- A Tesla-owning couple mentioned they obtained a £17,374 invoice, or $20,698, after their car broke down.
- One of many homeowners, Johnny Bacigalupo, advised Edinburgh Stay that the invoice was “completely obscene.”
- They have been advised by a Tesla buyer assist rep that the battery was “broken attributable to water ingress.”
A Tesla proprietor mentioned he was “flabbergasted” when he and his companion have been hit with a hefty invoice to repair their electrical car.
Johnny Bacigalupo and Rob Hussey advised Scottish information outlet Edinburgh Stay they got a £17,374, or $20,698, invoice to repair their Tesla after its battery was broken by rain final week.
“I truthfully cannot imagine that this has occurred. After I first bought the decision I believed we’d get a invoice for £500 or £1,000,” Bacigalupo advised Edinburgh Stay. “Once they mentioned over 17 grand – it is completely obscene. My coronary heart missed a beat, truthfully.”
Elon Musk mentioned in 2019 that it may price between $5,000 and $10,000 to exchange a Tesla battery, J.D. Energy reported, noting that the figures are completely different in 2023. Recurrent, which reviews on EV battery well being, mentioned battery substitute may price wherever from $5,000 to $20,000.
After being unable to begin their car and arranging to have it delivered to Tesla Edinburgh by a set agency, Bacigalupo and Hussey obtained a name on Wednesday informing them that the battery was “broken attributable to water ingress.”
The 8-year guarantee did not cowl this, they usually have been requested in the event that they needed to proceed with a restore costing $20,698.
“Did I want to proceed?? I used to be flabbergasted and could not actually discover my phrases,” Bacigalupo mentioned, who advised the Tesla consultant that the couple wasn’t at fault.
The outlet mentioned it verified the invoice through correspondence between Tesla and the couple and that it had seen an electronic mail from Tesla buyer relations, which says it is investigating the criticism.
The same incident occurred final 12 months when a Canadian Tesla proprietor was advised it might price $26,000 to get a substitute battery for his car, Fox Enterprise reported.
The proprietor, Mario Zelaya, shared his expertise in a TikTok video and mentioned he was locked out of his Tesla Mannequin S after the battery died. Zelaya mentioned he finally bought his Tesla after he spent $30 getting substitute possession papers, which have been locked within the car.
EV batteries can deteriorate at varied charges relying on quite a few elements, together with how they have been charged and the surroundings wherein the car was pushed.
Tesla Europe did not instantly reply to Insider’s request for remark.
