In the market for my first Used Telsa

[battlezone580]

I'm looking to buy a used Tesla in the next few months, I've gone on a few tests drive and love the S 85. As I've never owned a Tesla I figured what better place to get advice.

I have heard from some people do not buy a used Tesla without the extended warranty. Other's have told me not to worry about it, and of course the sales reps just string you along.

I have heard a lot of mixed messages on buying a used Tesla, any advice you all have would great .

Thanks!

 

[mknox]

I have an early 2013 S85 with about 86,000 miles on it. It runs and feels as solid as new to me. Sure, I had a number of the "early adopter" problems like drive unit issues and door handle replacements, but that's all behind me and Tesla treated me like a king in getting any and all issues resolved. One thing I would say is don't be as worried about mileage as you would if buying a used ICE. Electric motors will essentially last forever and with no transmission, exhaust system and so forth, the whole car should last a very long time.

 

[jjh1234]

Personally, I would not own a Tesla that's not under warranty. My 8 month old MS75D with <6,000 miles is in for a warranty rear drive unit replacement right now. I can't imagine what that would cost out of warranty. There are some other threads discussing out of warranty costs that bear reading. Although the motor and gearbox may last a long, long time, there are a lot of electronics surrounding that to make it all work. If I keep mine long enough, I will definitely be getting the extended warranty. I'm not the type to get a warranty on every normal small electronic device, but I wouldn't think twice about it on a Tesla. Just my 2 cents. Good luck finding the perfect Tesla for you!

 

[mknox]

Personally, I would not own a Tesla that's not under warranty. My 8 month old MS75D with <6,000 miles is in for a warranty rear drive unit replacement right now.

Not sure about newer models, but my S85 has 8 year unlimited mileage powertrain (battery and drive unit) coverage. I believe it transfers to the new owner. I also bought an additional 4 years of basic warranty extension and that does transfer if you sell.

So sure, I would give points to any used Model S that has this kind of coverage.

 

[Dmworkman]

Good for you! You will be happy for sure. I bought a 2013 P85 nearly 18 months ago and love it. Warranty was important to me since I got a VIN in the 7k range. In what I found, I wanted the CPO warranty over the Extended Warranty that can be purchased, as the CPO did not have a deductible. I've had a few items serviced--door handles a couple times like mknox above, window regulator, tire sensors... but have not had drive unit problems (but that is covered unlimited miles). My last service visit the service guy was telling me about a customer who has 200k on his car and it runs perfectly.

I know the warranty was important to me and gave me piece of mind (and I have used it). I plan to get a model X when more start coming off lease, and will likely be looking at the CPOs with warranty. Good luck in your search and you will find members of this forum are very happy to give you advice and opinions.

 

[ChadS]

There is nothing magic about a warranty. It is just insurance. Like any insurance, you have to be able to afford the possible downsides if you go without it.

If you can afford that, chances are generally that you will be better off financially without it.

My Roadster was out of warranty for 4 years. My wife's S went out nearly 3 years ago. So far, an extended warranty would have been a waste on both. Of course, there is no way to tell ahead of time whether you will need it or not. The future is always a gamble.

 

[WhiskySTL]

Although the motor and gearbox may last a long, long time, there are a lot of electronics surrounding that to make it all work.

Exactly. I see a lot of people talking about how a Tesla will last forever and how the mileage doesn't count for much.... I have never had a car long enough to replace the engine or transmission and don't intend to start. It's all the other stuff that wears out and has to be replaced after X amount of use... The power windows, the A/C, the door handles, etc. All that stuff still ages and costs money (sometimes big money) to replace. I am not putting a lot of stock in the "but it'll last forever" argument to justify the cost of the S in particular.

 

[jjh1234]

There is nothing magic about a warranty. It is just insurance. Like any insurance, you have to be able to afford the possible downsides if you go without it.

If you can afford that, chances are generally that you will be better off financially without it.

My Roadster was out of warranty for 4 years. My wife's S went out nearly 3 years ago. So far, an extended warranty would have been a waste on both. Of course, there is no way to tell ahead of time whether you will need it or not. The future is always a gamble.

Yes, it definitely is insurance and there is the possibility of never using it and wasting your money and there is the possibility of using it and saving a bunch of money. I've had both happen to me. I bought a used Porsche Cayenne without a warranty that ended up needing over $6,000 worth of work in the first six months of my ownership and then I bought a BMW X5 and spent $6,000 on the extended warranty and only ended up using it for a bad O2 sensor and a couple of other small repairs. The difference is when I traded the BMW on the Tesla, I was able to get a $4,000 refund on the BMW warranty. I doubt Tesla will give any refunds on unused extended warranty though. I'd take the gamble and not buy a warranty on a Camry or Accord, but not on a Tesla, Porsche, Mercedes, BMW, Audi, etc. Again, it all depends on your risk tolerance. Something else to consider is the lack of availability of aftermarket replacement parts and independent repair shops means you are stuck paying sky high labor and parts costs at the Tesla service center.

 

[doofenshmirtz]

I got a CPO - it comes with 4 years and additional 50K miles warranty so you're covered. you may or may not have issues which Tesla will cover under your warranty as they have mine (door handle, seat latch). I would not buy pre-owned from private unless they have the Extend Service Agreement so you're covered for a while.

 

[henderrj]

Call Tesla before buying of their cars, give them a VIN, and then ask them specific questions. Has the Drive Unit been replaced? Has the screen been replaced? They cannot give you blanket answers but they can answer specific questions. Also, I bought a used S that it been in a wreck, not repaired by a certified Place, had a noise in the Drive Unit. I was told there was no way it would be covered under warranty. I brought it in anyway, paid for the 4-year inspection, $895, and they gave me a new Drive Unit and a bunch of other small new parts, all their cost. True, it was less than 50,000 miles, but Tesla does give amazing service!

 

[tcbailey239]

The CPOs come with different warranties I believe. I picked one up a month ago and anything 2014 or newer with less than 50k miles came with a 4 year / 50k mile warranty. Older (2013) or more mileage (50k+) came with a smaller 2 year or 100k total warranty. The battery was 8 years from original date no matter what.

So I agree with some of the above posts...buy a CPO from Tesla and get everything certified and warrantied up to 4 more years from the date you take possession. Buy from a private dealer and you get whatever was left on their original warranty.

Note - when I was picking up my CPO, I asked specific questions about door handles, drive units, etc. Each time they said they couldn't give me specifics because it was owned by a previous Tesla owner and there were privacy rights involved. I thought that was the stupidest answer as I wasn't asking information about the previous owner, I was asking information about the car. All they would tell me what not to worry as I had a new 4 year / 50k mile warranty.

 

[Lasttoy]

I called tesla several times to co on car. I bought a S that just had The major service done. That saved me 1k.
Pre owned carry a factory reset warranty. From a private owner you get their left over warranty. End of story.

 

[HyperMiler]

The warranty is drive unit, not drivetrain, i.e. does not include axles or battery defects, correct?

 

[HankLloydRight]

From a private owner you get their left over warranty. End of story.

Not end of story. Buying from a private party for cars under 50,000 miles or within 30 days of the factory warranty expiring, the buyers can still buy the Tesla Extended Service Agreement (i.e. "warranty").

See: Vehicle Warranty

 

[cliffud]

Not end of story. Buying from a private party for cars under 50,000 miles or within 30 days of the factory warranty expiring, the buyers can still buy the Tesla Extended Service Agreement (i.e. "warranty").

See: Vehicle Warranty

If I understand correctly, the original owner has to buy the extended warranty and then transfer it to you. It has been explained to me by the Tesla dealership that you cannot buy a Used Tesla private party and then buy the extended warranty from Tesla.

 

[HankLloydRight]

If I understand correctly, the original owner has to buy the extended warranty and then transfer it to you. It has been explained to me by the Tesla dealership that you cannot buy a Used Tesla private party and then buy the extended warranty from Tesla.

This is NOT CORRECT. Tesla changed the rules several months ago, if not more than a year now, but this notion still persists. Please re-read the link I posted above.

Can anyone purchase an Extended Service Agreement?
Owners (excluding 3rd party dealers and vehicles purchased from a 3rd party dealer) with Model S or X vehicles subject to the New Vehicle Limited Warranty which are still within the eligible purchase period can purchase the Extended Service Agreement.

It is no longer a requirement that the original owner buy the extended warranty (ESA) before selling the car. Any buyer of a private sale car can buy the ESA according to the stipulations in the link above.

The only time a buyer can not buy the ESA is if the used car was sold through a dealer.

 

[cliffud]

Awesome. Thanks for correcting it.