Used model s

[thebaum]

I'm looking to purchase a used model s. Here's my situation. I drive a lot for work. About 1k miles per week. Probably avg 45-50k per year. I currently drive a hybrid Lincoln that is very comfortable but I'm thinking of finally making the switch. I drive about 170 miles each way straight shot on the highway.
I'm looking at a model S because of the increased comfort it offers over a model 3. I trust drive both and the M3 just wasn't comfortable.
I think I have narrowed the car I want down to an early 2020 model S. The big reason is they have unlimited mileage warranty for the 8 years. So I'd be getting 4.5 years of unlimited mileage on the battery warranty. From looking I can get a high mileage (~80k) ms that fits that criteria for about $52-55k.
I have been trying to do research but still don't know much . Any insight into this process and pros/cons would be appreciated.

Thanks

 

[thebaum]

I guess my question is buying a high mileage car a bad idea even if it carries that unlimited mileage warranty Vs 10k more for one with 40k miles?

 

[SilverGS]

I'm looking to purchase a used model s. Here's my situation. I drive a lot for work. About 1k miles per week. Probably avg 45-50k per year. I currently drive a hybrid Lincoln that is very comfortable but I'm thinking of finally making the switch. I drive about 170 miles each way straight shot on the highway.
I'm looking at a model S because of the increased comfort it offers over a model 3. I trust drive both and the M3 just wasn't comfortable.
I think I have narrowed the car I want down to an early 2020 model S. The big reason is they have unlimited mileage warranty for the 8 years. So I'd be getting 4.5 years of unlimited mileage on the battery warranty. From looking I can get a high mileage (~80k) ms that fits that criteria for about $52-55k.
I have been trying to do research but still don't know much . Any insight into this process and pros/cons would be appreciated.

Thanks

The mileage warranty is NOT unlimited. It's 150k miles

 

[PCMc]

The mileage warranty is NOT unlimited. It's 150k miles

That depends on when the car was first purchased/delivered to the original owner. Model S vehicles delivered before February 2020 have the original 8 yr/unlimited mile battery and drive unit warranty, with the exception of the original 60kW battery pack.

That was changed to what is now the 150k mile coverage starting in February 2020. Here's link to article published by Electrek about the change in the warranty coverage.

Tesla now covers degradation in Model S/X warranty — but leaves software loophole

Tesla has updated their warranty coverage for Model S and X cars, and it’s a mixed bag for owners. The...

electrek.co

And a thread here on TMC when the change was announced.

New Battery warranty terms for new Model S

Saw this in another thread, but thought it deserved it's own. Looks like no more unlimited mile warranty and includes the 70% degradation rules like the Model 3. Obviously only for new car purchases from Tesla, not retroactive. Too bad, that was a pretty nice perk for buying an S over...

teslamotorsclub.com

It is possibly the the 2020 Model S that the OP is considering would have unlimited mileage coverage, but it will depend on when it was first delivered by Tesla to original owner, not when it was manufactured.

 

[TLLMRRJ]

I guess my question is buying a high mileage car a bad idea even if it carries that unlimited mileage warranty Vs 10k more for one with 40k miles?

In terms of high mileage, the Model has all the same things to fail of an ICE car. So while you may have a battery and drive unit warranty for several more years, there's a ton of other stuff to break on a higher mileage Model S, just like a higher mileage ICE car: Suspension, steering racks, CV joints, cooling fans, coolant system, brakes, HVAC, window regulators, door locks, lights, wipers, seat mechanisms, dash and infotainment screens and electronics, etc., plus some other EV-specific things that are not covered under the battery and drive unit warranty, such as battery heaters and onboard chargers. Keep in mind the HVAC system works a lot more in an EV to keep the battery happy than the HVAC in an ICE car. I have seen pretty big invoices for HVAC on here.

Don't be fooled, a Model S can get pretty expensive in repairs even without HV battery or drive unit failures.

 

[thebaum]

In terms of high mileage, the Model has all the same things to fail of an ICE car. So while you may have a battery and drive unit warranty for several more years, there's a ton of other stuff to break on a higher mileage Model S, just like a higher mileage ICE car: Suspension, steering racks, CV joints, cooling fans, coolant system, brakes, HVAC, window regulators, door locks, lights, wipers, seat mechanisms, dash and infotainment screens and electronics, etc., plus some other EV-specific things that are not covered under the battery and drive unit warranty, such as battery heaters and onboard chargers. Keep in mind the HVAC system works a lot more in an EV to keep the battery happy than the HVAC in an ICE car. I have seen pretty big invoices for HVAC on here.

Don't be fooled, a Model S can get pretty expensive in repairs even without HV battery or drive unit failures.

I guess this is my question. I will put a ton of miles on it. By the time the warranty is up I will have added 200-225k. My current car has given me zero issues through 200k and 5 years. Are any of these issues more common on Teslas or the model S?
Also are repairing these similar to other cars or are these dealer only repairs?

 

[thebaum]

That depends on when the car was first purchased/delivered to the original owner. Model S vehicles delivered before February 2020 have the original 8 yr/unlimited mile battery and drive unit warranty, with the exception of the original 60kW battery pack.

That was changed to what is now the 150k mile coverage starting in February 2020. Here's link to article published by Electrek about the change in the warranty coverage.

Tesla now covers degradation in Model S/X warranty — but leaves software loophole

Tesla has updated their warranty coverage for Model S and X cars, and it’s a mixed bag for owners. The...

electrek.co

And a thread here on TMC when the change was announced.

New Battery warranty terms for new Model S

Saw this in another thread, but thought it deserved it's own. Looks like no more unlimited mile warranty and includes the 70% degradation rules like the Model 3. Obviously only for new car purchases from Tesla, not retroactive. Too bad, that was a pretty nice perk for buying an S over...

teslamotorsclub.com

It is possibly the the 2020 Model S that the OP is considering would have unlimited mileage coverage, but it will depend on when it was first delivered by Tesla to original owner, not when it was manufactured.

Yes, this is correct. From my research it has to be from Dec 2019 - Feb 2020

 

[TLLMRRJ]

I guess this is my question. I will put a ton of miles on it. By the time the warranty is up I will have added 200-225k. My current car has given me zero issues through 200k and 5 years. Are any of these issues more common on Teslas or the model S?
Also are repairing these similar to other cars or are these dealer only repairs?

Some things can be repaired by any shop, but a lot of shops shun working on Tesla's. Some won't even try to do an alignment. You might ask your favorite mechanics whether they will work on a Model S. Tesla does try to be an Apple and make it harder to have them services elsewhere.

 

[ClipperS]

If I were you, I would look at a 2017 S with free supercharging and about 75k miles. I’ve seen some go for around $26-28k. Then I would buy a battery/DU warranty from XCare for around $4k. You’ll have an S only $30k with free supercharging and peace of mind. Drive it for 3-4 years. With free charging, only thing you’ll need is new tires every year…maybe 2x a year haha

 

[TLLMRRJ]

If I were you, I would look at a 2017 S with free supercharging and about 75k miles. I’ve seen some go for around $26-28k. Then I would buy a battery/DU warranty from XCare for around $4k. You’ll have an S only $30k with free supercharging and peace of mind. Drive it for 3-4 years. With free charging, only thing you’ll need is new tires every year…maybe 2x a year hahaView attachment 967464

With his 50k miles/year of driving, that $4k would only buy him 1.5 years of warranty.

 

[ClipperS]

With his 50k miles/year of driving, that $4k would only buy him 1.5 years of warranty.

Warranty is 9 years/150k miles. That’s 3 years.

In any case, that’s an absurd amount of driving. He can buy a brand new 2023 car and the warranty would be done in a year. So that’s why I suggested an older S with free supercharging. That alone would save him thousands a year.

 

[dafish]

I don’t know s for beans, but I believe quite a few years were tough on ac compressors. I’d sure want to know more about that.

 

[TLLMRRJ]

Warranty is 9 years/150k miles. That’s 3 years.

In any case, that’s an absurd amount of driving. He can buy a brand new 2023 car and the warranty would be done in a year. So that’s why I suggested an older S with free supercharging. That alone would save him thousands a year.

Ah, I thought the 150K in your graphic was the current mileage on the car.

Yes, owning an EV while doing that many miles per year is a scary proposition from an out-of-warranty cost perspective. It could easily eat up your cost savings on fuel if you are unlucky.

It's also a scary car to own if your do very few miles per year, because you'll time out of the warranty well before the car is worn out, but even with low miles, you can still get bit with HV battery and DU sized bills.

 

[Crutonius]

I'd maybe aim for a 2018. It was the last year they had FUSC. If you're driving that much there's some savings to be had with free supercharging.

I wouldn't be too concerned with high mileage. These cars don't age in the same way ICE cars do. I'd actually be more concerned with very low mileage ones. Tesla makes a lot of dumb mistakes manufacturing them that the customer has to catch. If the car has low mileage on it then it hasn't been shook out completely.

And if your trip is 170 miles you probably want a model with the higher range.

 

[PCMc]

I'd maybe aim for a 2018. It was the last year they had FUSC. If you're driving that much there's some savings to be had with free supercharging.

I wouldn't be too concerned with high mileage. These cars don't age in the same way ICE cars do. I'd actually be more concerned with very low mileage ones. Tesla makes a lot of dumb mistakes manufacturing them that the customer has to catch. If the car has low mileage on it then it hasn't been shook out completely.

And if your trip is 170 miles you probably want a model with the higher range.

Cars sold in 2018 with FUSC was only for the original purchaser and in general would not transfer to subsequent owners. If someone is really intent on getting a car where FUSC will transfer to them, then they should carefully review all the threads about that topic. Any car beyond a 2016 is more likely to not transfer to new owner than the few exception cases where it will.

 

[thebaum]

Thanks for all the info. As far as hardware, is there a downside to a 2017 vs 2020?

 

[ucmndd]

I think a 2019 or early 2020 with the unlimited mile battery warranty is a great idea.

The warranty is a game changer if you drive a lot. Those years are the last of the previous gen and most/all of the major issues were well sorted by then so they should be pretty reliable.

Lots of bad and just plain wrong info in the previous replies about supercharging and warranty limits that you should just ignore.

I bought my late 2016 for the same reason - high mileage commuter and unlimited mile battery warranty. 7 years later I’m at 175,000 miles. My out of pocket repair costs (not maintenance like tires etc but actual repairs of something broken) have been less than a thousand dollars. Would not hesitate to do it again.

 

[joshhidley]

Thanks for all the info. As far as hardware, is there a downside to a 2017 vs 2020?

The 2020 will have some significant improvements, but the 150k mi warranty.

Tesla Model S Ultimate Buyers Guide

That said, I bought a pre-raven 2018 and was very happy w it. It did have the upgraded MCU and self driving computers though. The past-tense is because I totaled it …

 

[ucmndd]

The 2020 will have some significant improvements, but the 150k mi warranty.

Not all of them, as already covered up thread.

 

[myoda]

During covid, I was driving a Cadillac ELR 150 to 200 miles a day - picked up a used 17 100D from Tesla in December of 2020, and continued to drive the same 150 to 200 miles every day - about 3000 miles a month. Car had 41k miles on it, with an extra year or 10 K miles additional from Tesla which I burned through quickly. I'd suggest looking at what's important to you - range or warranty. When I was looking for a car, there was a 10k difference between a used 100D with FSD and a new 2020 Long Range Plus - at the time priced at $69,420. Went with the 17. Try to test drive one locally. Find a car that has some warranty left - even if you're out of warranty, you can still have a Tesla dude/dudette show up to fix stuff. Good luck!