Potentially 1st Tesla

[samuelffrancis]

Hi, everyone! Kind of new to this, so I appreciate the patience. To cut to the chase, I'm a 25 yr old mechanical engineering student that LOVES these cars. My dad got one of the first 100 Model S's in Vegas (where I grew up) and on top of my already oozing love for good engineering I was in love. I was hooked.

Now I'm finally in a place to potentially pick up my first one. There is a used one about 30 minutes from me. 2016 70D with 142,000 miles on the odometer. It still gets around 241 miles on a full charge. Clean title (see CarFax below), autopilot, premium connectivity, etc. It has a couple of dents (something that 1. I think could be popped or fixed easily and 2. At this point, I don't care that much haha) but other than that, it looks pretty good/nice (see pictures below).

My wife and I live in an apartment complex, but there is a destination charger and 4 charge points across the street. However, we will most likely move halfway across the country a year from now and even live in an apartment for another year after that or so. POINT IS: I'm very nervous that even after getting into my first one (barely), I'd be hit with a motor or battery failure or HUGE repair that I simply can't afford. It doesn't have the lowest mileage, and even though I know that there is extremely confident data/studies of high mileage Model S builds, I still get really scared that mine might be...... "the one".

I would really appreciate any wisdom or insight from anyone who has a 2016 with similar or even more miles. Or even have had experience with some heavy or more expensive repairs. Please lemme know if you think it's worth it or if I'm being young, dumb, and setting myself up for failure in just a few years haha.

Cheers, everyone. Thank you for taking the time to read/help!

https://www.carfax.com/VehicleHistory/ar20/Z1yDOH-QYNtcSAq-X_3oO1kRoCRGel43RQdyVo9NeO7zIF09NcohQ8PaZrkdcmwvx0q1jyVyq5zIA-43a-WpHloNlmWnUdON6j4

 

[gaswalla]

These cars are like any other luxury make (except Lexus). The used cars are low in price bc repairs are generally very expensive. Many items can be addressed by non-Tesla shops (suspension, tires, brakes, etc). But, major components often require Tesla and their expensive pricing. There are third party repair shops nowadays, but still are only about 30 percent cheaper than Tesla.
That being said, these cars are generally very durable and seem to last forever. I’d take the chance!
Also, the car you’re looking at likely has free supercharging that will transfer to you. A guy like you could benefit from that perk.

 

[IslandHydro]

Quote: "I'm very nervous that even after getting into my first one (barely), I'd be hit with a motor or battery failure or HUGE repair that I simply can't afford". I think you've answered your own question. My advice would be that if you need a car at this point, buy something cheap and take the difference and start saving until you can afford either a newer (warrantied) Tesla, or can afford the potential repair costs that come with a cheaper / older car. My Tesla just ran out of full warranty and will lose the battery / DU warranty in November. Made the decision to hold on to it (love the car) but do have the ability to pay for large repair if needed (hopefully not). Our thought was that even if we did have to come up with $$$ to pay for a battery or DU, it's still cheaper than a new car.

 

[TLLMRRJ]

Don’t do it. You could very easily be hit with a repair bill that is fitting of a car with a $100k MSRP. And the life of public charging absolutely stinks.

 

[henderrj]

Do be aware that free supercharging is often stripped from those cars if Tesla took them back in trade or it ever went through Tesla's hands. So you need to check carefully in that. But if the supercharging is free, like I have, it's a pretty good deal! By the way I have a December 2014 build with an 85 kilowatt hour battery pack. I have over 265,000 mi on it right now, still the original battery. Seems to be okay for me!

Also WK 057 tech has warranties you can buy for those batteries. Well, I'm not sure they cover the 70s, but you should check and see. That'll also give you an idea of the risk involved.

 

[ewoodrick]

Hi, everyone! Kind of new to this, so I appreciate the patience. To cut to the chase, I'm a 25 yr old mechanical engineering student that LOVES these cars. My dad got one of the first 100 Model S's in Vegas (where I grew up) and on top of my already oozing love for good engineering I was in love. I was hooked.

I'm going to take an unpopular stance. It may not be the best time to stretch to buy a Tesla. You've got a lot going on and your life is probably going to change significantly over the next few years, jobs, moves, and children can get really expensive really fast (and hopefully no student loans).
Go with something cheaper for a few more years.

 

[samuelffrancis]

These cars are like any other luxury make (except Lexus). The used cars are low in price bc repairs are generally very expensive. Many items can be addressed by non-Tesla shops (suspension, tires, brakes, etc). But, major components often require Tesla and their expensive pricing. There are third party repair shops nowadays, but still are only about 30 percent cheaper than Tesla.
That being said, these cars are generally very durable and seem to last forever. I’d take the chance!
Also, the car you’re looking at likely has free supercharging that will transfer to you. A guy like you could benefit from that perk.

This is extremely helpful and a really good reminder of what I could be getting into. I really appreciate the cautious encouragement. The optimist (and apparent fanboy in me lol) likes to think that they ARE that durable. That if I baby the battery, I'd be ok rolling the dice. Idk. I guess I gotta lot to think about. I didn't think that 2016s would get free supercharging! You think that would still on it? Either way, I really appreciate the response!

 

[gaswalla]

Free transferable supercharging (SCO1) came with cars sold until Jan 17, 2017. So this car should have it as it appears to have only one owner with Tesla never taken ownership since sold.

 

[samuelffrancis]

Quote: "I'm very nervous that even after getting into my first one (barely), I'd be hit with a motor or battery failure or HUGE repair that I simply can't afford". I think you've answered your own question. My advice would be that if you need a car at this point, buy something cheap and take the difference and start saving until you can afford either a newer (warrantied) Tesla, or can afford the potential repair costs that come with a cheaper / older car. My Tesla just ran out of full warranty and will lose the battery / DU warranty in November. Made the decision to hold on to it (love the car) but do have the ability to pay for large repair if needed (hopefully not). Our thought was that even if we did have to come up with $$$ to pay for a battery or DU, it's still cheaper than a new car.

I appreciate your candor. That is how I feel for sure. I am currently in a plug in ford fusion but it only gets like 15 miles on a charge. Has about 115,000 miles on it. Trading that in, it'd be about another $5k after that. That's really good logic that I can't argue with. Your opinion is super valued and I really appreciate it. Thank you so much!

 

[samuelffrancis]

Don’t do it. You could very easily be hit with a repair bill that is fitting of a car with a $100k MSRP. And the life of public charging absolutely stinks.

Thank you for being so straightforward and blunt. That is exactly what I'm afraid of, so I thank you for being so honest. Would any third party warranties be worth looking into? What kind of repairs have you had on your highest mileage Tesla?

 

[ucmndd]

A 2016 70D had 240 miles range when brand new. The only way it’s showing 241 miles now, 7 years and 140k miles later, is if the seller had the display set to “ideal” range instead of “rated”. Ideal range is a joke and should not be used for anything.

This is a common tactic on the used market to make people think the car they’re buying has more range than it actually does.

Verify this under Controls -> Display. 241 ideal miles is probably ~210-215 rated miles, meaning the battery has degraded ~10-12% (which is perfectly normal for a car of that vintage and mileage).

 

[samuelffrancis]

Do be aware that free supercharging is often stripped from those cars if Tesla took them back in trade or it ever went through Tesla's hands. So you need to check carefully in that. But if the supercharging is free, like I have, it's a pretty good deal! By the way I have a December 2014 build with an 85 kilowatt hour battery pack. I have over 265,000 mi on it right now, still the original battery. Seems to be okay for me!

Also WK 057 tech has warranties you can buy for those batteries. Well, I'm not sure they cover the 70s, but you should check and see. That'll also give you an idea of the risk involved.

This was quite honestly probably the most helpful and contextual response. Thank you! According to another user's comment, I think it still might have the free supercharging! The stats on your similar build/era Model S were EXACTLY what I was looking for in this thread/post. I can't believe you've gone that high in a 2014! That's super good to hear and very comforting. Have you babied the battery? Supercharged often? Launched it often? What have have your costs and repairs looked like? How many years of ownership does your 265,000 mile adventure translate to? What was your original range, vs now? I apologize for all the questions haha.

I have been looking at 3rd party warranty options but haven't really found any that looked worthy of pursuing. I'll have to look them up! Would you mind proving a link if you have the chance? Do you use them yourself? Thank you again so much. Your reply truly helps!

 

[samuelffrancis]

A 2016 70D had 240 miles range when brand new. The only way it’s showing 241 miles now, 7 years and 140k miles later, is if the seller had the display set to “ideal” range instead of “rated”. Ideal range is a joke and should not be used for anything.

This is a common tactic on the used market to make people think the car they’re buying has more range than it actually does.

Verify this under Controls -> Display. 241 ideal miles is probably ~210-215 rated miles, meaning the battery has degraded ~10-12% (which is perfectly normal for a car of that vintage and mileage).

Ahhhhhhhhhhh gotcha. Unfortunately it is in the "clutches" of a dealer, so this does not surprise me in the slightest and I had a hunch that range was a bit too high haha. Thank you so much for bringing this up/pointing this out. I will have them check it and see what it truly is.

Even at 210-215 miles of range, do you think something like that would be worth it? I'm glad to hear that's somewhat normal for this model and year. Thank you again for helping me!

 

[samuelffrancis]

I'm going to take an unpopular stance. It may not be the best time to stretch to buy a Tesla. You've got a lot going on and your life is probably going to change significantly over the next few years, jobs, moves, and children can get really expensive really fast (and hopefully no student loans).
Go with something cheaper for a few more years.

You're hitting the nail on the head. My wife graduates in December and I graduate a year from now. (both with our undergrads) By then we are also hoping to have a baby. Possibly even right before that move.
I totally agree that those things will get more expensive even faster than we know. I really appreciate your honesty and presumptions because you're absolutely right. As it stands with the value of my current car, I'd have to cough over $5k more. Definitely not nothing. Thank you for caring and responding.

 

[ucmndd]

Even at 210-215 miles of range, do you think something like that would be worth it? I'm glad to hear that's somewhat normal for this model and year. Thank you again for helping me!

FWIW I have a late 2016 S75 that is just about to hit 165,000 miles. It’s been very reliable and cheap to maintain thus far. No regrets.

 

[samuelffrancis]

Free transferable supercharging (SCO1) came with cars sold until Jan 17, 2017. So this car should have it as it appears to have only one owner with Tesla never taken ownership since sold.

No WAY! This is excellent news. From what I understand, it's almost guaranteed that this one has it then, correct? Thank you for checking this!

 

[samuelffrancis]

FWIW I have a late 2016 S75 that is just about to hit 165,000 miles. It’s been very reliable and cheap to maintain thus far. No regrets.

Any repairs or major costs?

 

[TLLMRRJ]

Thank you for being so straightforward and blunt. That is exactly what I'm afraid of, so I thank you for being so honest. Would any third party warranties be worth looking into? What kind of repairs have you had on your highest mileage Tesla?

Just spend time searching through the many failures that owners are experiencing on this forum. At any time a battery or drive unit could go, not to mention all the other stuff like suspension, A/C, charging system, battery heater, MCU's, etc, and that's when everyone will tell you that you should just suck it up because you bought a car with an MSRP of a $100K so what did you expect.

Plenty of Tesla owners experience major drive unit or battery failures in less than 10K miles, which are covered under warranty, but it makes you realize that these cars are risky to own out of warranty. I don't know what warranties would help you with those major expenses.

 

[ucmndd]

Any repairs or major costs?

Mostly just tires.

I’ve spent probably $2,000 over 6.5 years on maintenance and some minor repairs (trunk latch, charge port door, a few other odds and ends). I probably have some suspension work coming up soon.

But that’s just my experience and it CAN be highly variable - and when things do break, they can break big. So while my experience has been good, I’d echo some of the potential concerns others are raising and think long and hard about your ability to stomach a potentially big repair bill if something gives.

That said, the small drive units in the “D” cars have proven to be very reliable. The 1200 pound gorilla in the room is of course the battery, and TBH there’s no real rhyme or reason to when they let go - no particular correlation to “babying” it and ultimate failure.

There are also a handful of potential trouble spots in the $3-5k range to be aware of - AC compressor, onboard charger, sunroof, and DC-DC converter come to mind.

 

[gaswalla]

I believe the battery and drive unit for this car is an 8 year - unlimited warranty… meaning you have at least 1 year left under warranty on those big ticket items