Cautionary Tale - Buying a used Tesla from a used car Dealer

[brucet999]

As far as I know Tesla does not have the right to hold someone else's property hostage - so this story is sounding fishy to me - at least this part of it.

Did you just get an email saying something like the following?
"Please help me. My car is at Tesla service and will cost $5000 to get it back and I lost my wallet and credit cards, so wire $5000 immediately to the following address..."

 

[m2140]

He has a 2014 85. No auto-pilot. It is an earlier model because it has the red accent on the black seats. He got one of the earlier models without supercharging. I asked that he call Tesla to confirm in case there was a problem with that. i never heard back on that and not sure if not supercharging is tied to the current issue.

 

[MP3Mike]

$5,000 won't get you much lawyer time, 10-15 hours. Get the car fixed and sue in small claims court.

I agree, but he said a minimum of $5k to fix it. It could cost way more if they dig in and find a lot more damage than they thought.

 

[brkaus]

He has a 2014 85. No auto-pilot. It is an earlier model because it has the red accent on the black seats. He got one of the earlier models without supercharging. I asked that he call Tesla to confirm in case there was a problem with that. i never heard back on that and not sure if not supercharging is tied to the current issue.

All the 85 came with supercharging to the best of my knowledge. Perhaps they put it on the blacklist due to its problems?

 

[Skotty]

Are we certain he has an actual Tesla Service Center looking at the car and not some random shop that just claims to be able to work on Teslas?

Rodents chewing through cables on a car is an extremely rare thing. Whether it is or not, it sounds like a made up story. Either made up by the repair shop or someone in the chain between the repair shop and the OP. I also agree there most likely would have been errors showing on the dash, though they could have been ignored (possible) or disabled (unlikely).

 

[CuriousG]

This past week, he got a bombshell. He was trying to use some of the newer features of the car like auto park and the Tesla would not work. So he took it into the Tesla service center. After a day or so, the service center called him up and gave him the bad news.

Isn't autopark part of autopilot?

He has a 2014 85. No auto-pilot. It is an earlier model because it has the red accent on the black seats. He got one of the earlier models without supercharging. I asked that he call Tesla to confirm in case there was a problem with that. i never heard back on that and not sure if not supercharging is tied to the current issue.

So which is it? The person has autopilot or not? If not, it would explain why autopark didn't work. I thought all versions of 85 packs had Supercharger? The only time I've heard of it being disabled is when the car is salvaged.

 

[Chrisizzle]

Here in Ontario, Canada there is a industry regulatory group called the Ontario Motor Vehicles Industry Council. I had an issue with a used ICE vehicle years ago that leaked antifreeze into the engine and the motor completely seized within two months. Contacting OMVIC inspired the used car dealer 'do the right thing'. You should see if there is an equivalent where you live.

I had an after market extended warranty on that car but it maxed out at $2,000 for the $6,000 repair. So, the warranty, the dealer and I all paid a third.

 

[Gizmotoy]

He has a 2014 85. No auto-pilot. It is an earlier model because it has the red accent on the black seats. He got one of the earlier models without supercharging. I asked that he call Tesla to confirm in case there was a problem with that. i never heard back on that and not sure if not supercharging is tied to the current issue.

So, couple things here.

1. He stated he first noticed something was up when auto-park didn't work. That's an autopilot feature, which you stated the car doesn't have. Autopark will never work on this vehicle because it doesn't have the necessary hardware.
2. All 85s have Supercharging. If Supercharging isn't working, either the rodent's nibbling destroyed the cabling necessary to support Supercharging, or Tesla disabled its Supercharger access upon discovery of the electrical damage. In the latter case, the damage will need to be repaired to Tesla's satisfaction before being allowed to Supercharge again.

So there's some variation of the "telephone game" going on here and details are being lost.

 

[m2140]

I got an update from my co worker today.

He was able to get the dealer to agree and talk to Tesla and start authorizing the repairs. Things looked good at first because the dealer manager agreed to take care of it and work with Tesla. It sounded like great news at first. But at the end it was just a tactic used by the dealer to stall.

The BMW dealer called the Tesla Service center and authorized them to take apart the car and quote the full extent of the damage. As tesla inspected the car they found more damaged cables and actually found a nest in the car. The repair cost are much higher. My co-worker did not go into all the details, but major harnesses were damaged so it's a lot more work to repair. As my co-worker put it "we are looking at a complete re-wire" not sure if he's exaggerating.

Unfortunately, the BMW dealer that sold the car and supposedly certified the car is trying to negotiate with Tesla on the repair costs. They don't want to pay the full cost of repairs and seem to be stalling. Not sure what they are trying to do as there are limited options for repairing a Tesla and they all require Tesla to certify the repairs.

My co-worker is at his end with his car and now wants to get rid of it. But the good thing is that he is not pissed at Tesla or soured on Tesla's at all. He is really happy with the way the Tesla team has been handling this. He still has a Loaner despite all the uncertainty, He really likes his service manager at Tesla because he calls him daily with updates and copies him on all communication back to BMW. He has been completely blown away with the higher level of support and care that Tesla provides. He definitely wants another one. But at this point it looks like Legal action is going to be his only recourse. He would prefer to just get his money back, but at least get the car repaired.


He's in Souther California, Anyone else here on the forum have any experience with getting a dealer to buy back a car outside of Lemon Law protection? I don't think Lemon Law applies here but I could be wrong. I've had to use Lemon Law protection in the past and it's usually the manufacturer that is responsible. Here the dealer is the one that is negligent by certifying the car and then not wanting to repair. any help you can provide would be great. I asked that he contact his lawyer right away but any help the forum can provide would be great.

 

[stopcrazypp]

He's in Souther California, Anyone else here on the forum have any experience with getting a dealer to buy back a car outside of Lemon Law protection? I don't think Lemon Law applies here but I could be wrong. I've had to use Lemon Law protection in the past and it's usually the manufacturer that is responsible. Here the dealer is the one that is negligent by certifying the car and then not wanting to repair. any help you can provide would be great. I asked that he contact his lawyer right away but any help the forum can provide would be great.

If the used car your coworker bought from the dealer has a dealer warranty, then there are some parts of the California Song-Beverly Lemon law that applies to him.
"Coverage For Vehicles That Are Not "New": Although the special provisions discussed above apply to new motor vehicles, Song-Beverly has many general rules that apply to any consumer product sold with an express written warranty. As a result, there is important coverage for motorcycles, the living quarters of a mobile home, used vehicles sold with a dealer's express written warranty, "lemon" vehicles repurchased by the manufacturer and sold to consumers with an express written warranty covering the defect, and vehicles sold with a service contract."
Buying and Maintaining a Car | State of California - Department of Justice - Kamala D. Harris Attorney General

Here's another link just from a quick google (this is just informational, but I can't vouch for its accuracy). Basically on the federal required Buyer's Guide attached to the car, there should be two boxes. One says "As is - No warranty" and the other says "Warranty". If the warranty box was checked, you may be covered by lemon law (and it should also mention the terms of the warranty).
California Used Car Lemon Law - Free Info 855-4-LEMON-LAW
https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/pdf-0083-buyers-guide.pdf

He should really consult with a lawyer, especially if he has decided he may not want this particular vehicle.

 

[sorka]

The dealer sold him a car that had serious known issues. They need to take the car back and completely undwind the deal. The dealer has solid ground for unwinding the deal with the previous owner since he/she knew about this issue and intentionally didn't disclose it.

 

[hsctiger93]

Sounds to me like the original owner of the rodent-infested Model S and the BMW dealer should spend some time together. They were made for each other. Seller cheated dealer; dealer cheated (uneducated) buyer.

There's a reason automobile dealers carry awful reputations. No one should walk into one expecting a good faith negotiation whether it be on a used Model S or a tire valve cap.

There's also a lesson for this poor person. Never, under any circumstances, take the dealer's word on a so-called CPO car. If the dealer's worth his word he will allow the prospective purchaser to take the automobile to an independent repair shop for a thorough evaluation. As a purchaser of at least 8 different used cars in my life, I can honestly say this tactic saved me from buying 3 absolute wrecks (purchases before CarFax).

I have a neighbor interested in getting a used Model S. I'd tell him the exact same thing. If the seller is honest, he'll allow my neighbor to take the used Model S to a Tesla Service center for a thorough inspection (and review of the VIN). If not, WALK AWAY.

 

[CarlitoDoc]

Mmmm, interesting! I was checking the Model S forum, since I have been considering a pre-owned Model S (it will be at least 2.5 years before I see my Model 3). Anyway, one of the posts I made was in regards to the price difference between Tesla's CPO'd vehicles and those out in the "regular market". I guess you get what you pay for? Anyway, input is always welcome. Thanks.

 

[Bimbels]

He definitely needs out of the deal. Has he told the BMW dealer he wants to return the car and get his money back? Even if it were fixed I'm not sure I'd want it.

 

[sorka]

If there was truly a rats nest in it, there could be wiring they haven't seen that has been partially chewed through that will eventually fail. If I were Tesla, I'd require an entire rewire of the car just to be safe.

 

[Jool]

The dealer needs to take the car back and give all the money back to your friend. That car sounds like a huge disaster.

 

[cschock]

Rodents chewing through cables on a car is an extremely rare thing.

I don't want to say you are wrong, but my wife's car was attacked by rodents. Apparently they like to chew the wiring insulation because it tastes sweet. I thought it was a freak thing, but according to our insurer, it is actually not all that uncommon, especially in more rural areas.

Edit: to clarify, my wife's car was not a Tesla, it was a VW Jetta

 

[FlatSix911]

If the BMW dealer won't agree to take the car back and unwind the deal, you have another option.
Contact your local TV news network and get the consumer reporter involved ... dealers hate bad press.

 

[sorka]

Or we can all start tweating: "Local BMW dealer sells rat invested car" or something more clever that just fits in 140 characters.

 

[GoTslaGo]

^^^^
"...rat invested car..."

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