Most of us have probably experienced the frustration of a dishwasher, washing machine or TV packing up the moment the manufacturer warranty is out of the picture. Sometimes it can feel like all those problems are checking their watches and waiting for the go-ahead to go wrong.
But while having to unexpectedly fork out $500 for new white goods is a pain, it’s nothing compared with having to pay for a new EV battery when your car is out of warranty. One Reddit user posted the invoice presented to him by his local Tesla service center to fix his Model S’s loss of driving range from 270 to 215 miles (435-346 km), revealing that the cost of the fix came to a scary $19,346.06.
“Beware!!” the Model S owner warned other members of the r/RealTesla subreddit. “You may save in fuel or oil changes but make sure you save the money for a battery – 4 months out of warranty and I need a new battery 163,000 miles 2015 Model S.”
Related: Would You Replace A Tesla Model 3’s Battery For $12K Or Sell As Is For $16K?
Beware !! You may save in fuel or oil changes but make sure you save the money for a battery 4 months out of warranty and I need a new battery 163,000 miles 2015 model s
byu/beatjunkie3705 inRealTesla
It’s worth pointing out that the invoice confirms that the owner specifically requested that his car be fitted with a new battery, rather than a remanufactured unit, and that by going the refurbished route via an independent EV specialist he could have save a bundle of money.
And as anyone who’s paid for a whole engine replacement on an ICE vehicle – which isn’t unheard of on a 163,000-mile (262,000 km) car – knows, engines on high-end cars can be shockingly expensive. Just check out this post on Bimmerpost from a few years back where a BMW driver’s M5 needed over $56k worth of new engine, which fortunately for him was covered by his insurance company.
Comments in the Tesla thread from drivers of ICE vehicles poke fun at how long it will take the owner to recoup the cost of the repair, but the answer isn’t quite as awful as you’d think. The OP says his Model S has free unlimited Supercharging and that he lives in California where gas is $5.25 a gallon, so estimates it will take 208 fill ups to recoup the investment.
That’s still going to be several years of driving, though, by which time the Model S will probably have done something north of 220,000 miles (354,000 km), and may have needed repairs to other components.
Still, the owner seems happy with his choice and notes that the new battery is guaranteed for another four years and 50,000 miles (80,000 km). But do you think he made the right call? Leave a comment and let us know what you would have done.