Well he said it was his "day off" so I didn't want to bother him anymore but yes that immediately struck me as odd as well.
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Used Tesla Previously Repaired
- Thread starter David30263
- Start date
Well he said it was his "day off" so I didn't want to bother him anymore but yes that immediately struck me as odd as well.
I just purchased a pre owned P90DL from Tesla in Fremont. Extremely aggravating experience so far but I'll leave that for another thread if anyone is interested. My car was ‘Previously Repaired to Tesla Specifications’. The sales person stated that "no body panels were replaced" and it was paint only. I also asked for verification but was denied. I cannot imagine any car company would re sell salvaged vehicles. I understand Tesla may be having some financial difficulties but that seems a bit extreme. Plus, I have a 4 year warranty so what could go wrong!!??
A totaled vehicle is one whose cost to repair is at or close to its value, or had major damage to the frame, or flood damage, you get my point. A car with that level of damage is going to get a branded/salvage/total loss title. It can't be sold as a "clean" car because the title will have a notation on it.
TomServo
Active Member
These statements contradict each other. If accident history is confidential and not known to Tesla, then a Tesla representative can’t state that no inventory cars has had serious accidents. I’m certain Tesla knows what accidents, if any, the cars have been in and if they state a particular car was in an accident, such information should be provided to a prospective buyer.
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They would not sell you a previously totalled/salvaged car without disclosing that and I don't think they would sell a salvage titled car because they have a policy (as do all other car manufacturers) of not supporting those cars.
If the car was in an accident and had damage (note not totalled) you can run a VIN search through many websites and pull the damage history...it is public record if there was an insurance claim.
If there was no insurance claim and the car was repaired (be it by the owner or by Tesla), then there is no record of it. The "confidential" statement is just salesrep BS. He is telling you that no body panels were replaced, so likely there was cosmetic damage that was repaired (scratches are the most likely issue, maybe a broken component in the car like a door handle, window motor or whatever). At the end of the day, you have a car with a four year warranty and it has a clean title (meaning no record of an accident (assuming you checked the VIN), so there is no loss in resale value due to previous repairs, so what do you care? You've got a great car -- enjoy it!
I talked to two different Tesla reps about previously repaired cars. I asked about two specific cars. With the first car, they told me it was a 'sideswipe type of accident' and that no body panels were replaced, which suggests to me body filler. Did not know who did the repairs. On the other one they said that Tesla replaced the front bumper cover. (It was a lease return). They said they did not have copies of estimates or damage costs. I asked how they know the repairs were done to Tesla specs if Tesla did not do them, I was told it's because shops that work on Teslas are certified to do the work. I asked if there was any warranty on the work and was told the 4/50k warranty was bumper to bumper and would cover the repairs. Which is weird - with traditional cars, the body shop guarantees the repairs, not the used car re-seller.
I ran a Carfax on the car with the bumper repair and it came up clean. Yet I got a pretty good discount for its "previously repaired: status. I think it was worth it. I would not have bought a previously repaired car with panel damage, or anything more substantial than a bumper cover. And if/when it comes to resale time, the car can be sold honestly with no reported accidents.
I ran a Carfax on the car with the bumper repair and it came up clean. Yet I got a pretty good discount for its "previously repaired: status. I think it was worth it. I would not have bought a previously repaired car with panel damage, or anything more substantial than a bumper cover. And if/when it comes to resale time, the car can be sold honestly with no reported accidents.
@Lmurph2 - Remember, that a body shop warranty for repairs is normal for a used car, but a CPO car (which is what you are getting from Tesla) has a manufacturer's warranty which trumps (and is more comprehensive) than what you would get from a a body shop, so you are coming out ahead. Especially as it appears it has a clean CARFAX/VIN...
ahkahn
Active Member
I don't think any legitimately licensed used vehicle reseller can legally sell a previously salvage titled vehicle without disclosing that fact. I think some shady used car lots do, and don't usually get caught, but I'd be surprised if a company as large and reputable as Tesla would do that. There is a lot on the line if they get caught. I'm sure these are accident-repaired vehicles, but that's a lot different than a salvaged vehicle.
I'd run the VIN's.
I'd run the VIN's.
Tesla no longer “refurbishes” cars and sell them as CPO cars. They only sell used (non-refurbished) cars now.
While I agree with the fact you stated I will say that there is a lot of gray area at this point. A lot of repairing things as if it were a CPO and a lot of other nonsense. I sometimes think not everyone read the memo that the CPO program had ended.
Agreed. The fact that Tesla is still providing manufacturer's warranty on used cars it sells means something...
CPO (Certified Pre-Owned) used to mean that the manufacturer has taken a pre-owned car, inspected it (supposedly to great detail) and "certified" that this "pre-owned" (used) car met a certain standard with respect to physical condition. Like many things, Tesla terms and implementation are not necessarily aligned with the rest of the automotive industry.
CPO (Certified Pre-Owned) used to mean that the manufacturer has taken a pre-owned car, inspected it (supposedly to great detail) and "certified" that this "pre-owned" (used) car met a certain standard with respect to physical condition. Like many things, Tesla terms and implementation are not necessarily aligned with the rest of the automotive industry.
When an authorized repair shop works on a tesla, they have to provide vin number in order to get parts for that vehicle. I'm sure tesla keeps track of parts lists and has a good idea of what was repaired/replaced. I ask to update to a newer bumper with sensors as I was thinking of adding parking sensors and the body shop stated that tesla would not supply them with parts which were not factory installed on the car.
