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

 

[TLLMRRJ]

She's currently in a 2014 Range Rover Evoque. We'll probably put the baby in there most of the time as it'll be safer with the higher ride height.

You think that, really? SUV are more dangerous because of their higher ride height due to rollovers compared to cars like Tesla's with very low centers of gravity.

 

[samuelffrancis]

You think that, really? SUV are more dangerous because of their higher ride height due to rollovers compared to cars like Tesla's with very low centers of gravity.

But that's only considering roll over accidents, correct? I could be (and wow.... am apparently VERY) wrong on this, but every other crash, the height and weight would be better than a Ford Fusion yeah? I'm not trying to dump on sedans or defend top heavy SUVs....... but the majority of accidents in the US are not roll overs. In fact, they only account for 2% of accidents in the US.

 

[D.E.]

That car transmission story was what happened to them, well over half a century ago. The money they lost was important to them. We didn’t have much money so it was always old used cars.

I didn’t mean to imply this dealer would put sawdust in the Tesla. It wouldn’t make sense, Teslas don't have transmissions, to go faster they just spin the motors faster.

I don’t know that sharing those stories was helpful. I thought they were interesting.

 

[TLLMRRJ]

But that's only considering roll over accidents, correct? I could be (and wow.... am apparently VERY) wrong on this, but every other crash, the height and weight would be better than a Ford Fusion yeah? I'm not trying to dump on sedans or defend top heavy SUVs....... but the majority of accidents in the US are not roll overs. In fact, they only account for 2% of accidents in the US.

Do your own googles and decide. I am not going to try to convince you of anything.

 

[dmurphy]

But that's only considering roll over accidents, correct? I could be (and wow.... am apparently VERY) wrong on this, but every other crash, the height and weight would be better than a Ford Fusion yeah? I'm not trying to dump on sedans or defend top heavy SUVs....... but the majority of accidents in the US are not roll overs. In fact, they only account for 2% of accidents in the US.

Most of what people think about crash dynamics is wrong. Watch this video:

You're probably too young to remember this video game (Marble Madness), but it contains one of my favorite lines of all time .......

 

[samuelffrancis]

Do your own googles and decide. I am not going to try to convince you of anything.

Thanks....... I think

 

[samuelffrancis]

Most of what people think about crash dynamics is wrong. Watch this video:

You're probably too young to remember this video game (Marble Madness), but it contains one of my favorite lines of all time .......

View attachment 922531

Apparently I'm too young to even be on here at this point.
No offense, but idk what that video really had to do with what we were talking about..... not super shocked that a car as old as that did so poorly. And it's a collision exactly like that where some height would help but I guess everything I know is wrong.
Look everyone at this point, I feel like this thread has lost its meaning and y'all have kinda just torn me to shreds......... I tried to be honest and open and accept everyone's opinion about a used Tesla I was considering and now I feel like it's all just gone to heck. I came here for that, and I hope if anyone else is on here, you did too.

 

[dmurphy]

Apparently I'm too young to even be on here at this point.
No offense, but idk what that video really had to do with what we were talking about..... not super shocked that a car as old as that did so poorly. And it's a collision exactly like that where some height would help but I guess everything I know is wrong.
Look everyone at this point, I feel like this thread has lost its meaning and y'all have kinda just torn me to shreds......... I tried to be honest and open and accept everyone's opinion about a used Tesla I was considering and now I feel like it's all just gone to heck. I came here for that, and I hope if anyone else is on here, you did too.

I'm just trying to play with ya a bit, please don't take offense!

The crash test - what I mean is that the assumptions many of us make (myself included!) about how crashes work is sometimes backwards. I always assumed those "big heavy steel" cars from yesteryear would protect you in a crash. "They gotta tear up the tin cans they build today!" --- but that's so not true. I learned a lot watching that video, and watching some of Sandy Munro's stuff on Youtube. (If you haven't seen Munro Live, I strongly recommend it! Super educational.)

Now the Marble Madness pic, that I'm just playing with you. "Everything you know is wrong" was a statement about how up is down and right is left in that game. If you haven't had time to play it, it's a fun one... I remember going to the arcades and playing it there. I posted it as in "what I thought I knew about crashes isn't the case at all!"

I really didn't mean to offend, and if I did, I'm sorry. Surely wasn't the intent, at all. Apologies if it came off that way.

 

[D.E.]

But that's only considering roll over accidents, correct? I could be (and wow.... am apparently VERY) wrong on this, but every other crash, the height and weight would be better than a Ford Fusion yeah? I'm not trying to dump on sedans or defend top heavy SUVs....... but the majority of accidents in the US are not roll overs. In fact, they only account for 2% of accidents in the US.

Teslas are relatively safe cars, I think largely because they crumple to absorb energy while protecting the passengers in a cell that doesn’t crumple. When I read about some of these FSD accidents, like the woman that slammed into a parked fire truck, I’m not so much surprised that it happened, I’m shocked she only suffered an ankle injury. We see it a lot. People having horrendous accidents in Teslas but they are often uninjured. These should all be killer accidents. To me that’s the story, not that some beta software miscalculated something. Recently some guy drove off a cliff trying to kill his family. He was deranged. But that’s not the story, the car protected those people, and that’s amazing.

You are right that in vehicle vs vehicle crashes, the relative masses are very important, and the occupants of the lighter vehicle suffer worse outcomes than the occupants of the heavier vehicle. In general people do poorly with sudden deceleration. The heavy fluid filled vessels in the chest are not well supported by the air filled lungs and those vessels are torn away with sudden deceleration. Ripping of great vessels from the heart and lungs isn’t survivable. But a well designed car can crumple dissipating that energy and protect the passengers. Teslas lack a massive engine in the front so those crumple zones are larger. That heavy engine isn’t there to cause more injuries. On the other hand there are massive energy dense batteries under one’s feet and once ignited burn with a hellish fury. There’s no large tank of gasoline to rupture and ignite.

So there are many factors to consider in an accident. I didn’t specifically mention speed. Energy goes up as the square of the velocity, so speed is very important.

I think Teslas may well be the absolute safest vehicles in most types of crashes.

 

[D.E.]

The U.S. fatality rate is 1.46 deaths per 100 million miles driven. So the year to year risk is fairly low.

 

[henderrj]

Although I hate debt, with the numbers you've shared, and if everything checks out, I'm saying maybe go for it. Maybe the dealer is just really low on cash.

But don't blame me if it all goes south!

 

[D.E.]

Look everyone at this point, I feel like this thread has lost its meaning and y'all have kinda just torn me to shreds......... I tried to be honest and open and accept everyone's opinion about a used Tesla I was considering and now I feel like it's all just gone to heck. I came here for that, and I hope if anyone else is on here, you did too.

Please don’t take all this posted information personally. You posed a complex question, essentially is this a good purchase for you. it bears examination on many levels. If it is too much, just take the bits you want. Just know we all wish you well.

Take care, my friend.

 

[goodbadboys9]

It is weird,Most of the damage was to the rear of the car but front parking sensors are missing.I believe it has some undisclosed damage behind the front bumper too.Also,Down the line if battery dies you will have limited support from 3rd party repair shop as it is 70 kWh pack & doesn’t have much core value.

If it is your first Tesla,I would recommend to look for 85(when battery dies you can get it fixed for ~5k).

 

[WallysRide]

It is weird,Most of the damage was to the rear of the car but front parking sensors are missing.I believe it has some undisclosed damage behind the front bumper too.Also,Down the line if battery dies you will have limited support from 3rd party repair shop as it is 70 kWh pack & doesn’t have much core value.

If it is your first Tesla,I would recommend to look for 85(when battery dies you can get it fixed for ~5k).

This is a good catch, spotting the missing front parking sensors. If there has been front bumper damage, keep in mind that there are a lot of plastic parts under the bumper that can get cracked. Relatively minor front end damage can be $$$ to repair because of those internal parts.

The non-replaced sensors: yet another sign that previous owner/dealer has not taken good care of the car, which would make me walk away b/c such an owner would never deal with anything like suspension work that's very likely to be needed at that mileage.

 

[goodbadboys9]

This is a good catch, spotting the missing front parking sensors. If there has been front bumper damage, keep in mind that there are a lot of plastic parts under the bumper that can get cracked. Relatively minor front end damage can be $$$ to repair because of those internal parts.

The non-replaced sensors: yet another sign that previous owner stopped caring about maintenance at some point, which would make me walk away b/c such an owner would never deal with anything like suspension work that's very likely to be needed at that mileage.

Yep,I 100% agree with your assesment.Previous owner might not have cared much about the car & it might be a money pit.I have seen few worst examples of S with less miles.

I would suggest going in to test driving the car,come back & think about it rather than jumping on it.If possible get it inspected.

Fixing the quarter will cost every penny saved on this car or even more than that

 

[TLLMRRJ]

Thanks....... I think

Well, I am bad. I did the googles for you:

The Dangers of Rollover Accidents | Gazda & Tadayon Injury Law Firm, NV

Gazda & Tadayon is here if you were involved in a SUV rollover accident in Las Vegas, Call our experts for a FREE consultation!

www.gazdatadayon.com

According to the National Highway Safety Transportation Administration, the likelihood of a rollover in a typical accident by vehicle type is:

• Just 3% for standard small vehicles
• 4% for vans
• 7% for pickup trucks
• 12% for SUVs (4x more likely than standard vehicles)

And even though rollovers make up just 3% of all traffic accidents, studies show that rollovers cause 30% of all fatal injuries.

 

[samuelffrancis]

Well, I am bad. I did the googles for you:

The Dangers of Rollover Accidents | Gazda & Tadayon Injury Law Firm, NV

Gazda & Tadayon is here if you were involved in a SUV rollover accident in Las Vegas, Call our experts for a FREE consultation!

www.gazdatadayon.com

According to the National Highway Safety Transportation Administration, the likelihood of a rollover in a typical accident by vehicle type is:

• Just 3% for standard small vehicles
• 4% for vans
• 7% for pickup trucks
• 12% for SUVs (4x more likely than standard vehicles)

And even though rollovers make up just 3% of all traffic accidents, studies show that rollovers cause 30% of all fatal injuries.

Wow. I mean......... wow. You really couldn't drop this, could ya? haha

Why the heck are we talking about why SUVs are more dangerous in rollovers on this thread lol? Not what I came here to do, man. Please go back and reread my last response on this. I'm NOT defending top heavy SUVs. No need to throw stats in my face. I never disagreed with you on their risk regarding that. I'm ALREADY aware they are more dangerous in the event of a rollover. However, in the event. As you already acknowledged yourself they are FAR from the majority of accidents and I guess I feel more confident in having my wife and kids in a higher ride for the more 97% prone accidents that happen. 97%. If they die just because they happened to be in a freak roll over accident, I'll let you know so you can come on here and tell me: "I told ya so." Happy?

Gosh dang. I already said I wanna focus on the original reason for starting this thread/post. If you wanna criticize college students on what car they place their kids in, have at it. But for the love, man: take it somewhere else. I'm trynna stay productive on here.

 

[WallysRide]

Another potentially helpful tip if OP ends up looking at other used S's from private parties: Don't be afraid of minor accidents in the Carfax, esp. if in the first couple of years of the car's life, IF the owner will talk to you and show you records of the repairs from a certified Tesla Collision Center. These are typically high-end body shops (Ferraris, etc.). Their work is expensive and very good.

So this is another way that shopping for used Teslas is a little different from shopping for traditional used cars. You can save money if you're willing to look at certain "early minor accident" histories that have been repaired properly. My used S came with such a minor accident history. Of course, this approach makes the most sense if you're planning on keeping the car as long as possible, so you don't worry about your own resale hit.

So if I were the OP and looking for the cheapest possible but hopefully reliable used S, I would only be looking at private party, high mileage, "one minor early accident"/Tesla certified repair," that comes with a big stack of Tesla Service Center records that includes multiple owner-paid repairs in the $2000+ range. That's the kind of ownership record I think you want and need in your circumstances.

 

[samuelffrancis]

Oh, I definitely triggered the snowflake!

Just chill bro! It's the internet!

Message received. Glad we’ve turned to name calling lol

Look, I know I appear even more overly sensitive for saying this, but if you’re not here for the OP’s main purpose, then I just don’t think we should be waisting our time. That’s all.

 

[samuelffrancis]

Another potentially helpful tip if OP ends up looking at other used S's from private parties: Don't be afraid of minor accidents in the Carfax, esp. if in the first couple of years of the car's life, IF the owner will talk to you and show you records of the repairs from a certified Tesla Collision Center. These are typically high-end body shops (Ferraris, etc.). Their work is expensive and very good.

So this is another way that shopping for used Teslas is a little different from shopping for traditional used cars. You can save money if you're willing to look at certain "early minor accident" histories that have been repaired properly. My used S came with such a minor accident history. Of course, this approach makes the most sense if you're planning on keeping the car as long as possible, so you don't worry about your own resale hit.

So if I were the OP and looking for the cheapest possible but hopefully reliable used S, I would only be looking at private party, high mileage, "one minor early accident"/Tesla certified repair," that comes with a big stack of Tesla Service Center records that includes multiple owner-paid repairs in the $2000+ range. That's the kind of ownership record I think you want and need in your circumstances.

Thank you! This extremely helpful and good to know.