Welcome to Tesla Motors Club
Discuss Tesla's Model S, Model 3, Model X, Model Y, Cybertruck, Roadster and More.
Register
  • We just completed a significant update, but we still have some fixes and adjustments to make, so please bear with us for the time being. Cheers!

Reaching 4 years of ownership in February. Purchased extended warranty.

rogbmw

Member
Feb 10, 2012
838
89
Central Florida
Our S85 will be 4 years old the first week in February. Took it in for the last service and also purchased the extended 4 year warranty, as we plan to have the car another 5 - 6 years. With all the updates and service, our car drives as good or better than it did 4 years ago. They have ordered a couple of things that will be replaced under the original warranty, including a new driver's seat. Mine "popped" about a year ago, and we found a piece of plastic, about 1 1/2 inch long under the seat. When turning in the seat to reach for something in the back (it is where I usually put the sun screen) it pops in the lumbar area most of the time, so they ordered a complete new seat. I realized that other than the little extra pep that the P90D loaner had, my car rides just as good, is actually quieter, with an equally good build quality. Of course I am missing a few of the newest bells and whistles, but the service center remarks when I bring the car in that it still looks new.

There was some confusion about when I had to purchase the extended warranty. I finally was informed that we needed to purchase it at least 30 days BEFORE the original warranty expired. Also, there was a question regarding the air suspension being included, but it was verified it was included by an email from corporate before I purchased the extended warranty. We are looking forward to the next 4 years with peace of mind with the new warranty.
 

tomas

Out of warranty...
Oct 22, 2012
4,229
3,798
Chicago/Montecito
Our S85 will be 4 years old the first week in February. Took it in for the last service and also purchased the extended 4 year warranty, as we plan to have the car another 5 - 6 years. With all the updates and service, our car drives as good or better than it did 4 years ago. They have ordered a couple of things that will be replaced under the original warranty, including a new driver's seat. Mine "popped" about a year ago, and we found a piece of plastic, about 1 1/2 inch long under the seat. When turning in the seat to reach for something in the back (it is where I usually put the sun screen) it pops in the lumbar area most of the time, so they ordered a complete new seat. I realized that other than the little extra pep that the P90D loaner had, my car rides just as good, is actually quieter, with an equally good build quality. Of course I am missing a few of the newest bells and whistles, but the service center remarks when I bring the car in that it still looks new.

There was some confusion about when I had to purchase the extended warranty. I finally was informed that we needed to purchase it at least 30 days BEFORE the original warranty expired. Also, there was a question regarding the air suspension being included, but it was verified it was included by an email from corporate before I purchased the extended warranty. We are looking forward to the next 4 years with peace of mind with the new warranty.
Ditto! Has been awesome, still feels new. No reason not to drive another 4+ years.
 

ClearwaterBchSteve

P445 / VIN 1794
Mar 29, 2012
338
1
Clearwater Beach, FL
Our S85 will be 4 years old the first week in February. Took it in for the last service and also purchased the extended 4 year warranty, as we plan to have the car another 5 - 6 years. With all the updates and service, our car drives as good or better than it did 4 years ago. They have ordered a couple of things that will be replaced under the original warranty, including a new driver's seat. Mine "popped" about a year ago, and we found a piece of plastic, about 1 1/2 inch long under the seat. When turning in the seat to reach for something in the back (it is where I usually put the sun screen) it pops in the lumbar area most of the time, so they ordered a complete new seat. I realized that other than the little extra pep that the P90D loaner had, my car rides just as good, is actually quieter, with an equally good build quality. Of course I am missing a few of the newest bells and whistles, but the service center remarks when I bring the car in that it still looks new.

There was some confusion about when I had to purchase the extended warranty. I finally was informed that we needed to purchase it at least 30 days BEFORE the original warranty expired. Also, there was a question regarding the air suspension being included, but it was verified it was included by an email from corporate before I purchased the extended warranty. We are looking forward to the next 4 years with peace of mind with the new warranty.

Hi, I'm facing the deadline to purchase the extended warranty. The warranty can be purchased 30 days following the original warranty expiration. I have read the warranty terms in detail and it definitely outlines far more "excluded" items than "included" items. Our Model S is a 2012 P85 (serial # < 1800) It's still in mint condition and has fewer than 17k miles on it. We have no intention to trade or sell the car in the foreseeable future and have strongly been considering the warranty. I'm glad to hear that you were informed that the suspension IS covered. The warranty states that "wear" items such as shock absorbers are not covered, but the smart air suspension must be considered something different.

Did you inquire about any other key components to ensure they are covered in the warranty? To date, Tesla Service has been great and has fixed or replaced anything that's gone wrong. We have new touch screen, door handles & windshield - all replaced under original warranty.

Thanks! Steve.
 

skilly

Member
Dec 8, 2014
748
216
Livermore CA
Our S85 will be 4 years old the first week in February. Took it in for the last service and also purchased the extended 4 year warranty, as we plan to have the car another 5 - 6 years. With all the updates and service, our car drives as good or better than it did 4 years ago. They have ordered a couple of things that will be replaced under the original warranty, including a new driver's seat. Mine "popped" about a year ago, and we found a piece of plastic, about 1 1/2 inch long under the seat. When turning in the seat to reach for something in the back (it is where I usually put the sun screen) it pops in the lumbar area most of the time, so they ordered a complete new seat. I realized that other than the little extra pep that the P90D loaner had, my car rides just as good, is actually quieter, with an equally good build quality. Of course I am missing a few of the newest bells and whistles, but the service center remarks when I bring the car in that it still looks new.

There was some confusion about when I had to purchase the extended warranty. I finally was informed that we needed to purchase it at least 30 days BEFORE the original warranty expired. Also, there was a question regarding the air suspension being included, but it was verified it was included by an email from corporate before I purchased the extended warranty. We are looking forward to the next 4 years with peace of mind with the new warranty.

may I ask how much the extended warranty cost? And where there aftermarket options or just Tesla - just thinking ahead for myself.
 

DLM270

#7773
Jun 8, 2012
188
23
Fremont, CA
I am 3 months shy of my 4 year anniversary, and 100 miles shy of 50K. I purchased the extended warranty last month for peace of mind. I plan to keep the S85 (s/n ....P07773) for atleast 4 more years. Hoping to share garage space and power with a new Model 3 in the next year.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Austral and Falkirk

sorka

Well-Known Member
Feb 28, 2015
7,618
5,645
Merced, CA
I would like to purchase the extended warranty but I plan to blow through 200K in the first 8 years. I've been metering it somewhat putting only 20K miles a year on it to stretch out the warranty, but once I hit 50K, I'll drive the Tesla full time which means 40K miles / year over the next 5 years(should hit 50K at 3 years).

At that point, the extended warranty would only last me a little over a year.
 

ClearwaterBchSteve

P445 / VIN 1794
Mar 29, 2012
338
1
Clearwater Beach, FL
may I ask how much the extended warranty cost? And where there aftermarket options or just Tesla - just thinking ahead for myself.

$4000US with $200 deductible per incident. Note: this is not an extension of the original "bumper to bumper" warranty. There are specific exclusions outlined in the warranty terms. You can request the warranty document from your service center for review.
 

sorka

Well-Known Member
Feb 28, 2015
7,618
5,645
Merced, CA
$4000US with $200 deductible per incident. Note: this is not an extension of the original "bumper to bumper" warranty. There are specific exclusions outlined in the warranty terms. You can request the warranty document from your service center for review.

...or you an just sign into tesla.com, goto "my tesla", click on services sign up, and then click "read agreement".

Also, the per incident charge only applies once per component. i.e. if a door handle is replaced, you pay $200, but then that same door handle won't cost you $200 again if it has to be replaced during the remainder of the agreement duration/mileage.
 

ClearwaterBchSteve

P445 / VIN 1794
Mar 29, 2012
338
1
Clearwater Beach, FL
...or you an just sign into tesla.com, goto "my tesla", click on services sign up, and then click "read agreement".

Also, the per incident charge only applies once per component. i.e. if a door handle is replaced, you pay $200, but then that same door handle won't cost you $200 again if it has to be replaced during the remainder of the agreement duration/mileage.

Thanks, I didn't realize it was available online - Tesla service sent me one to review a few months ago. I'm really on the fence at this point, leaning towards not purchasing the agreement. Will I spend at least $4200 on repairs in 4 years on "covered" parts? I'm not convinced. So many "wear" items are excluded and would be taken care of during the normal service schedule (which also must be paid for each year or 12k miles). We have already had the touch screen replaced (twice) and apparently have the latest version which is supposedly more resilient to cracking. All 4 door handles are "new" and less than a year old. We've had the 12v battery replaced twice and the second one is fairly new. Tesla replaced our windshield when it cracked because the earliest versions had some issues.

Sorka, if you were in my position, would you purchase the warranty?.
 

tomas

Out of warranty...
Oct 22, 2012
4,229
3,798
Chicago/Montecito
Thanks, I didn't realize it was available online - Tesla service sent me one to review a few months ago. I'm really on the fence at this point, leaning towards not purchasing the agreement. Will I spend at least $4200 on repairs in 4 years on "covered" parts? I'm not convinced. So many "wear" items are excluded and would be taken care of during the normal service schedule (which also must be paid for each year or 12k miles). We have already had the touch screen replaced (twice) and apparently have the latest version which is supposedly more resilient to cracking. All 4 door handles are "new" and less than a year old. We've had the 12v battery replaced twice and the second one is fairly new. Tesla replaced our windshield when it cracked because the earliest versions had some issues.

Sorka, if you were in my position, would you purchase the warranty?.
I'm not sorka, but here's my 2 cents: exact same spec and vintage as yours... the exclusions are concerning, however I bought the extended warranty. My experience in the first 4 years is that Tesla has gone above and beyond on fixing/replacing components during initial warranty period. Every service visit, there seem to be half a dozen proactive repairs, ranging from a suspension bolt to new contactors. As a result, car drives as well as it did when I picked it up. I'm hoping they continue to go above and beyond the letter of the extended warranty contract. Those little, proactive things probably don't add up to $4,000, but the intangible value of proactive care in areas I would never know about is worth something. Maybe a bad bet, I guess I will find out in 4 more years!
 
  • Like
Reactions: Falkirk

ClearwaterBchSteve

P445 / VIN 1794
Mar 29, 2012
338
1
Clearwater Beach, FL
I'm not sorka, but here's my 2 cents: exact same spec and vintage as yours... the exclusions are concerning, however I bought the extended warranty. My experience in the first 4 years is that Tesla has gone above and beyond on fixing/replacing components during initial warranty period. Every service visit, there seem to be half a dozen proactive repairs, ranging from a suspension bolt to new contactors. As a result, car drives as well as it did when I picked it up. I'm hoping they continue to go above and beyond the letter of the extended warranty contract. Those little, proactive things probably don't add up to $4,000, but the intangible value of proactive care in areas I would never know about is worth something. Maybe a bad bet, I guess I will find out in 4 more years!
Thanks for replying... We decided to opt out. It was a really tough decision - could have gone either way, but the key influences were the fact that we have had many of the early "problem" parts replaced already (touch screen, door handles, 12v battery among others). I still plan to have the Model S properly serviced every 12,000 miles (which would still need to be done under the warranty). We have averaged fewer than 5000 miles on the car per year so far which is also a factor in our decision. If the drive unit and battery did not have another 4 years of warranty or if the extended warranty was a true bumper-to-bumper warranty, it would have been a no-brainer to do it. Good luck (to both of us) ;)
 
  • Like
Reactions: smsprague

jerry33

(S85-3/2/13 traded in) X LR: F2611##-3/27/20
Mar 8, 2012
19,516
21,709
Texas
I look at the extended warranty the way I look at insurance. If you are lucky, you will only be out the premium.
 

rogbmw

Member
Feb 10, 2012
838
89
Central Florida
Hi - just a follow up at the 6 year point. Our S85 turned 6 years old last week.

The contract has paid for itself, as I have had a new CPU, screen, and several other items done.

I am having some peeling issues inside the door handle area on the inside of the door panel where you would grab to close the door, and they said that it was a "trim" issue and not covered. I will be asking them about it tomorrow when I take the car in for service.

My car has developed an "oscillation" at certain speeds when slowing down. It is not a wheel balance issue, so they are going to check it out.

Still loving the car.
 
  • Like
Reactions: X-Care EV

X-Care EV

Vendor
Feb 13, 2019
269
193
Frisco, TX
Hi - just a follow up at the 6 year point. Our S85 turned 6 years old last week.

The contract has paid for itself, as I have had a new CPU, screen, and several other items done.

I am having some peeling issues inside the door handle area on the inside of the door panel where you would grab to close the door, and they said that it was a "trim" issue and not covered. I will be asking them about it tomorrow when I take the car in for service.

My car has developed an "oscillation" at certain speeds when slowing down. It is not a wheel balance issue, so they are going to check it out.

Still loving the car.

I am glad to hear that your ESA has paid itself off! The piece of mind is always nice to have when owning your vehicle post warranty.

For others on this thread that are looking at the ESA - we just released the first 3rd party service agreement for Tesla's with same exclusions, half the deductible $100, 24/7 roadside and trip interruption coverage. We do not have the limitations on who can purchase (meaning if you purchased from a dealer, then you can purchase X-Care) and might be cheaper in many scenarios than the Tesla ESA.

First 3rd party extended warranty for Tesla’s

www.xcelerateauto.com/x-care/
 

RDoc

S85D
Aug 24, 2012
2,719
1,567
Boston North Shore
We also got the extended warranty after considering buying a new S, but decided to wait and see how Tesla is doing and what they are offering in a couple of years. This seems like a somewhat fraught time to buy a new S.

We really love our S, but it's been quite unreliable compared to our other cars. Worse, some of the fixes, e.g. replacing pretty much the entire front suspension, sound very expensive.
 

X-Care EV

Vendor
Feb 13, 2019
269
193
Frisco, TX
We also got the extended warranty after considering buying a new S, but decided to wait and see how Tesla is doing and what they are offering in a couple of years. This seems like a somewhat fraught time to buy a new S.

We really love our S, but it's been quite unreliable compared to our other cars. Worse, some of the fixes, e.g. replacing pretty much the entire front suspension, sound very expensive.

I am sorry you haven't had a good service experience with your Model S - I hope outside of your service issues, its bringing you a lot of joy.

Replacing the entire front suspension is expensive, X-Care would cover the air suspension for any outages. Air suspension (from my personal experience) can be hit or miss with regards to issues. I have had seen a ton of Mercedes and Land Rovers that go through similar issues.
 

About Us

Formed in 2006, Tesla Motors Club (TMC) was the first independent online Tesla community. Today it remains the largest and most dynamic community of Tesla enthusiasts. Learn more.

Do you value your experience at TMC? Consider becoming a Supporting Member of Tesla Motors Club. As a thank you for your contribution, you'll get nearly no ads in the Community and Groups sections. Additional perks are available depending on the level of contribution. Please visit the Account Upgrades page for more details.


SUPPORT TMC
Top