Fix 2017 Model X suspension issues, or trade in for a new Y?

[allie0610]

I am hoping for some advice here as I am in a stressful situation where my personal car/Tesla expert husband can't provide much help due to an illness that he had a few years ago that severely impacted his memory/cognition. We have a 2017 Model X with FSD, the MCU upgrade, and unlimited supercharging. It has about 26k miles on it because we are city people that primarily drive places that are 2 or 3 miles away on a daily basis, and only road trip once or twice a year (max of about 400 miles). Thankfully it is paid off, because in 2022 my husband had to go on long-term disability, so our income changed quite a bit. The X has been needing a lot of annoying little repairs over the last couple years that it has been out of warrantly, but nothing too costly. I have had it in my mind that the battery and drive unit warranty are up in June 2025, and I would need to figure out whether it would be better to sell/trade in before that happens.

So, what I have right now is a very squeaky/creaky Model X that I just found out needs $7200 work of repairs to the control arms, air springs, and also brake pads/calipers/rotors (possibly my fault due to not even thinking about brake maintenance, but the last 2 years have been a whirlwind of caregiving responsibilities, growing kids, just barely hanging in there at work, etc.). I declined the repairs and picked up the car to think about it. Then we went to test drive a Model Y, because now that I'm used to Tesla, the app, etc, I can't really imagine driving a regular car again. I know there are other EVs now that I could look at, but not sure I'm ready to go down that path. We would need a 7 seater if we had a Y, I wouldn't want to do a used one since it seems like there are none from 2022-23 and a 2021 Y will practically be out of warranty the second we get it.

Our trade-in value on the Y is not great ($27k) plus they would take off the $7k of repairs, and when they see the actual car they are going to see a little bit of damage that I haven't gotten repaired yet that will probably ding us around $1000, I would think.

My question...do I fork over $7k to keep this car chugging along and wait and see how much the next crazy repair costs us? Try to drive it into the ground? I know the battery should last us a long time since we have low miles, but know nothing about the drive unit. Or more like $19k with the trade in for a brand new Model Y? Of course, we also missed out on transferring FSD and unlimited supercharging, though given our driving style, we don't use either of them all that often.

Thank you for reading and any thoughts you have! I'm trying to figure out the things I'm not considering/don't know enough to consider/etc.

 

[Bigriver]

@allie0610, I am one to keep cars forever. But in your case I would lean towards it being time to get a new model Y. They have great prices, especially if you qualify for the tax credit, and a low finance rate right now. You have enough going on and don’t need the hassle and uncertainty of dealing with the current model X.

 

[Sweed269]

Your car probably doesn't need that expensive of repairs and an independent shop should be able to fix it for much less. But that requires finding a reputable one and forming a relationship with them if you want to keep the car.
Do you use FSD and free charging? It has Zero value to Tesla as a trade in, but a huge value on the used market.
With the deals on new LR model Y's and your cars value on the used market, I would consider selling and getting an inventory LR with a discount.

Hope this helps.

 

[Bigriver]

Do you use FSD and free charging? It has Zero value to Tesla as a trade in, but a huge value on the used market.

Free supercharging on a July 2017 car would not be transferable to a subsequent buyer.

 

[allie0610]

thank you, I appreciate you taking the time to weigh in!

@allie0610, I am one to keep cars forever. But in your case I would lean towards it being time to get a new model Y. They have great prices, especially if you qualify for the tax credit, and a low finance rate right now. You have enough going on and don’t need the hassle and uncertainty of dealing with the current model X.

 

[allie0610]

Your car probably doesn't need that expensive of repairs and an independent shop should be able to fix it for much less. But that requires finding a reputable one and forming a relationship with them if you want to keep the car.
Do you use FSD and free charging? It has Zero value to Tesla as a trade in, but a huge value on the used market.
With the deals on new LR model Y's and your cars value on the used market, I would consider selling and getting an inventory LR with a discount.

Hope this helps.

We are not heavy users of either FSD or the free charging...but either of those could change at some point (i.e. if I change jobs and stop working 100% remote), but I can't make this decision based on that unknown. I think I would be fine with just autopilot on a Y, just annoyed that we spent the money on FSD and didn't really get to use it much , then it has zero value to Tesla when you trade in. I agree that I should at least try to get another estimate somewhere else, even though it's a pain.

 

[brainhouston]

its sad to read these kind of stories
not sure why tesla just wants to replace full suspension all the time...
probably cause of so many complains n bad troubleshooting that they just replace everything so they only have to do it once...
post ur quote please

So, what I have right now is a very squeaky/creaky Model X that I just found out needs $7200 work of repairs to the control arms, air springs, and also brake pads/calipers/rotors (possibly my fault due to not even thinking about brake maintenance,

i seriously doubt ur suspension/brakes need anything at 26k mi
most likely u have the common upper ball joint squeak, which is $5 dollar fix with injecting extra grease

Our trade-in value on the Y is not great ($27k) plus they would take off the $7k of repairs, and when they see the actual car they are going to see a little bit of damage that I haven't gotten repaired yet that will probably ding us around $1000, I would think.

at the very least don't trade it in
sell it private, plenty of buyers will jump on it at that price or give lots more thousands on top of it

Free supercharging on a July 2017 car would not be transferable to a subsequent buyer.

unless u give up ur account with it
if u have SC05 (non transferable), u can sell with ur tesla account (just change email/pass ) that way car never moves accounts n never looses FUSC

ps. u can ship the car to me and back (pnw) and i can fix it n you'll pay less than that quote lol (~$1k to fix, $3k to ship)

 

[allie0610]

its sad to read these kind of stories
not sure why tesla just wants to replace full suspension all the time...
probably cause of so many complains n bad troubleshooting that they just replace everything so they only have to do it once...
post ur quote please


i seriously doubt ur suspension/brakes need anything at 26k mi
most likely u have the common upper ball joint squeak, which is $5 dollar fix with injecting extra grease


at the very least don't trade it in
sell it private, plenty of buyers will jump on it at that price or give lots more thousands on top of it


unless u give up ur account with it
if u have SC05 (non transferable), u can sell with ur tesla account (just change email/pass ) that way car never moves accounts n never looses FUSC

ps. u can ship the car to me and back (pnw) and i can fix it n you'll pay less than that quote lol (~$1k to fix, $3k to ship)

Now that I refused the service, it seems like I can't pull up the original estimate anymore - I can only see the final invoice that shows that I declined to do the repair. I assume they could get it to me if I contact them again. I do know that first they said that for the suspension they were going to do the control arms and something else (a bar of some kind) first, then drive it and see if the sound was gone. If not, THEN they would do the air springs. So that would have saved around $2k. However, he later came back when I asked a question and said that if I didn't get the air springs done it would be a safety issue, which was confusing, because at first they said they might not even need to do them. I asked via message why it would be a safety issue and he didn't respond.

Yes, I read about the $5 dollar fix...if only he could be trusted with things like that these days. Ha ha, I would say we would just road trip to pnw because it seems lovely, but not with this ridiculous creaking sound.

 

[EbS-P]

You will lose the 7k in depreciation of the Y in two years (roughly). I’m driving a 2016 P100d. They are expensive to repair. First thing I did was buy an XCare warranty. It’s now paid for itself in 20 months.

You need to ask for the repair quote. Upper front control arms are cheap to replace. Air suspension not so much.

You really need a second opinion even another SC might be a good place to start. Or search for a Tesla authorized body shop. Call and see if they could look at it. Or call the body shop and ask who does their ailments then call that shop ask for an alignment tell them you are happy to pay hourly rate to get the front suspension looked over.

Model y is not a 7 seat car. Anyone over 4’6” will have a tough time in the 3rd row. And the. It’s really cramped. With out big family no way I’d train the X for a Y after seeing one in person and sitting in the third row last week. It’s not an option for us. I’m shopping for Ford transits (not seriously but searching) right now. Hoping the ID Buzz is an option in the future.

There are no good people hauling EVs. The X is the best. I’d be tempted to get a Toyota Sienna. But the tax credit on the Y is hard to pass up.

Final recommendation if you need 6 seats repair the X (after a second opinion.) If not get the Y.

 

[allie0610]

You will lose the 7k in depreciation of the Y in two years (roughly). I’m driving a 2016 P100d. They are expensive to repair. First thing I did was buy an XCare warranty. It’s now paid for itself in 20 months.

You need to ask for the repair quote. Upper front control arms are cheap to replace. Air suspension not so much.

You really need a second opinion even another SC might be a good place to start. Or search for a Tesla authorized body shop. Call and see if they could look at it. Or call the body shop and ask who does their ailments then call that shop ask for an alignment tell them you are happy to pay hourly rate to get the front suspension looked over.

Model y is not a 7 seat car. Anyone over 4’6” will have a tough time in the 3rd row. And the. It’s really cramped. With out big family no way I’d train the X for a Y after seeing one in person and sitting in the third row last week. It’s not an option for us. I’m shopping for Ford transits (not seriously but searching) right now. Hoping the ID Buzz is an option in the future.

There are no good people hauling EVs. The X is the best. I’d be tempted to get a Toyota Sienna. But the tax credit on the Y is hard to pass up.

Final recommendation if you need 6 seats repair the X (after a second opinion.) If not get the Y.

Thank you for your input! There are 4 of us, so we really only need the rear seats when grandparents are visiting and maybe 10x/year other than that. It would be either the kids in the back seat, or me (bigger than a child, but not by much) and I sat in the 3rd row and was fine. However, when we do need them, they really help with making family stuff go more smoothly (especially because city parking is not always easy depending on where we're going).

 

[EbS-P]

Thank you for your input! There are 4 of us, so we really only need the rear seats when grandparents are visiting and maybe 10x/year other than that. It would be either the kids in the back seat, or me (bigger than a child, but not by much) and I sat in the 3rd row and was fine. However, when we do need them, they really help with making family stuff go more smoothly (especially because city parking is not always easy depending on where we're going).

we have 5 kids so we kept the old van. But when we visit grandparents we can’t carpool. 27k minus 7 seems quite low.
If it were me I would Take the 1% (if available) Tesla interest rate and sell the X private party. Check out companies like keysavvy who handle the payment for a small fee. Your life sounds busy and trying to a model X repaired even if it is only once a year is a burden you can do without. But we had a 3 loaner last week and one of my kids was thoroughly disgusted by having to manually open and close doors. The others thought it was just as nice or nicer than the X.

 

[gaswalla]

As noted, the issues you are experiencing do not necessarily require Tesla for service (in contrast to sensors, the HV battery, the drive unit, etc..). Please get a couple of second opinions from shops that work on suspensions - it will probably require the Upper Control Arms immediately, and the rest you can decide to fix or not, and even do a phased repair plan. Tesla is notorious for working on their vehicles as entirely modular - not a big deal when it's under warranty, but absurd when it's out of pocket

 

[towndrunk]

I'd wait until the option of transferring FSD/or charging again. FSD is just an expensive toy now, but it may be more helpful to you in a year or two.

 

[allie0610]

As noted, the issues you are experiencing do not necessarily require Tesla for service (in contrast to sensors, the HV battery, the drive unit, etc..). Please get a couple of second opinions from shops that work on suspensions - it will probably require the Upper Control Arms immediately, and the rest you can decide to fix or not, and even do a phased repair plan. Tesla is notorious for working on their vehicles as entirely modular - not a big deal when it's under warranty, but absurd when it's out of pocket

Thank you-I will definitely do that now that I am less frantic about it than when I first heard the $7k estimate when they still had the car.

 

[allie0610]

we have 5 kids so we kept the old van. But when we visit grandparents we can’t carpool. 27k minus 7 seems quite low.
If it were me I would Take the 1% (if available) Tesla interest rate and sell the X private party. Check out companies like keysavvy who handle the payment for a small fee. Your life sounds busy and trying to a model X repaired even if it is only once a year is a burden you can do without. But we had a 3 loaner last week and one of my kids was thoroughly disgusted by having to manually open and close doors. The others thought it was just as nice or nicer than the X.

Yeah, these kids...one mention of test driving a new car and the 8 year old was so concerned that we would have to go to gas stations again - when she has never even been to one that she can remember. Like how do you even know how awful it is?

 

[allie0610]

I'd wait until the option of transferring FSD/or charging again. FSD is just an expensive toy now, but it may be more helpful to you in a year or two.

So you think it might be an option again at a later date? I haven't even been paying attention to how they decide when they are going to offer those kinds of things, or how often they do it. It is intriguing that I may not be entirely out of luck.

 

[towndrunk]

So you think it might be an option again at a later date? I haven't even been paying attention to how they decide when they are going to offer those kinds of things, or how often they do it. It is intriguing that I may not be entirely out of luck.

Others would know the history more than me, but I would think it would become an option for an EOQ push to boost sales, so possibly as soon as June maybe?

Being a caregiver sucks. My wife has MS and suddenly needed a cane last summer and now we need a wheelchair for any place not close to the parking lot.

Ten years ago, on a beautiful night like we had on Saturday, we would have gone for a 6 mile walk at midnight. This time we walked to the garage, where she got in her wheelchair and I pushed her around the neighborhood for an hour.

 

[Bigriver]

So you think it might be an option again at a later date? I haven't even been paying attention to how they decide when they are going to offer those kinds of things, or how often they do it. It is intriguing that I may not be entirely out of luck.

They first offered FSD transfer 3rd quarter last year. They skipped 4th quarter then brought it back 1st quarter of this year. I have expected they may make the transfer semi-permanent, maybe with an age limit of those who bought before a certain date.

One of the reasons I believe this is that for those who transferred it, the deal stated that they wouldn’t be allowed to transfer it in the future. Like, there is a future where transferring will be possible….? I would put my bets on 50/50 chance by the end of this quarter.

 

[allie0610]

Others would know the history more than me, but I would think it would become an option for an EOQ push to boost sales, so possibly as soon as June maybe?

Being a caregiver sucks. My wife has MS and suddenly needed a cane last summer and now we need a wheelchair for any place not close to the parking lot.

Ten years ago, on a beautiful night like we had on Saturday, we would have gone for a 6 mile walk at midnight. This time we walked to the garage, where she got in her wheelchair and I pushed her around the neighborhood for an hour.

It sure does shake up the way you thought your life would be at a certain age/stage. It sounds like your wife is very lucky to have you!

 

[Sandiegodoug]

I’d keep your 17. Very low mileage. We have a 17x and a 23 performance y. Old x still a much nicer car, especially we have 6 seats with leather. Ours has almost 70, and I’ve seen them with over 200k. I don’t know which state you are but tax and license here in California would be over 7k