autoevolution
 

Lemon Tesla Model X With Bizarre Water Leak Is on Its Way to Ukraine

On January 5, 2020, InsideEVs told the story of Sergio Rodriguez and his Tesla Model X with a bizarre water leak. Whenever he crossed a puddle, water would gush from the left A-pillar. The guys from The Electrified Garage revealed that this is a common issue with the electric SUV. Rodriguez then sold it as a lemon back to Tesla and never heard of it again until he decided to google the car’s VIN. He discovered it is heading to Ukraine.
Lemon Tesla Model X Finds a New Home in Ukraine 8 photos
Photo: PLC.ua
Lemon Tesla Model X Finds a New Home in UkraineLemon Tesla Model X Finds a New Home in UkraineLemon Tesla Model X Finds a New Home in UkraineSergio Rodriguez's Tesla Model X Gushed Water From A-PillarSergio Rodriguez's Tesla Model X Gushed Water From A-PillarSergio Rodriguez's Tesla Model X Gushed Water From A-PillarSergio Rodriguez's Tesla Model X Gushed Water From A-Pillar
Customers in that country seem to be used to buying used cars from the U.S., even those that were never officially sold in Ukraine. That was the case with Laguta Valeriy, the man who imported a Chevrolet Bolt EV to Kyiv and saw it burn down on September 30, 2019. It was probably the first to present the fire issue that will now make GM spend about $800 million replacing defective battery packs.

As an independent importer, Valeriy will not have any coverage from GM even if the defect is now proven. The same thing will happen to whoever bought Rodriguez’s lemon. He sold it back to Tesla precisely because the company could not (or did not want to) fix the water leak. What happened later is a mystery. We’ll soon see videos from a poor soul in Ukraine complaining about the same weird problem.

It is not clear why Ukrainians buy these vehicles from the U.S. They may do it because they are not sold in their country. Another possibility is that they are much cheaper than the ones which they can find in dealerships there. Now they know why.

Some American automakers do “lemon laundering” by selling defective cars from certain states in other ones, with lax consumer regulation. If they can sell them to other countries, that is even better.

For customers interested in these bargains, what if they are lemons like the one Rodriguez managed to sell back to Tesla? What if they have an issue that will make them burn to the ground, like Valeriy’s Bolt EV?

Ukrainian customers seem to be more exposed to this, but this may be a valid lesson to buyers all over the world: do not buy a vehicle without access to its previous issues. Ponder about the lack of legal backup to return a chronically defective machine. You may end up seeing live what you could watch only on Rodriguez’s YouTube channel. While he got rid of it, you may end up with an expensive – and worldwide known – lemon.


If you liked the article, please follow us:  Google News icon Google News Youtube Instagram X (Twitter)
About the author: Gustavo Henrique Ruffo
Gustavo Henrique Ruffo profile photo

Motoring writer since 1998, Gustavo wants to write relevant stories about cars and their shift to a sustainable future.
Full profile

 

Would you like AUTOEVOLUTION to send you notifications?

You will only receive our top stories