Battery Failure (and Tesla Loaner woes)

[RjbT3]

Hello everybody,

Just jumping on to research and share battery failure experience.

After just 46,000 miles and 4 1/2 years of ownership, last week an Alert appeared on my screen to say 'You may experience some loss of range compared to the charge state of the battery but car is "OK to Drive"'. Sure enough, the range was compromised and after a brief to-and-fro with Tesla in the app chat, they advised me against driving my car. It is now at the service centre awaiting a replacement battery. Tesla provided a Loaner car (awful experience - see below). My main concern is the potential poor standard of the replacement battery, the lack of extended warrantee (still based on my car's age and mileage) and the cost of an out of warrantee replacement (I was told it would be just shy of £20,000!). More than the value of the car which, by the way, is dropping like a stone!

I am now questioning the value of EVs. The batteries are clearly unreliable and expensive to replace. When the HV battery fails, the warrantee doesn't cover a new battery. Apparently, the chance of receiving an unreliable battery, refurbed from a previously failed battery, is high. Therefore the seemingly generous warrantee isn't helpful. Now my head is full of all these concerns I do not think I will buy another Tesla.

I would love to hear some good battery fail/replacement stories too, if there are any decent experiences out there? Also the bad, so I can prepare myself.

Currently, I am concerned my car will become a worthless risk as soon as the warrantee period is up in 2027, just 3 1/2 years from now.

Insofar as a Tesla 'loaner' car and T&Cs go, be warned... They are awful. They include a shed-load of restrictions and an awful insurance policy with a €2,500 excess and no windshield/windscreen cover. You are supposed to report all the damage before you drive off with photos sent to the app, but they don't explain this to you. Instead it all appears in your app AFTER you drive off (if it's arranged last minute). The Docusign procedure is awful and forces you to accept the agreement before reading it and if you're not diligent you can miss all the restrictions, including distance travelled per day and total distance allowed away from the service centre. But worse of all, if the loaner, like mine, has a whole bunch of damage you are expected to report it all (with photos) before you leave and they do not let you know what damage is already there. I missed a couple of things and they have informed me I need to pay around £1000 to cover it!!

All in all, this has put me off ever owning another Tesla and I am seriously considering going back to an ICE car next. These batteries are just too expensive if you are unlucky enough to get a faulty one and the warrantee seems to throw you into a cycle of increased probability for further battery failures.

 

[RjbT3]

This is concerning...

Third battery has failed - need advice

Gaswalla - I wish I were as confident as you! I’m having a hard time with that perspective right now! If anyone has a direct “higher level“ contact at Tesla, would you PM me?

teslamotorsclub.com

To the OP: Sorry you are going through this. As mentioned, the tesla reman packs are really sketchy in quality. They basically take a pack that recently failed in someone else's car, fix up the acute issue, and sell it to you for $16k. It is a huge profit center for them even though the fanboys will say they don't make money on batteries. Show me that math and explain how their net profit on a used battery isn't better than the margin on a new Model3. I digress... Fortunately, it sounds like your two replacements have been under warranty so you haven't 'paid' for one yet.

If you do plan to keep the car and aren't going to a 3rd party, absolutely spend the extra money on a NEW pack. That should get you a full reset on the HV problems. True, the warranty is the same, but the new pack should actually last past the warranty period. A couple of things if you go that route:

1) Check the pack label behind the left front tire and make sure it agrees with the invoice. It should be T23 or T24 and have no 'R' at the end. It should also be 350V. The 400V 90kWh packs are the older cells.
2) Make sure they don't cork you at 85kWh. That is their practice when someone wins the lottery and gets a NEW pack under warranty (sometime they don't have refurbished packs in stock), but when you are paying cash/retail for a 90, they need to give you the full 90. Many SCs are confused about their own policies so shop around.
3) Get everything in writing and take screenshots off the app as you go. It is shocking to consider, but sometimes correspondence that favors the customer can vanish from the chat.

 

[jjrandorin]

This is concerning...

Third battery has failed - need advice

Gaswalla - I wish I were as confident as you! I’m having a hard time with that perspective right now! If anyone has a direct “higher level“ contact at Tesla, would you PM me?

teslamotorsclub.com

Model S, not model 3 (and they do not have the same battery chemistry). I dont remember seeing anything like that at all for a model 3, but im certainly not into trying to convince anyone of anything, thats a losing proposition every time.

Do what you feel is right for you.

 

[RjbT3]

Model S, not model 3 (and they do not have the same battery chemistry). I dont remember seeing anything like that at all for a model 3, but im certainly not into trying to convince anyone of anything, thats a losing proposition every time.

Do what you feel is right for you.

Thank you for your reply and it is somewhat comforting that you dont remember seeing anything like that at all for a model 3.

But, I am not sure what you mean by "not into trying to convince anyone of anything" or suggesting I do what I feel is right for me?

I have heard of a few Model 3 and Model Y multi refurb battery failures. Here's an example

 

[jjrandorin]

But, I am not sure what you mean by "not into trying to convince anyone of anything" or suggesting I do what I feel is right for me?

I mean I am not going to get into back and forth on the "value of EVs" or discuss anything about a few random youtube videos. I am very very much NOT into trying to "convince" anyone of anything. If you no longer see Value in EVs then you need to do what works for you, thats what I mean.

 

[RjbT3]

I mean I am not going to get into back and forth on the "value of EVs" or discuss anything about a few random youtube videos. I am very very much NOT into trying to "convince" anyone of anything. If you no longer see Value in EVs then you need to do what works for you, thats what I mean.

To be honest I am right in the throws of disappointment, hassle, worry and the fear of the unknown. I am also self aware. I know I could be over-reacting or worrying unnecessarily. But it is "how I feel" right now in this moment and I think that's OK and perfectly normal. We all know what to expect with ICE cars and how the whole industry (servicing, mechanics, options for repair, insurance, warrantee, life expectancy of the car etc.). However, this is an unknown for EVs and this fear of the unknown puts me off. My battery has failed and a new one will cost more than the value of the car. This is unusual and questions the second hand value of EVs. You can usually tell if an engine is likely to fail on a second hand ICE car, but this battery uncertainly and lack of repair option, cost of replacement, lack of extended warranty or insurance is a curve ball.

 

[mr_hyde]

My battery has failed and a new one will cost more than the value of the car. This is unusual and questions the second hand value of EVs. You can usually tell if an engine is likely to fail on a second hand ICE car, but this battery uncertainly and lack of repair option, cost of replacement, lack of extended warranty or insurance is a curve ball.

I understand all of the thoughts, feelings and emotions you are going through. If you can find a local shop to fix the car for 1/3 what Tesla is offering, it really helps with the perspective. What part of the country are you in?

 

[LarryClay]

He is probably in the UK.
He should check local consumer protection rights for warranty car repairs for both a loaner car and a new replacement battery.
If Tesla is wording it as a warranty, and if most of the EU consumer protection rights were kept after brexit, he might be in for both a completely new battery with new warranty and a loaner car details being a complete problem of Tesla until they fix his car.