Close Menu
Best in TechnologyBest in Technology
  • News
  • Phones
  • Laptops
  • Gadgets
  • Gaming
  • AI
  • Tips
  • More
    • Web Stories
    • Global
    • Press Release

Subscribe to Updates

Get the latest tech news and updates directly to your inbox.

What's On

Meta’s AI Recruiting Campaign Finds a New Target

29 July 2025

Samsung Exynos 2600 SoC to Feature Heat Pass Block Component for Improved Cooling: Report

29 July 2025

Steal Your Enemy’s Powers In Godbreakers, A New Co-Op Action Game Coming This Year

29 July 2025
Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram
Just In
  • Meta’s AI Recruiting Campaign Finds a New Target
  • Samsung Exynos 2600 SoC to Feature Heat Pass Block Component for Improved Cooling: Report
  • Steal Your Enemy’s Powers In Godbreakers, A New Co-Op Action Game Coming This Year
  • The Pandemic Appears to Have Accelerated Brain Aging, Even in People Who Never Got Covid
  • “Detail Over Scope; We’re Not Making GTA”: Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2’s Art Director On Open World Seattle
  • ChatGPT’s Study Mode Is Here. It Won’t Fix Education’s AI Problems
  • Google’s Android Earthquake Alerts Partially Failed to Warn Millions of Users During 2023 Turkey Earthquake
  • Big Tech Asked for Looser Clean Water Act Permitting. Trump Wants to Give It to Them
Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram Pinterest Vimeo
Best in TechnologyBest in Technology
  • News
  • Phones
  • Laptops
  • Gadgets
  • Gaming
  • AI
  • Tips
  • More
    • Web Stories
    • Global
    • Press Release
Subscribe
Best in TechnologyBest in Technology
Home » You Can Buy a Used Tesla for Cheap. Just Be Careful If You Do
News

You Can Buy a Used Tesla for Cheap. Just Be Careful If You Do

News RoomBy News Room30 May 20244 Mins Read
Share Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr Reddit Telegram Email
Share
Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Email

The launch of a new electric vehicle these days is invariably met with a chorus of “this car is too expensive”—and rightfully so. But for used EVs, particularly used Teslas, it’s quite another story, thanks to a glut of former fleet and rental cars that are now ready for their second owner.

“Due to a variety of reasons, Tesla resale values have plummeted, making many Tesla models very affordable now. Plus, for some consumers, an additional $4,000 federal tax credit on used EVs may apply, sweetening the deal even further. Buying a used Tesla can be a great deal for the savvy shopper, but there are significant things to look out for,” says Ed Kim, president and chief analyst at AutoPacific.

Indeed, a quick search on the topic easily reveals some horror stories of ex-rental Teslas, so here are some things to consider if you’re in search of a cheap Model 3 or Model Y.

For more than a year, Tesla has been engaged in an EV price war, mostly driven by its attempt to maintain sales in China. Heavily cutting the price of your new cars is a good way to devalue the used ones, and Hertz’s decision to sell at least 20,000 of its Teslas was in part a response to the lower residual values.

What to Watch For

“The prices are very appealing, but shoppers must keep in mind that rental cars can and do get abused, and some of these ex-rental units may have nasty surprises stemming from their hard lives. Be sure to have yours checked out thoroughly by a mechanic before buying,” Kim says.

Mismatched tires and minor dents, scrapes, and rock chips are fairly common minor issues. Many of the Teslas that Hertz is selling have been used as Ubers—you can tell it’s one of these if the odometer is approaching 100,000 miles. Battery degradation could be an issue, although most cars will not have lost more than 4 to 5 percent of capacity, and Long Range Teslas should have a powertrain warranty for up to 120,000 miles (or eight years).

“One side effect of Tesla’s widespread and reliable DC fast-charging network is that many owners end up relying on it to keep their cars charged rather than dealing with the often considerable expense of installing a home charger and associated home electrical upgrades,” Kim told Ars. As such, you should make sure to check the battery’s health (which can be done on the touchscreen or as part of the inspection) before you buy.

Rental cars can suffer from an excess of slammed doors and trunks—slamming the latter can mess up the powered strut. In the interior, you should expect high signs of wear on some touchpoints, especially the steering wheel and the rear door cards, which can bubble or flake, particularly if the Tesla was used as a ride-hailing vehicle.

Other Potential Headaches

Teslas are very connected cars, and many of their convenience features are accessed via smartphone apps. But that requires that Tesla’s database shows you as the car’s owner, and there are plenty of reports online that transferring ownership from Hertz can take time.

Unfortunately, this also leaves the car stuck in Chill driving mode (which restricts power, acceleration, and top speed) and places some car settings outside of the new owner’s level of access. You also won’t be able to use Tesla Superchargers while the car still shows up as belonging to Hertz. Based on forum reports, contacting Tesla directly is the way to resolve this, but it can take several days to process, or longer if there’s a paperwork mismatch.

Once you’ve transferred ownership to Tesla’s satisfaction, it’s time to do a software reset on the car to remove the fleet version.

Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr Email
Previous ArticleBest video game deals: PlayStation 5, Xbox S and X, Nintendo Switch
Next Article How to lock apps on Android (and why you should)

Related Articles

News

Meta’s AI Recruiting Campaign Finds a New Target

29 July 2025
News

The Pandemic Appears to Have Accelerated Brain Aging, Even in People Who Never Got Covid

29 July 2025
News

ChatGPT’s Study Mode Is Here. It Won’t Fix Education’s AI Problems

29 July 2025
News

Big Tech Asked for Looser Clean Water Act Permitting. Trump Wants to Give It to Them

29 July 2025
News

Review: Nvidia GeForce RTX 5060 Graphics Card

29 July 2025
News

A Secretive US Space Plane Will Soon Test Quantum Navigation Technology

29 July 2025
Demo
Top Articles

ChatGPT o1 vs. o1-mini vs. 4o: Which should you use?

15 December 2024103 Views

Costco partners with Electric Era to bring back EV charging in the U.S.

28 October 202495 Views

Oppo Reno 14, Reno 14 Pro India Launch Timeline and Colourways Leaked

27 May 202582 Views

Subscribe to Updates

Get the latest tech news and updates directly to your inbox.

Latest News
News

ChatGPT’s Study Mode Is Here. It Won’t Fix Education’s AI Problems

News Room29 July 2025
Phones

Google’s Android Earthquake Alerts Partially Failed to Warn Millions of Users During 2023 Turkey Earthquake

News Room29 July 2025
News

Big Tech Asked for Looser Clean Water Act Permitting. Trump Wants to Give It to Them

News Room29 July 2025
Most Popular

The Spectacular Burnout of a Solar Panel Salesman

13 January 2025125 Views

ChatGPT o1 vs. o1-mini vs. 4o: Which should you use?

15 December 2024103 Views

Costco partners with Electric Era to bring back EV charging in the U.S.

28 October 202495 Views
Our Picks

The Pandemic Appears to Have Accelerated Brain Aging, Even in People Who Never Got Covid

29 July 2025

“Detail Over Scope; We’re Not Making GTA”: Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2’s Art Director On Open World Seattle

29 July 2025

ChatGPT’s Study Mode Is Here. It Won’t Fix Education’s AI Problems

29 July 2025

Subscribe to Updates

Get the latest tech news and updates directly to your inbox.

Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram Pinterest
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Advertise
  • Contact Us
© 2025 Best in Technology. All Rights Reserved.

Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.