Pano roof brackets broken! Tesla won't repair due to salvage vehicle

[techmaven]

They will come around to this, but do I really want this fight and headache. Ill happily pay for my own parts should they fail in the next 12 months and charge my car at home they can stick there policy of voiding my warranty and supercharging up there back sides. They really have left a sour taste in my mouth, im selling the car already and haven't even owned it longer then a 6 months

It wouldn't have taken much research to know the situation surrounding Tesla and salvage title vehicles. Whomever you bought this from could have applied to have the car re-instated. You can have the car re-instated. There's procedures for authorized body shops to repair and certify the car and so Tesla would then cover warranty and Supercharging. But an improperly repaired Tesla can cause a lot of headaches for the company, including taking a Supercharger out of service.

 

[DARK_VADAR]

This is one of those occasions where asking the full question is more useful than crafting the question in the hope of a particular answer...

Don't know if this is what caught you out, but since it takes some time for the paperwork to filter through on changing the status of a car to 'salvaged' or whatever your local version is, when you know you are dealing with a salvage title the right question is 'Will I still have a warranty on this vehicle that has been written-off by the insurers' rather than 'does this vehicle have a warranty active'....

UMMM NO! this is not how things work in Australia, warranty is warranty, I dont expect them to warranty the area of the car that was perhaps compromised as a result of the previous damage at worst case scenario, but other parts of the car that have nothing to do with the damage or accident should still have a valid warranty actually. For example like Tesla is now voiding any updates, battery, charging, pano roof, seats, interior, rear of car, sides of car, under car. To make the whole vehicle lose warranty because a scratched bumper and bent fender is a joke! what about supercharging , and updates ? they want to deny them too who will update my car if it needs one Toyota ? I have bought previously salvaged vehicles and Mercedes or BMW are more then happy to help there customers, Tesla is doing this solely for the purpose of avoiding any damage to their brand name in case of a dodgy repair should create a havoc situation (car catch fire, charging station catch fire, possible electrocution) , I get that! but this also should not affect vehicles that have just sustained a minor impact and not been compromised beyond minor cosmetic and fender damage , and vehicles that have been repaired accordingly and correctly!

But what it also says is that Tesla is not confident of there vehicles after a collision anywhere near there service departments, chargers, or warranty on the rest of the car.

How do I update the car should they void any updates , this really is a problem. I get the warranty, but thats out in less then 12 months, the charging I can go CHAdMO, what about the updates what do I do pay a hacker in his mums basement ? SMFH

 

[DARK_VADAR]

I can see Supercharging being denied but CHAdeMO should still work. Nissan dealers have been welcoming when we stop in to charge while touring and other commercial charging stations provide CHAdeMO. The car still has value as an EV, in my opinion.

Does this mean I have to buy a ChadeMO adapter ? and also is it the same cost as the Tesla supercharging to charge the car? I will look into this , thanks

 

[swegman]

Yes, you would have to buy the CHAdeMO adapter in order to charge your car at a CHAdeMO site. However, the car has to be configured to enable such an operation.

At least one person in AU (or was it NZ; I provided a link to the discussion above) was able to get Tesla to configure his salvage titled vehicle to enable fast charging at a CHAdeMO charger even though they would not enable his car to charge via superchargers. Do NOT spend money in the CHAdeMO adapter until you know this feature has been activated.

As I noted above, that individual sued Tesla to try to get his warranty and supercharging ability reinstated and to receive updates to the car’s firmware. He went to arbitration, was featured in the local newspaper and posted several YouTube videos on the matter, but ultimately lost the case.

I have a few questions for you;
(1). Did you purchase the car knowing it had s salvage title?

(2). If you were not informed by the prior owner you bought the car from that it had a salvage title, you may have a claim against that person. On the other hand, if you knew the vehicle had a salvage title, did you do your homework before buying the car, in which case you would have discovered that when a vehicle is issued a salvage title, the warranty is voided, supercharging ability is deactivated and you lose getting firmware updates?

(3). If you knew the car had a salvage title and did your due diligence research (discovering the consequences of buying a salvage titled Tesla), why did you buy the car nonetheless?

I understand how you feel. But a car company, especially a small one like Tesla, doesn’t have the resources to inspect each and every salvage titled vehicle and say this one we will warrant but for driveshaft issues, while another vehicle will be covered for everything but for (for example) the rear quarter panel and rear hatch issues. So they have decided that any vehicle that is declared to be a salvage vehicle losses all Tesla support and have made such a policy known to the public.

 

[Don85D]

We bought the CHAdeMO adapter and plugged it in prior to a road trip. It worked just fine. I don't recall any special activation unless it was done over the air while we slept.

I have to admit that the adapter is big and cumbersome but easily stored. We have used it a Nissan dealership where charging was free along with coffee. We also tested it at 3rd party sites that have a small fee for charging and it worked there as well. This was all prior to our road trip where the CHAdeMO was a backup plan that we used only once where Superchargers were not available on the East Coast of NA.

We lend our CHAdeMO to neighbours with a Model S when they make road trips. Perhaps you can borrow one and test it.

 

[GreenT]

The issue is before I purchased the car Tesla told me it was under warranty and had supercharging hence I bought the dam thing , only to find out after two weeks they have decided to void it !!!

. Im about to walk into there main branch and record them and post it to my facebook and YouTube , if you guys see the way they are towards me! So apprehensive , they were very reluctant to sell me parts for the car initially and then about 3 weeks later many many phone calls unanswered and ever returned, 4 emails I finally got them to be humane and help me get my car back on to the road.

I still wont ever go Tesla again after this experience , unless there policies change and the customer service in that company particularly in Australia. I have had many cars and been to many dealerships never did I once have the experience I did with Tesla North Sydney dealership honestly speaking

The word is THEIR!!!!!

 

[MP3Mike]

I think if Tesla was able to open the vehicle with there mechanics and inspect to see that it is not an issue to there SuperCharging systems and that the repairs were done correctly they would reinstate supercharging for the car, but this would all be at my expense im imagining

They will do a HV inspection for ~$500 (US) but all that gets you is re-instated updates and the ability to pay them to work on the HV system. The document specifically says that Supercharging will remain disabled forever.

I can see Supercharging being denied but CHAdeMO should still work. Nissan dealers have been welcoming when we stop in to charge while touring and other commercial charging stations provide CHAdeMO. The car still has value as an EV, in my opinion.

Nope, they totally disable DC charging. CHAdeMO won't work either.

UMMM NO! this is not how things work in Australia, warranty is warranty,

Really? In the US the Tesla Warranty has this in it:

The following will also void this New Vehicle Limited Warranty:
• Vehicles that have had the VIN defaced or altered or the odometer or other related system
disconnected, altered or rendered inoperative so that it is difficult to determine the VIN
number or actual mileage;
• Vehicles that have been designated, labeled or branded as dismantled, fire-damaged, flooddamaged,
junk, rebuilt, salvage, reconstructed, irreparable or a total loss; and
• Vehicles that have been determined to be a total loss by an insurance company.

Is there some law in Australia that prevents them from having those conditions void the warranty?

I do see that the warranty includes this:

Australia
This New Vehicle Limited Warranty contains warranty terms and conditions that may vary
depending on the part or system covered. A warranty for specific parts or systems is governed by
the coverage set forth in that warranty section and the other provisions in this New Vehicle
Limited Warranty, in addition to any applicable statutory guarantees under the Australian
Consumer Law.

And I don't know what "statutory guarantees" that grants you.

 

[Mark_T]

UMMM NO! this is not how things work in Australia, warranty is warranty, I dont expect them to warranty the area of the car that was perhaps compromised as a result of the previous damage at worst case scenario, but other parts of the car that have nothing to do with the damage or accident should still have a valid warranty actually...

As far as I can tell from a random selection of other car manufacturer warranties for Australia, you are wrong on this point.

Being declared a write-off is one of the few events that trumps all the normal provisions and ends the warranty.

If you simply have an accident and repair it properly then you are right, those parts not affected by the accident would still have a normal warranty, but none of that applies when you have a car written-off by the insurer.

From that point the car has no warranty on anything...

 

[DARK_VADAR]

So your all siding with Tesla on this one LOL just hope to god you never get into any accident then guys, this is what they do to there customers, ill say it again some people are not able to comprehend "I UNDERSTAND WARRANTY IS VOIDED!"

Who updates my car Toyota ?

Charging my car now is useless ?

Tesla tells me it has warranty but then chooses a few weeks later to VOID ALL THE ABOVE!!!!!

 

[MP3Mike]

So your all siding with Tesla on this one LOL just hope to god you never get into any accident then guys, this is what they do to there customers, ill say it again some people are not able to comprehend "I UNDERSTAND WARRANTY IS VOIDED!"

That makes no sense. If you are in an accident and your car is totaled your, or that at-fault parties, insurance makes you whole again. (By replacing the car.)

Tesla doesn't hurt their customer at all. A person buying a totaled car is not a Tesla customer and should know what they are getting in to before they buy it.

Tesla tells me it has warranty but then chooses a few weeks later to VOID ALL THE ABOVE!!!!!

They may have been going off the most current information they had at the time, and later got more information about the car being totaled.

 

[Twiglett]

sorry you got a salvaged car, presumably without knowing it was salvaged, but if its too good to be true it usually is.
I understand that you're mad, but buying a used car is always a case of caveat emptor.
As others have pointed out, there are many opportunities for Tesla to not have up to date information about a car now having a salvage title - it's difficult to blame them for that. Especially if that was the only check you did.
There are many ways of obtaining VIN records to see the history of a car, all of which add more information for the emptor to caveat
I would presuppose that the next buyer is going to do a VIN check and find that its a salvage as well, so it may be worth getting it recertified.

 

[azdryheat]

So your all siding with Tesla on this one LOL just hope to god you never get into any accident then guys, this is what they do to there customers, ill say it again some people are not able to comprehend "I UNDERSTAND WARRANTY IS VOIDED!"

Who updates my car Toyota ?

Charging my car now is useless ?

Tesla tells me it has warranty but then chooses a few weeks later to VOID ALL THE ABOVE!!!!!

I have been in an accident in my Model 3. Car was totaled. Insurance paid me. Car with 1886 miles now has no warranty. Anyone who buys it will have to understand that Tesla service will be limited at best. I understand that Tesla does not want these cars repaired by people that they have no control over. The risk is too high. My guess is that if you looked on this board, or an owners manual, you would know that you would not be covered.

When you asked about warranty and charging, did you mention the car had a salvage title? IF you did, and can prove it, you might have a case.

 

[Mark_T]

So your all siding with Tesla on this one LOL just hope to god you never get into any accident then guys, this is what they do to there customers, ill say it again some people are not able to comprehend "I UNDERSTAND WARRANTY IS VOIDED!"

No, this is what they do to cars that have been totalled, not their customers.

Their customer who had the accident is probably happily driving their replacement Tesla purchased with the proceeds from the insurance payout.

This is purely a problem for those who elect to buy salvaged titles without doing their homework, that is why you are detecting a distinct lack of sympathy.

Who updates my car Toyota ?

Charging my car now is useless ?

Tesla tells me it has warranty but then chooses a few weeks later to VOID ALL THE ABOVE!!!!!

If you were not told it was a salvage by the person who sold it to you then you should have a cause for action against them.

If you told Tesla it was a salvage title when you asked about the warranty and Tesla told you it didn't matter then you may have a case against Tesla.

If you knew it was a salvage and just assumed it was all going to be the same as any other used car purchase then it is on you.

 

[rowdy]

And I don't know what "statutory guarantees" that grants you.

Australia has very strong consumer protections. They can supersede the company's own warranty and practices if they are deemed inadequate.

Probably best for the OP to contact the ACCC and find out what protections are available for repaired/salvage vehicles. I suspect it may be illegal for Tesla to remotely disable functionality in the original vehicle without proving the underlying equipment is faulty.

There's also the issue whereby the OP checked with Tesla and was told the vehicle was ok before they later disabled it. Would think this would give you grounds with the ACCC too.

 

[Mark_T]

There's also the issue whereby the OP checked with Tesla and was told the vehicle was ok before they later disabled it. Would think this would give you grounds with the ACCC too.

Always worth checking with the ACCC, but this thread has been like the slow peeling of the layers of an onion to get to the truth.

If, as I suggested above, the OP told Tesla he had a salvage title and they said it didn't matter, he was covered, that is a completely different position from just casually asking if there was a warranty in place at the time he asked, knowing full-well that they might not yet know the vehicle had been written off...

 

[swegman]

It’s also possible the OP was checking with Tesla as to whether the warranty had expired (due to age and/or mileage), not knowing that the car had a salvage title, and to confirm that such model variant included supercharging (or perhaps free unlimited supercharging as opposed to a limited amount of supercharging). I, at least, am not clear as to just how much the OP knew about the car at the time he bought it. For that matter, I’m not clear whether he bought the car after it had been repaired, or if he bought the car and made the repairs to it.

 

[lotusland]

Looks like that Ferrari has been in a wreck too. It's got a real bad lean.

 

[Mark_T]

It’s also possible the OP was checking with Tesla as to whether the warranty had expired (due to age and/or mileage), not knowing that the car had a salvage title, and to confirm that such model variant included supercharging (or perhaps free unlimited supercharging as opposed to a limited amount of supercharging). I, at least, am not clear as to just how much the OP knew about the car at the time he bought it. For that matter, I’m not clear whether he bought the car after it had been repaired, or if he bought the car and made the repairs to it.

... and frankly all of that uncertainty is down to the OP, who has from the start been deliberately vague about a lot of things to make it look like he was been treated badly by Tesla...

So, how about a little clarity in here Dark_Vadar?

You've got a lot of very knowledgeable people around the group both in terms of how to deal with Tesla and what to expect when dealing with salvage cars, but the story keeps shifting bit by bit as the details drip out so it is hard to actually help you, if indeed to actually do want help?

Would it be correct to say that you knew the car had been written-off when you purchased it and you purchased it in a damaged state from one of the auction sites like 'Pickles'?

Assuming that this was classified as a 'repairable write-off' and hence needs to pass a 'write-off inspection' before it can go back on the road, can we assume that this has not yet taken place and that you have carried out all the repairs yourself so far, rather than using any professional mechanics (at least in part because Tesla won't touch it) ?

Would it also be correct to say that when you asked Tesla about the warranty status you did not disclose to them that it was an insurance wrtie-off?

I'm sure many people would be happy to give you advice on how to proceed, but it is a lot easier to do that with the whole story...

 

[DARK_VADAR]

Ok with out getting bricks and comparing them to people in here..... I will say this once last time for anyone who is either drunk at Home , unable to read English, or cant and is finding my slight grammatical errors too confusing!!!!

I UNDERSTAND TESLA WONT WARRANTY , AND IM OKAY WITH THIS !!!!!

MY ISSUE IS TESLA WILL NOT TOUCH A "HIGH VOLTAGE EXTREMELY DANGEROUS VEHICLE, THAT THEY HAVE MADE/ DESIGNED AND ARE ONLY TRAINED TOO!" Now if the vehicle is certified by a qualified insurance assessor as "Repairable" and allowed to be put back on the ROAD!!!!

WHO THE HELL IN AUSTRALIA OR THIS WHOLE PLANET NAMED "EARTH" IS TO KNOW HOW TO WORK ON THIS CAR AND DO THE REPAIRS ? "TOYOTA!!!!!!!!!!! BECAUSE TESLA WANTS NOTHING TO DO WITH IT, NOT TO BRING IT ANYWHERE NEAR ITS WORKSHOPS, NOT GOING TO SUPPORT IT, OR EVEN SELL ME PARTS TO REPAIR IT!!!!

LET ME KNOW WHAT PART OF THE ABOVE YOU DONT OR CANT UNDERSTAND!

I choose to believe most of you want to throw the blame on "ME" or the "PREVIOUS OWNER (small guy) , Insurance , or an auction INSTEAD OF SEEING EXACTLY WHAT ONLY "TESLA" HERE ARE DOING TO ME AND THIS VEHICLE, I am not once saying they have to warranty a car that has had previous damage or a title of "damaged" my concern is and more importantly TESLAS concern should be, that If they refuse to work on this car and as a result of this decision someone does who isn't "TESLA CERTIFIED AND TRAINED" and ends up dying as a result, then Tesla will have a lot more to worry about then screwing over there customers LIKE THEY HAVE DONE TO ME!

Lets not get carried away here, I PAID VERY GOOD MONEY FOR THIS CAR as the damage if you none of you read what I previously said, was a "damaged fender and plastic wheel arch splash liner" or and a scratched bumper!! now if you feel that you are not manly enough to get a 10mm wrench socket drive and remove 6 x 10mm bolts and take off a fender that weighs less then 500grams then you ought to stick to your desk job and leave the real life work to the real men!

It does not matter if I repaired the car, the guy down the road, or the guy at my local mechanic shop, there is no law anywhere I know of where only a Toyota has to be repaired at a Toyota or any car for that matter at any dealership , there are thousands of shops that everyday work on different brand vehicles and have been around many years, the whole its a Tesla and only Tesla should of repaired your car is the same patenting rubbish apple uses with there software updates and lightning cables. Its a scheme big companies use to make more money out of you! if you have not come to realise this in your whole time of being on this planet. YOU DONT TAKE AN APPLE PHONE TO SAMSUNG AND EXPECT A REPAIR! Hence many apple phones get thrown out if they are locked or have a serious issue that appears refuses to repair, and you are forced to buy a new phone, funny enough all of a sudden they offer you " a trade in" on the phone they couldn't apparently repair , then give it to another customer as a "replacement refurbished phone"

Like I previously said to you all, god forbid you break your guard and it ever gets a title on it, Tesla is going to kiss your $140k car your so in love with to a GUTTER! like they have done to me. Lets not over look this , anyway I will sell this car as I have gone back to Mercedes and I will never buy a TESLA again.

Oh another thing there is no onion here to peel, you may need to peel a layer of your left hemispheres membrane and see it for what it is.

This car is a HIGH VOLTAGE EXTREMELY DANGEROUS to a person in the wrong hands , and you need to be qualified and certified to work on this vehicle , I dont see any local mechanic about to experiment with it!!!!! Tesla doesn't want to touch it ! SO HOW THE F**K DO YOU REPAIR THIS CAR THEN!!! wait according to many of your logic "lets avoid this question!" and throw blame to the OP , or sue the previous owner who has nothing to do with the issue im discussing here, or the auction , or the insurer.

THIS IS AN ISSUE WIITH THE MANUFACTURER REFUSING TO WORK ON A CAR ONLY THEY ARE TRAINED AND QUALIFIED TO DO, IF SOMEONE GETS HURT TESLA WILL HAVE A CASE TO ANSWER TO!

AND FOR ANYONE TRYING TO SAY THE ONIONS NOT BEEN PEELED BACK HERE LAYER BY LAYER, GO LOOK AT THE START OF THE POST, PHOTOS OF THE DAMAGE WERE UPLOADED, IF YOU KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT CARS YOULL KNOW THIS IS NOT EVEN TO BE CONSIDERED AS "DAMAGE" THIS COULD OF BEEN A KID ON A BICYCLE , YOU REVERSING OUT OF A DRIVEWAY, YOU HITTING A SHOPPING CART AT A MALL" THIS IS NOT SOMETHING A GROUP OF PEOPLE IN A FORUM CHOOSE TO CLASSIFY AS "DAMAGE!", let me guess the multi billion dollar insurance company and its assessors , assessed the vehicle as "repairable (able to be put back in registration and on the roads again)" but he's also wrong too and should of completely wrote off the vehicle to never be put back on a road? what happened to "Electric cars" trying to reduce the carbon footprint, well im sure many emissions and materials were used in making this car, but your logic is "throw it in the bin!"


**Dont worry about the grammar

 

[MP3Mike]

MY ISSUE IS TESLA WILL NOT TOUCH A "HIGH VOLTAGE EXTREMELY DANGEROUS VEHICLE, THAT THEY HAVE MADE/ DESIGNED AND ARE ONLY TRAINED TOO!" Now if the vehicle is certified by a qualified insurance assessor as "Repairable" and allowed to be put back on the ROAD!!!!

This car is a HIGH VOLTAGE EXTREMELY DANGEROUS to a person in the wrong hands , and you need to be qualified and certified to work on this vehicle , I dont see any local mechanic about to experiment with it!!!!! Tesla doesn't want to touch it ! SO HOW THE F**K DO YOU REPAIR THIS CAR THEN!!! wait according to many of your logic "lets avoid this question!" and throw blame to the OP , or sue the previous owner who has nothing to do with the issue im discussing here, or the auction , or the insurer.

THIS IS AN ISSUE WIITH THE MANUFACTURER REFUSING TO WORK ON A CAR ONLY THEY ARE TRAINED AND QUALIFIED TO DO, IF SOMEONE GETS HURT TESLA WILL HAVE A CASE TO ANSWER TO!

But you are wrong; Tesla will work on a salvage car, just not under warranty. And before they will work on any HV portion of the car you have to pay for, and pass, an HV inspection on the car. (Which costs ~$500 US.)

Directly from their site: Unsupported or Salvaged Vehicle Policy

Unsupported or Salvaged Vehicle Policy
An unsupported or salvaged vehicle is a vehicle that has been declared a total loss, commonly after extensive damage caused by a crash, flooding, fire, or similar hazard, and has been (or qualifies to be) registered and/or titled by its owner as a salvaged vehicle or its equivalent pursuant to local jurisdiction or industry practice. Salvage registration/titling typically can never be removed from the vehicle so that all future persons understand the condition and value of the vehicle. Tesla does not warrant the safety or operability of salvaged vehicles. Repairs performed to bring a salvaged vehicle back into service may not meet Tesla standards or specifications and that is why the vehicle is unsupported. Consequently, any failures, damages, or injuries occurring as a result of such repairs or continued operation of an unsupported vehicle are solely the responsibility of the vehicle owner.

Until Tesla can confirm that the vehicle is in compliance with Tesla’s safety standards and vehicle specifications, Tesla does not perform or support repairs involving the HV (high-voltage) battery systems in the vehicle because of the potential for the salvage vehicle to have sustained damage that:

• Makes the vehicle unsafe to drive
• Makes the vehicle unsafe for any repair technicians that might work on the vehicle
• Might damage Tesla equipment, such as Superchargers

When a vehicle is classified as a salvaged vehicle:

• Any Tesla limited warranties and extended service agreements for the vehicle are void.
  NOTE: Repairs due to recalls will be performed unless the safe repair of the vehicle is prevented either by the condition of the vehicle or by vehicle modifications not installed by Tesla. If the Tesla Service Center determines that the vehicle is not safe to repair, the recall-related repair will not be performed until the customer has returned the vehicle to a condition that the Service Center determines is safe to repair.
• Supercharging is permanently disabled.
• Parts availability is not affected. Any Unrestricted or Over-the-Counter part may be purchased for a salvage-titled vehicle.
• A “Salvage-Titled Vehicle HV Safety Inspection” may be performed (at the customer’s expense) on the vehicle to determine if the HV-related components are safe to work on or access.

For more information about this policy, please contact a Tesla Service Center.

It is possible that not all service center employees are aware of the change to Tesla's policy in regards to this. (I think it change ~6 months ago.)