-
Want to remove ads? Register an account and login to see fewer ads, and become a Supporting Member to remove almost all ads.
Tesla Service says my Tesla Model S 2013 60 kw Main battery needs to be replaced
- Thread starter AprilDelivery??
- Start date
Because a regular car wouldn’t come close to the reload costs
that's why they should stand behind there products and not make it unaffordable for the average person. Repairs on an 8 year old car should not require the funds of a new hybrid!
Besides, the fact Tesla is pretty much the only option! That’s not true with my Toyota, I can take it about anywhere. Being exclusive, they should have option to repair at a fair price! What other car after 9 years and 89,000 miles of normal use would have anything close to these repair costs! I stand by my statement…they should have viable solutions and a car shouldn’t fail right after the warranty expires! That’s not good business and I’ll share this with every Tesla owner I meet!
Last edited:
Additionally, they could had repaired it at a fraction of the costs.
Having such a car issue is pertinent to their reputation. Either it’s a good solid car or a lemon! The car is in excellent condition and never abused! Absurd to expect such a car to fail with such an expense without some sort or support!
I had help from The original owner, which was a blessing! Otherwise, I would’ve had to give the car back, run my credit, and be without a car since I sold my old car to buy this one. Which, by the way was a 2007 Lexus I S350 with 189,000 miles on it. No issues whatsoever! It was an amazing car. To be honest I think it’s a much better car than this Tesla model S!
Last edited:
Because a regular car wouldn’t come close to the reload costs
that’s why they should stand behind there products and not make it unaffordable for the average
Last edited:
They did, for 8 years. I don't think an average person should buy a 2012-2015 Tesla. Especially not if they have to stretch to do it. Really those were the first production cars from a new car company. It is sort of expected that they will have problems as they get older. I'm actually surprised that they lasted as long/well as they did/are.
Batteries were 100% but Tesla won’t repair circuitry. Only option is total replacement which is at an absurd cost!
Last edited:
davewill
Active Member
You're right that the price for battery replacement is a problem for EVs in general, it's not necessarily only a Tesla problem. Part of the problem is perception. People think, "A $20K repair on a car only worth $30-40K isn't worth it." However, I think an EV with a new battery is actually a much better value proposition than a gas car with a new engine, for instance.
It was made worse for you because normally, the low miles means less wear, but batteries wear out just sitting and doing nothing, so the calendar time was more pertinent.
All that said, I think the third-party repair options are the saving grace here. They can pretty easily put in a newer, used battery for less than Tesla charges, and that's a reasonable route to go for an 8yo car.
That's the stance I'm taking with my RAV4EV. I just ran out the 8 year extended warranty I bought. I tried hard to buy another from Toyota, but it was no-go. But I happen to have a local shop that does repair work on them, and I've talked to some other folks who have expressed that they would probably be able to come up with a battery solution if that ever became a need. Meanwhile, I take care of it the best I know how.
Edit: It can be a problem for gasoline cars, too. Owning a 8-10yo high end BMW can also open one to some gnarly repair bills, if you're unlucky, and you only go to the dealer for repairs.
Last edited:
I disagree! Because they were first they should be over built and engineered, look at Lexus CS 400 in 1992. An amazing car that was very well built and put Lexus on top of the compilation! Without this kind of reputation a company can loose value in a heartbeat. It becomes a Chevy Vega! Because they are filling the market they are developing, I feel it’s important to be they work to be the best and work with people to make a lasting product! I remember when American cars were the best in the world! Toyota and Nissan in the early 70s beat us at that game because it’s such a high-quality product with very little cost and repairs. We’ve never gained that back! Tesla should be string high standards and make it for everyone, not just the rich! From What I have read about Elon musk, he’s a future thinker and wants to create a better world. I don’t believe he wants to do that just for the rich. So, I think there has to be solutions to fit these issues as a company developes!
Tesla's mode is basically like any other electronic, something is wrong just replace it. A few years ago, if there is anything wrong with the MCU, the whole unit is replaced and it was costly for the consumer, though not very environmentally friendly, the time to diagnose each unit and fix it will be too much for a service center to handle.
Unfortunately, we are the early adopters of EVs, the most expensive component is the battery, and repairing is not a viable common option. I envision in the future, the cost of batteries will be much lower, last longer, more robust, and can be easily recycled or transferred to use for other purposes like home solar solutions. In the meantime, I think being able to repair it is a good option.
You are making some massive overgeneralizations here. You bought a 2013. It was their first production car that had only been selling for one year. (Very first deliveries were Summer of 2012, so even through mid 2013 was still their first year. And I'm not counting the one-by-one hand assembled Roadsters)
There were a lot of things they were finding out that were not designed well in that first iteration. They were making huge amounts of changes and design improvements in those first few years. They are now several design generations on and delivering millions in high volume. For you to decide that all of their car forever are junk because you had a bad experience with a first year vehicle from a new company doesn't really make any sense and isn't rational. I get that you were hurt, and that's unfortunate, but before any of this I think anyone could have told you this would be taking a pretty big risk. I still hear from people not to buy a first model year of ANY new vehicle from ANY manufacturer, let alone the first year vehicle ever from a new company! I was willing to take some of that risk in buying an early 2014 Model S but may not have done that with a 2012 or 2013.
I feel the opposite and I bought this Tesla because of the unlimited charging and I could not afford to commute to work anymore. So I spent 35,000 on an eight year old car after owning a Lexus that was 15 years old with 189,000 miles. I only owned the car for two months, only to discover that it needed $30,000 in repairs. FYI the car was a one owner car Owned by an inventor/executive and only had 89,000 miles on it. It looked to be in pristine condition! My other option was a brand new Toyota Corolla hybrid which I could’ve bought brand new for $25,000, out the door. Which, Looking back, I should of bought the Hybrid. However, I believed in the Tesla and expected it to run 300k or 400,000 miles plus. For the $55,000 I had to spend on the car, repairs included, I could had bought a brand new X fully loaded! You can say anything you want, but I think this is BS! Not a big fan! I’ll stick with Toyota and their quality! Money much better spent!
This is sad, because I believed in Tesla was hoping to keep this car for about two or three years and sell it in my Toyota tundra and just on the Tesla truck! It would serve the purpose of a performance vehicle as well as the utility of a pick up! However, now I’m telling everybody with a Tesla to sell it, run!
My car was actually built late 2013 and My insurance company shows it as
a 2014. My research showed the cars to be really solid and expected to last. It’s only since I found the problem, that I found there are others experiencing the same issues! And besides, Tesla should’ve never put these on the road if they have these guys issues! This is beyond normal. I don’t think I should’ve ever expected anything close to this! If the original owner had not helped me out I may have had to file bankruptcy over this car! So I still disagree but you can have your opinion. I do respect that. I just don’t see it the same way.
That was unrealistic for a 2013. A quick look here would have told you that. (Or you could have asked and gotten advice.)
I did ask a lot of Tesla owners, and read a lot too. I made the best decision thinking that I was buying a quality product! Besides, if I knew it built a crappy brought it I would definitely help people with viable options, if nothing else, so that I have a reputation that is good for my future products! He said, they could’ve repaired it at a fraction of the cost. They don’t give that an option, and they don’t give you lots of resources other than Tesla. Again, I just don’t find Tesla to be a company worth trusting based on policies and performance…
They could’ve repaired my car, at Tesla, For probably about $10,000. However, that wasn’t an option. My battery pack was still at 100%
Well that wasn't a first/second year of the first volume production car Lexus ever made was it? They had been making cars for 3 years at that point, and with them really being Toyota they had been around for almost 60 years at that point.
ucmndd
Well-Known Member
I agree, and given the situation you detail above I think almost anyone here would have told you that as well.
Buying an expensive, out of warranty, 8 year old very early production vehicle from a brand new manufacturer developing emerging technology is never the right decision for someone who “could not afford to commute to work”.
Sorry you’re going through this. An expensive lesson for sure.
With EVs transitions, it seems more like a throw away world even more.
Most of us, in this forum, can afford an EV, and trade in for a new on maybe every 8 years.
The less fortunate people are supposed to buy our old cars and potentially stick with $20k+ repair bills?
I can see Cuba like environment come passed 2035 when old ICE cars will be kept for a long time. 2034 will be a fun year for car makers.
Until cheap battery solution is available, good luck with EVs for the poor.
I still think PHEV should be part of the solution until a long term solution is here for all.
Speaking of... CARB is already proposing for better battery warranty because of this...
Most of us, in this forum, can afford an EV, and trade in for a new on maybe every 8 years.
The less fortunate people are supposed to buy our old cars and potentially stick with $20k+ repair bills?
I can see Cuba like environment come passed 2035 when old ICE cars will be kept for a long time. 2034 will be a fun year for car makers.
Until cheap battery solution is available, good luck with EVs for the poor.
I still think PHEV should be part of the solution until a long term solution is here for all.
Speaking of... CARB is already proposing for better battery warranty because of this...
Yeah, a friend of mine was wanting to buy a used Model S a couple of years ago, and I advised to go with about a 2015 or newer to not have these kinds of issues.
Similar threads
