Why is the warranty limited to 50K miles?

[thegruf]

Problem for me is that this equates to about 18 months as I do quite high mileage.
This is way off MB/Jag and others who have unlimited mileage warranties (at least in the UK), even Hyundai is 5yrs/UL !

I know the drivetrain is great at 8 years/UL but surely the rest of the car is mostly non-moving parts so should not be significantly affected by mileage wear, but more age related factors.

So why the paltry 50K miles?

For that matter who is going to buy one of these cars used out of warranty, when Tesla mandate their S/Cs are the only qualified places (is this legal in EU?) and presumably will charge exhorbitant fees as all main dealers do.

 

[eye.surgeon]

It's equal to or better than the industry standard. Not surprisingly Tesla doesn't design their warranty with the highest 0.5% mileage drivers like you as their focus.

And the off-warranty issue is no different than any other high tech luxury car, probably better actually given the relative lack of complex systems required by ICE cars.

 

[Lloyd]

It's equal to or better than the industry standard. Not surprisingly Tesla doesn't design their warranty with the highest 0.5% mileage drivers like you as their focus.

And the off-warranty issue is no different than any other high tech luxury car, probably better actually given the relative lack of complex systems required by ICE cars.

Here is the BMW warranty.

BMWUltimate Service™
BMW Ultimate Service leads the industry in
providing owners with incredible value and peace
of mind. This service includes:
 TheBMWMaintenance Program: No cost
factory-recommended maintenance for
4 years/50,000 miles from the original
in-service date, whichever comes first.
 BMWRoadside Assistance: No-cost 24/7
on-the-road assistance for 4 years/unlimited
miles from the original in-service date. Also
includes trip-interruption benefits as well as
trip routing services.
 New Vehicle LimitedWarranty: Limited
coverage for defects in materials and
workmanship for 4 years/50,000 miles from
the original in-service date, whichever comes
first. Repairs will only be made at authorized
BMW centers using Original BMW Parts.

 

[thegruf]

can't agree with you:

It's equal to or better than the industry standard.

BMW/MB/Jag (prime competitors) - Unlimited mileage warranties - probably worth commenting that this may vary from one territory to another.

And the off-warranty issue is no different than any other high tech luxury car, probably better actually given the relative lack of complex systems required by ICE cars.

Drivetrain aside, the tech is the same as ICEs, doors, handles, controls, audio, suspension,various electronic gizmos et al, okay the 17 inch screen is a bit of a USP.

 

[marchyman]

can't agree with you:



BMW/MB/Jag (prime competitors) - Unlimited mileage warranties - probably worth commenting that this may vary from one territory to another.

Might depend upon where you live. The posting above yours says BMW offers "Limited coverage for defects in materials and workmanship for 4 years/50,000 miles from the original in-service date, whichever comes first. Repairs will only be made at authorized BMW centers using Original BMW Parts." That is different from the unlimited mileage you claim. Perhaps a difference between the US and the UK?

 

[eloder]

With how much you drive. you'll probably end up spending far more money on an equally-priced competitor than you would on a Tesla even given the warranty difference.

 

[GSP]

At 50,000 miles per 18 months, the fuel cost savings should be great enough that even high priced parts and labor for post waranty repairs should be covered with more in the bank. Not to mention the joy of driving a Tesla multiplied by so much time in the car. I would not obsess on the small stuff. Ok, maybe I would, but I would not let it stop me.

GSP

 

[bonnie]

BMW/MB/Jag (prime competitors) - Unlimited mileage warranties - probably worth commenting that this may vary from one territory to another.

Here is the BMW warranty.

BMWUltimate Service™
BMW Ultimate Service leads the industry in
providing owners with incredible value and peace
of mind. This service includes:
TheBMWMaintenance Program: No cost
factory-recommended maintenance for
4 years/50,000 miles from the original
in-service date, whichever comes first.
BMWRoadside Assistance: No-cost 24/7
on-the-road assistance for 4 years/unlimited
miles from the original in-service date. Also
includes trip-interruption benefits as well as
trip routing services.
New Vehicle LimitedWarranty: Limited
coverage for defects in materials and
workmanship for 4 years/50,000 miles from
the original in-service date, whichever comes
first. Repairs will only be made at authorized
BMW centers using Original BMW Parts.

So lloyd just gave the BMW warranty. Mercedes Benz is exactly the same http://www.mbusa.com/mercedes/service_and_parts/service_and_repairs#waypoint=warranty

 

[stopcrazypp]

I think the OP is talking about UK only. In the US, unlimited mile warranties are very rare.

 

[thegruf]

Yeah, seems in the UK we get better warranties than you folks in the US!

So all that is happening is that Tesla are applying US style warranties internationally without regard to local competition.
Still a significant disadvantage here though

 

[David_Cary]

Funny how on an island, they give unlimited mileage warranties. I guess that is a pretty safe bet most of the time.

I suspect Ford doesn't have unlimited mileage warranties in the UK (if they sell a car there).

Email Tesla. This policy could change for you if it doesn't meet the local standard. Maybe they are weary of limo services and have a limited ability to restrict those in the UK. Given the free fueling (or nearly free depending), the high mileage limo/taxi world could bring a hurt to Tesla in warranty claims.

 

[jerry33]

Funny how on an island, they give unlimited mileage warranties. I guess that is a pretty safe bet most of the time.

In the U.K. 100 miles is a long way. In North America 100 years is a long time.

 

[Beckler]

Even if you show there's greater potential for possible out-of-warranty issues than the competitors you mention, you can still consider that a bargain. Because we're not talking equal vehicles. The alternatives you mention are primitive, rattling and polluting pieces of junk next to the Tesla. Of course not everyone agrees and some see areas where the euro-sedans are superior - and they may well be. But unfortunately none of those areas are important ones.

 

[caps04]

I wonder if the warranty difference is because of geographies. It's easy to put in a lot of miles here in the states and public transport is very limited.

 

[omarsultan]

I agree with the OP here--some things are going to wear proportionally to mile driven in the MS, such as suspension components, but others are not, such as the touchscreen or the door handles. As Tesla has already increased coverage on the riskiest part of the car (drivetrain), seems like there is an opportunity to lead the industry with overall warranty coverage.

 

[thegruf]

I doubt Tesla will increase the warranty any more than absolutely necessary - it costs money.
The massive drivetrain warranty was required to prevent techno-phobia harming sales, $40K for a new battery pack etc.

In the UK at least, they are behind their main competitors and many budget priced brands too, and there is no extended warranty offered either.
This is impacting (stalling) my purchase decision.
Is this enough to force Tesla to change, I doubt it.

 

[donv]

There seems to be some confusion on this thread about what a warranty is. A warranty replaces things which fail before their design lifetime, due to manufacturer error. If something just wears out due to normal usage or time, that's not warranty-- that's service.

That's why these absurdly long, 10-year Kia and Hyundai warranties are largely meaningless. Because by year 9, pretty much everything on the car is past it's normal lifetime!

 

[sorka]

There seems to be some confusion on this thread about what a warranty is. A warranty replaces things which fail before their design lifetime, due to manufacturer error. If something just wears out due to normal usage or time, that's not warranty-- that's service.

That's why these absurdly long, 10-year Kia and Hyundai warranties are largely meaningless. Because by year 9, pretty much everything on the car is past it's normal lifetime!

Who decides what a normal life time is? The warranty duration partly. If something within the warranty period breaks without abuse or some accident, then it will be covered if it is within the warranty period.

 

[ItsNotAboutTheMoney]

Can a mod move this to UK? (Then delete this post )

 

[thegruf]

^ Not my call.

However the wider point remains valid, with the wearable parts (drivetrain) covered with the excellent 8yr/UL warranty, why mileage restrict the remaining warranty.= for parts that are primarily going to show age related defects.
It might actually be worth Tesla considering this to offer at very little extra risk an even stronger warranty.