article: Previous owner retains control over Tesla

[97prizm]

Torque News just posted an article about a guy who bought a used Tesla Model S only for the original owner to still have full control over it. Apparently the original owner would make the horn go off, blast the air conditioning, and run the battery down etc for ten days. I thought once traded in you were completely disconnected from your Tesla, no? It took the second owner leaving it at a supercharger to run up $250 in idle fees and a phonecall as the original owners info was still stored in the vehicle for it to stop. This is scary and worth a read. Not sure if other car companies have this type of control but no thanks.
I bought a Used model S and tge original owner had control over it for 10 days

 

[Rand]

I had it on my jeep cherokee for about 180 days after I traded it in.
but I'm not a "jerk"

I figured I would fall off when they sold it but.. nope.. mileage started climbing on the monthly report

I could have remote started, set off horn.. etc.

so I called them and had myself removed.. was a 30min big hassle phone call.

 

[OVERKILL]

I had it on my jeep cherokee for about 180 days after I traded it in.
but I'm not a "jerk"

I figured I would fall off when they sold it but.. nope.. mileage started climbing on the monthly report

I could have remote started, set off horn.. etc.

so I called them and had myself removed.. was a 30min big hassle phone call.

Yup, same when I traded my first 2020 SRT, I could track where it was and do stuff remotely if I wanted. I of course didn't, because I'm not a douche canoe.

 

[Torrid]

This is an easy solution. Why someone wouldn't remove a sold car from their profile is beyond me. Not only that if the new owner submitted ownership info to Tesla, the previous owner would have been kicked off access to the car.

 

[RhondaHonda]

I could do the same to my Raptor I sold to Vroom. I followed it initially via the app until I got paid for the truck. Then forgot about it and could see the guy’s house and start it, etc if I wanted. I’m not an ass so I deleted it from the Ford app. I’m not sure if he could remove all existing users or if he didn’t even think about it.

 

[Brons2]

Torque News just posted an article about a guy who bought a used Tesla Model S only for the original owner to still have full control over it. Apparently the original owner would make the horn go off, blast the air conditioning, and run the battery down etc for ten days. I thought once traded in you were completely disconnected from your Tesla, no? It took the second owner leaving it at a supercharger to run up $250 in idle fees and a phonecall as the original owners info was still stored in the vehicle for it to stop. This is scary and worth a read. Not sure if other car companies have this type of control but no thanks.
I bought a Used model S and tge original owner had control over it for 10 days

Torque News also recently posted an article recently where some guy claimed it cost $41 to fill up his new Model Y at home at a cost of 33 cents a kilowatt hour, and then compared that to the cost of filling a gas car at the prevailing local gas prices.

Well, that math isn't mathing, because the MY refresh has a usable capacity of 75KWH and at 33 cents per, would charge for $24,75 and that's if he started from zero, which is unlikely unless he had the car towed home. So in reality it was less than $24.75.

I'm not saying this didn't happen, but, you're supposed to transfer your ownership on a Tesla as soon as you get it so that the doors will open and the car can go, just off of your phone. If he didn't do this, how did the new owner get into the car? Something doesn't add up.

 

[JeffKeryk]

We bought the new M3P almost a year ago; the last weekend in June. Traded in the '18 Model 3 Mid Range. After signing a few papers, the new car was on my app and the old car was gone. I didn't have to do anything.

So who knows? Above my paygrade.

 

[AZjeff]

You bought yours from Tesla at the mothership right? You'd expect it to be done right. Story didn't say where the guy bought his. You wouldn't expect say a Honda dealership to know the nitty gritty about all that Tesla on the phone stuff and make sure the old owner is gone etc etc.

 

[Torrid]

You bought yours from Tesla at the mothership right? You'd expect it to be done right. Story didn't say where the guy bought his. You wouldn't expect say a Honda dealership to know the nitty gritty about all that Tesla on the phone stuff and make sure the old owner is gone etc etc.

It's completely on the original owner and the buyer. The middle man dealer would have no access to change this. The buyer should have submitted ownership to Tesla in the app to take full control. The previous owner should have not been a jerk and should have removed their own access.

This isn't a Tesla problem. Many vehicles have access like this.

 

[Dave Hess]

Zero possibility I would buy a used Tesla.

 

[Torrid]

Zero possibility I would buy a used Tesla.

For that matter I wouldn't buy anything used that isn't verging on vintage to be a project. I'm buying brand new if it's my daily transportation. I've bought other people's problems too many times. Every single low mileage used car I've bought had some form of issue from previous owners tampering with it. I have no desire. I'll deal directly with a new car warranty if I have an issue. I'm not going to play the game of proving something was a manufacturing defect over not knowing what the previous owner did. My GTI was certified pre owned and low mileage. I found hacked up factory wiring in three spots under the hood and that was probably the best used car I've owned. It only went downhill from there looking back.

 

[97prizm]

You bought yours from Tesla at the mothership right? You'd expect it to be done right. Story didn't say where the guy bought his. You wouldn't expect say a Honda dealership to know the nitty gritty about all that Tesla on the phone stuff and make sure the old owner is gone etc etc.

Alot of companies mot just Tesla are guilty of not wiping personal information even though it's supposed to be part of the reconditioning process. I knew someone that purchased a cpo Lexus and apparently in the navigation the previous owner liked chili's as it was pinned on their list of addresses as was "home." Most people wouldn't care but there are shady people out there who would take advantage of that info.

 

[JeffKeryk]

Zero possibility I would buy a used Tesla.

Why is that? I believe whoever got my '18 Model 3 got a really nice car. I fell in love with Tesla because of my experience with it. Wish I had passed it on to a friend or family member.

 

[Torrid]

Why is that? I believe whoever got my '18 Model 3 got a really nice car. I fell in love with Tesla because of my experience with it. Wish I had passed it on to a friend or family member.

I’m sure it is perfect and you’re likely a person that takes immaculate care of your cars. I’ve never seen a car on a lot used that didn’t either have curbed or repaired wheels. The average driver is careless and just tears up even new cars.

I either have really bad luck with used cars or I’m just too picky.

 

[JeffKeryk]

I’m sure it is perfect and you’re likely a person that takes immaculate care of your cars. I’ve never seen a car on a lot used that didn’t either have curbed or repaired wheels. The average driver is careless and just tears up even new cars.

I either have really bad luck with used cars or I’m just too picky.

Here's my current used cars:

 

[y_p_w]

There's supposed to be procedures for transferring over a vehicle that has remote access.

https://www.tesla.com/support/account-support

Granted I remember the Tesla loaner my dad got. I presented my driver license when it was picked up, so I was considered an authorized driver. But I looked at the "keys" that were still on and I think theoretically several of the people who previous had access to the vehicle also has access through the Tesla app via the "phone key". I was able to add a phone key to my phone, although it did sometimes self delete. And I wasn't sure how to delete, but when I turned it in the phone key went away, so they did something. I did mention all the various drivers, but I think they can wipe those with one of the physical card keys.

 

[97prizm]

I’m sure it is perfect and you’re likely a person that takes immaculate care of your cars. I’ve never seen a car on a lot used that didn’t either have curbed or repaired wheels. The average driver is careless and just tears up even new cars.

I either have really bad luck with used cars or I’m just too picky.

I had an old lady come in and looked to trade her 8-year-old Lexus es350 with 8k original miles for a Lexus NX300 small suv. Nobody had ever sat in the back seat. I sold it the next day to a college kid from out of state. Most cars that came in needed at least $500-$1000 in reconditioning. It was rare but on occasion we had a mint example traded in.

 

[CKN]

I’m sure it is perfect and you’re likely a person that takes immaculate care of your cars. I’ve never seen a car on a lot used that didn’t either have curbed or repaired wheels. The average driver is careless and just tears up even new cars.

I either have really bad luck with used cars or I’m just too picky.

What price range would these used cars encompass?

 

[Jetronic]

I could do the same to my Raptor I sold to Vroom. I followed it initially via the app until I got paid for the truck. Then forgot about it and could see the guy’s house and start it, etc if I wanted. I’m not an ass so I deleted it from the Ford app. I’m not sure if he could remove all existing users or if he didn’t even think about it.

I can see and would also follow the car until I got all of my money. Nothing wrong with that.

 

[Jetronic]

Torque News also recently posted an article recently where some guy claimed it cost $41 to fill up his new Model Y at home at a cost of 33 cents a kilowatt hour, and then compared that to the cost of filling a gas car at the prevailing local gas prices.

Well, that math isn't mathing, because the MY refresh has a usable capacity of 75KWH and at 33 cents per, would charge for $24,75 and that's if he started from zero, which is unlikely unless he had the car towed home. So in reality it was less than $24.75.

I'm not saying this didn't happen, but, you're supposed to transfer your ownership on a Tesla as soon as you get it so that the doors will open and the car can go, just off of your phone. If he didn't do this, how did the new owner get into the car? Something doesn't add up.

Could the car have been heating the battery? or maybe also the cabin? I think it's well possible to need more than 75kWh to fill a 75 kWh battery, when you consider battery heating and the natural charging losses. but what he claims is a huge difference.