should be accepted trashed and damaged is unique to Tesla. Perhaps that is acceptable when you buy a car but we don't consider that acceptable and I doubt many others paying their hard earned money for a car find it acceptable either...

However, you don't get a CPO car from Tesla, you get a used car. A used car you can choose not to buy at the price/ condition they offer it. Just don't buy until seeing, or having 3rd party check it out.

 

[shiftkenny]

However, you don't get a CPO car from Tesla, you get a used car. A used car you can choose not to buy at the price/ condition they offer it. Just don't buy until seeing, or having 3rd party check it out.

I wonder if we can hire a tesla mechanic to come and look with me. That'd be ideal!

 

[Jeff and lori]

The statements you have made are factually not true* and based on those statements I have to surmise that you have never bought a premium CPO car before.

Go to a Mercedes, Audi, Porsche, or BMW dealer and look at their CPO cars. You will find that every single one of them has not only passed a mechanical test but a stringent refurbishing process both inside and out with any damage or excess wear and tear components/surfaces repaired or fixed.

In fact, if you inquire about a premium CPO car from a dealer, they will send you a list of everything they fixed or replaced as a part of the CPO process along with a detailed service history of the car. They also show photos of the car and the photos simply document that the cars are in fact in immaculate condition, as they should be. You can verify this by going to a dealer Web site to look at photos of CPO cars. You won't see any photos of damaged cars. Here's a list of Mercedes CPO vehicles for sale. Good luck finding a single car with interior or exterior damage out of the hundreds listed in their inventory.

Certified Pre-Owned Mercedes Inventory Search | Mercedes-Benz

All car dealers refurbish premium cars offered for sale and make a very decent profit selling those cars -- sometimes making more profit selling CPO cars than even new cars. So this whole notion that premium CPO used cars should be accepted as if they came from a junk yard because it costs too much to make them look respectable is baseless.

As is the notion that you should accept a 2-3 year old car costing $60K with dented panels, trashed interior, bumpers with holes in them and thousands worth of damage that needs to be fixed at a body shop.

 

[Jeff and lori]

Sorry folks, the reply above was a twitchy finger on the touch pad.

But since I'm here, I will say I agree with the title of this thread. A buyer must do their homework on any used car purchase, regardless of CPO status. Our last 3 cars were CPOs (BMW, Lexus, & Tesla). They all had cosmetic issues not visible in photos. When they were called to sellers attention, they were immediately corrected at no charge, otherwise we would have walked away.

 

[mongo]

I wonder if we can hire a tesla mechanic to come and look with me. That'd be ideal!

Tesla does a 70 point mechanical inspection. The aesthetic qualities seem to be the issues with non-renewed vehicles. I believe there are 3rd party vehicle check out services, if the car is accessible.

 

[PhilDavid]

Tesla does a 70 point mechanical inspection. The aesthetic qualities seem to be the issues with non-renewed vehicles. I believe there are 3rd party vehicle check out services, if the car is accessible.

That's super useful advice to thoroughly check the car out before paying.

As far as I'm concerned that "inspection" s a bunch of nonsense as I have yet to see a list of the 70 point "inspection." It's a far cry from the substantive list of what even a lowly Kia or Hyundai dealer would do to sell cars in decent condition let alone used cars costing over $50K.

From what I can tell that "inspection" is more or less similar to a state inspection where they make sure the car won't kill you or anyone else on the road with bad tires, brakes, etc., It just means the wheels turn, the brakes work, the horn works, etc.,

For anyone buying a CPO car the title of this thread is an apt description of the current Tesla CPO program. Treat the transaction like buying a car from a Craigslist seller you don't know because you never know what you get and they will try to sell you a beat-up banged-up car just the same as a car in decent condition.

There are very little meaningful standards so be ready to keep rejecting cars until they deliver a car that does not require a visit to a body shop after you buy it.

 

[mongo]

For anyone buying a CPO car the title of this thread is an apt description of the current Tesla CPO program.

I know I'm a broken record, but Tesla no longer has a CPO program. They do have a used, somewhat inspected, comes with warranty, detail yourself, don't worry about getting your first dent program though...

 

[PhilDavid]

Sorry folks, the reply above was a twitchy finger on the touch pad.

But since I'm here, I will say I agree with the title of this thread. A buyer must do their homework on any used car purchase, regardless of CPO status. Our last 3 cars were CPOs (BMW, Lexus, & Tesla). They all had cosmetic issues not visible in photos. When they were called to sellers attention, they were immediately corrected at no charge, otherwise we would have walked away.

This is very good advice. Tesla has taken away any peace of mind you normally get when buying a preowned car from a dealer. There is no refurbishing and you have no idea about the condition of the car until you see it in person.

The good news is they are still selling some cars in great condition so it seems the thing to do is keep rejecting cars until they deliver a car in decent condition. Also you should be careful to also check the underside of the car before delivery to make sure there is no damage.

It will be interesting to see how long they will continue this awful way to sell cars.

 

[shiftkenny]

This is very good advice. Tesla has taken away any peace of mind you normally get when buying a preowned car from a dealer. There is no refurbishing and you have no idea about the condition of the car until you see it in person.

The good news is they are still selling some cars in great condition so it seems the thing to do is keep rejecting cars until they deliver a car in decent condition. Also you should be careful to also check the underside of the car before delivery to make sure there is no damage.

It will be interesting to see how long they will continue this awful way to sell cars.

I hope they fix these process. I'm just patiently waiting.. one day i'll be able to say I own a tesla

 

[PhilDavid]

I hope they fix these process. I'm just patiently waiting.. one day i'll be able to say I own a tesla

As much as I feel they should do the right thing and not sell cars in such an awful way, if you want to buy a CPO car, there is no point in waiting because they do sell some cars in great condition.

You just need to find a responsive CPO advisor and tell that person you are not interested in buying a car that you need to take to a body shop to fix damage and they can then hopefully share with you cars for your consideration that are not damaged. Other forum members have made it clear they are not interested in a beat-up/damaged car and they have found cars in decent shape.

If they still end up delivering a beat up/damaged car to you without disclosing the damage, you can always reject delivery and look for another car. Other forum members have done this as well.

Why delay owning the world's best car, even if they have figured out an awful way to sell them...

 

[cpobuyer]

Yikes. I am so sorry and you should escalate until they make it right.

If it was one of my family members buying this CPO car, is it in acceptable condition?

I was considering getting a CPO in SF Bay Area. Now, I am not so sure....
Tesla people, if you're reading this - you are very close to loosing a buyer