What Happens When the Warranty Runs Out?

[holmgang]

Remember, extended warranties are insurance policies. They make money for the people that sell them. Otherwise they wouldn't bother selling them.

All warranties are insurance. And as insurance is just risk management, which is not a bad thing per se. You would probably buy vehicle liability insurance, property insurance, and health insurance, even if they weren't mandated.

Those insurers make money, too, which is an incentive for going into business. It does not obviate the utility of their products.

Which is to say, if I anticipate my out-of-warranty car having lots of problems, but I like it, and the premiums-vs-repairs math works out, I'd buy extended warranty.

 

[toolman335]

This thread is EXACTLY why I waited until a month ago to buy my Model 3. I was stalking this forum for a long time and the general tone seemed to change right around when production year #3 started during the summer.
Whenever we buy a new car we all say "oh I'm driving this thing into the ground. I hope I can get 200,000 miles!"
Yet a couple years from now when the 3 and Y are getting 500 miles of range we'll trade our current cars in right away lol.

 

[run-the-joules]

Whenever we buy a new car we all say "oh I'm driving this thing into the ground. I hope I can get 200,000 miles!.

Not me. I knew my Model 3 would be a short term purchase.

Yet a couple years from now when the 3 and Y are getting 500 miles of range we'll trade our current cars in right away lol.

Actually I'm planning to do it right before I run out of warranty. If things work out well, that'll be around the time they have Model Y production ramped up and have done the first price drops and are willing to wheel and deal during end of quarter madness. Now that I know the "everyone pays the same" stuff is BS, I'm not gonna pay full price in the future.

 

[Johnny Mac]

You buy a new one.

 

[EVDRVN]

Open a line of credit with direct pay to a service center.

 

[Atari2600]

This is what i’m doing

Plan A: Watch Rich Rebuilds

Plan B: $$$$$$

I hope they release an extended warranty that isn’t super expensive some these cars are not as complex as the S and X. ie no self presenting handles or self opening doors or falcon wing doors.

Depending on how the fleet holds up I will probably get rid of the car before the drive unit/battery warranty expires.

 

[brkaus]

Its going to be extremely expensive to repair issues that aren't our fault.

All the repairs that went into my BMW were not my fault either. I don't remember breaking my coils, AC compressor, water pump, power steering pump, headlight switch (which, has to be programmed by BMW). Only think I remember causing was my brakes to wear.

 

[Knightshade]

Whenever we buy a new car we all say "oh I'm driving this thing into the ground. I hope I can get 200,000 miles!"
Yet a couple years from now when the 3 and Y are getting 500 miles of range we'll trade our current cars in right away lol.

...why?

If 310 (322 now?) miles is enough for me (and it's plenty- I usually drive 75-100 miles a day tops), why would I care about 500?

Even the few times a year I take a road trip- I'm not likely going more than 500-600 miles (if I were, I'd just fly)- and I have to stop anyway on a long drive to eat and/or drink and/or use restrooms so you just plan 1 or 2 stops for that near a supercharger and 310 (322?) is still plenty of range.


There's virtually nothing 500 miles of range gets me that I don't already have with 300+

 

[jerry33]

I've had several issues on my 2018 Mid-Range Model 3. All of which have been fixed under warranty, but what happens after that runs out? I am starting to get concerned that the seemingly never-ending chain of small issues is truly never ending.

I have had the frunk latch stop working, AC smell, lumbar motor stopped working, front left safety restraint system fault, driver window reverses course when going up, passenger mirror doesn't return to normal after reverse and a leaky back glass.

Don't get me wrong, I love this car. So much so that we plan on purchasing the Model Y for my wife. Am I alone in feeling nervous?

My S has 129K miles/closing in on seven years. Doesn't appear to be much of an issue.

 

[TheTonester]

That's expected from an early build. I bought in March 2019 and even then there was a lot of issues. The units being made now have significantly less issues, and a lot more upgrades, such as better seats, softer springs, sound damping, ppf across rocker panels, and better QC for paint and panel gaps.

You'll face the same buying Y upon initial release.

Really? First I've heard of this. Can you elaborate?

 

[EVDRVN]

Really? First I've heard of this. Can you elaborate?

That's pretty well know for all first X number of builds for all new car models. You can count on a new set of issues with the Y that are not related to identical parts from the 3.

 

[calidreamz808]

or.. keep a log (which im sure you have) of all the issues you've had.. there are lemon laws to protect you. I've had to fall back on those laws with Mercedes when my EV kept failing.. at everything. Once you start that process.. they are quick (well MB was at least) to start making sure the car is safe and in working order.

 

[CharleyBC]

I have the opposite experience of the OP, but similar concern. After 27000 miles the car has never needed to visit Tesla for service. So I worry that it’s saving up all its little failures until the odometer reads 50001!

 

[Az_Rael]

The oldest Model 3’s are years away from going out of warranty unless the owners have been putting a lot of miles on them. I expect Tesla to offer an ESA for the Model 3 in the near future.

You forget that the oldest Model 3s were sold in California the land of the long commute. I am pushing 40K miles on my 2017 and I would bet there are numerous others already outside the 50K bumper to bumper.

I am disappointed Tesla appears to be choosing to not sell an extended warranty, and I wonder if that is because they think they will lose money on them.

I always said I wouldn't own a Tesla out of warranty, but with our S and my 3 going out about the same time, I am currently planning on having a couple thousand dollar a year repair/maintenance savings account just for the cars. Tires alone will eat a lot, and out of warranty shop rates at my local SC are $175/ hour, so it is just going to be spendy.

You gotta pay to play.

 

[Knightshade]

Curious since I genuinely don't know- Did Tesla offer ESAs immediately in 2012 when the S was introduced- or did they wait a couple of years to get reliability data first?

 

[FrederickBound]

just like all other car manufactures?

To answer OP, it was implied that electric cars will last longer, less maintenance. So after warranty runs out, hopefully those small things that will go bad wont be expensive to fix. As long as motor(s) and battery keep chugging along, should suffice for most expensive repairs.

That idea only applies to the motor, battery and possibly related electronics. In the real world the Tesla cars are made by a young, inexperienced company and have proven to be expensive to own. Ask anyone with a model S over out of warranty who has had trouble with something as simple as a door handle. In the 50 years I've been driving, I've never had a problem with a door handle.

Teslas are not for the faint of heart when it comes to repair costs.

 

[Knightshade]

That idea only applies to the motor, battery and possibly related electronics. In the real world the Tesla cars are made by a young, inexperienced company and have proven to be expensive to own. Ask anyone with a model S over out of warranty who has had trouble with something as simple as a door handle. In the 50 years I've been driving, I've never had a problem with a door handle.

Of course the Model 3 doesn't use the overly expensive and complex S handles.

(or the overly complex X doors either).

There's been no real evidence so far the 3 will be at all "expensive to own"

 

[FrederickBound]

Of course the Model 3 doesn't use the overly expensive and complex S handles.

(or the overly complex X doors either).

There's been no real evidence so far the 3 will be at all "expensive to own"

I seem to recall a number of videos about the door handles on the model 3 not working in situations. I guess that's not a warranty issue, just poor design.

 

[Tam]

Curious since I genuinely don't know- Did Tesla offer ESAs immediately in 2012 when the S was introduced- or did they wait a couple of years to get reliability data first?

First Model S was delivered on 6/8/2012 (just a show, it's more like a test production for VIPs, not real mass production).

Model S ESA has been official as of January 2013.

First Model X was delivered on 12/18/2015 (just a show, it's more like a test production for VIPs to impress investors on the timeline, not a real mass production either).

First Model X order opened to the general public on 4/12/2016.

Model X ESA has been officially sold as of 2/15/2017.


So, for the S, it's about 6 months after the first test production.

For the X, it's about 13 months after the first test production and only about 8 months after the general public order was open.

Fast forward to the 3, the first 30 deliveries to employees were on 7/28/2017.

First Model 3 order opened to the general public on 7/10/2018.

So for the Model 3, ESA has been absent for more than 2 years from the first delivery and about 16 months after the general public could access the design studio.

Tesla has a record of increasing prices any time it wants so if it thinks it sells ESA at a loss, it can always increase the price and it actually did.

The long absence of Model 3 ESA tells a different story. It sounds they want to get out of the ESA business.

 

[Knightshade]

I seem to recall a number of videos about the door handles on the model 3 not working in situations. I guess that's not a warranty issue, just poor design.

Only issue I'm aware of was folks who had frozen ones in cold weather.

Which is an issue I've seen on lots of brands of cars and has nothing to do with it being a Tesla.