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Need help regarding price levels for a used Tesla Model S P85D out of warranty

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TpFx

New Member
Oct 31, 2022
3
0
SoCal
So I am currently set on purchasing a used Model S with free supercharging (attached to VIN) that is from 2014 and has about 65k miles on it. I reached out to the owner and he said the warranty expired recently and I’m having a hard time finding people who bought similar Tesla’s that didn’t have a warranty so its kind of hard to compare apples to apples when other price points at least had a 1 or 2 years worth of warranty left. I have already accepted that I will most likely have to replace the battery within the next 5 years unless I get really lucky but that is about a 20k charge so I’m weighing my options here as I know many who had the older Model S had to already get the battery replaced.

As far as the car itself the owner has said he has baby’d it, the battery has not degraded much and gets about 240 miles for the range. The car just got new tires/rims(I don’t believe they are OEM), has AP1, has the MCU2 upgrade as well as Ludicrous, basically every upgrade available he says as well as the free premium connectivity and supercharging for life. Says he had everything checked out a few days ago and went on a drive with the tech and everything was great and no mechanical issues. They were asking for somewhere in the mid 50k (I have kept my eye on the listing and now he has updated it to be 10% less and is saying or best offer). It seems like the consensus for this model is between 43-48K but I get that he has upgraded some stuff but at the same time the consensus for these prices also had a warranty attached to the car that it no longer has. As far as my budget I‘m not sure I would be comfortable for more than 47k but ideally would like to get it around 42k or so because I’m kind of just factoring in the 20k cost that I will most likely incur with this car (though I heard possibly repairing battery in socal for less could be an option). I would like a second opinion and feedback as far as what is right, I don’t want to come off as disrespectful and lowball the guy but at the same time the car no longer has a warranty for the battery and seems like it could be a big risk in that regard so I’m factoring that into my personal price for it. I plan to look at the car personally this week.

Also I’m really not trying to get a Model 3 so please don’t try to persuade me, I am a 6’3 200lbs person that really felt uncomfortable in the driver’s seat of a Model 3 in comparison to the Model S and I spend most of my time driving for work so I would probably be saving about 300 dollars a month just from free supercharging and free 2 hours L2 charging that is across the street from my apartment complex. The whole point of also getting this car is also to free up more cash flow per month for me personally and I feel that I would cut almost half the savings if I’m spending almost 300 a month to charge it per month.
 
I think the low 40s is pretty fair. I have basically the same car (though my warranty expires March 2023) and I would probably ask for something in the low-mid 40s.

I would not, however, look to an aging Model S as a way to save money. Any immediate savings you take from not buying gas will go into tires, repairs, depreciation, insurance, and eventual battery/drive unit replacement. If you drive for work, I would have a backup car. A P85D sure is a fun way to get around though.
 
I think the low 40s is pretty fair. I have basically the same car (though my warranty expires March 2023) and I would probably ask for something in the low-mid 40s.

I would not, however, look to an aging Model S as a way to save money. Any immediate savings you take from not buying gas will go into tires, repairs, depreciation, insurance, and eventual battery/drive unit replacement. If you drive for work, I would have a backup car. A P85D sure is a fun way to get around though.
Its a business expense so it would still save money for me tax wise but also I’m currently spending 1500 a month just on gasoline for my shitty 2000 Jeep and that’s not including all the parts and extra crap I have spent on it for repairs that I wouldn’t with an EV so I still think in comparison it would save a lot more money and I’d have a way better car. Sure I might have to use some of that money saved to fix some parts of the aging Model S but that’s something I’d rather spend on that literally wasting it on gas for a 22 year old car.
 
Its a business expense so it would still save money for me tax wise but also I’m currently spending 1500 a month just on gasoline for my shitty 2000 Jeep and that’s not including all the parts and extra crap I have spent on it for repairs that I wouldn’t with an EV so I still think in comparison it would save a lot more money and I’d have a way better car. Sure I might have to use some of that money saved to fix some parts of the aging Model S but that’s something I’d rather spend on that literally wasting it on gas for a 22 year old car.
Skip the S unless you wanna waste all you saved on repairs. Get a Model 3 SR if you want real savings.
 
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Its a business expense so it would still save money for me tax wise but also I’m currently spending 1500 a month just on gasoline for my shitty 2000 Jeep and that’s not including all the parts and extra crap I have spent on it for repairs that I wouldn’t with an EV so I still think in comparison it would save a lot more money and I’d have a way better car. Sure I might have to use some of that money saved to fix some parts of the aging Model S but that’s something I’d rather spend on that literally wasting it on gas for a 22 year old car.
Since you mentioned buying the car to save money and driving for work, It's important to know the TCO of a Model S vs. say, an Accord. If the battery is the only thing you replace in 5 years, that $20k cost will cover your $300 of monthly gas for that same period. I would also budget $6k for a new rear drive unit.

It doesn't really matter what you drive now since you're planning to buy a different car anyway. You could buy something other than a Model S that sips fuel, is reliable, and doesn't cost as much.
 
Entirely agree that an out-of-warranty Model S is not perhaps the wisest move if the objective is cashflow. But they are a lot of fun ...

Two thoughts:

1 - do you need the 'P'? Your budget would get you into a newer 85D, 90D or 75D with some drivetrain warranty remaining, and if you buy privately you could find one that still has free supercharging if that's really important to you. You might even get into a 100D for your budget although no free charging on those.

2 - does it have to be a Tesla? The smart move might be an Ioniq 5, which comes with two years' free charging at Electrify America.

Whatever you decide, enjoy :)
 
I have a p85D (actually p90D that’s locked into 85)
My HV has been replaced under warranty. And the Hv/DU warranty is good through April 2023.
I would ask mid 40’s for mine. Part of the # though is where you live. I live in the Seattle area so can get a higher amount than say you could in Nebraska. (So would say low to mid 40’s for private sale)
I 100% plan to keep my car after warranty expires. Since my car has been out of its btb warranty I’ve spent about $5k in repairs ($1600 was mcu2 upgrade) the rest was suspension and it wasn’t all at one time.

If you’re spending $1500 on gas then you will see immediate savings. I was also spending that. Now i have two teslas and I drive between 2000-2500 per month on each of them. Total electricity cost is $120 per month for BOTH.
 
First things first: You likely WILL NOT GET TO KEEP THE LUDICROUS UPGRADE.

Tesla are jerks, and anything that is a software upgrade is likely to be stripped out by them remotely when the car transfers to a new owner's account. So don't pay extra for that, you and the previous owner are about to lose that money. Tesla says "thanks for that free money" for the feature rental.

Second - I bought a 2014 without warranty and have not had the sky fall on me either - except for Tesla screwing with MY battery range remotely - again because they are jerks. I drive it for business, and across the country already putting 30k miles on it, WITH towing as much as 5000 lbs. (no that wasn't much fun on the range and I'm not doing that again)

So it is possible and the car itself is fine, there are only a couple things that can really go wrong, and then you can look at third party repairs from somewhere like 057 to solve for you, possibly cheaper than the service centers. If you can avoid going to the service center then you are ahead of the game.

You'd be a bit above 40k though, my sister has a 2013 for sale that lacks AP1 and it is likely to sell for about 38.
 
First things first: You likely WILL NOT GET TO KEEP THE LUDICROUS UPGRADE.
This is completely untrue and not something to worry about whatsoever in the case of a private party transaction like OP described.

I have to agree with the general sentiment of the rest of the posts - this is not a way to save money. Early Model S maintenance and upkeep can be crushing.

If you're set on a Model S I'd look at a late 2015-2016 car, maybe not a performance model, in the same price range. Those will be more reliable and still have the free supercharging and connectivity if you buy from a private party.
 
Northeast US.
S85D just paid 42k plus 6% to PA.
65k miles, free supercharging, MCU1, AP1. Was CPO so bumper to bumper warranty for 3 more months, and one more year of battery/drivetrain warranty. Also some extras he threw in for me like weathertech mats everywhere, sunroof shades, etc

Spent 16 cents at home just to make sure my J1772 adapter worked (also have Leaf for now) and $0 supercharging to drive 600 miles the past few weeks.

State inspection and removing 2 screws from 1 tire was $108.
 
Ok maybe I exaggerated when I said the whole point was to save money, yes its one of the big points considering I’m spending a minimum of 1500 a month on gas alone if not more but also literally having to spend on parts and repairs every other month on my Jeep because something new fails. For example now my Jeep won’t even start as of yesterday (great timing :\), most likely is the starter but I highly doubt the frustration or repairs of an old Tesla Model S could even hold a candle to my Jeep, sure they might be more costly but I would actually be driving a much better car that I personally enjoy. I am definitely set on the Model S at this point because ride comfortability is my biggest priority in the car and I’m honestly uncomfortable in most cars and especially was really bothered and disappointed in the Model 3. The model S was literally the most comfortable drivers seat I ever sat in and was perfect for my knees and considering the car is practically my office where I’m spending almost 40 hours a week in, it is pretty important to me. The performance might not be so necessary since even the base model S will have significantly better acceleration than my Jeep but I would definitely prefer it personally as it suits my driving tendencies. Everyone goes 80-90mph at traffic speeds here and sometimes I have to pass people up especially on highways if I’m running on a tight schedule and doing it in a Jeep feels weird as hell and I’m sure I’d have a much smoother/easier time doing so in a P85D.

I appreciate everyone’s input and I have also been looking at other options such as local dealers and other private parties that are not as close but within an hour or two from my location. This seller though is literally in my neighborhood but I plan to go inspect and check out the car throughly this weekend. I have my offer range in mind and don’t plan to move from it unless he mentions new information (like a new battery or something) and cosmetically it looks immaculate but I guess we’ll see in person.
 
I highly doubt the frustration or repairs of an old Tesla Model S could even hold a candle to my Jeep, sure they might be more costly but I would actually be driving a much better car that I personally enjoy.
Tesla asks you to hold its beer.

Jokes aside, don't think everyone here is just trying to talk you out of the car, or into keeping your Jeep, just provide you some real world owner experience that you won't find on the fluffy EV news sites that rarely mention anything negative about Tesla or EVs in general. In reality, since it is still a car there is still plenty to go wrong, and they're not inexpensive to fix. Tesla has a virtual monopoly over parts and service, and the latter is terrible, even if you're opening your wallet wide. It can now take weeks to get something fixed.

There aren't too many people that will say the MS driving experience is bad - rather the opposite, and many people begrudgingly buy newer ones because the driving experience is so good, even if that costs them a lot.
 
...just provide you some real-world owner experience that you won't find on the fluffy EV news sites that rarely mention anything negative about Tesla or EVs in general.
Which could be because there's not much negative to mention. I've owned four Teslas. Hardly ever needed maintenance or service in over 250,000 miles. There was once when I had an inverter quit on me, but at the time the cars came with two for redundancy, so it barely affected us as we finished our trip and got it replaced when we got home. Can't say that's a negative. We used to have to use RV parks when on trips as there were no superchargers anywhere in the USA, but that was hardly a problem, other than taking longer. Now there are two supercharger locations (20 stations at each one) within 30 miles of house.

Since an EV doesn't need oil or filter changes every 7500 miles and fills up in your garage overnight for a fraction of what it would cost for gas, there's really not much negative to report. Trips are easy, superchargers show on my center screen so I can easily plan, and the battery allows me to get halfway to my destination (San Francisco to Phoenix) in one or two charges. I need a bathroom break and some food more often than that. The car is smooth and quiet. This has nothing to do with "fluffy" reporting. It's just fact. Gas cars need maintenance. EVs don't.
 
Which could be because there's not much negative to mention. I've owned four Teslas. Hardly ever needed maintenance or service in over 250,000 miles. There was once when I had an inverter quit on me, but at the time the cars came with two for redundancy, so it barely affected us as we finished our trip and got it replaced when we got home. Can't say that's a negative. We used to have to use RV parks when on trips as there were no superchargers anywhere in the USA, but that was hardly a problem, other than taking longer. Now there are two supercharger locations (20 stations at each one) within 30 miles of house.

Since an EV doesn't need oil or filter changes every 7500 miles and fills up in your garage overnight for a fraction of what it would cost for gas, there's really not much negative to report. Trips are easy, superchargers show on my center screen so I can easily plan, and the battery allows me to get halfway to my destination (San Francisco to Phoenix) in one or two charges. I need a bathroom break and some food more often than that. The car is smooth and quiet. This has nothing to do with "fluffy" reporting. It's just fact. Gas cars need maintenance. EVs don't.
Here's an example of one of those "there are no downsides to a Tesla or any EV" posts. Note that I didn't mention anything about "maintenance" costs other than tires (and these cars eat expensive tires). There's a big difference between maintenance and repairs. Did you keep any of your Teslas past their 8th birthday? Ask anyone who has paid for a failed sunroof, DC/DC converter, battery heater, drive unit, HV battery, air damper, door handle, control arm, halfshaft, steering rack, AC compressor, PTC heater, or cooling pump if they agree that EVs never fail. Not sure why stating negatives and positives about a car seem to be mutually exclusive.
 
Maybe an 85D is more your speed like others have suggested. Mine runs fine at 98k miles and has retained 95% of it's charge capacity. Get one where the warranty expires next year and throw a 057 HV warranty on top of it for two years once the Tesla battery warranty runs out. You should be golden since the drive units on the 85Ds have been pretty stout and you get a pretty quick car for everyday commuting and passes just about anything easy enough.
 
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Here's an example of one of those "there are no downsides to a Tesla or any EV" posts. Note that I didn't mention anything about "maintenance" costs other than tires (and these cars eat expensive tires). There's a big difference between maintenance and repairs. Did you keep any of your Teslas past their 8th birthday? Ask anyone who has paid for a failed sunroof, DC/DC converter, battery heater, drive unit, HV battery, air damper, door handle, control arm, halfshaft, steering rack, AC compressor, PTC heater, or cooling pump if they agree that EVs never fail. Not sure why stating negatives and positives about a car seem to be mutually exclusive.
Roblab is notoriously isolated in his bubble. He really believes it when he says "EVs don't need maintenance". Which, you know, may be true if you toss your car for a new one every ~60,000 miles.