VIN Question

[rroline7]

I am going to preface this post by saying that I am a bit of a Tesla noob and know that I am going down a bit of a rabbit hole here - but I would like to get some clarification before finalizing the purchase, if possible. Any help or guidance would be greatly appreciated.

Buying a Tesla has been a dream of mine for quite some time and I have mainly been waiting for one with all of the features I want to dip into my price range. After cruising their CPO stock this morning, I found a 2019 Model 3 Performance for $38,500 and decided to pull the trigger. My gut was telling that this was a bit of a gamble since I hadn't seen any pictures of the actual vehicle; however, I figured CPO was better than buying used one from a private party.

After completing the pre-delivery steps involved with the purchase - I wanted to go back and review the specs of the vehicle, but I wasn't able to find anything except for a few generic bullet points:

• Model 3 Long Range All-Wheel Drive Performance
• Pearl White Paint
• 19’’ Sport Wheels
• All Black Premium Interior
• Autopilot

The odd thing is, it was listed as a Model 3 Performance but shows on the order as Model 3 Long Range All-Wheel Drive Performance. At first I thought it was a UI bug or something and didn't think anything of it until I tried to do a google search for that model and was coming up with varied/conflicting specs depending on the site I was looking.

That got me thinking a little bit more, so I decided to lookup the VIN and use a decoder tool to get a bit more specific information. Originally I was trying to see if I could determine whether or not it had HW3 installed based on the manufacturing date, etc. But once I started to dive in more, things got really interesting...

Not only did results from the VIN decoders differ, but they also displayed info that conflicted with the original listing. I decided to look for a more reputable source and stumbled upon this document on the NSTA.gov website. I know this is for the model S, but I was using the doc to verify the alternate values for the 8th digit. It was the only "official" document I could find that described each value. Vindecoderz was (from what I could tell) the most reputable 3rd party VIN decoder that I could find.

The VIN of the vehicle I bought is : 5YJ3E1EB1KFXXXXX and this is how it seems to break down:

5YJ = Tesla, Inc (Manufacturer)
3 = Model 3
E = 4 Door LHD Sedan
1 = 2 front, 3 rear seatbelts
E = Electric
B = Dual Motor - Standard
1 = Check Digit
K = Model Year - 2019
F = Fremont, CA (Plant Location)
Remaining = Serial No.

The part that caught my eye was Dual Motor - Standard. Tesla has two other values for this digit (C and A) that are specifically designated for Model 3 dual motor performance models. So why doesn't this lineup with the cars specs on Tesla.com? It was advertised with a 0-6 of 3.2 sec, which is consistent with the performance model. But when attempting to look up the battery size, I get a few different kWh ratings. One site even mentioned something about a dual motor 2021+ refresh. So my question(s) is this:

1. Does this potentially mean that it was originally a Model 3 Long Range AWD that had the performance upgrade purchase/applied to it? (not sure if that is even possible)
2. Is the information on vindecoderz reliable and/or do I have any other options for identifying the specific specs for this model besides what I have already tried?

Thanks for taking the time to read this!

 

[jjrandorin]

Vin decoders for the early vehicles are not accurate as far as performance vs non performance. The Name you found (Model 3 Long range all wheel drive performance ) is what they were called them. Thats what My performance is called.

Back then (basically), the motors and stuff were the same for the long range AWD and the Performance.

One correction though, Tesla does not sell "Certified Pre Owned" vehicles, unless something has changed. They sell "used" vehicles, with a warranty. Not quite the same thing, since they are not giving anyone a certified checklist etc.

TL ; DR .. you should be fine, especially purchasing it from Tesla, as far as the vehicle being a performance. Dont pay too much attention to vin decoders for those years of model 3.

 

[Resist]

I'm not a fan of buying used from Tesla, just because they don't show pictures of the actual car and once you're locked in that's it. So imagine seeing the car in person and it has curb rash or scratched on the paint. And because of that I think I'd rather buy from a third party. But then again I won't buy a used EV because you have no idea if they took care of the battery health.

 

[rroline7]

Vin decoders for the early vehicles are not accurate as far as performance vs non performance. The Name you found (Model 3 Long range all wheel drive performance ) is what they were called them. Thats what My performance is called.

Back then (basically), the motors and stuff were the same for the long range AWD and the Performance.

One correction though, Tesla does not sell "Certified Pre Owned" vehicles, unless something has changed. They sell "used" vehicles, with a warranty. Not quite the same thing, since they are not giving anyone a certified checklist etc.

TL ; DR .. you should be fine, especially purchasing it from Tesla, as far as the vehicle being a performance. Dont pay too much attention to vin decoders for those years of model 3.

That makes sense. I figured it might have something to do with switching up the marketing/naming but wanted to get someone else's eyes on it just to make sure. Really appreciate the info!

 

[rroline7]

I'm not a fan of buying used from Tesla, just because they don't show pictures of the actual car and once you're locked in that's it. So imagine seeing the car in person and it has curb rash or scratched on the paint. And because of that I think I'd rather buy from a third party. But then again I won't buy a used EV because you have no idea if they took care of the battery health.

Yeah - I had those same thoughts exactly. It seems like someone is either really for buying used EVs or really against it. I was considering buying a 2015 Model S P90D in search of something that was sub-3sec but ended up going the route I did for the warranty. My thought is that Tesla at least has to have some acceptable level of condition if they list it on their site and attach their name too it, but maybe not. I watched a few videos by this guy in Utah that kept an INSANE log of info about his 2015 P85D. Even things like every time he hit a nail and had to replace a tire. From what I could tell, at 105k mi he had only lost about 7% total capacity and it sounded like it had a lot of life left in it. That was really the only reason I even considered getting a car that used. Hopefully everything with this purchase smoothly. Thanks for the info and perspective!

 

[rroline7]

Thats good to know. They do only list them as used.. I guess I just assumed that they had some process for reviewing its condition similar to the CPO process before slapping their name and a warranty on it. Thanks!

 

[jjrandorin]

Thats good to know. They do only list them as used.. I guess I just assumed that they had some process for reviewing its condition similar to the CPO process before slapping their name and a warranty on it. Thanks!

I believe they do look at the condition of the vehicles, and they tend to only keep good examples, but I believe they stopped calling them "certified pre owned" because of some reason like them having to provide the checklist they use if they call them that, or something of that nature.

I havent bought a car used from Tesla so I dont know the process, but I will admit to that being me having poor luck with used cars in my youth (not EVs just in general) so I am not a fan of used cars in general. Thats a "me" thing though. Just have realistic expectations on condition, and you should be fine.

 

[S&B's M3]

So you bought sight unseen? Was the Tesla so far away that you couldn't drive there to inspect it? Not meant to be argumentative, just curious.

 

[Black306]

In 2019, Performance models had an optional Performance Upgrade Package (often referred to as PUP) that included, among other things, 20” wheels and upgraded brakes. Performance models without PUP have been called Stealth or M3P- models (not officially). A Stealth model is essentially a Long Range with Performance acceleration.

That said, considering 19” is listed in the specs, you bought a Stealth Performance.

 

[rroline7]

So you bought sight unseen? Was the Tesla so far away that you couldn't drive there to inspect it? Not meant to be argumentative, just curious.

No offense taken, it's a valid question. The short answer is yes, I bought it sight unseen. Unfortunately, I am in Idaho, and the vehicle was is in the Sacramento area. My understanding of the purchase process is that the finalization of paperwork is done at time of delivery. Maybe I'm mistaken?

 

[rroline7]

I believe they do look at the condition of the vehicles, and they tend to only keep good examples, but I believe they stopped calling them "certified pre owned" because of some reason like them having to provide the checklist they use if they call them that, or something of that nature.

I havent bought a car used from Tesla so I dont know the process, but I will admit to that being me having poor luck with used cars in my youth (not EVs just in general) so I am not a fan of used cars in general. Thats a "me" thing though. Just have realistic expectations on condition, and you should be fine.

Makes total sense. I don't think my expectations are too high. It's a 4 year old car with 40k mi on it so it will definitely not be perfect, I get that. The


"Every used Tesla vehicle has passed an internal inspection and may undergo, or is currently undergoing, light repairs to be prepared for sale. Cosmetic imperfections and normal wear and tear indicative of the age and mileage of the vehicle should be expected."

 

[rroline7]

Dang, I hit post on accident. Is there not an edit/delete button?

Anyways, that was the clause that made me feel a bit more comfortable about the purchase.

 

[S&B's M3]

Dang, I hit post on accident. Is there not an edit/delete button?

Anyways, that was the clause that made me feel a bit more comfortable about the purchase.

I could be wrong, but I think you have up to 30 mins to delete you post.

 

[rroline7]

I could be wrong, but I think you have up to 30 mins to delete you post.

View attachment 942013

So strange.. I checked the rules and saw that permissions are limited to new users and thought it must have been that. I do not have those options at the bottom of my post (even shortly after submission). Neither mobile or desktop. At least now I know where to look lol. Thanks

 

[RayK]

So strange.. I checked the rules and saw that permissions are limited to new users and thought it must have been that. I do not have those options at the bottom of my post (even shortly after submission). Neither mobile or desktop. At least now I know where to look lol. Thanks

You may need 2 more posts given your current count. I believe one needs 10 posts for the edit/delete buttons to appear. But don't quote me on that.

 

[rroline7]

I'm not a fan of buying used from Tesla, just because they don't show pictures of the actual car and once you're locked in that's it. So imagine seeing the car in person and it has curb rash or scratched on the paint. And because of that I think I'd rather buy from a third party. But then again I won't buy a used EV because you have no idea if they took care of the battery health.

So after my order was placed, Tesla support reached out via text to assist with the purchase process. I asked them for pictures of the vehicle and/or any other information they have about the condition. This is the response I got back.

"Hello Ryan, We do not have photos of the vehicle, but your Sales Advisor Brigette should be able to answer any questions you have about the car. The deposits/transport fees are non-refundable and non-transferable. You are welcome to move forward with a different vehicle but you will be forfeiting those payments on the order you cancel. At the delivery appointment you will have the opportunity to view and inspect the vehicle before signing the final paperwork. Please let us know if you have any other questions or concerns.
Tesla Delivery Team"

 

[Resist]

Yet more reasons why I won't buy used from Tesla.