High mileage check-in

[jjrandorin]

There really isn’t much of an analogy on that other than the engine of a car, which rarely dies.

My own personal life experience does not match up with this statement, in the slightest. I have had several cars with engine issues (honda, toyota, datsun) where either the engine or transmission needed to be rebuilt or replaced.

All of these were somewhere between 90k and 150k miles, too. This was when I was younger and could only afford older cars, but I certainly didnt "beat" on them, they got oil changes every 5-7k miles, etc. I Live in Southern California, where you basically need a car to work (in most places) so I needed the cars to run. Each one of those brands stranded me at one time or another, too.

 

[blackT3$!@]

How many here with 50k+ miles and still the original front upper control arms = no squeaking?

21 3LR AWD with 68k miles. NW Florida driven no squeaking from the control arms or other parts of the suspension.

 

[israndy]

I am at 160,000+ on my '18 TM3 and talk to folks who also Supercharger Hunt, with their FUSC they don't think about miles and they are in 2016's with 300K+, so I am not stressing about the Model 3. Maybe someday, but hopefully the 3 is able to go 1/2 a million. I am already past the point where all my old cars would start nickel and dime'ing me to the point I would get rid of them. Did drop a tranny about now once and threw a rod on another, and my college car was totaled by my roommate (all Chryslers).

Every day my car works past 150k is free money in my mind. Only repair so far, as I surely already said, was the charge port isolator, which was under $1k to replace, and they loaned me a duplicate car with free Supercharging on my road trip for the week while they fixed it. That seems like breakeven to me.

 

[Petermcg]

With our recent round trip from Raleigh to Spokane (Raleigh - Spokane round trip) our June 2019 M3 LR is sitting at 114,000 miles. The only issues I’ve had are a dead 12V battery and defective Hansshow power frunk garbage. We test drove a MY before the trip and didn’t like the handling as much as our current car. The Highland M3 refresh has a lot of new features that I really want, but I’ll hold onto my current car until the next generation of batteries comes out. I’m confident my current car will go the distance.

 

[gtgarner]

21 3LR AWD with 68k miles. NW Florida driven no squeaking from the control arms or other parts of the suspension.

172K miles on my 2018 P3D.

I replaced my squeaky control arms (purchased from Tesla) myself at 120K. Took about 30 minutes per side to replace.

I took it to Tesla for a re-alignment. Tesla didn't charge me anything because my enlightenment was perfect.

 

[gtgarner]

I seem to have to replace my 12V battery every 75k miles.

Whatever....it's not that expensive.

One thing inserting though is that the service mode shows my voltage kind of low - on a brand-new battery from Tesla. Oh well.

 

[gtgarner]

One thing I can't seem to find a solution for is my horn. It quit working at about 50k miles. I have had repeat issues with it ever since.

I can't find the problem. I have cleaned the contacts - replaced both low and high tone horns - nothing.

 

[ODWms]

At about 94,000 miles on my 2018 with no worries an all about batteries / drivetrain. I plan to drive it until the wheels fall off. Now, if something earth shattering comes up, like a 500 mile range vehicle or something, I might change my mind in the meantime. But I plan to see if it’ll go 1/2 a million miles. Just got a Y for my wife, and that’s her plan too.

 

[dansev]

My own personal life experience does not match up with this statement, in the slightest. I have had several cars with engine issues (honda, toyota, datsun) where either the engine or transmission needed to be rebuilt or replaced.

All of these were somewhere between 90k and 150k miles, too. This was when I was younger and could only afford older cars, but I certainly didnt "beat" on them, they got oil changes every 5-7k miles, etc. I Live in Southern California, where you basically need a car to work (in most places) so I needed the cars to run. Each one of those brands stranded me at one time or another, too.

In rething this, you're 100% right. In fact, I'm now remembering that I had a Subaru Outback about 15 years ago that needed some kind of repair to the engine that was cost prohibitive. The engine didn't "break", but for all intents and purposes, it did just that.

At about 94,000 miles on my 2018 with no worries an all about batteries / drivetrain. I plan to drive it until the wheels fall off. Now, if something earth shattering comes up, like a 500 mile range vehicle or something, I might change my mind in the meantime. But I plan to see if it’ll go 1/2 a million miles. Just got a Y for my wife, and that’s her plan too.

I want to get 2-4 more years out of mine. That would put it at about 150 to 200,000 miles. My payments are high, so even a modest amount of repairs would still be cost effective. But a battery failure would be bad and if that happens outside the warranty (which I'm 35,000 miles away from) I will be absolutely kicking myself for not trading it in sooner.

 

[dusty22]

Was just thinking. What do people do with their cars when a battery needs replacement outside of the warranty?

Do they sell it at a $15K discount? Who buys them?

 

[dansev]

Was just thinking. What do people do with their cars when a battery needs replacement outside of the warranty?

Do they sell it at a $15K discount? Who buys them?

I have always assumed the car becomes worthless at that point. Like an old, crappy piano: you're lucky if someone takes it off your hands for free! My 2019 dual motor was valued at about $20k by Tesla before my (cancelled) trade, and other sources didn't seem to disagree too much with that price. Maybe it is worth $25k, private sale. But in 2 years, with 130,000 miles and a dead battery? Who wants that?

 

[Casmium]

I have always assumed the car becomes worthless at that point. Like an old, crappy piano: you're lucky if someone takes it off your hands for free! My 2019 dual motor was valued at about $20k by Tesla before my (cancelled) trade, and other sources didn't seem to disagree too much with that price. Maybe it is worth $25k, private sale. But in 2 years, with 130,000 miles and a dead battery? Who wants that?

I figure at this moment there must be a scrap yard in every state and province that has a model 3 that is written off, with front/rear/side damage and a perfectly good battery underneath

 

[dansev]

I figure at this moment there must be a scrap yard in every state and province that has a model 3 that is written off, with front/rear/side damage and a perfectly good battery underneath

Yeah, but given the danger of batteries catching fire, who is reusing such battery packs? And who can harvest them and install them? Very few people, I understand, which is why there is apparently a long wait for 3rd party battery replacements. The liability issues are huge and, physically, they're really hard to move and work with. Interesting problem, to be sure. The market will only get bigger for 3rd partyEV battery replacements.

Anyone want to start an EV battery refurbishing business with me?

 

[dusty22]

Yeah, but given the danger of batteries catching fire, who is reusing such battery packs? And who can harvest them and install them? Very few people, I understand, which is why there is apparently a long wait for 3rd party battery replacements.

If someone wanted to pay for a replacement battery pack for whatever reason, would Tesla supply and install a new pack?

 

[israndy]

I wonder more about the new structural battery packs. At least the modular packs can be disassembled and sold off to RV owners going to lithium. Those structural packs are really only good for recycling.

 

[cappo3]

How many here with 50k+ miles and still the original front upper control arms = no squeaking?

I’m coming up to 4 years and just shy of 40k miles and Tesla never sealed my control arms… yet no issues so far. Maybe the North Texas low corrosion environment helps…

My 2020 is at 88k miles and on the original control arms, the 2021 is at 43k miles and I had them replaced two weeks ago due to horrible squeaking. Unfortunately the Tesla service center ****ed up everything else...

 

[timk225]

My April '18 build Model 3 that I got in May '18 is at 119,936 miles. I will drive it enough tomorrow to expire the 8 year / 120,000 mile drive train warranty, in 5 years and 4-1/2 months!

Then the fun begins. I already miss the days of being a "Tesla Elite" person with a full factory warranty, sitting in the waiting room, listening to the techno-bop music and watching the self-promoting Tesla video on the big screen tv while service techs did some minor stuff on my car free of charge.

 

[blackT3$!@]

sitting in the waiting room, listening to the techno-bop music and watching the self-promoting Tesla video on the big screen tv

What is this you speak of? When I take my Tesla to the Pensacola SC, I park it, I get uber credits and I am told to leave and not enter the building. I get an in-app message when I can return and pickup my vehcile never talking or seeing any tech.

 

[dansev]

What is this you speak of? When I take my Tesla to the Pensacola SC, I park it, I get uber credits and I am told to leave and not enter the building. I get an in-app message when I can return and pickup my vehcile never talking or seeing any tech.

Then you’re missing out on the free Keurig coffee!

 

[cappo3]

What is this you speak of? When I take my Tesla to the Pensacola SC, I park it, I get uber credits and I am told to leave and not enter the building. I get an in-app message when I can return and pickup my vehcile never talking or seeing any tech.

I waited six hours at the Service center two weeks ago, because it was far enough from where I came from for it not to be worth it. It should have been four hours, but their planning was abysmal. Also, it would have been nice if they did not make one problem worse and did not back into something ruining my bumper. Unfortunately I couldn't wait to leave, so I did not look at the car and just sped away from there.

EDIT: The coffee was atrocious.