Owners whom choose to go without any warranty, please chime in...

[dwbv]

I don't know how many owners are on this forum whom choose to own their MS without any warranty at all. I'm curious to know their thought-process and decision.

I'm a first-time EV owner ever and only 4 days fresh into possession of my 2015 P85D with 15K miles. I'm very busy with work and business so I've only had a chance to drive it a total of 6 miles thus far and don't even know how to set the cruise or unlock the car from inside without using the fob. I got to enjoy battery and drive unit warranty for 3 days and am now officially in the wild and on my own as of this post. I will caveat that I went into this ownership knowing full well that warranty was going to go bye-bye if not gone by the time I picked one to buy. It was a reality I was willing to accept as part of the "new" experience of owning an EV so there will be no remorse coming from me if the battery dies tomorrow and I have to junk the car.

I was in the same boat with a 2010 Nissan GTR back in 2016 knowing full well all the fiasco going on with the transmission blowing up and such. That car only had 6K miles when I took possession. Owned it for 1.5 years, got it out of my system, and sold it away with 8K miles on it. Zero warranty in that entire time. I just took really good care of it and drove it as much as I could for leisure and pleasure. This adventure with the P85D may very well end up the same way in a year or two, maybe less if EVs are not all that it's cracked up to be "for me".

Tesla vehicles are not cheap to buy, nor to own, let alone maintain when things go wrong so if you own one and choose to not have any warranty at all, please share your story on why.

PLEASE ONLY REPLY if you fit this criteria. We don't need to fill this discussion with all the reasons why you need a warranty and why you should never go without.

As a side note, I am curiously looking into the battery service plan by 057 Tech however I'm thinking "what about the drive units and all other major components?".

I will close with a rule-of-thumb that I've followed for most of my life: "if you can't afford two of them, you shouldn't be buying it"

If there is a post that covers this, please point me there and we can close this one. I tried searching but got no relevant hits.

 

[GazMav]

I bought mine as a salvage on 3 wheels.
My 'warranty' runs out in September but I obviously won't go near a service center anyway.
I've always done work myself on all my cars and Tesla is no different.
I've had the pack open to replace contactors so if anything else goes battery wise I'll deal with it when it comes.
As for all the other parts, I've replace most of the suspension components, fixed a radar issue, new 12v, recent door handle issue, usual car stuff.
I've also hired Toolbox so I can recalibrate and reser codes.

The annoyance was having to pay £60 for the steering bolt and shims which should have been done under a recall.

 

[Ostrichsak]

Like most things in life, if the value is there then it doesn't matter if it has a warranty or not. If you're overpaying and can get a comparable one w/warranty for not much more than it's not a good deal. So long as the price you pay offsets the additional risk you take on then it's all math. I've owned several used Teslas (7 so far to be exact) and some had warranty, some did not. The ones that had warranty cost more and the ones that did not cost less.

Generally, with the ones that had warranty, I made sure to fix every single thing that wasn't perfect. The ones that didn't, I was more selective since it was coming out of my pocket. In the end, nothing so bad came up that ever made up the difference in repairs between initial cost. You just have to make sure you're ready to drop hundreds or maybe thousands in repairs if something critical comes along. If you do that and go into the situation eyes wide open it doesn't really matter.

Generally speaking, people tend to place WAY too much value in a warranty. This is why insurance companies are massive profit machines.

 

[Sanderpman12]

Bought a 2013 ms p85 and currently out of warranty. I do my own breaks and I take it to the tire shop but that’s about it. Haven’t looked back since. Came with unlimited supercharging . You can’t go wrong. If you are buying an out of warranty Tesla, make sure it has unlimited supercharging and unlimited data like mine .Mine came with all the bells and whistles for that year, even back seat warmers

 

[NV Ray]

Not exactly sure what you're asking or which answer will sway your decision to go with or without an extended warranty. A Tesla is just like any other car.

In my case, I do not have an extended warranty. I just budget a certain amount of $$ for car repair. My confidence in extended warranty coverage is cautious based on numerous reports of extended warranties not covering what people thought. That said, my 80 year old single mom has one for her piece of mind.

When I bought my 2012 P85 for $27k from original owner last Oct, I got a BMS_u029 error message after doing owner transfer via Tesla app and on screen factory reset. Well, $15,000 later of have a brand new out of warranty pack from Tesla. I had budgeted for that.

Join this Facebook Group I created in the event you get the BMS_u029 error message. We recently went over 100 members. Tesla BMS_u029 | Facebook

 

[dwbv]

Not exactly sure what you're asking or which answer will sway your decision to go with or without an extended warranty. A Tesla is just like any other car.

In my case, I do not have an extended warranty. I just budget a certain amount of $$ for car repair. My confidence in extended warranty coverage is cautious based on numerous reports of extended warranties not covering what people thought. That said, my 80 year old single mom has one for her piece of mind.

When I bought my 2012 P85 for $27k from original owner last Oct, I got a BMS_u029 error message after doing owner transfer via Tesla app and on screen factory reset. Well, $15,000 later of have a brand new out of warranty pack from Tesla. I had budgeted for that.

Join this Facebook Group I created in the event you get the BMS_u029 error message. We recently went over 100 members. Tesla BMS_u029 | Facebook

I'm of the sound mind that you buy a car with expectations of loss in depreciation, maintenance, and whatever unexpected problems that will show up regardless of age, mileage, etc. I'm also a bit wary about extended warranty because any warranty is only valid if you "did everything right" according to the warranty provider.

I simply wanted to know other owner's decision-making thought process.

 

[NV Ray]

I'm of the sound mind that you buy a car with expectations of loss in depreciation, maintenance, and whatever unexpected problems that will show up regardless of age, mileage, etc. I'm also a bit wary about extended warranty because any warranty is only valid if you "did everything right" according to the warranty provider.

I simply wanted to know other owner's decision-making thought process.

You're right.

Eventhough Tesla repairs/replacements can seem to be expensive, some replacement items thru the Tesla Service Center are a bargain. My recent MCU2 upgrade is an example. Getting MCU2 upgrade

Congrats on your new ride. Post a pic when you can.

 

[dwbv]

I may have jinxed myself by starting this thread... my first issue: Advice: BMS_w035 - battery coolant heater? Causing other alert codes too.

I'm still curious about other owner's opinions, please continue sharing.

 

[geordi]

I have three "classic" Teslas in the family at the moment, only the X still has a battery or drive unit warranty.
There ARE some third party warranty companies out there, like this one (that I do NOT have or represent, it is just a link I know)

XCare EV Protection

electric vehicle extended warranty

www.xcelerateauto.com

The warranty is only worth the paper it is printed on, especially when the repair company (Tesla) behind it is unreliable.

I am discovering that Tesla seems to "forget" to list vehicles under recall after they make public announcements (as required) about safety recalls, because I have now found THREE different recalls on the X that it mysteriously doesn't qualify for, yet were not rectified and it is very much under the date ranges.

So would you trust a warranty from a company that isn't even willing to do the safety stuff on their dime? Then there are the NUMEROUS stories about service centers being staffed with orangutans, causing new damage and cosmetic damage when working on vehicles.... No thanks.

I do most of my own service work anyway, and drive a LOT - over 60k since buying the first Tesla and still haven't had them a year yet. The only needs I have found have been wheel bearings, brakes (b/c the dust was excessive from cheap pads) and tires. The S had some issues with door handles and window alignment, and I had to replace a window regulator that had jumped it's cable path. But that's been it - for a 2014.

They are very reliable. Just drive it, get Tessie to monitor the stats, and if you have any issues, look here or contact one of the third party companies that exist to help without going near a service center.

 

[bishoppeak]

Not a fan of extended warranties. I've had no issues in the 2 years since the bumper to bumper ran out

 

[Jayskywalker21]

I've had several high-end cars bought them used never touched a warranty maybe I just have good luck but warranties never made sense to me. It's something that makes money based on not delivering a promise. Just got a P100D 2018 the things that are super expensive have a factory warranty on it already(Drivetrain and Battery) but an extended warranty just makes no sense to me. The money you'll spend on that would be the money you'll spend on a major repair. Could something major happen? Yes. Is it least likely to happen though especially with a Tesla... mind you this isn't an ICE car... I doubt it, because if it did we'd hear more about it and how imperative an extended warranty is. I think you'll be fine

 

[IslandHydro]

Bought my 2015 P85D 4 years ago, from Tesla, with a 4 year warranty (in addition to the remainder of the 8 year Battery & DU warranty). My 4 year warranty just ran out, and the 8 year Bat & DU runs out in November. Did a fair amount of thinking on this, mostly on whether or not to trade it in on something newer and warrantied. Really still love the car, and recently did the MCU2 upgrade. Looking at the cost of trading in for something newer, I decided to just keep the car, and bank the money for any potential future repairs. Will likely end up pretty far ahead, even if I do have to pop for something major (Bat / DU) given how much the trading in would cost. And who knows, perhaps I'll get lucky and wont have to shell out much $$$ and I can just enjoy the ride!

 

[geordi]

It's a much better set of odds than putting that money on black at the roulette wheel.
There just aren't that many moving parts on these, and with the userbase expanding all the time, the knowledgebase here will only get stronger.

A warranty is good for the people who fear the unknown, and those are the most likely people to turn around and sell the vehicle (and take a bath on the value) at the end of said warranty. For the people who aren't afraid to get their hands a bit dirty, there are a LOT of positives to sticking it out.

 

[patrick40363]

Owned model S for 8 years. Repair cost far less than extended warranty cost.

 

[sealbeach100d]

Not regarding warranty info, but you did say you didn't know how to unlock your Model S from inside other than using the key fob.
All you need to do is double press the button at the end of the drive select (R N D) lever.

 

[z0lt3c]

I keep going back and forth w/r/t adding the Xcare warranty on my 2017 S100D.

Part of the problem is Tesla service's practice of simply removing and replacing any part that is suspect of failure. I've had them hand me many thousands of dollars in estimates, only to find the issue could be addressed in a much more affordable manner. For example, a $4200 steering rack estimate turned into an $8 ground bolt replacement. $1000+ estimate to replace a taillight and fog light turned into $300 using ebay parts. $1400 for controls arm turned into $800 at a local suspension shop.

Would I have covered the cost of a 3rd party warranty if I just blindly followed Tesla service... easily. Instead, I've spent alot of my own time to get the problems fixed much more affordably. I am not sure I would suggest this approach to others, unless they are willing and able to work around Tesla..

 

[XCare EV]

I keep going back and forth w/r/t adding the Xcare warranty on my 2017 S100D.

Part of the problem is Tesla service's practice of simply removing and replacing any part that is suspect of failure. I've had them hand me many thousands of dollars in estimates, only to find the issue could be addressed in a much more affordable manner. For example, a $4200 steering rack estimate turned into an $8 ground bolt replacement. $1000+ estimate to replace a taillight and fog light turned into $300 using ebay parts. $1400 for controls arm turned into $800 at a local suspension shop.

Would I have covered the cost of a 3rd party warranty if I just blindly followed Tesla service... easily. Instead, I've spent alot of my own time to get the problems fixed much more affordably. I am not sure I would suggest this approach to others, unless they are willing and able to work around Tesla..

Sadly, Tesla techs aren't really trained to repair as much as replace, and this comes from Tesla's practice of building their cars with components that don't necessarily lend themselves very well to repair. I applaud your efforts to advocate for yourself in this regard. Seems to have definitely paid off. If more independent service shops existed, more people could get second/third opinions and save a lot of money, not to mention the environmental effects of trashing perfectly good components.

 

[airborne spoon]

My warranty expired back in Dec of last year. I don't have any issue driving around with no warranty as literally every single vehicle I've ever owned had no warranty. I've got the cash in savings if i need to buy a new pack or if i need a new motor i can also afford it. Also i prefer to work on my own stuff and don't let anyone else work on the car. Tesla makes that hard because they wont sell parts only do installs of them like batteries or even small parts like a charge port.
Also extended warranties are a scam to part a fool from his money.

 

[maximizese]

My warranty expired back in Dec of last year. I don't have any issue driving around with no warranty as literally every single vehicle I've ever owned had no warranty. I've got the cash in savings if i need to buy a new pack or if i need a new motor i can also afford it. Also i prefer to work on my own stuff and don't let anyone else work on the car. Tesla makes that hard because they wont sell parts only do installs of them like batteries or even small parts like a charge port.
Also extended warranties are a scam to part a fool from his money.

I'm with you on all points except the last one which is more of an opinion and probably correct 90% of the time. But I wanted to add on that I purchased our used 11/13 built Model S 85 from Tesla back in January 2019 when the car had just short of 60K miles on it. The main purpose was my wife had gotten accustomed to having a car with solo-HOV lane access for her commute and since the decal that came our off-lease 2013 Fiat 500e expired on Jan 1, 2019, we bought the Tesla around Xmas time and waited 2 weeks for the car to get prepped before I flew out to Arizona to drive the car back. While we bought the car for 40% of the original MSRP when new, I felt fine with the idea of through in some extra money in the event a better battery pack/motor/other component became available...and by better I mean more utility and/or more reliability and at a reasonable price.

My hope was that as Tesla adoption grew that we would see more 3rd party suppliers and "tuners" who would offer a better alternative to Tesla Service Centers. I think we're starting to see that with many outfits who offer larger refurbished battery packs with warranties that competitive with Tesla's pricing, and we're seeing some outfits refurbishing some of those expensive components such as DC-DC converters for a fraction of the Tesla replacement price.

The Tesla warranty for us ran out on Jan 2021, and the powertrain warranty expired on Nov 2021. The warranty covered approximately $9K of work which included the following:

• drive unit (went bad at around 90K miles coinciding with a low coolant warning a few months earlier)
• HV contactors
• pyro fuse
• 12V battery
• HVAC drain hose
• TPMS retrofit
• rear windshield defroster

I have no issues with owning this beyond the warranty and I hope more 3rd party support broadens to keep these cars on the road and making them more sustainable. I think would be not only better for the environment, the Tesla brand, but also the resale value while making the car more practical for more people. I reject the notion that a once $100K car must be expensive to own.

 

[thimel]

I bought a 2015 model S P85D new. Its warranty ran out a week ago. I got the extended service agreement which did not pay for itself. It has run out also.

No further ESA is available, so I am continuing on without a warranty. I considered trading it in on a new car as it has needed many repairs. Decided I would just risk having to pay for a new battery pack as it is much cheaper than getting a new Model S.