Which VIN Range to Stay Away From When Buying Used?

[tomas]

I wonder if Tesla Service Centers could provide a copy of service records of a vehicle being transferred?

All service records are emailed to owner after service. Unless owner deletes, they should have. Now that tesla is launching pre-owned sales, I expect they would not jump to provide records for private sale. Tho a friendly service manager might...

 

[eco5280]

Only sometimes. They don't do well with curbs, and are easily defeated by snow or ice. I park within a couple of inches of a concrete post without them and no problem in the last 300 parkings. It's fine to get them if you want them, but I wouldn't pay $500 (or whatever the price is now) for them--or whatever the current price is.

Umm - aren't they free now?

 

[Zextraterrestrial]

I like my older car better than any loaner that I have driven. Much better (and more every day that they drop availability of my options!) The newer cars were louder + smell different. Also my car has been given a newer battery + all sorts of updates and has the old extended leather/lighting and chrome insets that sigs had. I was told it was one of the 1st 1000 off the line(or really close) and fit and finish is really quite good. Somewhere after 2012 the seat position changed a little so you sit higher. not sure if it was a rail or seat change but the old one( like mine) can go at least 1 inch lower than one of the loaners I drove!
Also the old frunk is a few inches deeper than the cars where they moved the DC-DC from the wheel well area to the firewall (early 2013)

 

[AmpedRealtor]

I've read a lot in here about how certain early VINs were of lesser quality than the newer ones. Someone said they owned an early model and it had many quality and reliability issues, while his new 18k VIN was of much better quality and reliability. Is there a more specific range to stay away from?

Thanks!

If charging at the fastest possible rate at superchargers is important to you, check the version of the high voltage battery pack at the bottom of the car. Raise the suspension and turn the tires all the way to the left, then peek behind the front passenger side wheel well and look for the serial number sticker attached to the frame of the battery pack. If it's an A version, you are most likely going to be limited to a max charge current of 90 kW even if you are at a 120 kW or higher supercharger. This is not a change that can be identified through VIN #.

 

[REBroker]

Thanks, MsElectric, I needed that. I completely agree, I should take my time and look until I find the perfect fit Model S. I hope you are right on the prices, that's what I feel as well, right now the difference from pre-owned to brand new is about 10k for the cars that I've found interesting, and unfortunately that's not enough of a gap for me, at that rate I would rather buy brand new.

Thanks an all the replies about the VINs, not the answers I expected at all!

 

[ImperialG]

If I had to buy again, I would gravitate towards the 5000 and lower VINs. After ~VIN 5500, they reduced some of the quality things in the car in order to achieve better cost savings.

For instance, they've got chrome trim inserts on the trunk and frunk sills, every car came standard with the double rear bumper (regardless of if you got the rear seat package or not) the cover for the trunk floor seems to be slightly higher quality. Those are just the changes that are at the top of my head.