High voltage battery kicked the bucket at 46k miles.

[Thomas_K]

My 2014 P85 main battery decided to die on me at 46k miles and almost 4 years to the day since taking delivery.
Service center says 3 months to get it fixed. They will provide a loaner. The loaner comes with a high deductible(?) on insurance and restrictions on where it can be used, and limitations on who can drive it.

I think Tesla should take the battery from the loaner and put in my car, and let the loaner sit for months without a battery instead of my car. Am I beeing unreasonable here?

 

[James60]

Personally i’d rather put miles on their car for 3 months. You should check with your insurance company, but your policy likely covers the deductible to your normal limits.

 

[Az_Rael]

The loaner comes with a high deductible(?) on insurance and restrictions on where it can be used, and limitations on who can drive it.

Personally i’d rather put miles on their car for 3 months. You should check with your insurance company, but your policy likely covers the deductible to your normal limits.

They aren’t doing loaner batteries anymore? That is how they used to handle this.

As far as insurance on a long term loaner, I would be cautious of that. Depending on the state and your policy, you might only be covered for liability on a rental, not full comprehensive (even if you have that coverage on your main policy). I would 100% call your insurance company and get those details before taking the loaner long term.

Edit: I see you are overseas: definitely check out the insurance situation first

 

[boaterva]

Yeah, this sounds like Bjorn’s issue (not battery) where he had to do the switcheroo to get a car for his recent vacation because the loaner was only usable in Scandanavia. I’d hate to drive one for months unless fully covered; here insurance usually covers any car you drive but we know nothing about foreign companies.

 

[Thomas_K]

I understand insurance is personal in the US. Over here it is linked to the car. So I pay insurance for my car (when it sits), and Tesla pays insurance on the loaner while I use it. Their insurance sucks, and deductible is $1000 higher than mine. I cannot use their car outside Norway/Sweden/Denmark, and my wife is not covered to drive it.

I don´t think I´m beeing unreasonable asking them to put the battery from the loaner into my car. Either I have the entire car or just the battery leaves them down one car for months anyways. And they are not doing work on my car untill a battery arrives.

Anyone know how much time it takes a tech to replace a battery?

 

[boaterva]

I understand insurance is personal in the US. Over here it is linked to the car. So I pay insurance for my car (when it sits), and Tesla pays insurance on the loaner while I use it. Their insurance sucks, and deductible is $1000 higher than mine. I cannot use their car outside Norway/Sweden/Denmark, and my wife is not covered to drive it.

I don´t think I´m beeing unreasonable asking them to put the battery from the loaner into my car. Either I have the entire car or just the battery leaves them down one car for months anyways. And they are not doing work on my car untill a battery arrives.

Anyone know how much time it takes a tech to replace a battery?

Good to know how different it is for the insurance!

We saw Rich (Rebuilds) drop his pack (and mess it up) and Tesla at one point was going to have pack swaps like a gas tank fill up. So it can be quick. But whether they want to do it and swap it back in a few months is another question. I doubt they are set up to ‘loan’ parts like that.

 

[LoL Rick]

Tesla may have policies or procedures that are preventing them from solving the problem the way you want it solved. So my suggestion would be to tell them what you really need - a car that you and your wife can both drive, with equivalent insurance to your own. Maybe that will drive them toward a workable alternative. And no, I don't think you would be unreasonable with that request.

 

[milleron]

Did the battery die at 46K miles ( I presume you really meant "miles" and not "km") from aging, or was it accidentally damaged? If it was not physically damaged, does Tesla offer any guess as to why it failed so uncharacteristically early?

 

[cwerdna]

Did the battery die at 46K miles ( I presume you really meant "miles" and not "km") from aging, or was it accidentally damaged? If it was not physically damaged, does Tesla offer any guess as to why it failed so uncharacteristically early?

You seem surprised and I noticed you're relatively new here.

Although it's not incredibly common, numerous folks here on TMC and elsewhere have had their packs replaced for one reason or another. Edmunds needed a pack replacement (and a new drive unit) at under 19K miles when their car failed while accelerating onto the highway (Stuck on the Freeway - 2013 Tesla Model S Long-Term Road Test): Is the Third Drive Unit the Charm? - 2013 Tesla Model S Long-Term Road Test.

A Google search for site:teslamotorsclub.com pack replaced will turn up more.

 

[Thomas_K]

Did the battery die at 46K miles ( I presume you really meant "miles" and not "km") from aging, or was it accidentally damaged? If it was not physically damaged, does Tesla offer any guess as to why it failed so uncharacteristically early?

Yup, miles.
No external damage.
Tesla was supposed to get back to me a few days ago, but I have not heard anything yet. No surprise there.

 

[sorka]

My 2014 P85 main battery decided to die on me at 46k miles and almost 4 years to the day since taking delivery.
Service center says 3 months to get it fixed. They will provide a loaner. The loaner comes with a high deductible(?) on insurance and restrictions on where it can be used, and limitations on who can drive it.

A loaner battery or a loaner car?

If you're tesla is out of you possession sitting somewhere else for 90 days, there's no way that it doesn't get damaged. Bird droppings, swirls on paint from bad washing, hail, sun, etc.

 

[Thomas_K]

A loaner battery or a loaner car?

If you're tesla is out of you possession sitting somewhere else for 90 days, there's no way that it doesn't get damaged. Bird droppings, swirls on paint from bad washing, hail, sun, etc.

Loaner car. And those were my thoughts (fears) exactly. They gave me a rental when it first happened, and was sourcing a loaner for me. They told me they would get back to me, which they didn´t. But then...

*A wild battery appears*

Two days after Teslas self imposed deadline to find me a loaner I get a call from a polite young woman informing me that a new battery had been installed in my Model S and that it was ready for pickup. Okay.. What happened to 3 months? The sales guy, the tech and the service rep had no idea. They all called me lucky...
I´ll take it.

Now If they can just refresh the Model X, adjust pricing for dollar/norwegian kroner (Currently 10x prices at 8x currency difference, come on that`s a 20% premium), and make it possible to use my own refferal code (Why not? I´m a loyal customer and I should get jack squat when buying another car?!?), I´m getting an X.

 

[Mark_T]

...and make it possible to use my own refferal code (Why not? I´m a loyal customer and I should get jack squat when buying another car?!?), I´m getting an X.

Many people have reported that you can use your own referral code, who said that you could not...?

 

[Thomas_K]

Tesla sales rep at the servicecenter did.

 

[wycolo]

Likely it is not the Li-Ion 'battery' that failed but the relays/contactors/circuits that Tesla installs inside the battery case.
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