Question about buying a used Tesla with a bad Li-ion battery

[Maryland]

How do you figure. First off the selling price is too high second a model s battery can cost 20k so 25k is a good price if you are stuck with the cost of a replacement battery. Good luck either way and keep us posted on outcome.

I think I've been talked out of it at this point. It's an enticing gamble, but one I can't afford to lose. I'll just pay a few thousand more and get one that I know to work.

Plus my current car is drinking coolant because the head gasket is going (typical for a Subaru), so I probably shouldn't wait too long to get a functional replacement.

 

[whitex]

I think I've been talked out of it at this point. It's an enticing gamble, but one I can't afford to lose. I'll just pay a few thousand more and get one that I know to work.

Plus my current car is drinking coolant because the head gasket is going (typical for a Subaru), so I probably shouldn't wait too long to get a functional replacement.

The old saying goes "don't gamble with money you cannot afford to lose". So, if this car will drain your budget to the point where you cannot afford any major repair, and you absolutely need a car, then you are correct, the sensible thing is not to gamble.

 

[whitex]

Obviously you get it checked out before you buy it.

This being a dealer, there is a good chance they already had it "checked out" and decided it's not worth fixing it before selling it, i.e. the cost to check-out further and/or fix would be more than the price difference they could charge if it worked 100%. This being a Tesla car, I would not be surprised it just came back with "$2K first for a refurb MCU, then we can run more diagnostics to tell you if anything else is wrong" - that's because Tesla systems are very integrated, and some service tech diagnostics require a working MCU.
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[domodan]

This being a dealer, there is a good chance they already had it "checked out" and decided it's not worth fixing it before selling it, i.e. the cost to check-out further and/or fix would be more than the price difference they could charge if it worked 100%. This being a Tesla car, I would not be surprised it just came back with "$2K first for a refurb MCU, then we can run more diagnostics to tell you if anything else is wrong" - that's because Tesla systems are very integrated, and some service tech diagnostics require a working MCU.
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Sure. I was a used car manager at a BMW dealership for many years so I know a thing or two about the situation the Mercedes dealer is in and how those situations are handled. My guess is they just haven’t prioritized getting it reconditioned yet and are waiting on a second opinion (or service appointment) with how to handle the car. The salesperson probably has no clue about any of that, and the used car manager probably has no clue the salesperson is talking to someone about it.

 

[whitex]

Sure. I was a used car manager at a BMW dealership for many years so I know a thing or two about the situation the Mercedes dealer is in and how those situations are handled. My guess is they just haven’t prioritized getting it reconditioned yet and are waiting on a second opinion (or service appointment) with how to handle the car. The salesperson probably has no clue about any of that, and the used car manager probably has no clue the salesperson is talking to someone about it.

That would be a very poor used car manager at Mercedes - pick up a $40K car and let it sit on the lot for a month before dealing with it. That's a depreciating asset and frozen capital (which costs money too). Are there bad business people out there, of course, maybe this is one example.

 

[yodacox]

How about just jumping the 12V battery?

 

[DCEV]

Hey I have an idea. Tell the Mercedes dealer you will purchase the car after after a Pre Purchase Inspection at Tesla to resolve the issues.

Worst case scenario, you are out of a couple of hours of labor.

Just tell Tesla you are having issues charging the car and what it would entail to fix the car. Have them look at the car and that will remove just about all the uncertainty in the car for you. Tesla will tell you what is working, what is not, why, and any cost of repair for out of warranty issues.

If the Mercedes dealer refuses to let you do a pre purchase inspection, I would run away.

In fact I would run away if a seller refuses my request to do a pre purchase inspection for any used car.