Thank you all for your replies.
I have contacted several 3rd parties that offer HV Battery replacement.
Gruber Motors said that they have an 8 month wait list!!
Others have several weeks of wait list. All have prices in the $11-15K range that require out of area shipping (the car is in Los Angeles). Frankly I'm amazed that there aren't any alternative Tesla service companies in Los Angeles or reasonably nearby.
Re-Cell has the more attractive offering - their 240+ pack however, it is inly a 74kWh pack at $10,895 + shipping which would add another $2000 or more for a lesser pack.
No matter how I figure it - the better bet for her car is to bend over and pay Tesla for their replacement pack.
This will ensure that she will face no future service hurdles should they arise. The replacement pack is supposed to be warrantied (many have reported 4 years/50K miles) although it isn't stated on the quote and I have yet to get an answer or documentation from Tesla Service that shows the specific warranty in writing.
Overall after reading other threads on this site, there is little doubt that Tesla has covertly decided to remove all older packs (2012-2014Q1 Model S vehicles) from service by setting up the BMS software to flag the battery pack as bad. I'm certain that they are using a 'legit' measuring parameter so that if it were every challenged in court they could support their decision. No doubt the 'legit' parameter is some value based on the design of the battery pack that they can exploit. I'm an engineer and I certainly know how easy it is to conceal and manipulate technical data - especially from mere mortals that would be on any jury.
Turns out many Model S cars around the world have more recently reported the dreaded BMS_u029 - Maximum battery charge level reduced. 9 years of age seems to be the magic number regardless of mileage. Tesla controls ~65% of the EV market and this is life with a technologically astute monopoly when there are no other service alternatives. Tesla has a stranglehold on the service of their cars that 3rd parties can barely make a dent into. Tesla can and will do whatever it wants. They can and will get away with almost every underhanded thing that they do because the cost and complexity to investigate them is very steep. Class action lawsuits will yield lots of $$$$ for lawyers and a pittance for owners as has already been proven time and time again which has only emboldened them to be even more aggressive at soaking the current owners. You can bet that they will do this with all of their vehicles down the road. I suspect that 10 years will be the typical limit before a new battery pack will be required - for any of their cars - a guaranteed revenue stream with minimal effort and maximum profit. The euphemism I would use is - a 'subscription fee' for the continued operation of the vehicle. The result for Tesla is (a) they make about the same margin on an older car by replacing a battery or, (b) that older vehicle is taken off the road and the resale market - opening the door for the sale of a new replacement. Either way the company wins and they actually maintain similar margins whether selling a new car or replacing the battery in the older one.
There are simply no ethics in any major business anywhere, anymore. Tesla is not an exception in that regard, it is the rule. It is no doubt following the exact same business model as Apple and others. Customers should feel privileged to get to use their product. The customer will never really 'own' the product in spite of the appearance of ownership. The company will then decide how long the product will last and use it to continue to milk a revenue stream from. When the company decides that the product life has ended - it will simply shut down the products in the wild - no doubt making some claim that it is in the interest of public 'safety' - that wonderful Orwellian watchword and those affected will simply have to deal with it. Sure there will be a lot of screaming but in the end nothing of substance will be done. Those affected will be forced to purchase replacements which will result in a turnover of vehicles - even if they purchase from competitors and this will open the market to the sale of new vehicles. Even if the government decides to fine or prosecute - it would take years and the cost will have been factored into the sales margins that we all pay. The corporation and its shareholders will lose nothing!! The customers will subsidize any fine or punishment that may come down the line and by that time 100's of thousands of new vehicles and/or batteries will be sold making any fine or punishment nothing more than a cruel joke.
Tesla has completely walled itself from the outside world. They don't need to talk or communicate with anyone. The basic middle finger to all is much the same as all of the other major corporations that control our lives. There is nothing that anyone can do to compel better corporate ethics or customer service and we are collectively stuck with having to rely on all of this 'tech' in our lives whether we like it or not since you cannot realistically live as a Luddite in today's world.
This is the price we pay and nothing and nobody will effect any substantial change. Humans are by nature selfish and greedy creatures who will take everything they can when given the opportunity. Elon is no different in spite of his apparent altruism.
Cost the quoted is:
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Bob Atkins
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