Hi all, I came across a 2022 Model Y performance at a Carmax and had test driven it this week. Everything seemed fine except for this odd sound coming from the vent below the drivers seat. I did the test drive in the evening and didn't have a flash light with me, so I couldn't investigate it myself, but I let the sales advisor know about it. They did an inspection and found a vape pen in there. In my mind, I'm thinking there may be a possibility that the previous owner was vaping in the vehicle. Anyway, I don't know too much about vaping, but I do highly dislike cigarettes, the second hand smoke, and the smell it produces. I don't remember smelling anything in the vehicle when I test drove it. But I'm curious, if you aren't a vape or cigarette user, would this be a deal breaker for you? Is it easy to clean and ensure that any harmful effects/residue of the smoke on any surfaces or in the seats? Does the Tesla having a HEPA filter help reduce any damaging effects of smoke in the interior? Thanks all for your opinions.
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Buying a used Tesla Model Y from a previous vape owner?
- Thread starter xply
- Start date
I would certainly go back in, roll up the windows for a bit and give it a solid sniff check. See if it feels off or you react sitting inside the car for a bit.
I don’t think vaping is as damaging to materials as smoking is and I suspect if you don’t notice it, it won’t bother you.
That said. There are a lot of used cars out there without this little mental burden attached to them.
I don’t think vaping is as damaging to materials as smoking is and I suspect if you don’t notice it, it won’t bother you.
That said. There are a lot of used cars out there without this little mental burden attached to them.
fiehlsport
Tire Guy
i did not know about the HEPA filter not cleaning in cabin air so thanks for that. Usually I draw the line if I smell any kind of cigarette or marijuana since those I'm particularly sensitive to, but I've never actually considered vape use in used cars before until now.
maybe i'll test drive it again later this evening and inspect the windows and surfaces a bit more closely to see if there is any left over residue. I did want to take a second look at the left over plastic wrap peeking through the headliner in several areas throughout the cabin. I thought that was a bit odd too. It was like they did not completely finish unwrapping whatever it was attached to underneath
maybe i'll test drive it again later this evening and inspect the windows and surfaces a bit more closely to see if there is any left over residue. I did want to take a second look at the left over plastic wrap peeking through the headliner in several areas throughout the cabin. I thought that was a bit odd too. It was like they did not completely finish unwrapping whatever it was attached to underneath
I’d do another smell test after the windows have been up for at least a day. As someone who’s purchased a previous smoker’s car, you cannot remove the smell, it gets everywhere, not just on exposed surfaces. It’ll be in the upholstery, behind the dash, behind panels, in the ventilation system, everywhere. So if you detect any odor on your test, it’ll be something you’ll have to decide, whether it’s something with which you are willing to live. It’ll fade over the years but park in a sunny spot, it’ll be back. So your odor check is important and if there’s any question pass on it and await a car without any smell. Do not believe anyone, especially a sales person, that says they can remove smoking odors. I don’t know about vaping but I think the odors are very much less that that from smokers and it wouldn’t surprise me if there is no residual odor. The nicotine or THC or whatever was used was in a purified form so may well not have that raw smoke stench. Still if someone vaped in the car they may have smoked or allowed others to smoke, so there may be smoking odors. You’ll have to check. Residues: you won’t see them, you can only smell. Do check the ash trays, they’ll often have evidence if they’ve been used for cigarettes. They should be clean an shiny. Hepa filters will remove particles and possibly smells from outside the car but that’s not the problem. BTW, your cell phone usually has a flashlight option so can work in a pinch to look under a seat.
We bought a used Volvo over eBay, sight unseen, but we did pay for a remote mechanic’s evaluation. He didn’t report the cigarette stench. The car was shipped cross country so when it arrived it was ours. It reeked. We cleaned all surfaces, put a fan in with windows down for months, sprayed Fabreeze, and I we even put an ozone generator in there. There was less, but when you are competing with heavy smoking, windows up, for years, there’s a layer of tar inside the car, getting rid of all of it is hopeless. A non smoker’s nose is very sensitive to odors. You can try to remove smoking smells, pay for commercial cleaning, try to cover it up with various scent releasing car mirror dangly things, but if a smoker has smoked regularly in it, that tar is part of the car. I’d love for someone to tell me I’m wrong, I missed something and there is a way to return it to a nonsmokers status. i don’t think I’ll believe them I’ll need to be convinced. For right now a smoker’s car will always be a smoker’s car and I’ll be damned if I’ll ever buy another one.
And if you ever hire a mechanic to go over a car you are considering buying, find out if that mechanic is a smoker. If so, he won’t report cigarette odors. And if I was doing it again, I’d eat the cost, buy the plane tickets, and have a smell for myself. I wish I’d done that with that stinking Volvo.
We bought a used Volvo over eBay, sight unseen, but we did pay for a remote mechanic’s evaluation. He didn’t report the cigarette stench. The car was shipped cross country so when it arrived it was ours. It reeked. We cleaned all surfaces, put a fan in with windows down for months, sprayed Fabreeze, and I we even put an ozone generator in there. There was less, but when you are competing with heavy smoking, windows up, for years, there’s a layer of tar inside the car, getting rid of all of it is hopeless. A non smoker’s nose is very sensitive to odors. You can try to remove smoking smells, pay for commercial cleaning, try to cover it up with various scent releasing car mirror dangly things, but if a smoker has smoked regularly in it, that tar is part of the car. I’d love for someone to tell me I’m wrong, I missed something and there is a way to return it to a nonsmokers status. i don’t think I’ll believe them I’ll need to be convinced. For right now a smoker’s car will always be a smoker’s car and I’ll be damned if I’ll ever buy another one.
And if you ever hire a mechanic to go over a car you are considering buying, find out if that mechanic is a smoker. If so, he won’t report cigarette odors. And if I was doing it again, I’d eat the cost, buy the plane tickets, and have a smell for myself. I wish I’d done that with that stinking Volvo.
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Agree with above, I'd never buy a smokers car and though I'm not familiar with vaping I'm used to seeing clouds of smoke pour out at intersections from those who partake. Before you commit I'd leave it in the sun with the windows up and the climate set to recirculate for a few hours and then check it. If you detect even a slight remnant of smoke I'd bail and move on. If it were me I'd have moved on already actually, can't stand the smell.
That’s a valid point but if there’s no odor and the car is great, there’s no need to pass on it. If you detect even a hint of the use of a “fresh scent” product, you should figure someone is trying to cover something. Cars should smell pleasant on their own, they don’t need scent sprays.
ScoobyDoo82
Member
Lol.. the previous vaping owner did not make this used Tesla a “smoker’s car”. Vape does not ruin an interior like regular cigarettes do.
As another posted above, there may be a residue on the windows. That’s it.
As another posted above, there may be a residue on the windows. That’s it.
ScoobyDoo82
Member
This is highly NOT true. If you smoke/vape, you will not know the difference, but non smoker/vaper can detect right away.
Cigarette and vape all have chemical particles that will float around in the car and land on any surface/crack/gap, and so on.
thank you so much for sharing your experience and sorry to hear that that happened to you. yea i think at this point, i’m leaning towards not going forward with it. There definitely wasn’t any scent of weed, but just the thought that someone could have vaped in it is not encouraging.
I had only seen the car in the evening out of direct sunlight, so I will try to check it out during the day. thanks for the suggestion. there was another tesla on their lot that had obviously been smoked in and covered with air freshener. I wish there was an objective, simple, affordable test, other than one’s nose, that any consumer can use to confirm if a car has been smoked in, like a carfax for smokers lol.
The Y is one of the best selling cars in the world.
I bet you can find a clean, non-smoker vehicle. Why even bother with this?
I bet you can find a clean, non-smoker vehicle. Why even bother with this?
i thought it was good price with full self driving capabilities and also has a full vinyl wrap on the entire vehicle. as a techie, i’m more curious to try out fsd and know it isn’t perfect and not for the regular driver
Your nose is the only test you need. If the car smells normal, pleasant, no perfumes or air fresheners, then the interior shoiuld be good. Don’t be afraid of a good used car if it smells good and everything else is good.
I wouldn’t trust Carfax, it’s a nasty little company interested in one thing, that’s selling lots of Carfax reports. They don’t care if their data is correct, they won’t correct their reports. They won’t even tell you where they got their data. In case you can’t tell, I don’t really care for them. God only knows what they’ll report if they think they can make money reporting smells.
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