An owner of a Tesla Model 3 Dual Motor Long Range clock got into a serious dilemma when he found out that his out-of-warranty EV urgently needed a battery replacement after 3 years of use and 150k miles (241k km) on the clock. His options are either to replace the problematic battery pack with a cost of $12k, or sell the car as is for $16k to an unsuspecting buyer.
As with most cases nowadays, the owner who goes under the username Which-Chemical-2691 on Reddit, asked the internet to help him make up his mind. Giving a little bit of more context, he bought his Tesla Model 3 in September 2020, and has since driven it “extensively” on road trips and for ride-sharing. Unfortunately, he recently got a notification saying “Charge limit and range reduced request service soon – OK to drive”. Shortly after that, he got a call from a Tesla service representative, suggesting that the battery should be replaced soon due to “various cells being worn out and near depletion”.
The battery health status is currently at 81%, but the worn-out cells could soon limit its ability to charge, meaning that a replacement is the only viable option if someone intends to keep the car. The Tesla is out of warranty and the cost of a battery replacement is a whopping $12,000, which the owner finds excessive as he still has a $20k debt in the car. Fixing the bad cells in a third-party EV repair shop could save a lot of money, but it could affect the vehicle’s compatibility with the supercharging network on which the owner heavily relies.
More: Tesla Owner’s $23K Rear End Collision Bill Shows EV Repairs Can Be Shockingly High
Should I replace my battery or sell it for 16K
byu/Which-Chemical-2691 inTeslaLounge
The 23-year-old owner also got an offer from a “major car buying wholesaler” to sell his Model 3 as is for $16k. However, he didn’t notify the prospective buyer about the serious issue with the battery, as the notification goes away after charging. This is clearly not a welcome practice by any used vehicle seller, but it is obvious that this one doesn’t care about the possible consequences.
Predictably, the feedback from the TeslaLounge group in the Reddit community was contradicting. Some suggested he should replace the battery and keep racking up miles on the Tesla, while others prompted him to sell and leave the problem to someone else’s hands. Technically speaking, the second option is wiser for someone in debt who is unable to buy a new car. Note that besides the problematic Tesla, the Reddit user also owns a 2007 Volvo S60R and a 1994 Toyota Land Cruiser, although he claims that those vehicles “aren’t suited to rack up crazy miles”.
What would you do if you were caught in a similar situation? After reading the comments, it seems that the owner intends to sell the Tesla Model 3 and replace it with a Toyota Prius hybrid that could be found in the used car market for as low as $4-6k. This would leave him with a dependable and cheap-to-run vehicle while significantly reducing his debt. We just hope that the faulty EV won’t end up with another unsuspecting buyer giving them no option but to spend an extra $12k for a new battery or initiate legal battles with the used car dealer.
