CPO Pre-Purchase Questions

[cbh03]

For those of you who have purchased or looked into purchasing CPO cars, I am curious about what information you were able to get before reserving the car. For example, can I find out (for example, by calling a CPO service adviser):
(1) what battery pack version is currently on the car (for example, has the original A pack been replaced with a newer version)?
(2) what service/repairs have been done to the car?

Thank you,
cbh03

 

[MDinFL]

I'm supposed to take delivery of my 2013 CPO P85 next week. I didn't ask any of those questions. What I was promised was a refurbished car with a new 4 year warranty and the remainder of the 8 year battery and motor. Since my car is an 11/13 build, I have warranty to 9/20 and battery/motor to 11/21. The salesperson showed me things on the car that I wouldn't have noticed. These are things, he told me, that will be addressed during the refinishing process. I'm four weeks after my order now. They had to get a new hood/frunklid (?) and some other cosmetic pieces. To me, the car felt great and it had the MXM tires on it.

This is a bit of a different experience for me than buying ICE. From my standpoint, I'm getting a "new" car with 30K miles on it. It's got a fresh warranty and I shouldn't worry about much for the next four years. The weird thing is that when I buy a CPO ICE, I usually have it that day or within a day or two. This is the longest period I've ever waited for a car since I got my license 40 years ago.

Maybe I should have asked about battery pack version, but I didn't think it's that important. If my pack goes, I have a warranty. If my DU goes, I have a warranty. This is actually the least concerned I've been about buying a car. It's a little weird.

 

[EcoBruin]

I purchased my CPO in May and the advisor wasn't able to provide me with the battery pack version or service/repairs done to the vehicle. He said it was confidential and he wouldn't be able to provide me the vehicle's history.

A piece of advice though when taking delivery of your CPO, go through it with a fine tooth comb. Make sure you note everything that should be placed on the due bill so that it can be rectified later. My delivery specialist tried to brush everything off as wear and tear but with a little prodding they were willing to fix some issues. I had a small tear on the tire that I didn't notice until a couple hours later and it was a long and stressful ordeal to get them to replace the tire. I have to say that Tesla service came through and was very helpful with the process along the way. Good luck with your search!

 

[Camera-Cruiser]

Tesla is weird about the previous history of their CPO cars. Yes, you do start fresh with the new warranty, but you will never know if the drive unit, battery, or major to minor systems were replaced. That's the way it is. Check the car out thouroughly prior to acceptance, as others noted. You have leverage until you sign, some after, but if you discover something that's a deal breaker after you sign, it's between you and service, not sales.

 

[Boourns]

They'll tell you what pack it has, but word of warning: Ask for someone to snap a pic of the sticker. My CPO adviser told me I was getting a B, but turns out it's an A. Not a deal breaker, but a bummer nonetheless.

To confirm with others have said, you won't get any info about prior service history. The reason given is privacy for the previous owners. They may tell you what is being done to recondition the car if you push a little. Don't be afraid to.

I have said it before elsewhere on the forum: I am ecstatically happy with my CPO purchase. This is the best car I've ever owned by a mile, and I never thought I'd be able to have one, so I am thankful that the CPO program exists. However, there is definitely room for improvement in the process. I.e., I agreed to buy my S based on a line in an excel spreadsheet. The best advice I can give is to be pro-active. Ask as many questions about the car as you can. Stay on top of your CPO adviser, DS, and your bank.

And post here or in the CPO mega thread if something doesn't seem right. Lots of us have been through the process at this point, and we are happy to share our collective knowledge.

 

[TaoJones]

"Privacy of the previous owner(s)" is not a compelling reason.

I would much prefer full disclosure, since that car is my problem once I take delivery - warranty or no. What if I want to keep the car past 50,000 miles? That could be 18 months, and CPOs are not eligible for ESAs.

Further, understanding the service history can be helpful for future problems.

It's not like a CarFax is going to do much for you.

Bleh.

It is what it is, and represents another opportunity for improvement. Without risking the previous owner's privacy. That's just ludicrous, no pun intended.

 

[Boourns]

@TaoJones Yes it's definitely an excuse. My bank requested a copy of original title and Tesla provided it over email, ccing me, including name and address of previous owner. So clearly privacy isn't the primary concern.

My guess is that it's so people don't filter out potential cars based on previous problems. Tesla feels it can fix any issues to bring the car up to current standards.

 

[Rahul]

I requested the service history and was told the same thing about privacy. I asked if there were any notable issues at least. The CPO advisor emailed me a bullet point list of items but it was all minor. I think they will disclose if you ask at least that.

 

[TaoJones]

@TaoJones Yes it's definitely an excuse. My bank requested a copy of original title and Tesla provided it over email, ccing me, including name and address of previous owner. So clearly privacy isn't the primary concern.

My guess is that it's so people don't filter out potential cars based on previous problems. Tesla feels it can fix any issues to bring the car up to current standards.

Interesting about the original title! Yikes. Privacy definitely not a concern then.

I requested the service history and was told the same thing about privacy. I asked if there were any notable issues at least. The CPO advisor emailed me a bullet point list of items but it was all minor. I think they will disclose if you ask at least that.

Sounds reasonable as long as it's a complete list. There are degrees, too - in particular, service bulletins. Not sure we get an itemized list of all of what might also get fixed during a service visit for something else, for example.

In the end, that's why faith in the CPO process is paramount - specifically in the "C" part. Which is why it's so frustrating when a car is delivered with clearly deficient cosmetic problems, because it creates FUD for everything else.

I'd like to think they've got it at least 99% right. Which in itself is an achievement. But a problem with 1 out of every 100 CPO cars is still bad. And that's why the relentless pursuit from 2 9s to 3 9s to 4 9s and beyond.

 

[wrysys]

Also interested in cpo purchase and started reading up via this forum. I've heard many folks say that 2014 brought significantly more improvements over 2013 model S, but I could not find specifics. People have mentioned pings and noise, but is this true for most people and what exactly is different?

Also, for the VIN#, how high do the vin#'s go in each year to judge how late in the year the car was made?

Any info out there on the longest running Teslas in ownership and what service issues have been like for those who've kept their vehicles for the long haul?

thanks

 

[CLLACAB]

I purchased a 2013 P85 and have had no issues. It is quiet and has no rattles. My VIN is less that 10,000. So don't be concerned with an early model unless you want some of the newer bells and whistles. I don't have AP, parking sensors or folding mirrors. But I don't miss them.

 

[Krogervt]

It concerns me about the inability to purchase an ESA for CPO. The way I see it, you are rolling the dice after the 4/50k threshold, or you sell shortly after you are out of warranty. With the increase in amount of Tesla's on the road in the near future, I can see servicing the car becoming a hassle and pricey. Am I being a nervous nelly?

 

[Rahul]

It concerns me about the inability to purchase an ESA for CPO. The way I see it, you are rolling the dice after the 4/50k threshold, or you sell shortly after you are out of warranty. With the increase in amount of Tesla's on the road in the near future, I can see servicing the car becoming a hassle and pricey. Am I being a nervous nelly?

Selling after the warranty ends will make it more difficult to sell.

However with more Teslas on the road I think it'll get cheaper/easier to service as the infrastructure builds up.

I was kind of in this same place before. I was going down the CPO route to get into a Tesla at a cheaper cost. However I got cold feet with my concerns about getting older tech, issues, etc. and switched to a new build. A new decently configured S60 will be about $15k-$20K more but you get 0 miles, new car smell, AP h/w, 75kWh battery potential, build improvements, etc. I didn't need to be in a P85/+ so getting a S60/75 was fine for me.

 

[mrjedistud]

I was not able to get a written service history but was able to get verbal info from a service manager as he looked at the screen. It all depends on who you get and how busy they are. I learned that one door handle, the 12V battery and a few other things were fixed under warranty. good luck.

 

[Robert_W_3.1]

I am not so sure about the legal requirement of service history for used vehicles in Ontario, Canada, but - we do have a requirement for a UVIP - Used Vehicle Information Package - to be provided by the Seller - to the Buyer, at least in private sales, so would this apply to a Used Car Dealer (Tesla) - not sure, since I don't remember getting one in 2012 when I bought a used 2004 Prius from a used car Dealer (but, to be fair, I did not ask for one)!

 

[Toasty]

How long does it take after getting the "get ready for delivery" email?

 

[MDinFL]

My experience was this - I made my deposit and got the initial flurry of emails, including the one to set up the My Tesla account. Then I waited. I was told 3 to 6 weeks because they were replacing some cosmetic parts (I know the hood was one of them). I started getting a little impatient after two weeks. I would call every few days or send an email. Then, at just shy of 4 weeks, the DS told me that they had all the parts and were going to QC the car. Maybe that Saturday, which would have been exactly four weeks. On Friday, I was told no go. Then early the following week, they said it would likely be that week. Around Wednesday I received the payment instruction email. I reviewed all the paperwork and picked up the car exactly 5 weeks (less one day) after I chose it.

The communication could be a little better coming from Tesla. For instance, telling me what work they are doing on the car and its expected completion date would be nice. When the car was received back from the body shop, that would be another step. As I understand it, they reflash the car. When I tested it, the car was in "Factory Mode". The DS acknowledged that the website could use some improvement for CPO purchasers.

OTOH, this was the smoothest, least stressful, transaction other than my two eBay purchases (both BMWs from distant dealers). And the eBay purchases still required a physical check. The use of an ACH debit is genius for cash transactions. You can send the money the day of pickup and your account shows paid in full. There was no F&I "guy" to sell me undercoating, VIN etching, paint sealant, tire warranties and all the other stuff dealers like to pack on a car. It was very refined experience. Frankly, BMW and the other European makes could take a few notes here.

Part of this may be the no-haggle policy, which removes the "I'll talk to my manager" nonsense out of the equation. I didn't mind hearing the price and being told that there was no negotiation. I was getting a car that sold less than three years prior for over $102K for $56K. I perceived "value". I think that's the issue with other no-haggle style dealerships. The customer still feels like they're getting haggled. If it's not on the new car, it's on the trade. I received a trade estimate from Tesla and they encouraged me to go to CarMax. I did that and the CarMax appraisal was higher, which Tesla honored as its trade value.

If I didn't buy the X5 for my wife just last year, she might be in a Tesla now as well. Although she's still got more range anxiety than I do.

Overall, buying the car was a great experience. The store employees were great and having fun doing their job. And the car really feels like nothing else I've driven. I'm a convert.

 

[cdub]

I agreed to buy my S based on a line in an excel spreadsheet.

??? Did you make yourself a custom Excel spreadsheet to work out the purchase?