Hi, new to the forum and I have a really good deal through a friend who totaled his model S and bought it back. Hes looking to sell me his salvaged Model S but I also read all horror stories of doing that. Has anything changed with Tesla standing on salvaged vehicles? Can even get the car up and running again or is it a true total loss?
Right now the only cars that can be fixed are the ones that Tesla or one of their licensed shops fixes. Buying from a salvage title is a serious gamble... Walter
OP did not state he'd bought the car yet; was asking about feasibility. In the old days we'd pull the impossible-to-repair engine, maybe a Jag or something, and put in a Chevy. Replacing the entire lower half with ICE may be the only way to get a salvaged Model S on the road again. Yes, Ugh! ~Larry
I wouldn't by a salvage MS for more than it's worth for parts. There's a pretty good bet that the battery will have some issue over the next 8 years. They're still working the bugs and the technology out. The salvage car doesn't have the 8 year unlimited mileage warranty on the battery and drive unit so it's probably just a matter of time before you have fork over $45K to replace the battery. A salvage MS is worth a much smaller percentage of the non salvage counterpart compared to other cars.
You can buy a salvaged Model S. Body repairs must be done using a trained/authorized shop, and Tesla will then have to inspect the car and run diagnostics. No warranty at all on a salvaged car. - - - Updated - - - The battery price has come down recently. I don't know to what extent it is, but it's less now.