Does this sound right? Sudden failure of model S and huge bill

[Cookaloris]

Can I please run our experience by the forum and ask if anyone with knowledge can comment on whether this sounds right or not?
A few weeks ago, we woke up to find A flat tire on our 2013 model S. A flat fix shop took a look and saw some wheel damage. We ordered a new wheel and brought it to pep boys for installation a few days later. Work was completed on the tire & new wheel installed. Drove it home and parked the car. Within a half hour of exiting the car, it wouldn’t start. Completely dead. Black screens. Tried the click wheel resets, tried all the resets we could and spend hours on the phone with Tesla. (FYI before parking the car, battery was over 50% full) Eventually we had to have it towed to the Tesla service center. Tesla insists that the car dying is not related to the wheel change.
After a week of diagnostics, they tell us that the rear drive unit needs to be replaced. Luckily it is covered under warranty. When I arrive to pick up the car, I am told that they discovered another problem and they will need more time. Today I received an estimate for over 6k saying that it needs a new battery, new dcdc converter, and two new chargers (over $2k each). None of which is covered under warranty.
Does this sound normal or possible?
I still am having trouble believing that it is unrelated to the wheel work. Everything was working fine. We drove the car daily without any error messages or anything. All of a sudden, the same day as the wheel change, all these things fail?
Would appreciate your thoughts on this.

 

[David29]

Well, I cannot see how the wheel change caused this sequence of failures, but that does not mean it did not.

Question: Did the Tesla shop explain the connection among all the parts that need to be replaced? In other words, did one of these items fail and somehow cause a cascade of other failures? Also, when you say it needs a battery, can I assume you mean a 12V battery? If the DC-DC converter failed, I can see how that could have damaged the 12 V battery. Not sure how the drive unit fits in, though....or the chargers.

 

[gaswalla]

There is something missing (unknown) in these events. What’s weird is that with new wheels, new on board chargers, new dc-dc unit, new drive unit, and. 12v battery, the car is essentially totally brand new except for a high voltage battery. Something is going on.

 

[Cookaloris]

correct, it is the 12v battery. They did not explain. When I questioned how the car was driving around without any problems and suddenly, complete failure and replacement needed of all these parts, she just shrugged and said “it’s a really big computer”. Whatever that is supposed to mean.

Well, I cannot see how the wheel change caused this sequence of failures, but that does not mean it did not.

Question: Did the Tesla shop explain the connection among all the parts that need to be replaced? In other words, did one of these items fail and somehow cause a cascade of other failures? Also, when you say it needs a battery, can I assume you mean a 12V battery? If the DC-DC converter failed, I can see how that could have damaged the 12 V battery. Not sure how the drive unit fits in, though....or the chargers.

 

[omarsultan]

Well the prices seem about right (I have had the DCDC convertor and one on-bard charger replaced). It does seem an odd coincidence all those things failed at one time while the car was in the care of the service dept--I would probably ask for a better explanation of how that happened, and not that "it's a big computer."

 

[ucmndd]

Seems you have some digging to do as to what actually failed and how/why it’s all related, but it’s pretty silly to think swapping a wheel was the catalyst.

 

[Not Sure]

I'm not sure I'd pay that much

 

[Webeevdrivers]

Did they do any welding on the car?

 

[Ludalicious]

correct, it is the 12v battery. They did not explain. When I questioned how the car was driving around without any problems and suddenly, complete failure and replacement needed of all these parts, she just shrugged and said “it’s a really big computer”. Whatever that is supposed to mean.

It almost sounds like they used the vehicle to jump start another vehicle off of the 12V and might of got the wires crossed in the making. What will would exactly happen is yet to be seen. But this might be a scenario of what might of happened. Might want to hit up Richbuilds. He's probably seen this scenario before

 

[Alysashley79]

Can you drive over to service and have the actual tech walk you through what’s going on? I’ve found that sometimes things get lost in translation between tech and person relaying everything.

fwiw when my dcdc and onboard charger went out it was sudden and the only error message I got was couldn’t charge. BUT my car was driveable through it all.

 

[gaswalla]

You really ought to go to Rich Rebuilds- he’s near you and will probably save you 80 percent

 

[Cookaloris]

Did they do any welding on the car?

I don’t believe so, but not sure.

 

[Gixx1300R]

I would bet it is only the DC to DC converter that has blown fuses and all of the other components are fine.There are also fuses in the chargers. There are threads about it. If you do decide to have Tesla repair it make sure you ask for all of your old parts back. Tell them that you are going to have the old parts checked to make sure they are not functioning properly.