My 2014 Model S died again… needs a 3rd HV battery! (No warranty left)😩

[father_of_6]

I feel for you, there is no easy way out. From what Im seeing here, you are not alone in feeling like Tesla is turning its back on people driving the original model S.

Turning it's back? The car needs a major repair. Tesla has provided quotes for the repairs. Where is the back turning?

There should be an option from Tesla to buy extended warranty’s.

They do offer extended warranties, but only for cars still under original warranty. I think this is common practice, and I don't see any actuary allowing them to do otherwise. Someone buying an extended warranty on a car 6 years out of warranty is *always* going to make out. Warranties are about probability and spreading repair costs out over many years and many customers.

Also the price of the refurbished batteries is ridiculous. Should be a price for a new battery and a much lower cost for refurbished.

The reman battery is like $5k less than the new battery. They don't just "make up" the prices out of thin air. If it only cost ten dollars to make the battery, they wouldn't be sold for $20k. Batteries are expensive. Prices will continue to drop in the coming decades as raw materials begin to flow, manufacturing improves, scale, and competition.

Also strange there is no advance warning when there is a going to be a battery failure.

There is. But physics... so not always.

Its not a slow linear progression of deterioration that gives you time to plan your next move.

Once again, blame physics.

Tesla should offer support in cases like yours where a three year old battery fails. Maybe not full warranty but something like, “ok, your only 20k over the milage limit, how about we charge you the srvice fees and we will supply the battery” .

You're suggesting that a company just extend their warranty arbitrarily? "You're only 100k miles past the warranty, we'll cover it for free". What other companies do this?

Otherwise, no one should buy an old model S,

The first thing that we agree on.

Worst of all, these cars will have no resale value!

This is definitely not true. I mean, the OP paid $40k for an 8 year old vehicle!!

COME ON TESLA MAKE IT RIGHT

In my opinion, Tesla *IS* "making it right" by leading the transportation industry into the future. They're not perfect, nobody is... but try considering this same situation with any other auto manufacturer... would you expect a better outcome?

Dealerships are *way* less trustworthy than Tesla. Legacy auto manufacturers actually make repair part of their business model. Traditional dealerships make more money from repairs than sales. Tesla is trying to make their cars last longer, one revision at a time.

 

[Konicom04]

Turning it's back? The car needs a major repair. Tesla has provided quotes for the repairs. Where is the back turning?



They do offer extended warranties, but only for cars still under original warranty. I think this is common practice, and I don't see any actuary allowing them to do otherwise. Someone buying an extended warranty on a car 6 years out of warranty is *always* going to make out. Warranties are about probability and spreading repair costs out over many years and many customers.



The reman battery is like $5k less than the new battery. They don't just "make up" the prices out of thin air. If it only cost ten dollars to make the battery, they wouldn't be sold for $20k. Batteries are expensive. Prices will continue to drop in the coming decades as raw materials begin to flow, manufacturing improves, scale, and competition.



There is. But physics... so not always.



Once again, blame physics.



You're suggesting that a company just extend their warranty arbitrarily? "You're only 100k miles past the warranty, we'll cover it for free". What other companies do this?



The first thing that we agree on.



This is definitely not true. I mean, the OP paid $40k for an 8 year old vehicle!!



In my opinion, Tesla *IS* "making it right" by leading the transportation industry into the future. They're not perfect, nobody is... but try considering this same situation with any other auto manufacturer... would you expect a better outcome?

Dealerships are *way* less trustworthy than Tesla. Legacy auto manufacturers actually make repair part of their business model. Traditional dealerships make more money from repairs than sales. Tesla is trying to make their cars last longer, one revision at a time.

All excellent points.
I do however think that Tesla ( being the pioneer of the transportation electrification) is in constant hot water with the public and as such - needs ways of effectively dealing with situations described.
OP's situation is a poster child - an army of critics jump on the ban wagon to bash the brand, in turn discouraging any sceptic that potentially considers a tesla.
Probably a bigger issue that the FSD controversy.

 

[Konicom04]

another good example from another thread
Bad rep, and ( in my opinion ) wrong approach

BMS-029 - Tesla Must Do Better

I am an early adopter of Tesla. I bought my Model S in Feb of 2015, laying out close to 90k for a car – which is something I would have never dreamed of doing previously. But I believed in the mission, I believed in the car – so I traded in my Kia Optima and subjected myself to this grand...

teslamotorsclub.com

 

[father_of_6]

I don't know... my last car needed a significant repair at 8 years, so I opted not to keep it. Of course the cost of repair wasn't $20k (neither was the cost of the car).

There are millions of Tesla owners now. My guess is that the majority of them are very happy with their vehicles. If I get 8 years out of mine, it'll be equivalent to my last car. My next one will be cheaper at that time.

 

[mjwojtukiewicz]

I am a fairly new Tesla owner and new member of this forum. I bought a 2014 Model S 8 months ago and was excited to be part of the EV revolution. it was the cheapest one I could find with 200k kms on it, but the main battery had already been replaced so I felt like I had scored and as per the forecast of many pundits I thought I would have many worry-free miles of emissions-free driving ahead.

Tesla certified the vehicle, but only after insisting I replace the suspension, despite telling them the previous owner had just done that months earlier. I even upgraded the MCU2 after struggling with the navigation during my first long trip into the US.

Now 8 months later it is sitting at the Tesla Service dept after it died on my wife 30kms out of town. I convinced Tesla to send a mobile tech who replaced the 12v battery and was maybe more surprised than me that it was still dead and had to be towed.

Days later Tesla told me the main battery, now almost exactly 3 years old, would need replacement and it was 20k kms out of warranty. Having now sunk $50k into this car I am looking at another $20k. My appeals for some leniency on the warranty period seem to have fallen on deaf ears and now 3 weeks on, with no loaner by the way (should I be surprised?) I feel they are just waiting me out…

I thought the newer batteries were supposed to be much improved over the older ones, yet the replacement lasted only half as long as the original. Tesla plans to use a refurbished battery and recycle the dead one, which is great to hear, but should that not mean it’s less expensive?
Why are they not able to offer any other options, too, such as battery repair - perhaps referal to a 3rd party for that service if they aren’t willing to do it in-house?
What about costs being pro-rated vs full coverage suddenly ending and leaving you hung out to dry?

Does anyone here have some helpful advice?

Thanks for listening..
A

Sell the car and buy a new one. Tesla service is rigid and will not do anything to make you happy. There are no newer batteries. Whatever you had before you'll get again. I've been reading they're having QC problems with the new 4680 and anyway your car couldn't take them as the chassis would have to be able to accommodate them

 

[andyzdeman]

Anyone buying a 2014 Tesla of any kind without a third party warranty is basically a gambler.

You lost the gamble - sorry for your wallet, but that’s the risk you took.

 

[Big Dunc]

To be fair i originally intended to sell before the warranty ran out but we liked it so much. So far, and really not wishing to tempt fate, I have not done too badly on the gamble, but i am fully away that could change in 2 days. I honestly hadn’t thought about a third party warranty but will look into it. I have a feeling from looking into it in the past that over 8 years old and it is difficult / expensive, but i will look into it again.

 

[Soul Surfer]

To clarify, I bought this car for $40k CAD. Only after taking it to Tesla to certify did I find it still needed the suspension done and the MCU2 upgrade - both things I was told were already done. Then the door handles stopped presenting, etc, etc..

Thanks everyone for taking the time to weigh in. It is easy to read a ‘tone’ into comments here, made in haste or otherwise. Let me just say, your replies, whether helpful or not - sympathetic or not, are appreciated.

I did already know about 057, but not re/cell, so thanks very much for that helpful bit of advice.

I expect aftermarket repair options will only improve and take up the slack from Tesla service, which maybe is their plan. Even the towing service took a couple attempts before they were able to figure things out.

It has certainly been an interesting, even educational experience so far..

Cheers!
A

Wishing you great success in this. Would you please continue to keep us updated? This experience may end up helping others. You seem to have gather good intel, too. Thank you.

 

[Big Dunc]

To be fair i originally intended to sell before the warranty ran out but we liked it so much. So far, and really not wishing to tempt fate, I have not done too badly on the gamble, but i am fully away that could change in 2 days. I honestly hadn’t thought about a third party warranty but will look into it. I have a feeling from looking into it in the past that over 8 years old and it is difficult / expensive, but i will look into it again.

So, I have spent a bit of time on line looking at third party warranty. This is in the UK so may be different to if you are in the USA.
Basically, I can get "full cover" for around £100 a month, but there are two very big buts.
1. The max limit for any one claim is £5,000, so that would not be even near a Tesla battery. I heard in the past that one garage provided three different invoices for a claim on a BMW with third party insurance. Claim 1. Remove the engine. Claim 2. Rebuild the engine. Claim 3 refit the engine. Would Tesla entertain that and would the warranty company? I doubt it.
2. EV batteries are subject to wear and tear and do not last for ever and as such are not claimable, in the same way that a clutch, brake pads or a 12 V battery are wear and tear items. I work with a bunch of guys who investigate battery failures, so I am sure I could produce an "Expert report" saying this was a one off failure rather than wear & tear, but would the warranty people buy it?
In summary, I think I will start putting that £100 a month aside to go to the next car when this one has had enough......

 

[Konicom04]

I don't know... my last car needed a significant repair at 8 years, so I opted not to keep it. Of course the cost of repair wasn't $20k (neither was the cost of the car).

There are millions of Tesla owners now. My guess is that the majority of them are very happy with their vehicles. If I get 8 years out of mine, it'll be equivalent to my last car. My next one will be cheaper at that time.

All good, valid points. Certainly - majority of the time see bad stories that dwarf the good one's

Yet - Tesla is a social and technological experiment. One that requires special approach. It's done an excellent job in most areas - except for used equipment support.
Here - I'd like to think its ultra important to be vigilant and not leave customers stranded. Super bad media rep - particularly since all eyes are on tesla

 

[Konicom04]

In summary, I think I will start putting that £100 a month aside to go to the next car when this one has had enough......

Because that is the only sensible solution.
All insurance is - is just what you descried above.
Research insurance cost,
Pick your bracket,
Open a savings account,
Deposit that exact amount there every month

 

[richyrich]

All excellent points.
I do however think that Tesla ( being the pioneer of the transportation electrification) is in constant hot water with the public and as such - needs ways of effectively dealing with situations described.
OP's situation is a poster child - an army of critics jump on the ban wagon to bash the brand, in turn discouraging any sceptic that potentially considers a tesla.
Probably a bigger issue that the FSD controversy.

Nah. Other brands have just as many big issues. Go read about and speak to people who’ve owned expensive German vehicles outside of warranty - some shocking repair costs and design/manufacturing defects come up and Audi, BMW, Porsche etc do zero favours - the bills are eye watering or you sell it, exactly the same situ as OP. From a quick Google check out this tale of woe on a 10 year old BMW - Dealership repair nightmare - sos

The only difference is people like to hate on Tesla, there’s a lot of social media discussion (more than other brands?) and the press amplify it because Tesla don’t spend on advertising and don’t pay for automotive journalist boondoggles.

 

[orangem]

Sorry for OP that he needs another HV battery after warranty runs out..... I had a 2015 and I sold it last year for the fear of battery warranty is running out. I loved the car but I couldn't accept the risk of replacing the battery at a cost of pretty much the car. Also, replaced battery I think has a max warranty of 1 year after (could be shorter) and it could fail again. So that also factored into my thinking.
Anyways, i wish you best of luck and keep us updated.

 

[Arctic_Fox]

Anyone buying a 2014 Tesla of any kind without a third party warranty is basically a gambler.

You lost the gamble - sorry for your wallet, but that’s the risk you took.

I bought a third party warranty from the used dealer; they denied the claim as a "pre-existing condition." So, I didn't gamble but still lost. Third-party warranty companies will find any reason to not pay up. Guess how much I paid that company for a 36,000-mile 3-year warranty? Over $10,000.

Good luck.

 

[sloman61]

I am sorry to hear your tail of woe. I have an interest as I also have a 2014 Model S. I purchased ours 3 years ago and it was on its second battery. I am aware that it probably wasn't new, but refurbished.
My question to you (for my own piece of mind) is what did they say the mileage (km) limit was for the replacement battery? We have done a relatively low mileage in ours, so I am hoping we still have some warranty.
My second question, if you will be so kind to answer, is were there any warning signs that the battery was about to die?
I take on board other peoples comments that the car is a potential money pit, and I knew that when I bought it. However, buying an early used M3 at that time would have been significantly more expensive, and even now, if we sold the MS, an early M3 is similar money, but already half way through its drive train warranty. As an aside, my wife works with dogs so a M3 won't work for us and we cannot afford an X or Y. The S meets our needs perfectly. Providing, that is, it doesnt cost the earth with one expensive battery or drive train failure.
As an aside I tried to book it in last week for the MCU2 update, but apparently there is no parts availability in the UK for six months.

As for the first question - I was given the impression there was a 4y/ 80k kms warranty on the replacement battery, tho’ from what I’m reading in the forums here, the replacement may only have been covered until the original warranty expired. Not sure..

As for warning signs, nothing… at least no messages / pop-ups from the system until after it died. I used a booster pack and was able to gain access (We couldn’t even open the doors!) and that’s when I saw various ‘warning messages’ on the binacle screen… too little, too late.

That said, there was some strange / surprising behaviour when charging in the last few weeks. I installed a home charger and was finding it would stop charging before reaching the limit that I’d set. I suppose I should not have expected it to be able to charge to 100%, but before a long road trip I would still try for that.. on a slow, ‘trickle charge’ mind you..

Good luck!

 

[brainhouston]

That said, there was some strange / surprising behaviour when charging in the last few weeks. I installed a home charger and was finding it would stop charging before reaching the limit that I’d set. I suppose I should not have expected it to be able to charge to 100%, but before a long road trip I would still try for that.. on a slow, ‘trickle charge’ mind you..

i think thats the only "warning" that i keep seeing...
was it happening when set to 100 only or at any setting?

 

[russelltim2020]

I would like to see new converts to the Tesla cause want to stay with the brand.
The cars are amazing to have and if Tesla adjusted to the growing reality of the first generations beginning to fail it would help retain those buyers and help out the original owners that paid a lot of money to get Tesla off the ground. The new reality means adjusting the service model to keep people on board.
Here are a few ways that they could improve:
-Offer two levels of replacement batteries for prices that reflect their longevity
For choosing a new battery you get a longer warranty…
- Offer more warranty options at a reasonable price
-Have service options at the service center for in- house battery repair
- look into software options that can shutdown non functional modules and activate remaining modules
We know they can activate extra modules already…
-Look into the battery management software that gives an earlier warning that things are not looking good.
In many cases there is no warning at all
- Have a prorated battery warranty that helps cover people that have premature failures
Anyway, that’s my two cents worth

 

[MP3Mike]

We know they can activate extra modules already…

No, they don't. The limited packs still use all of the modules, it just remaps the SOC indicator so that is shows 100% charged early. (On the 60s that had a 75 pack it showed 100% when it was really only charged to 80%.)

 

[richyrich]

I would like to see new converts to the Tesla cause want to stay with the brand.
The cars are amazing to have and if Tesla adjusted to the growing reality of the first generations beginning to fail it would help retain those buyers and help out the original owners that paid a lot of money to get Tesla off the ground.

Tesla is now a mainstream brand and in this respect operates exactly like the other mainstream brands - try taking your 10-year-old BMW, Audi, Porsche etc to the dealer and pleading with them to fix all its wear, manufacturing and design issues for free just because they seem like such a nice brand and you bought it when they were smaller - good luck with that.

When it was a niche, startup brand, Tesla had to do fairly extreme things to sell vehicles and grow ownership. These generally worked well and could be somewhat financed off the back of very expensive vehicles. Now they’re mainstream, and priced lower, the reality is they don’t have to, shouldn’t and can’t do those things anymore.

 

[andyzdeman]

try taking your 10-year-old BMW, Audi, Porsche etc to the dealer and pleading with them to fix all its wear, manufacturing and design issues for free just because they seem like such a nice brand and you bought it when they were smaller - good luck with that.

Exactly!
It’s insane to me that adults who own valuable items like a Tesla need this explained to them. Some owners act like children and lose all sense of reality and common sense when discussing their problems on here.