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Delores Is 10 Years Old – How Tesla Model S Costs Compare to Those of German Cars

Rich Benoit built a YouTube channel on recovering dead Teslas. The first one was a 2012 Tesla Model S that he named Delores. After Tesla cut the Supercharging for life that this car had with the excuse that it was totaled, Benoit gave it to his daughter. As the EV celebrates ten years, he decided to compare it to its German cars, which are often praised as really reliable machines.
2012 Tesla Model S from Rich Benoit – Delores – turned 10: compare its repair costs to those of two German cars 10 photos
Photo: Rich Rebuilds
2012 Tesla Model S from Rich Benoit – Delores – turned 10: compare its repair costs to those of two German cars2012 Tesla Model S from Rich Benoit – Delores – turned 10: compare its repair costs to those of two German cars2012 Tesla Model S from Rich Benoit – Delores – turned 10: compare its repair costs to those of two German cars2012 Tesla Model S from Rich Benoit – Delores – turned 10: compare its repair costs to those of two German cars2012 Tesla Model S from Rich Benoit – Delores – turned 10: compare its repair costs to those of two German cars2012 Tesla Model S from Rich Benoit – Delores – turned 10: compare its repair costs to those of two German cars2012 Tesla Model S from Rich Benoit – Delores – turned 10: compare its repair costs to those of two German cars2012 Tesla Model S from Rich Benoit – Delores – turned 10: compare its repair costs to those of two German cars2012 Tesla Model S from Rich Benoit – Delores – turned 10: compare its repair costs to those of two German cars
Another thing that German cars are famous for is the expensive bills they get whenever they visit a dealership. The video practically started with a demonstration of how difficult it was even to tow the BMW i8 after its 12V battery and the high-voltage battery pack died. Since the youtuber bought the plug-in hybrid (PHEV), he has already spent $3,000 on a fuel bladder pressurization issue. When its front shocks waved bye-bye, BMW told him he will have to pay $4,000 to replace them.

Benoit was waiting for used i8 front dampers to show up on eBay (or anywhere else) when his car died. Since the Electrified Garage is working on two EV conversions for Robert Downey Jr., he had to send his car to a dealership. It refused to work on the car because it was modified. The youtuber then decided to send it to an independent shop focused on BMW. It also refused to repair his machine. He’ll probably have to solve that himself when he has time to do so.

Another car that Benoit has is an Audi RS7. This car has already cost him $3,000 to replace the brake pads and rotors, costing $500 each. When the radio went bust, the youtuber sent it to an Audi dealer and received a $12,000 bill to fix everything in the car. The radio alone would cost him $4,800. As an advocate of the right to repair, Benoit repaired the radio for $800. All the other stuff his car needed was solved for $500.

In his ten years with his Model S, the Rich Rebuilds channel owner calculates he spent about $12,000 in maintenance. The impressive thing is how many things he had to replace: eight door handles (four under warranty), the steering rack (under warranty), two drive units (the first one under warranty), MCU ($1,500, and it was probably involved with the recall), air shocks, front and rear tie rods and control arms, wiper motor.

Benoit also had to replace tires multiple times and did not include them among the expenses because he has access to various sets. If you are not that lucky, you should check for replacements every 10,000 miles or so, which also raises the bill considerably: Delores has 110,000 on the clock. It also had an issue with the sunroof refusing to open, but it was solved under warranty.

Luckily, Benoit never had an issue with the battery pack. At $20,000 a pop, it would have ruined the experience – as it did for Tuomas Katainen, the Finnish Tesla Model S owner who decided to explode his car instead of paying for the repair. His YouTube video probably earned him enough money for a new car. Anyway, the fact is that Delores never had that.

Hopefully, that is also the experience of most other 2012 Tesla Model S owners. If that is the case, the first Tesla to be mass-produced presents some clear advantages in costs compared to German competitors, especially when it comes to what makes it move around.

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About the author: Gustavo Henrique Ruffo
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Motoring writer since 1998, Gustavo wants to write relevant stories about cars and their shift to a sustainable future.
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