Mario Zelaya, the owner of a 2013 Tesla Model S, says he was locked out of his vehicle after the battery pack died because of an alleged design flaw. Now, he says he can’t even get inside the car to access the ownership documents to sell the vehicle he has opted not to fix.
Zelaya said in a TikTok video that he paid $140,000 CAD ($105,472 USD at current exchange rates) when he bought the car new and got it serviced regularly. Now, though, he claims that a design flaw in 2013-2014 Models Ss means that the HVAC condenser drips onto the battery pack, leading to rust and, eventually, damaging the batteries.
Tesla is refusing to pay for a new battery because the issue was discovered after the vehicle’s warranty expired. Zelaya, though, claims that the issue must have started while the vehicle was covered, and that he has been in contact with Transport Canada, which is now investigating the issue.
@supermariozelaya My opinion: Tesla shut down my car over the air because my videos after refusing to pay for a new battery. #tesla #car ♬ original sound – Mario Zelaya
“Not only did they do an investigation on this car, they’re going to be doing one that Tesla doesn’t realize is coming up, because I got in touch with another owner who has the exact same problem,” Zelaya said. “The battery died, Tesla’s trying to sweep it under the rug. They won’t give them any explanation about why the battery died.”
Indeed, that is a service that Transport Canada offers. Consumers are invited to contact the regulator via its website, where they can fill out a defect complaint form. The service has, previously, led to a defect notice on the Kia Soul, whose heated seats were burning occupants.
It is unclear, though, whether or not the organization is close to taking any action for the 2013-2014 Tesla Model S and no investigation is underway for this issue in the U.S., according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
A look through the complaints section of the regulator’s website, though, does show that at least one owner had a similar issue. Filed in April 2021, the complaint stated that they had “water intrusion” causing their drivetrain to fail, and was told that it was not covered by warranty. Some forum posts also look like they might possibly be describing issues that are similar to this one.
As for being unable to open the doors on his Tesla, that is a known issue with the EV, for which there are a number of solutions, though they do seem to be rather involved. Sensibly, Zelaya opted to simply pay $30 CAD ($22.60 USD) to get new documents.
He now claims that he will be selling the car for around $20,000 CAD ($15,067 USD). It’s unclear what the new owner will do with the car, but a new battery pack will allegedly cost $26,000 CAD ($19,588 USD). All in, that might not be a bad deal, since similar models are selling for $49,950 CAD ($37,632 USD) in Toronto.
@supermariozelaya My opinion: Tesla shut down my car over the air because my videos after refusing to pay for a new battery. #tesla #car ♬ original sound – Mario Zelaya