Is A Tesla Warranty Transferable? (Coverage, New Owner + More)

Do you know if the Tesla warranty is transferable to the new owner? this is one of the questions our readers ask a lot. Well, we´ve got you covered.

Looking over your Tesla warranty is like opening up a manual that’s heavy enough to wrap a rope around and use as a boat anchor.

It’s that extensive and it painstakingly goes over every aspect of every model and every product that Tesla sells.

So, I the Tesla Used Vehicle Extended Limited Warranty Transferable?  Yes, Fortunately, somewhere in all of that fine print, Tesla does indeed transfer the warranty from the seller to the new buyer, assuming that the product is still under warranty at the time that its sold. Of course, there is a stipulation. So long as you sell your Tesla to a new party through Tesla, then the limited warranty will be retained and appropriately transferred to the new owner.

That means before you sell your Tesla to someone else, you need to have an active and ongoing account with Tesla and facilitate the transfer that way. 

What Does Telsa’s Limited Warranty Cover?

There are three sections when it comes to Tesla’s warranty coverage and three subsections within the first. There is the New Vehicle Limited Warranty and the Used Vehicle Limited Warranty. 

The New Vehicle Limited Warranty covers three subsections:

• Basic Vehicle Limited Warranty: This is a basic, limited warranty coverage that lasts for 4 years or 50,000 miles. If you reach one before the other, it doesn’t matter, as the warranty will effectively end there. 
• Supplemental Restraint System Limited Warranty: Same as the Basic, however, it lasts for 5 years or 60,000 miles.
• Battery and Drive Unit Warranty: This is split up into a “per vehicle basis.” All of Tesla’s batteries and drive units are covered for 8 years, but the mileage varies per model. 

The warranty is limited to covering defects or faults in parts that come directly from Tesla manufacturers. And not third-party replacement parts or work. It’s a “normal” use warranty which is pretty fair and typical of all vehicle manufacturers.

Used Vehicle Limited Warranty

The used vehicle warranty is essentially what this article is about. Of course, this usually applies to a dealership that is selling a used Tesla that has not hit 50,000 miles yet and is not more than 4 years old. 

The Used Vehicle Limited Warranty is whatever is leftover from the original warranty when the Tesla was sold in the first place.

If it is 2 years old and has only 25,000 miles on it then you have 2 years and 25,000 more miles before the warranty coverage drops.

However, once the original warranty drops, the “Used Vehicle Limited Warranty” provided by Tesla kicks in, meaning you will have an additional 1 year and 10,000 miles of coverage available. It’s almost like purchasing an extended warranty except for the fact that it is very short in this case. 

Read also: How Much Does It Cost To Charge A Tesla Model 3

Parts, Body, and Paint Repair Limited Warranty

If you don’t end up purchasing a warranty extension with Tesla or a third party, there is only one warranty section still remaining.

Like the basic warranty, this covers 4 years and 50,000 miles. Any damage to the paint, body, or various parts of the Tesla are covered for this period if they fail under normal use circumstances. 

This includes the sheet metal, drive unit, high-voltage battery, wall connectors, touchscreen, media control unit, paint, and body.

How to Transfer the Tesla Warranty to a New Owner

When transferring the ownership and, as a result of the transfer, the Tesla Limited Warranty, it has to be done “lawfully” and it must be recorded with a boll of sale and title transfer.

The expedite the process and avoid any confusion you should have an account with Tesla, as well as the new owner.

To set up an account with Tesla, go to Tesla Account Support and begin your account creation. Creating an account amount to nothing more than providing a username and password. Once you have created your account, you can add a vehicle by “claiming ownership.”

If the vehicle was purchased directly from Tesla, an account with a username and password will have already been created as a part of the process.

If not, then an account can be created through the above-listed means. 

When the warranty is transferred, however, the new owner needs to create an account and add the new Tesla vehicle to their account.

The previous owner should remove that same Tesla vehicle from their account. To add a new vehicle after creating an account:

• Sign in to your Tesla Account
• Navigate to your Dashboard
• Select “Add”
• Complete the entire form under the “Add” category
• Submit the form with your Driver’s License, VIN Number, Title, and Registration
• Create a secret code for your Tesla
• If everything is submitted and documented correctly, Tesla will quickly transfer ownership
• If there’s an issue, Tesla will contact you directly via the information provided on your account
• Once Tesla has contacted you and cleared everything up, ownership will be transferred successfully

Keep in mind, that all of this applies to other Tesla products as well, including their energy products. You add them and remove them, along with transferring ownership and warranties just like you do with your vehicles. 

Even if there is only a year or less left on the warranty coverage, it’s still worth taking the time to sit down and do the paperwork properly, through Tesla because then you will be eligible for the Used Vehicle Limited Warranty which will effectively add another year to your current warranty coverage from the moment that it lapses.

Tesla’s warranty is pretty standard fare but worth the attempt to maintain for as long as possible. Repairs on a Tesla vehicle are expensive, more so than standard, combustion engine vehicles, and the warranty may well be worth thousands of dollars to the new owner. 

Read also: Tesla Statistics: 75+ Incredible Facts, and Trends To Consider (Explained)

Final Thoughts

Tesla vehicles are pretty reliable and will last a long time with proper maintenance. Since the original warranty is transferable to a new owner, the new owner should be proactive about keeping the warranty active with a Tesla account. 

While having an account with Tesla isn’t necessary, it makes everything so much easier when warranty coverage is necessary and obtainable. 

References

https://www.tesla.com/sites/default/files/northamerica-preowned-extended-warranty.pdf