A Tesla Model Y owner in Scotland recently received a hefty repair bill of approximately $20,502. The charge was for a battery replacement, something that would usually be covered by Tesla’s 8-year battery warranty. However, Tesla has refused to cover the cost in this case, stating that the damage happened because the car was driven in heavy rain.
This incident has sparked questions about Tesla’s warranty policies, particularly in areas where bad weather is common.
Tesla Model Y Owner Received $20,500 Repair Bill
Johnny Bacigalupo and Rob Hussey, residents of Edinburgh, Scotland became the proud owners of a Tesla Model Y. They purchased the electric vehicle for over $65,000. For them, the car was not just a mode of transportation but also a statement of their commitment to sustainable living.
Water Damaged Tesla Battery
Living in Scotland, where rain is as common as the rolling hills, Johnny and Rob had no initial reservations about driving their new Tesla in wet conditions. The region’s frequent downpours were a part of daily life, and they never imagined that something as routine as rain could pose a problem for their high-tech vehicle. They assumed, like many others, that a car engineered with such advanced technology would be resilient enough to handle the local weather.
On the fateful evening in question, Johnny Bacigalupo and Rob Hussey decided to enjoy a night out. They drove their Tesla Model Y to a restaurant in central Edinburgh, relishing the comfort and luxury of their electric vehicle. The journey to the restaurant was smooth, and they had no reason to suspect that their night would take a turn for the worse.
However, when they finished their meal and returned to their car, they were met with an unpleasant surprise: the Tesla Model Y refused to start. Despite multiple attempts to troubleshoot the issue, the car remained unresponsive. “We had dinner and drove our car to Frederick Street. Obviously, it was wet last week, but I honestly don’t remember any large puddles or anything like that,” Johnny Bacigalupo recounted in an interview.
Both found themselves stranded, their high-tech vehicle rendered useless by what seemed to be a minor issue. The evening that started with the promise of a pleasant dining experience ended in frustration and disbelief.
Tesla Model Y Repair Cost
In a desperate attempt to resolve the issue, Johnny and Rob reached out to Tesla’s customer support. Despite several calls and long wait times, they initially struggled to get a meaningful response. Eventually, their Tesla Model Y was towed to the nearest Tesla service center, where it underwent a diagnostic check.
Three days after the incident, Johnny received a call that left him stunned. Tesla informed him that the battery had suffered damage due to water intrusion. “They said the battery was damaged due to water intrusion and that it unfortunately was not covered by the battery’s 8-year warranty. The repair would cost around 225,000 Kronor ($20,500),” Johnny revealed.
Tesla’s explanation for not honoring the warranty was based on their assessment that the vehicle had been driven in heavy rain, thereby voiding the battery warranty. This rationale has raised questions about the robustness of Tesla’s warranty policies, especially for customers living in regions where rain is a frequent occurrence.
Tesla’s Bad Customer Service
Unsatisfied with Tesla’s response, Johnny pressed the company for more details. He sought to find out if Tesla was at fault for the water intrusion into the battery. Tesla maintained that the damage was due to adverse weather conditions, specifically citing the recent poor weather in Scotland and a yellow weather warning as justification for not covering the repair costs under warranty.
Johnny’s reaction to Tesla’s stance was one of disbelief and frustration. “If I had known the customer service would be this bad, I’m not sure I would have bothered buying the car,” he said. This incident has not only left Johnny and Rob questioning their decision to invest in a Tesla but has also raised concerns among other Tesla owners and potential buyers.
Conclusion
The incident involving Johnny Bacigalupo and Rob Hussey has far-reaching implications for Tesla’s warranty policies and customer service. It brings into question the reliability of Tesla vehicles in regions with frequent inclement weather, like Scotland. The case has sparked a debate on whether Tesla’s warranty terms are robust enough to cover the various environmental conditions their vehicles may encounter.
As Tesla continues to expand its customer base globally, incidents like these serve as a cautionary tale. They highlight the need for clearer warranty policies and more transparent customer service, especially for customers living in areas where weather conditions could potentially void warranties.
Did anyone try to reach out to Tesla for a response to this person’s claims? Sounds unbelievable to me. Water intrusion should also be covered under warranty as long as they were not driving through 2 foot deep puddles, or parking it submerged in water. I live in Washington, and know lots of people with Teslas. We have very wet conditions and none of them have ever had a problem.
I’m in Ga and heavy rain on 75 caused my friends car to stop working as well. We are not talking about a flood just a inch or two on the freeway. Had they not been lawyers I think their repair would not have been honored. I’ve seen several instances where the customer services of Tesla has been very questionable. I also have a Mercedes EQS and the customer service is night and day in how Tesla honors repairs. I will not buy another. Eventually they will be eaten by one of the other automakers as their edge further erodes weather by the haphazard customer service, or the mouth of Elon.
I agree with you, but in all fairness, I paid what I could have paid for a model Y for my Honda CRV. This is not a car in the same class as a Mercedes, Lexus, BMW, etc. Those high end luxury car brands are known for fantastic customer service. I have heard iffy things about Honda as well, so hopefully my car (and the brand) treats me right.
I believe anything about tesla (it’s a ripoff company)
I’ve been thinking long and hard about a Model 3. This will curtail that. Water Intrusion on a new car? Destroying the battery. That’s the owner’s fault? Things like this and algorithms to rig the range… Hmmm… I don’t know.
Screw that, I’m not buying a Tesla anymore! The level of douchebagery this company has become is very disappointing. Everything has become a money grab just to own one their vehicles. How can you not honor a warranty for something that’s clearly a build quality issue…which Tesla is known in many numerous occasions to fall short!
I’ll look at Mercedes or Hyundai & Kia instead. Elon just out here catfishing us!
But Elon is God
Absolutely unacceptable. I had a 2018 Model 3 drove 80k miles…no issues…getting ready to purchase replacement, but this story makes me think twice. Water intrusion is a Tesla defect, design defect. Battery compartment should be sealed with zero probability of water intrusion. Keep spreading this incident and maybe someone at Tesla will come to their senses.
So the poor fags where stranded lesson learn do your homework before handing your money to these clown of Musk he has a dwindling legion of idiots to screw hehe
Chevy Bolt goes just as far, the battery is 1/3 that cost. if you drive a car that gets 25 miles to the gallon and you’re only paying three dollars per gallon of gas and you drive that car 100,000 miles you’ve done spent 12,000 in just fuel. Let alone oil changes transmission fluid changes. That’ll be at least five thousand more all pans out really my bolt has 200.000 plus on it still has the same brakes mostly because you never need them. The regen system is so strong. and it still charges to 230 miles, so I’ve gotten no complaints.
I hade a Tesla 2023 model Y, I purchased last December for $65,000 and next month Tesla decreased the price for $55,000 and I was thinking, ok, Tesla will compensate their loyalty customers with like self driving package for free, but guess what, nothing, there is many people who paid high prices for the car, but we feel betrayed when Tesla doesn’t even care for us about purchasing their cars, in top of this, the car said will charge 330 miles range, since last December until last month that I better decide to sell my car, it charged 305 miles range, it decreased 25 miles in less than 9 months, can you imagine how the battery will degrades when the car have like 2 or 3 years old?….I better bought a hybrid car, NEVER EVER WILL PURCHASE A TESLA any more…and like they said, poor customer service…at least when I go to Toyota service there is free popcorn while I wait for my car service…Tesla technology is good, but the way they treat their customers…is not the best, besides if they will decrease the price, give something to their loyalty customers, this way, they will purchase another Tesla in the Future, not me, I lost a lot of money, but I prefer this than have a future headache with the car…really bad experience…
Well, you know what they say. There’s two sides to every story. I take articles like this with a grain of salt. As for me, I have a 2022 Model 3 LR and I’ve driven it through torrential downpours. My son has a 2021 Model 3 Performance and has driven his through actual floodwaters. There are at least 5 Tesla owners where I work and none of us has had a single problem with our vehicles due to water. Yeah, something smells fishy here.
After 3 years of waiting for the new model 3, we were ready to buy in January. The elimination of Lidar was the first sign that something was amiss but this incident just closed the book on us buying a Tesla. Cadillac Ultiam has just secured our trust. Cadillac has been treating us with great customer service since our first CTS in 1993.