Pros and Cons - Be Nice

[Jgranger5]

We’ve never owned a Tesla. Today we drove one for the first time. 2016 Model X and we kinda like it but I’m not sure I love it yet. We have 4 other vehicles so this would be a “just because” purchase. The car would sit half the year because we live between Colorado and Nicaragua.

Quick questions:

Annual maintenance costs - average??

Anyone have a Tesla with over 300k miles??

 

[OldPro]

Model 3 is a good bet. Maintenance costs? What maintenance? Not sure about how to maintain battery health if sitting for 6 months? That's something to think about. We have a 2018 Tesla Model 3 Long Range rear wheel drive and it has been flawless. Only maybe 35,000 miles

 

[Les236]

I like my 2018 MX, however we have been in Europe for the past 3+ months while it is sitting at home in the garage. You have to keep it plugged in, and my costs so far have been about $33 in electricity. You will have the same issue with just about every EV as the main battery keeps some of the electronics going, and keeps the 12v battery charged. Maintenance other than tires is very minimal for me. I only have 56,000 miles on mine.

 

[Tam]

We’ve never owned a Tesla. Today we drove one for the first time. 2016 Model X and we kinda like it but I’m not sure I love it yet. We have 4 other vehicles so this would be a “just because” purchase. The car would sit half the year because we live between Colorado and Nicaragua.

Quick questions:

Annual maintenance costs - average??

Anyone have a Tesla with over 300k miles??

12V battery maybe every 2 years or more: a couple of hundred dollars.

Tire replacement every 3 years or 37,500 miles: less than $2,000.

Windshield fluid 1 gallon/year: $4.

That's pretty much about it.

Since your car is out of warranty, the repairs will be expensive.

Air Conditioner: $3,000
On board charger: $3,000

When you talk about 300,000 miles, it's about expensive main battery replacement: over $20,000 for 4 year/50,000 mile part warranty.

Drive unit slightly less than $10,000.

 

[jjrandorin]

We’ve never owned a Tesla. Today we drove one for the first time. 2016 Model X and we kinda like it but I’m not sure I love it yet. We have 4 other vehicles so this would be a “just because” purchase. The car would sit half the year because we live between Colorado and Nicaragua.

Quick questions:

Annual maintenance costs - average??

Anyone have a Tesla with over 300k miles??

I believe that Elon called the model X a "Faberge egg". The falcon wing doors are super cool to look at in operation, but I have had tesla mobile techs tell me that they are a pain in the butt to deal with / repair.

 

[shingles]

I don't know that I would pick an 6 year old Tesla Model X (in particular) as your first foray into Telsa. I think it's just a much more complex vehicle and more will go wrong. Plus, at much MUCH lower volume than a Y or 3, the problems and issues do not get iterated out as quickly as it would be in Y/3. I think it may sour your take. I don't know how much a 2016 X goes for, but I might even suggest you try looking at a Y/3 that would be several years newer for the same/similar money.

 

[jboy210]

I would get a 3 or Y. We don't driver ours for weeks at a time and it just keeps going and going. As others have stated the X is a very complex vehicle, and 2016 is out of warranty and a very early model. And 300K is considerable mileage. Don't let price be a driving factor.

No matter what you do I would look into how you can keep the battery charged. Will the car be garaged somewhere with power available? If so, you could consider setting the car to stop charging at a relatively low state of charge such as 60% and leave it plugged in.

 

[brainhouston]

The car would sit half the year because we live between Colorado and Nicaragua.

if u don't care about car being powered on, disconnect 12v n unplug firemans loop. Car can sit forever like this
i did this for 2mo while i was fixing suspension, unplugged with 50%, powered on 2 mo later, still 50%

 

[brainhouston]

I don't know that I would pick an 6 year old Tesla Model X (in particular) as your first foray into Telsa.

Not for everyone but i did it. Depends on ur skill level of diy i guess
I don't see anything more complicated then other luxury cars minus expensive access to scan tools
Benefit of older ones is plenty of used parts n bathtub curve

 

[shingles]

Not for everyone but i did it. Depends on ur skill level of diy i guess
I don't see anything more complicated then other luxury cars minus expensive access to scan tools
Benefit of older ones is plenty of used parts n bathtub curve

Problem is you are an atypical Tesla owner. You got into it knowing you could try and fix things when there's a problem. The mass majority of owners of ANY car do not work on their own cars and want to buy and own specialized scan tools etc etc. I have collected a bunch of specialized BMW tools over the years... but the MASS majority of BMW owners don't want that experience. If the OP is like you or I, then ok, otherwise I don't think it's best to go that route. Just my $0.02 worth.

 

[Jgranger5]

I don't know that I would pick an 6 year old Tesla Model X (in particular) as your first foray into Telsa. I think it's just a much more complex vehicle and more will go wrong. Plus, at much MUCH lower volume than a Y or 3, the problems and issues do not get iterated out as quickly as it would be in Y/3. I think it may sour your take. I don't know how much a 2016 X goes for, but I might even suggest you try looking at a Y/3 that would be several years newer for the same/similar money.

The dealership is asking $62k and their has 47k miles. Thank you for your feedback.I’m interested in the model X because of the extra cargo space in the back. I’ll have the seats folded down most of the time for my furniture business.

 

[Jgranger5]

I believe that Elon called the model X a "Faberge egg". The falcon wing doors are super cool to look at in operation, but I have had tesla mobile techs tell me that they are a pain in the butt to deal with / repair.

Thank you for sharing that great point about the wing doors. I can imagine they having mechanical problems from time to time. I wonder if the need for wing door maintenance increases as the car gets older… I’m grateful for the opportunity to chat with Tesla owners and gain their opinions as I navigate my first Tesla purchase. Thanks again for your thoughts.

 

[Jgranger5]

I would get a 3 or Y. We don't driver ours for weeks at a time and it just keeps going and going. As others have stated the X is a very complex vehicle, and 2016 is out of warranty and a very early model. And 300K is considerable mileage. Don't let price be a driving factor.

No matter what you do I would look into how you can keep the battery charged. Will the car be garaged somewhere with power available? If so, you could consider setting the car to stop charging at a relatively low state of charge such as 60% and leave it plugged in.

Thank you for the detailed response. I appreciate the information you shared. I’m interested in the X because I can easily deliver furniture pieces in it for my upcycling business.

This vehicle only has 50k miles. I was just hoping to find someone on this forum with a “high mileage” Tesla. Most gas vehicle owners cringe when a vehicle has high miles.

The other model I’m interested in is the S. I like the look of it but I won’t be able to use it for my business so that purchase might have to come later in life.

The car would be stored in a garage while we’re in Nicaragua. We can keep it plugged in to charge the battery or have friends charge it from time to time if that’s better for the vehicle overall since we’re done for months at a time.

Is the warranty more for peace of mind or does everyone need to use the warranty coverage for one thing or another… I’m not too concerned about the risk of not having warranty coverage as long as the typical repairs don’t exceed $2k a year or $10k in the first 5 years. My 2005 BMW has been a dream - 225k miles and only maintenance, no major repairs.

 

[Jgranger5]

Model 3 is a good bet. Maintenance costs? What maintenance? Not sure about how to maintain battery health if sitting for 6 months? That's something to think about. We have a 2018 Tesla Model 3 Long Range rear wheel drive and it has been flawless. Only maybe 35,000 miles

Have you enjoyed the long range model?? I love road-trips - stoping to charge along the way doesn’t seem like too much of an inconvenience either. Today we pulled into a gas station ironically enough so I could use the Tesla charger. I couldn’t help but chuckle as I plugged in for free during my 24 hour test drive from the dealership. Charging the X overnight was pretty comical - we gained an average of 2 miles an hour. We have a 220 outlet from an old jacuzzi that we plan to use in the future if we buy the car.

We rent out our house as an Airbnb while we travel to Nicaragua half the year or more. I’m hoping guests will appreciate the access to charging their Tesla as well should they happen to have one.

 

[Jgranger5]

12V battery maybe every 2 years or more: a couple of hundred dollars.

Tire replacement every 3 years or 37,500 miles: less than $2,000.

Windshield fluid 1 gallon/year: $4.

That's pretty much about it.

Since your car is out of warranty, the repairs will be expensive.

Air Conditioner: $3,000
On board charger: $3,000

When you talk about 300,000 miles, it's about expensive main battery replacement: over $20,000 for 4 year/50,000 mile part warranty.

Drive unit slightly less than $10,000.

Wow. Thank you for all the useful information. I really appreciate your feedback.

The manager of the dealership said Tesla tech came out to his house to make some repairs instead of him having to take it to a mechanic. Is that common or was that more of an exception??

Speaking of the AC - it had a fowl stench to it when it comes on. It smells like a dead rodent or I suppose it could be a stinky batería… Not sure what that was about but $3k for AC repairs is a good heads up in any case.

Is it possible to find used parts for a Tesla at a salvage yard like I’m use to for my other gas powered vehicles?? A new main battery every 4-5 years for $20k is kinda steep.

 

[Tam]

Wow. Thank you for all the useful information. I really appreciate your feedback.

The manager of the dealership said Tesla tech came out to his house to make some repairs instead of him having to take it to a mechanic. Is that common or was that more of an exception??

Speaking of the AC - it had a fowl stench to it when it comes on. It smells like a dead rodent or I suppose it could be a stinky batería… Not sure what that was about but $3k for AC repairs is a good heads up in any case.

Is it possible to find used parts for a Tesla at a salvage yard like I’m use to for my other gas powered vehicles?? A new main battery every 4-5 years for $20k is kinda steep.

Tesla tries to free up their space in Service Center so they prefer to send out Mobile Service as much as they can.

Smelly AC might easily be fixed with filter replacement.

Some parts are easily exchanged like tire Service, some require some software knowledge like instrument cluster display or after market Lithium 12v battery...

 

[DCGOO]

Wow. Thank you for all the useful information. I really appreciate your feedback.

The manager of the dealership said Tesla tech came out to his house to make some repairs instead of him having to take it to a mechanic. Is that common or was that more of an exception??

No, that is routine. Some repairs are not possible for mobile service to take care of. Like wheel alignment, or repairs where the car needs to be lifted. But most other repairs are easily completed at your home or office.

Speaking of the AC - it had a fowl stench to it when it comes on. It smells like a dead rodent or I suppose it could be a stinky batería… Not sure what that was about but $3k for AC repairs is a good heads up in any case.

It actually could be a dead rodent. If the vehicle is stored outdoors, it is likely.

Is it possible to find used parts for a Tesla at a salvage yard like I’m use to for my other gas powered vehicles?? A new main battery every 4-5 years for $20k is kinda steep.

Junkyard Teslas are not very common, but I suppose it is possible. But I would not be looking for junkyard battery. Only problem is you will need Tesla to install. It is highly unlikely Tesla will install any part they do not supply. The main traction battery is covered by warranty for eight years. I would expect it to last far longer.

 

[jboy210]

Thank you for the detailed response. I appreciate the information you shared. I’m interested in the X because I can easily deliver furniture pieces in it for my upcycling business.

This vehicle only has 50k miles. I was just hoping to find someone on this forum with a “high mileage” Tesla. Most gas vehicle owners cringe when a vehicle has high miles.

The other model I’m interested in is the S. I like the look of it but I won’t be able to use it for my business so that purchase might have to come later in life.

The car would be stored in a garage while we’re in Nicaragua. We can keep it plugged in to charge the battery or have friends charge it from time to time if that’s better for the vehicle overall since we’re done for months at a time.

Is the warranty more for peace of mind or does everyone need to use the warranty coverage for one thing or another… I’m not too concerned about the risk of not having warranty coverage as long as the typical repairs don’t exceed $2k a year or $10k in the first 5 years. My 2005 BMW has been a dream - 225k miles and only maintenance, no major repairs.

OK. If this is a 5 seater X then it has a large space for furniture. We have put a 6 foot bookcase in ours. The 7 seat has similar back space, but because of the 3rd row seats it is not completely flat.

I don't have any repair experience with the X so can't speak to the costs of those. However, remember it is a heavy car, so those big tires can get consumed pretty quickly. Make sure you get an alignment done soon after you buy it. The suspension goes up and down and, in the default low setting can eat tires if they are not properly aligned for that setting.

I am impressed that your 2005 BMW did so well. We had had a lot of BMWs (over 20) and have had numerous repairs. The most expensive ones were turbo failures at about 75K miles. Those ran about $7K each. Also, batteries which require that silly BMW "calibration". Add to that window seals leaks and split rear seat upper seams endemic in BMW sedans.

 

[brainhouston]

Is it possible to find used parts for a Tesla at a salvage yard like I’m use to for my other gas powered vehicles?? A new main battery every 4-5 years for $20k is kinda steep.

Yes its possible. Not U-pull types though.
Look at car-part.com
I've bought all my parts from eBay/salvage recyclers to fix mine.

I wouldn't worry too much about HV battery, failures are very small percentage.

 

[rush6410]

Thank you for sharing that great point about the wing doors. I can imagine they having mechanical problems from time to time. I wonder if the need for wing door maintenance increases as the car gets older… I’m grateful for the opportunity to chat with Tesla owners and gain their opinions as I navigate my first Tesla purchase. Thanks again for your thoughts.

I have 107k miles on my X and I am the original owner. The concern on the Falcon Wing Door I think is unwarranted. Most issues are related to squeaks and mis-alignments which are always fixed in early ownership under warranty. I haven't commonly heard of any needing work based on age of vehicle. Mine have been great since the squeaks were fixed at time of sale 6 years ago.