Buying a salvage Tesla from Copart — what to look for
Risks of buying a salvage Tesla at auction: flood cars, hidden damage, what to check. Belarusian community experience.
Description
Buying a salvage Tesla at auction (Copart) is a popular path in Belarus due to price. But the risks are huge: flood cars with concealed damage, killed batteries, hidden frame-rail problems.
What to look for
- Check the VIN through auction databases and damage history.
- What to look at: nature of the damage, state of charge at the auction, deployed airbags (paradoxically, deployed is better — it means the impact was real), Tesla certificates.
- Flood car — only if you're ready to replace EVERYTHING, work with your hands, or have your own shop.
- Set aside at least $10 000 for potential repair and be prepared.
- Frontal impact without frame-rail damage — the safest option for restoration.
Community experience TESLA Belarus
From the TESLA owner's group BELARUS chat — analysis of 400 000 messages.
Who reported the issue: Vitaliy Moskalevich, AleXXXiz, Igor Efremov
Who found the fix: Винсенте Дель Пухини, Zverski, Denis, Никита, firago, Dzianis Balyka
Discussion in Telegram: #335244, #265124, #143617
Links
- What to know when buying a salvage Tesla? (Tesla Motors Club): https://teslamotorsclub.com/tmc/threads/what-to-know-when-buying-a-salvage-tesla.146705/
- Buying a Salvage Tesla (Tesla Motors Club): https://teslamotorsclub.com/tmc/threads/buying-a-salvage-tesla.266187/
Sources
- https://teslamotorsclub.com/tmc/threads/what-to-know-when-buying-a-salvage-tesla.146705/
- https://teslamotorsclub.com/tmc/threads/buying-a-salvage-tesla.266187/
Related
Full list →12V (16V) battery: bricking and recovery
The 12V battery is a frequent cause of a fully bricked Tesla. How to jump-start, replace, and which alternatives fit.
Tesla battery types: NCA, LFP, 4680 — which is more reliable
Guide to Tesla battery types: NCA 18650, NCA 21700, LFP, 4680. Reliability ranking from the Belarusian community's experience.
All models: weak A/C cooling and noise — clogged condenser/radiators (how to clean)
On Teslas the front radiator stack quickly fills with fluff/dirt. The condenser sheds heat worse — the compressor runs at maximum and dies sooner. Solution: regular cleaning (with safe methods).