Buying a used Tesla for a daily?
Discussion
Pistonheader101 said:
Buy new
Can't afford it. Plus there's a waiting list into next year for leasing one, I'm assuming it's the same for buying one. The other issue is that they only have a 7 year warranty. Do I want to risk buying one out of warranty or nearing that date?
Edited by goldar on Tuesday 13th September 16:55
Warranty is 4 years or 50k. Battery warranty is 8 years or 100k on the rear wheel drive 3 which is the only one in your budget.
The S and X have 150k battery warranties but 4 years / 50k for the rest.
I wouldn't touch one out of warranty personally but I'm sure you can get aftermarket warranties.
The 3's on the used market seem to sit on Autotrader for a very long time and are in my opinion, a bit punchy on asking prices.
Don't buy new, they're at the peak prices as are all cars now, you'd set yourself up for massive depreciation.
The S and X have 150k battery warranties but 4 years / 50k for the rest.
I wouldn't touch one out of warranty personally but I'm sure you can get aftermarket warranties.
The 3's on the used market seem to sit on Autotrader for a very long time and are in my opinion, a bit punchy on asking prices.
Don't buy new, they're at the peak prices as are all cars now, you'd set yourself up for massive depreciation.
Purely by chance I watched a Carwow video on Youtube this morning that had created a video with one of the big warranty companies and the Tesla Model S came out as one of the 10 worst cars for reliability based on warranty claims, granted it wasn't near the worst (that award went to Rangerover) but even so I wouldn't want one without a warranty of some kind. Electrical issues were sighted as one of the main causes for a claim, specifically central locking related which stops the car from starting.
goldar said:
So is that a no, or is there something more to say?
Go test drive a few, the S is pretty big. The 3 would probably be a better run around. If you're sneaking over £40k a LR 3 is in range which I'd guess would hold its value better than an old S or a SR 3.The iPace sneaks into budget too, they are ace cars.
cossy400 said:
Suppose ots the same question as would you buy an RR product out of warranty?
Our 2017 X has just passed its MOT. 12 months now out of warranty. Spent about £1k in out of warranty repairs in the last 12 months, PTC heater and door actuator. So not that bad......yet. Next 12 months will be interesting to see how it goes, as in theory all the major 'known' issues should be sorted now.
Smiljan said:
The S and X have 150k battery warranties but 4 years / 50k for the rest.
The older S/Xs have 'unlimited' miles/8 year warranty on the motor and battery.Rest of the car is 4 years and 50k, can be extended to 8 years and 100k for roughly £3-4k if the original warranty is intact.
No 'mandatory' service clause for either warranty.
I would be wary of buying one not under warranty. Our 55k mile Model 3 LR has just had both rear knuckles replaced at a cost of over £2.5k. Despite the "simplicity" of the drivetrain, it's still an expensive, complex car with pretty dubious build quality.
There are specialists around who can apparently get parts but our local trusted independent claimed he couldn't get them. Not sure how hard he tried but he's happily repaired our A8, 730d and various E350cdis over the years without issue.
There are specialists around who can apparently get parts but our local trusted independent claimed he couldn't get them. Not sure how hard he tried but he's happily repaired our A8, 730d and various E350cdis over the years without issue.
Snow and Rocks said:
.
There are specialists around who can apparently get parts but our local trusted independent claimed he couldn't get them. Not sure how hard he tried but he's happily repaired our A8, 730d and various E350cdis over the years without issue.
Anyone can order parts from Tesla, I've done it my self. But you need provide a VIN number and it's than confirmed through the App! Several components on the S/X have gone through redesigns as obvious issues show, my last BMW was the same. By the time the water pump when on the 335i BMW was on version 3 of the pump.There are specialists around who can apparently get parts but our local trusted independent claimed he couldn't get them. Not sure how hard he tried but he's happily repaired our A8, 730d and various E350cdis over the years without issue.
The S/Xs are now actually pretty mature, all the 'known' issues have being sorted in part updates, the hard bit is working out if a used car has had all the work done.
goldar said:
I'm very tempted by a model S as it seems you get a lot of car for the money. How much better / worse / different is the model 3?
It's like comparing a older 5 series to a new 3 series BMW. The S was the frist car Tesla mass produced, as I've mentioned in the post above there is a list of things as long as your arm Tesla have redesigned and changed to improve reliability.The S it self I still think is a fine looking car, much nicer proportioned than the 3. It's got an aluminium chassis and some cars have air suspension, opening sun roof, so it's a far more complex build than the 3.
Luckily most UK cars are mid cycle cars, so very early issues are sorted but there is evidence the battery packs from 2014/15 cars have an issues with the main battery fuse corroding which results in a £13k+ bill with Tesla for a refurbished battery. The 2014/15 motors also have a known bearing issue, if the drive unit hasn't been replaced in a 2014/15 car it's not a case of if but when it'll go - £5k bill from Tesla.
Just bare in mind the early UK cars are now/will be soon out of the 8 year battery/motor warranty. The older S is a good car, but as someone suggested earlier you wouldn't buy a used RR and expect it to run like a Prius with no issues. If I was buying a used 2014 P85 today, I would make sure I have £20kish 'spare' incase it needs a new battery/motor from Tesla.
On the whole these cars are OK, but do your research and know what you are going into. There isn't really any independent garage in the UK I've heard that can do battery/motor work yet, but as the cars come out of their battery/motor warranty that will change. The rest of the car is the same as any other, any local independent can work on them if they wanted too........just most don't want to.
goldar said:
Yes, that's great. I understand that the basic car components are the same, no worries there.
Im more looking at model S's from 2017-2018. How would that compare to a model 3? I'm not just talking about reliability, more in general.
Why not go test drive a used Model S and a Model 3 in the same day and make your own mind up?Im more looking at model S's from 2017-2018. How would that compare to a model 3? I'm not just talking about reliability, more in general.
Edited by goldar on Friday 16th September 15:01
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