Tesla Proprietor’s Battery Broken by Water Ingress, Not Coated by Guarantee

A Scottish couple not too long ago discovered themselves within the highlight for an unlucky and expensive incident involving their Tesla Mannequin Y’s battery substitute. Johnny Bacigalupo and Rob Hussey shared their discontent after they had been quoted a staggering £17,374, roughly US$21,200, to interchange their EV’s batteries as a consequence of alleged water harm incurred whereas driving in inclement climate.

Particulars of the incident

The difficulty started throughout a wet night in Edinburgh, the place the couple had ventured out for dinner. Initially, their Mannequin Y had no points en path to the restaurant. Nonetheless, after they tried to depart, the automobile refused to start out, leaving them stranded. Frustratingly, they needed to wait nearly 5 hours for a Tesla assist tow truck to achieve them.

From the outset, Bacigalupo and Hussey claimed that Tesla’s customer support division was removed from passable. Their expertise was marred by problem in getting help promptly, together with a failed assortment try earlier than their automobile was lastly picked up by a Tesla-approved agency and delivered to Tesla Edinburgh.

 Prices and Trigger

Bacigalupo described the stunning second after they acquired a name notifying them of the battery harm as a consequence of water ingress. To their disbelief, they had been knowledgeable that this expensive restore was not lined by the battery’s 8-year guarantee. The estimated restore price  turned out to be exorbitant £17,500, leaving Bacigalupo  puzzled.

Notably, Bacigalupo had initially anticipated a way more modest invoice, someplace within the vary of £500 to £1,000. In his state of shock, he reached out to a supervisor to inquire concerning the exorbitant price, looking for a proof. The supervisor attributed the difficulty to the relentless Scottish climate, suggesting that water ingress was guilty. Whereas he conceded that it wasn’t essentially Bacigalupo’s fault, he maintained that it fell exterior the scope of Tesla’s guarantee. Bacigalupo remained skeptical, doubting the supervisor’s clarification by citing that he had by no means heard of such incidents with different luxurious automobile manufacturers like Vary Rovers and Mercedes.

The couple acknowledged that sure components of Scotland had been underneath a particular climate advisory, however they firmly said that the rain in Edinburgh was removed from uncommon. This unlucky ordeal has left Bacigalupo questioning his resolution to buy a Tesla, given the dismal customer support and the super stress it has triggered.

Tesla’s insurance policies & historical past with comparable complaints

In the end, Tesla has but to touch upon the state of affairs confronted by Bacigalupo and Hussey. However, studies point out that different Tesla homeowners have encountered comparable points associated to water ingress. Tesla’s guarantee explicitly excludes protection for water harm, thereby putting the monetary burden of repairs squarely on the homeowners if their batteries are compromised by water.

Some specialists have recommended that Tesla’s batteries could also be extra inclined to water harm in comparison with these of different electrical automobile producers. This vulnerability might be attributed to Tesla’s distinctive battery pack design, which positions the battery cells nearer to the bottom.

Tesla’s customer support observe report has confronted criticism prior to now, with quite a few homeowners voicing grievances concerning the difficulties in reaching Tesla’s buyer assist and the gradual response to issues. This unlucky incident involving Bacigalupo and Hussey additional underscores the significance of strong buyer assist within the electrical automobile business, significantly given the distinctive challenges related to cutting-edge EV know-how.