Testimony – Never again! Laurent was turned off by electric cars after his Tesla experience
To cut down on his car expenses, Laurent decided in 2018 to switch to an electric vehicle. Unfortunately, his 2014 Tesla Model S 85 Propulsion rarely went more than two months without needing repairs. This situation ultimately strained his family’s finances significantly. In his testimony, he particularly criticizes the behavior of Tesla service center staff.
Introduction
Frustrated by the repeated failures of his Model S, Laurent (a pseudonym) was displeased to find on Automobile Propre only highly positive reviews from users satisfied with their Teslas: “Many of us are facing serious problems with the Model S and an absent after-sales service.” He wanted to share his own experience “so it could be useful for the entire community.” Since 2018, our reader has experienced “a breakdown about every two months”.
We are saddened to learn that electric vehicle owners face such severe issues with their vehicles. Automobile Propre is also here to highlight these problems, hoping that it will help improve things overall. Given the impressive list of issues Laurent encountered, only the most significant ones are listed below.
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Before writing this article, we contacted Revolte, who is cited in it. The company specializing in electric vehicle repairs and the improvement of the electromobility ecosystem confirmed that they had worked on this vehicle several times and still had it in their facility at the time of collecting the testimonial, as stated by its owner.
If other Tesla users, whether Model S owners or not, have encountered similar issues, please share your experiences in the comments. This will help us determine whether Laurent’s case is isolated or actually not that rare. We also ask everyone to respect his testimony, as indicated by the bold text at the end of the article.
First breakdown about two months after purchase
Especially for his professional needs, Laurent is used to driving a lot: “I make daily trips of 150 to 200 kilometers. That meant monthly fuel bills of around 350 euros about ten years ago. So it was for cost savings that I wanted to switch to an electric vehicle. Before that, I had a Megane III dCi. I had always owned Renaults and was satisfied with the brand. In 2016, Tesla started taking pre-orders for the Model 3. That’s when I became interested in the American brand.”
Not a fan of SUVs at all, our reader wanted “a car without compromises—a sedan with enough trunk space and sufficient range so I don’t have to recharge every 150 to 200 kilometers. Personally, I also make many trips back and forth between Île-de-France and Vendée to take my son to his grandparents. After initially reserving a Tesla Model 3, I thought it over and decided the Model S was what I liked better. In November 2018, I found mine near Lille, at a garage specializing in salvage sales.”
Unfortunately, less than two months later, the first problem arose with this November 2014 Model S 85 Propulsion: “It had only 180,000 km on the odometer when I bought it. Then I had to replace the left front suspension arm, which cost me 600 euros. The same one failed after another 100,000 km. This time, I bought the part myself for 60 euros, and a local mechanic who views an electric car primarily as just a car replaced it for me for 180 euros.”
Fix it yourself when possible
But in the meantime, right after the first replacement of the left front arm, it was the suspension compressor that broke down: “Two months of being stuck at the Tesla Center in Bezons as they couldn’t figure out what was wrong. Then they asked me about 1,300 euros to fix it. That one also failed. It was two years later, and I didn’t want to spend the same amount again. So I decided to replace it myself. I found the part online for 350 euros. It took me about three hours to do the job by myself.”
However, he had valuable help: “I watched a YouTube video by a Tesla technician in the United States that showed step by step how to do it. I was stressed at first, worried about causing further damage, but everything went well.” Saving around 1,000 euros by fixing it myself is no small amount: “That’s when I decided to replace certain parts on my own. Like the door handles—since 2020, I’ve had to repair each one at least once.”
The unspent amounts in this case also amount to several hundred euros: “At Tesla, it’s around 350 euros per handle including labor. It’s originally a manufacturing defect in a small component that breaks after some time due to the handles moving in and out of their sockets. You can’t buy them at Tesla, but on AliExpress they’re available for a few euros. Now that I’m used to this problem, the repair only takes me about forty minutes.”
Schematics of the left front sensor and 12 V battery
There are also what Laurent calls “sketches”: “In 2021, around 220,000 km, my Model S had an issue with Autopilot that wouldn’t activate anymore; the car could no longer ‘see’ its surroundings. Tesla diagnosed a sensor that needed to be replaced on the left front side. The part was ordered, but when I went there for installation, they told me it wasn’t the right one because I have a Model S phase 1. I didn’t want the sensor they showed me next because it wasn’t painted. The correct part was finally received and installed after six months for 200 euros.”
The issue wasn’t resolved: “After checking the trunk, Tesla suggested replacing the entire light strip that runs to that sensor. Cost: 2,000 euros! I asked for time to think. Then I removed the black bulb at the front where the license plate is attached. There, I found that two sensors were loose. I reattached them, and it worked fine. So Tesla was willing to replace a light strip that was working perfectly for 2,000 euros. Every time I drove the car, I grew more afraid of seeing error messages appear on the center screen.”
A new “sketch” in 2022 at 240,000 km: “This time, it was the 12 V auxiliary battery that needed to be replaced. When he saw me arrive with my 2014 Model S, the technician said he wasn’t trained to work on a Phase 1 battery. Could the battery he had even be installed in my car? Eventually he took on the task, which took four hours and cost me 350 euros, as the battery is right behind the glove box and there are many things to remove first.”
Steering column and high-voltage battery
The incident that completely angered Laurent toward Tesla was related to the steering column: “I was hearing noise on the left front side. The technician at the Tesla Center in Chambourcy assured me that the entire steering column needed to be replaced, providing a quote of 4,500 euros. Out of caution, I called my father-in-law, who used to be a mechanic. After hearing my description, he identified it as a simple steering knuckle issue. I passed this information on to the Tesla technician, who then stated that since the knuckle is connected to the steering column, they can only sell it as a complete unit.”
The father-in-law’s opinion was very blunt! “He told me, ‘He’s lying to you! Your Tesla would then be the first car in the world to have that feature, and it would be impossible to make parallelism adjustments on it.’ In the end, I bought a bushing for 30 euros online, which a small mechanic installed for 100 euros in labor. And my problem was indeed solved that way. Besides clear incompetence, lying like that right in a customer’s face—for me, it’s unacceptable!”
In 2022, the most serious issue faced by an electric vehicle owner arose: “The high-voltage battery failed. After a remote diagnosis, I had to take my Model S to the Tesla Center in Bezons. The battery pack arrived after a month, replaced under warranty. However, it wasn’t new — it was a refurbished unit that only had the name of a new battery; it was likely assembled using modules that were quickly checked but not thoroughly tested. We ended up with a warranty limited to just one year.”
Replaced High-Voltage Battery + Replaced Motor
Another issue with this battery after 90,000 kilometers, with the warranty expired: “It was 2025. Three weeks earlier, I had learned with satisfaction that Revolte was opening a store in Thiais, not far from my home. But I didn’t expect to need their help so soon. This company did what Tesla failed to do with its so-called refurbished batteries—checking the contacts on the BMS cards in the modules and making the necessary soldering. I realized I wasn’t the only Tesla Model S phase 1 owner who had encountered this problem.”
Once again, Laurent avoided an unnecessarily harsh critique: “Tesla would have charged me 16,000 euros for a new battery that is probably no more reliable than the first one. Revolte charged me 6,500 euros for its work to improve reliability. That’s not all—since the infamous engine gasket, which becomes porous and allows coolant to leak through, damaged my engine block. Due to this and the battery issue, my car was out of service from May 2, 2025, to February 15, 2026. The cost specifically for the engine was 3,500 euros. Tesla refuses to disclose the repair history, but I learned that the engine block had already been replaced in my Model S before I bought it.”
Despite this long delay, our reader holds no grudges against Revolte: “On the contrary, big respect for them. Since they opened, they’ve been swamped with requests. Without them, I’d really be in trouble today. They were very honest with me about the situation. With Teslas, they’re facing quite a few difficulties, especially regarding batteries—the manufacturer is blocking any potential sales of parts across Europe for repairs. As a result, they currently have two Model S units stuck in a clean room in Thiais.”
A Final Decision
The endless breakdowns: “I had already taken out loans to repair this car, which now has 350,000 km on it. I hoped the string of problems would end there. But no—my Model S is back at Revolte, this time because the steering column really needed to be replaced. But I no longer had money for that repair, which would have cost 3,500 euros before taxes for a new part. Fortunately, Revolte offered to install a used steering column found for 500 euros, and they handled the diagnosis, installation, and wheel alignment for a total of 800 euros.”
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Laurent has made a final decision: “I think of my very understanding wife and my son. I can’t go any further with this car. I’ll get rid of it, hoping to at least use the money to repay all the loans taken out to repair this Model S, but I won’t have the means to buy a new electric vehicle. For me, the electric adventure ends here. And faced with my troubles, everyone around me is turned off by these vehicles. Their biggest flaw is the battery, and it will always be that way in the future.”
Our reader is very upset with Tesla: “The second time my battery failed, it was 10 minutes away from Chambourcy. I called a tow truck to bring my car there. Between appointments, a technician told me I had to take my car back with me since they didn’t have any space left. He directed me to the Tesla Center in Boissy-Saint-Léger, but couldn’t guarantee that my car would be accepted or even call them. Luckily, the tow truck driver kept me there, because given their condescending attitude and complete lack of empathy, I was about to get into a fight—I wanted to break everything on the spot.”
Reduced Mode
Despite all these challenges, Laurent still found a few words to praise the Tesla Model S: “It’s a beautiful car, spacious, comfortable, and powerful. But for me, it was a nightmare, with reduced range, limited charging speed, and exorbitant maintenance costs. Since the battery’s SoH had dropped to 80%, I no longer had a range of 350 km, but at best only 280 km in the summer.”
What about charging? “On this model, its charging speed is limited to 50 kW, so it takes an hour to charge from 10% to 80% at a supercharger. Simply put, under these conditions, it took me about 6.5 hours to travel from the Paris region to Vendée, which is almost two hours longer than with a conventional car.”
There’s certainly a lot of bitterness after so many problems: “When I hear that Teslas or other electric cars are reliable, I’m willing to believe it, but not after just four years. It takes at least ten years of use to make such a claim.”
Automobile Propre and I would like to express our sincere thanks to Laurent for his excellent hospitality, responsiveness, and moving testimony following our request for feedback from our readers.
For your reference, any offensive comments directed at our interviewees, their lives, choices, and/or ideas will be removed. Thank you for your understanding.
Author’s Note
What to say? Bad car numbers—many people have experienced that! For me, it was a 1981 Ford Taunus TC3 and one of the last Opel Rekords (1986). Those were real nightmares too, but on cars I bought cheap without a loan and got rid of quickly. I even gave the Opel to a large family who never had any problems with it. In fact, it’s possible that the person who takes Laurent’s Model S from him will have a smooth driving experience for a few years. Considering all the expenses involved, that wouldn’t be very surprising. But when trust is gone...
Beyond the frequency of failures, what stands out in our reader’s account are the incorrect diagnoses made by Tesla technicians, accompanied by sometimes exorbitant quotes or invoices. With thermal models that suffer from insidious failures, costs can rise rapidly due to the difficulty of identifying the cause. So the mechanic replaces one part, then another, since the problem persists, potentially increasing the bill each time. With a Citroën XM GPL I once owned, there were constant minor power cuts when approaching 110 km/h. Everything on the dashboard went out, the engine stopped, the gauges dropped to zero, and then everything returned immediately. Impressive, yet the issue was never resolved. That car ended up in a collector’s hands for just three peanuts.
The terrible thing is that, while electric vehicles should serve as one tool among others to mitigate climate change, such an experience will inevitably discourage drivers from adopting electric vehicles, even though many electric vehicle owners are driving without problems today. What I’m interested in learning from this testimony is whether other readers have encountered similar issues with a Model S or another Tesla. When I think of my old Citroën C-Zero, it didn’t go to the repair shop for twelve years except to have its tires replaced...
Philippe SCHWOERER
