Convince me to buy used from Tesla vs Dealer

[Alysashley79]

Where are you getting this information? This is 100% not true.

I JUST bought a used Tesla. It was notated in my docs I received that all USED Tesla’s come with free supercharging for the life of the vehicle.

I have a friend that bought a used 2018 MX direct from Tesla in April. It had 15k on the Odo. It was a used Tesla. Their paperwork said the same thing mine did.

 

[NickleNiceness]

from a current listing. I would not plan on free supercharging unless it was specifically called out in writing on the MVPA

 

[Lmurph2]

I put down my $2500 on a used S, with Tesla. Changed my mind a couple days later and they refunded the money. I got it in writing (text and email) that they would refund it, it took about 30 days, but they did. So you can get it back.

My hesitations about buying from a traditional car dealer are (a) you don't really know what you are getting because many dealers don't understand Tesla (b) you cannot get an additional service plan, and Tesla repairs are expensive (c) I don't trust used car dealers to give me any better of a price or experience than Tesla does.

Waiting a few weeks to get a car is not that big of a deal. You don't have to buy it, if it's materially different than what was depicted in the photos. No used car is going to be free of blemishes or imperfections.

I am in the process of looking for a 2016/17 90D and it's hard (but not impossible) to find realistically priced ones on the private market. Most people paid $100k++ for their cars and don't understand why they are so much cheaper now, and that new prices have dropped so much since they purchased. However if you buy from a private person you can buy the Tesla extended service plan and get an additional 4 years of coverage. And if you read the ESP (it's on the Tesla website) it is very inclusive. Really good buys on the Tesla site get snapped up fast! So my hope is to find a decent, private party car, negotiate the price down and buy the ESP when the factory warranty is about to expire.

 

[_knag]

[URL="https://teslamotorsclub.com/tmc/threads/2018-ms-75d-mcu-2-eap-2-5-fsd-w-6-000-miles-nova-dc.156771/"]2018 Ms 75d (mcu 2 Eap 2.5 + Fsd W/ ~6,000 Miles) Nova/dc[/URL]

If you are interested, PM me

Still has 7 years and 2 months of battery warranty and 2 more months left for the fabled 1 year bumper to bumper warranty where they will fix anything without excuses. 3 years and 2 months of the regular bumper to bumper warranty.

 

[RichieTee]

I’ve been lurking here for a while trying to learn as much as I can. I wan to purchase a used S as I drive between 30 and 40 thousand miles a year. I don’t want to deal with the depreciation of a new vehicle with that many miles. Most people here say definitely buy used from Tesla. I have the following reasons not too and I’m happy to be convinced otherwise. I come with an open mind.

Reasons to buy from dealer or private party,

1, I can see the car
2, I know when I will receive the car
3 I’ve found the prices to be lower
4, I can negotiate on price with a real dealership
5 I still receive 8 year (from date of mfg ) warranty on battery
6 I believe I can buy an extended warranty, and even with that added in it seems less expensive than through Tesla

Based upon what I’ve read here everyone who has purchased used loves their car and hates the process.
I’m looking for a 2016 or 2017 85d or 90d. I want free supercharging and I under Stan that’s limited to early 17 depending on delivery date. I still can’t figure out how to tell if a car has xm radio.

I’m all ears on advice and looking forward to responses

Lawrence

Supercharging does NOT necessarily follow the car anymore.
Tesla updated their policy -- if they get their grubby little hands on a car that had free supercharging, they will strip it.
If you're lucky enough to find a private seller or dealership that has an older Tesla that included it, in which Tesla didn't get their hands on in between, the free super charging will transfer. But if Tesla took ownership of the vehicle at any time, they will strip it.

The only way to be sure, from what I've read, is to take the car to a supercharger, and the cost should show $0 the whole time. If the cost is going up, the free super charging is gone. Tesla will NOT give you any information on the vehicle unless you're the owner.

 

[DBO.]

I just purchased a used 2016.5 AP2 model S 90D on 12/31/20 from Tesla. Yes, it was unnerving to put any money down, even the order fee, without seeing the car, but everything turned out amazing. Here's my direct from Tesla experience:

- My delivery specialist was very responsive to calls, texts, and emails and answered all of my questions usually within a couple of hours even over the holidays. Also gave me written confirmation that if the car was in bad shape/not as advertised I'd get my order fee back.

- The delivery of the car was earlier than I was initially told.

- When I got to the delivery center I showed up with a cashiers check and asked if I could look at the car. They let me thoroughly inspect the interior and exterior before asking me to sign/pay my final balance. Yes, I would have liked a drive too, but with the included Tesla warranty I could take it right back to the center and have any major issues sorted. It performs marvelously though so that hasn't been an issue.

- Yes, there were a few small scratches, but nothing that I wouldn't expect on a used car and nothing that I wasn't able to polish out once I got it home. I found that a mirror cap had been damaged in transit which they fixed two days later in my driveway on a due bill.

Since delivery it has been fantastic. Got my FSD computer upgraded a couple of weeks ago and I'm scheduled to get MCU2 in about a month. I've yet to run into any of the dreaded customer service issues.

We've all heard the horror stories, but there are also plenty of good ones as well. Best of luck on your search and however you get into your model S I'm sure you'll love it.

 

[Sunshine Speed]

I'm looking at 2017-2018 used Model S with air suspension. I don't know about in prior years, but in 2021 my experience has been different from those commenting in this thread:
For used cars sold on Tesla's website:
- The price of the car with autopilot or FSD and similar odometer is CHEAPER compared to non-Tesla dealers or private parties.
- You can see all the hidden features of the car on Tesla's website, like whether it was MCU2 Infotainment Upgrade, air suspension vs coil. Those are impossible to know from the other websites. I might value a $5K difference on a car with coil suspension/MCU1 vs. a car with air suspension/MCU2.
- Every car comes with at least 1-year warranty, even a 2015 or 2016. Many of the cars on non-Tesla websites have odometer over 50K and come with *zero* warranty on the entire car except powertrain/battery. Including all 2015s and 2016s.

The only reason I can see to NOT buy from Tesla website is to see photos first, drive the car first, or get the car the same day. Those are valid reasons.
Regarding unlimited supercharging : I've only spent $300 supercharging in 3 years on 4 road trips, so it's only valuable if you don't own a garage and you stay at hotels that don't offer free night charging. Or if you're retired and plan on coast-to-coast drives.

 

[2101Guy]

my purchase was also sight unseen from Teslas site, in Dec. 2019 for a 2017. It literally could not have gone better. Car was literally like new, smelled like new, etc. The delivery expectations were exceeded in my case.

 

[Delros]

I also received my used MS sight unseen. I was hesitant at first but found a 2017 with extremely low mileage so I scooped it up. Upon my initial inspection, i noticed 1 small dent larger than half an inch and I immediately pointed it out to the advisor. He took photos and the service manager also took photos. Prior to leaving with my MS, it was unclear as to whether or not Tesla would repair the noted damage. The following morning I noticed a second dent larger the first dent i found. Approximately 4-5 inches on the bottom passenger side door. I couldn’t believe that I didn’t see it upon my initial inspection of the vehicle. I took several photos and sent them to service via the app. After a couple weeks of going back and forth with the service department, they agreed to repair the dents and also updated the fsd. I couldn’t be happier with my vehicle and highly recommend buying used from Tesla. Customer service has been top notch

 

[SO16]

I also received my used MS sight unseen. I was hesitant at first but found a 2017 with extremely low mileage so I scooped it up. Upon my initial inspection, i noticed 1 small dent larger than half an inch and I immediately pointed it out to the advisor. He took photos and the service manager also took photos. Prior to leaving with my MS, it was unclear as to whether or not Tesla would repair the noted damage. The following morning I noticed a second dent larger the first dent i found. Approximately 4-5 inches on the bottom passenger side door. I couldn’t believe that I didn’t see it upon my initial inspection of the vehicle. I took several photos and sent them to service via the app. After a couple weeks of going back and forth with the service department, they agreed to repair the dents and also updated the fsd. I couldn’t be happier with my vehicle and highly recommend buying used from Tesla. Customer service has been top notch

When was this?

 

[2101Guy]

also, Vroom seems to keep a nice supply of used Teslas. And Ive heard positive things on their customer service. At a minimum, at least they provide fairly detailed pics (including specific pics of scratches and dings that they actually highlight, and often use a ruler to show size of defect)

Sample

Used Tesla Model Ss for Sale: Buy Online + Home Delivery | Vroom