The warranty does not apply to such cases
A Scottish couple shared their outrage after they were asked to pay about $21,200 to replace the batteries in their Tesla Model Y crossover. A customer service agent said the battery failed due to rain and was not covered under warranty.
Johnny Bacigalupo and Rob Hussey said the problems started after they went out to dinner. Admitting it was quite rainy in Edinburgh where they dined, they said their Model Y was fine on the way to the restaurant but refused to start when they tried to leave. They waited almost five hours for a tow truck from Tesla support to arrive.
“Following my complaints, we received a call at 5.30 pm on Wednesday saying the battery had been damaged due to water damage. Unfortunately, it was not covered by the 8-year warranty, so it would cost around £17,500 to repair. I was stunned and couldn’t find words,” said Johnny Bacigalupo.
I regretted buying a Tesla.
Bacigalupo said he expected a worst-case bill of 500 or 1,000 pounds ($610 to $1,220). He was able to talk to the manager and get an explanation.
“He told me there was water in it because the weather in Scotland was so bad. That was the problem. They said it wasn’t necessarily my fault, but Tesla shouldn’t have to pay under the warranty. I said I had never heard of anything like that. He replied that this could happen to Range Rover and Mercedes, but I don’t believe in it.”
Bacigalupo added that he regrets buying Tesla. He told the manager: “I take it Teslas are unsuitable for use in Scotland? If I had known the customer service would be this bad, I’m not sure I would have bought the car.”
