Used Model S 5 years old; 120K miles $30K - pros and cons & would you buy it?

[Scotty]

Are these DU issues typically found in the vehicles made in 2012? Gen 1's? Or do we just suspect this since they have been on the road a lot longer than the 2013-2015 units?

My late September 2014 S85 needed the DU replaced at ~ 22,000 miles, so it's not just the earlier ones.

Scotty

 

[RobStark]

My late September 2014 S85 needed the DU replaced at ~ 22,000 miles, so it's not just the earlier ones.

Scotty

There are cars that needed replacement and others were replaced when there was a noise to proactively deal with a customer satisfaction issue. Some units were later found to have minor issues or no issues because the noise was caused by something else.

 

[Lex]

I think I bought one of the CPO with the highest miles (~50k) in May 2015 for $68k, a 2013 P85 ... and i could care less about the ~7-9% capacity loss i had at purchase

Wow, burning that much capacity in 50k miles likely meant some major "pack abuse" based on the survey data and most owner reports here. But still a great deal as you said, and the pack size of my 70D is pretty amazing to me.

As for the OP, $30k is probably close to the value of the battery. Add the motor and you're there just in salvage

 

[jaguar36]

It's more accurate to compare Tesla repair costs with a high-end ICE, where those costs become more similar.

I think that depends significantly on what high-end ICE you are talking about, and also where in the country you are. From what I've heard something like a MB CL65 thats certinly going to be true, but on my BMWs it hasn't been close. It may also be true if you take it to the dealer for everything, however if you have a good indy shop or like to DIY things, its not even close. unfortunately, currently that's generally not possible with a Tesla.

 

[hpham007]

My late September 2014 S85 needed the DU replaced at ~ 22,000 miles, so it's not just the earlier ones.

Scotty

Also a few reports or P85D's that needed their FRONT drive unit replaced. Only Tesla really knows how serious or minor this problem is in both frequency and expense and they're not telling.