Yikes, that’s more expensive than most engines by a lot!
A Canadian man who purchased a $140,000 Tesla Model S claims the battery died and Tesla said it’s going to cost $26,000 to replace. The man, Mario Zelaya, posted a video about the fiasco to TikTok, causing quite the uproar as he detailed how he’s “locked out” of his own car thanks to the battery dying.
Learn why Stellantis’ CEO isn’t a huge fan of EVs here.
Zelaya is mad, claiming a recall is necessary. His Model S is a 2013, so it’s only about a decade old. The man says 2013 and 2014 Teslas have problems with fluid from the AC system leaking onto the battery, which in turn ruins the cells to the point the whole battery needs to be replaced. In his TikTok video, Zelaya claims to have involved Transport Canada in the matter, claiming the government agency is going to be investigating the American automaker.
Here comes the real kicker: Zelaya says his vehicle warranty expired a year ago, so he’s on the hook for the full replacement cost of the battery. The man can’t sell the car since he apparently has the title locked inside. In case you’re wondering, keeping the title inside a vehicle is incredibly stupid, so please don’t do this.
Just buy the EV: we hear that all the time. We also hear how owning an electric car lowers the overall cost of ownership versus those dirty dinosaurs which run on gasoline or diesel. Then stories like this one come out and we really have to wonder what the switch to electric cars is really all about.
After this experience, Zelaya isn’t too pleased with Tesla and says he’ll never buy another one. After a shocking story about a dealer supposedly quoting almost $30,000 for a battery replacement on a Chevy Volt, something GM and its media allies have hotly contested, we’re wondering if any EV is going to help Zelaya or anyone else avoid a huge replacement cost down the road.
Source: Fox Business
Images via Tesla
