Technical condition

Tesla is, first of all, a car. Electric is true, but still a car. It can also break, though not so rarely, due to the high quality of its components. Before buying, it is important to pay attention to the technical condition.
As practice shows in used Tesla, there are two problems. It is a reducer installed after the electric motor and suspension. The vehicle weighs more than 2 tons and has an impressive capacity. If the vehicle often went in sports mode, elements are likely to be in a deplorable state. You can check them only by visiting a specialized service station.

Test-drive

Some of the potential damage and problems can only be detected while driving. Ride both around the city and beyond. More attention should be paid to such nuances as:

● extraneous sound of electromotor (high-pitched squeal);● any knock (suspension);● noise/roar from under wheels (bearing).

Vehicle must drive straight when accelerating. Driving the vehicle aside when the gas pedal presses is often a sign of front suspension or steering failure. There should be no vibrations (an indication of poor wheel balancing).

It is advisable to test-drive only when full power is available. Battery half charged and «warm». Also, during the movement, check the operation of the air conditioner, steering levers, and other control elements.

Vehicle inspection

As noted above, electric vehicles break less frequently than their internal combustion counterparts. Nevertheless, Tesla has its own «sores», which include:

● problem with the retractable door handle (not at all pushed or pushed out, but does not allow the door to open on the Model S);● water collection in the back chrome plate on headlights (also can be repaired, although it is easier to replace the new generation plank without this problem);● charging port jamming should open after clicking on the vehicle menu or holding the trunk button on the key.

Brakes can be inspected, but thanks to the regeneration after 100,000 km, they should look like new. In addition, the kit should include a charging cable from UMC with red power plugs, which also often fails.

It makes no sense to talk about thickness measurements. If you have a suspicion that the vehicle has been in an accident, after which body works were performed, it is advisable to check this version.

Documentation check

You will have to refer to the documents if the technical condition seems good. Here, please note the access to your my tesla account on www.tesla.com. If the owner is legal, he has access to a mobile app and Tesla website where you can drive a vehicle.

This page should also contain a document confirming the legal ownership of the vehicle. In the section "My documents", you need to check «Proof of ownership» (scan of the registration document of the former owner) or «Final invoice».

Lack of access, incorrect documents, and discrepancy in the invoice/registration certificate indicates that there may be problems.

It is worth knowing whether the vehicle has official support by calling the hotline. It is important because without support warranty loss on the electric motor and battery!