Scotland
Tesla was left in the rain and broke down – the couple now has to pay 20,000 euros for repairs out of their own pocket
Normally nothing happens to a Tesla if it gets wet. If a defect does occur, damage to the battery can quickly become expensive.
© Celal Gunes / Picture Alliance
After a rainstorm in Edinburgh, a couple’s Tesla stopped starting – water had leaked into the vehicle’s battery. Because of the manufacturer’s shocking reaction, the injured parties went to the press with their case.
Driving a Tesla through the rain, standing in a car wash or even driving through knee-high water is actually no problem. On the contrary: company boss Elon Musk repeatedly emphasizes that his cars can float “for a while”. But as with every car manufacturer, Tesla is not immune to individual cases in which things go differently than planned. How “Edinburgh Live” reports, the car of a couple from Scotland is definitely one of them: Johnny Bacigalupo and Rob Hussey stated that their Tesla stopped starting after visiting a restaurant in rainy weather.
The couple called Tesla’s breakdown service and were picked up after around three hours. The car had to go to the workshop, but nothing worked. The next day the diagnosis was: water damage. The next shock followed.
Water in Tesla battery not covered by warranty
It is said that Tesla has stated that water ingress into the vehicle’s battery is not covered by the eight-year warranty. The manufacturer officially states: “Under normal operating conditions, these guarantees cover the repair or replacement of defects in materials and workmanship on components that come from Tesla.” Tesla generally offers a guarantee on the battery and drive unit for all cars for eight years and – depending on the model – for a certain mileage.
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Tesla makes exceptions Small print including, but not limited to, accidents, improper modifications, unqualified repair, overloading, fire, explosion, earthquake, storm, lightning, hail, flood or deep water. None of this was true for Bacigalupo and Hussey. The two men said they couldn’t even remember a deeper puddle.
Nevertheless, Tesla refused the repair under warranty – and gave the two of them a hefty cost estimate. Tesla quoted the equivalent of around 20,000 euros – and nonchalantly asked whether they should now start repairs.
“I honestly can’t believe this has happened. When I got the first call I thought we were going to get a bill for £500 or £1,000. When they said it was over 17 grand – that’s absolutely obscene. Honestly said, my heart skipped a beat,” Johnny Bacigalupo explained to the portal.
“It could also have hit Mercedes-Benz or Range Rover”
The couple understandably didn’t want to pay the bill – so they made phone calls. A Tesla manager then announced that the damage was actually caused by the bad Scottish weather and without any outside influence – but that the manufacturer would not be liable for it because there was a weather warning for the day and time in which the vehicle was damaged .
The manager added that it could also affect other manufacturers, such as Mercedes-Benz or Range Rover, and therefore it is not a Tesla phenomenon. Johnny said: “So far the service has been a disaster and the stress and worry associated with it is unbearable. I said to the manager: ‘So, as I understand it, Teslas are unsuitable in Scotland?'” One reply he didn’t get it.
The couple’s contradiction is currently being investigated. This emerges from the documents of the two, reports “Edinburgh Live“. Bacigalupo in particular has apparently finished with Tesla. He concluded: “If I had known that the customer service would be so bad, I would hardly have bought the car. Do they actually know we’re in Scotland? The weather wasn’t unusual for living here.”
The portal writes that a request to Tesla UK and Tesla Europe has so far been unsuccessful.
source: Edinburgh Live, Tesla, Tesla [2]