The dreaded HV Bat replacement

[Amorfati01]

Hey Gang,

Just bought my 14 S85 a week ago and was hit with a bunch of error codes last night after charging stopped unexpectedly (low voltage, reduced power, can't start). This morning the codes cleared and the car seemed fine so I backed out, put it in drive, and got a "may not restart" warning. At that point I drove directly to the service center 15 minutes away. After checking in with the tech, he said they received both internal and external isolation faults so the battery needs to come out immediately for fear of a "thermal event." The battery was pulled and it was discovered that the fuse cover corroded so it's assumed water got inside the unit. While they have not said it yet, they seem to be leaning towards a new battery being needed. They are waiting for specialists to come and discharge the battery so they can get a look. It was stable and not overheating, which gives me some hope.

Being that this is outside of warranty, a $20k expense on a car I bought for around that amount is not sitting so well with me. I am open to advice on what my next steps may be and anything I should make sure to do at service (get the cover? Ask them to check the fuses? Ask to see the HVB if they deem it unfixable?) Also, if they decide they need to replace it, does the old battery become my property to sell? I asked about this and the tech seemed taken back by it. Said he would look into it.

Thanks for any and all help. I knew this was a possibility but thought it was remarkably rare.

 

[livesmith]

Good question. Miles probably should match same as if you bought new Tesla. Don't know what that is off the top of my head.

pretty sure I've heard it's not that many miles. I put on 50K a year. The 2015 I bought has warranty running out in just under a month. The price for a new one wouldn't sound as bad if it had unlimited miles again...

 

[maximizese]

You're right. Should be 8 yr if you dish out an extra $5k for a new pack.

That would be nice. If the product is good then the manufacturer should stand behind it. New EV powertrain warranty is 8yrs, seems logical to make the new replacement components also warrantied for 8 years, but I believe the 8 year warranty for the new car was made through legislation and never included or implied the warranty length for new components.

 

[NV Ray]

You're right. Just to dig deeper into your comment, do you have link to said legislation?

 

[DerbyDave]

Good question. Miles probably should match same as if you bought new Tesla. Don't know what that is off the top of my head.

Parts, Body and Paint Repair Limited Warranty
Repair or replacement of Tesla-branded parts purchased directly from Tesla, over-the-counter, online or purchased and installed by Tesla Service or a Tesla Collision Center, may be covered under the Tesla Parts, Body & Paint Repair Limited Warranty.
This limited warranty covers the repair or replacement necessary to remedy any “failures” that are determined by Tesla to have occurred under normal use.
“Failure” means the complete failure or inability of a covered part to perform the function(s) for which it was designed, due to defects in material or workmanship of the part manufactured or supplied by Tesla, which occur under normal use. Failure does not include the gradual loss in operating performance due to normal wear and tear.
The Tesla Parts, Body & Paint Repair Limited Warranty begins on the purchase date of the part(s), and coverage extends for a period of 12 months or 12,500 miles, which ever comes first. Specific categories of parts have unique warranty coverage periods:

• Sheet metal: Limited lifetime
• Drive Unit*: 4 years or 50,000 miles, whichever comes first
• Vehicle High Voltage Battery*: 4 years or 50,000 miles, whichever comes first
• Wall Connectors: 4 years
• Touchscreen and Media Control Unit: 2 years or 25,000 miles, whichever comes first

Vehicle Warranty | Tesla Support

Find and view warranties for Tesla vehicles including New Vehicle Limited Warranty, Used Vehicle Limited Warranty and more.

www.tesla.com

 

[maximizese]

You're right. Just to dig deeper into your comment, do you have link to said legislation?

How Do EV Battery Warranties Work? | Capital One Auto Navigator

Not all electric vehicle battery warranties are created equal.

www.capitalone.com

It seems that both federal and state legislation is constantly evolving with bills/laws/acts. I wish I could find a site with a historical timeline but I gotta make lunch right now.

 

[NV Ray]

How Do EV Battery Warranties Work? | Capital One Auto Navigator

Not all electric vehicle battery warranties are created equal.

www.capitalone.com

It seems that both federal and state legislation is constantly evolving with bills/laws/acts. I wish I could find a site with a historical timeline but I gotta make lunch right now.

No worries, thanks for the effort.

 

[ucmndd]

In the meantime, I wonder if a class action suit will eventually happen as more and more gen 1 S's start needing new batteries outside of warranty thanks to lousy design.

Lousy design is not against the law. Tesla fulfilled their warranty obligation.

 

[TSLA Pilot]

A hard pill to swallow, but did you decide to replace it with Tesla's new battery or try another option for less?

Do please advise.

Thanks!

(Also, what were the total miles and years at failure again?)

 

[NV Ray]

A hard pill to swallow, but did you decide to replace it with Tesla's new battery or try another option for less?

Do please advise.

Thanks!

(Also, what were the total miles and years at failure again?)

2012 P85 here. I got my 029 alert 3 days after purchasing the car from original owner for $27k. I ordered reman from Tesla for $13.5k+$390 labor + tax=approx $15k. 3 weeks later NEW 90 kWh replacement pack arrived. Tesla honored $15k quote. So saved about $5k. 90kwh corked to 85kwh. Would cost $750 to uncork but I opted to remain at 85kwh.