# Question about buying a second hand Tesla Model S



## fazooley (3 d ago)

Hey guys,
I'm looking to pickup a second daily driver for my driveway. I think I'm finally ready to grab a model S and was wondering do they all come with the necessary hardware for FSD? I know at some point they did away with Radar or something of the sort and wasn't sure if there was some year you had to start looking from to make sure any current technology can be used. Initially I was thinking of just ordering a Plaid but the more I think about it before I drop 150k on a EV that I know will be a tremendous change to anything I've been used to in the past maybe one a few years old may be a good place to start. I just want to make sure that I can actually give the thing a fair shake and really test out all functionalities before going to their Plaid model.. ie, Is there anything I'm gonna be missing aside from some range buying say a 2017 or 2018 instead of a 2022 LR or Plaid?

Thanks


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## shareef777 (Mar 10, 2019)

AFAIK, the Model S/X didn’t lose any hardware. Neither radar or ultra sonic sensors. OTOH, there are reports of HW4 and a new hi-res radar that’ll be coming out this year, so everything up until today and until this new hardware is release will be outdated.

Which kind of applies to all technology anyway. As for FSD, that won’t be out for a VERY long while (if ever).


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## fazooley (3 d ago)

shareef777 said:


> AFAIK, the Model S/X didn’t lose any hardware. Neither radar or ultra sonic sensors. OTOH, there are reports of HW4 and a new hi-res radar that’ll be coming out this year, so everything up until today and until this new hardware is release will be outdated.
> 
> Which kind of applies to all technology anyway. As for FSD, that won’t be out for a VERY long while (if ever).


i'VE
Thanks for the reply.. I mean obviously there isn't gonna be REAL FSD for quite some time, however, the videos I've seen for me are really impressive. This is gonna be a second daily driver knockaround car and not my main vehicle so its really just a fun second DD. I think I'll rent one from Turo for a week, live with it and see if I can get into the groove. The one thing that kinda sucks is there is only 1 supercharger location on our entire borough, and its nowhere near me so this kinda blows. On the east coast we don't yet have the infrastructure but when I had them renovate my entire house 1.5 years ago I had them prewire a 70amp circuit for a in wall charger so shouldn't be to bad if I decided to get one. I'm glad to know aside from new HW supposedly coming end of year I don't have to worry if I dont go with a 2022 Model S. Lots of decent deals out there as the rates are rising and dealer getting stuck with these things. Another month or two and Im hoping they start to let things go that have been sitting around. I'm already seeing Plaids with 2k miles for under 100k


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## Bigriver (Jan 26, 2018)

@fazooley, some key approximate dates to be aware of if considering a used model S:

The hardware that allows for the current FSD came out in late 2016, around October. However, those first vintage cars (AP 2.0) have needed camera upgrades. Tesla has done that for free if the car has FSD purchased. AP 2.5 came out in August 2017 and does not need the camera update.

All model S and X’s had MCU1 up until about March 2018. This is the computer that drives the main screen. MCU2 came after that and is much better and faster. There is an option for a paid upgrade to MCU2 for pre-March 2018 cars. It is about $2500. I don’t think Tesla has yet admitted that it is needed for FSD, but I have not heard of any MCU1 cars that have gotten FSD Beta.

All AP 2.0 and AP 2.5 cars have needed an upgrade to the FSD computer. This is free for cars that have paid for FSD. It also comes packaged in with the MCU2 upgrade. I believe AP 3.0 with the FSD computer came out in early 2019, but my memory is fuzzy on that date.

One of the bigger refreshes to the model S and X was in 2019 with the introduction of the Raven. I dont know that you will ever see Tesla call them Ravens, but that is what the Tesla community calls them. They have notably enhanced suspension and the front motors changed, I believe. They increased in efficiency and range.

All the cars I have been referring to have a 17” vertical screen. They are now called the legacy model S and X, since the latest refresh came out in early 2021, but there was a really long delay before the refreshed version with the horizontal 17” display was produced in volume.


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## fazooley (3 d ago)

Bigriver said:


> @fazooley, some key approximate dates to be aware of if considering a used model S:
> 
> The hardware that allows for the current FSD came out in late 2016, around October. However, those first vintage cars (AP 2.0) have needed camera upgrades. Tesla has done that for free if the car has FSD purchased. AP 2.5 came out in August 2017 and does not need the camera update.
> 
> ...



Okie Dokie.. This was the reply I was looking for, Thank you. So basically I need to get a 2021 - vehicle to have refreshed everything. I'm seeing some deals pop up here and there but it seems you guys really enjoy driving your Tesla's and finding one with low mileage isn't that easy lol. I guess what i'm really trying to figure out is if I spring for the Plaid or just get a regular model S LR. What does home charging look like? How much can you get overnight added to the battery?


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## Bigriver (Jan 26, 2018)

fazooley said:


> What does home charging look like? How much can you get overnight added to the battery?


You had mentioned not having a supercharger near you. That is not an issue at all in that superchargers are really meant for traveling. Home charging is best and easiest. Most Teslas do 48 amp home charging, which will get you roughly 30 miles of charge per hour. Plenty fast to wake up each morning with replenished battery charge.


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## fazooley (3 d ago)

Bigriver said:


> You had mentioned not having a supercharger near you. That is not an issue at all in that superchargers are really meant for traveling. Home charging is best and easiest. Most Teslas do 48 amp home charging, which will get you roughly 30 miles of charge per hour. Plenty fast to wake up each morning with replenished battery charge.


Ok nice. This vehicle will really only be used to tool around town so I don't foresee really taking it on long trips. However I do want to ease into trying to take it on longer and longer stretches.. My wife already detests the idea of a Tesla, why I don't know but this will be one of my toys so she never has to drive it if she don't like em lol


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## Ed Woodrick (May 26, 2018)

fazooley said:


> Ok nice. This vehicle will really only be used to tool around town so I don't foresee really taking it on long trips. However I do want to ease into trying to take it on longer and longer stretches.. My wife already detests the idea of a Tesla, why I don't know but this will be one of my toys so she never has to drive it if she don't like em lol


A Tesla is awesome at long trips. It allows most of the driving to be offloaded, both reducing driver stress and increasing safety. How many times have you been driving down stretches of Interstate and realize that you have been daydreaming for some amount of time? Computers don't daydream yet.

Charging on the road? Much ado about nothing. Unless you are a drive straight through, never take a break type of driver, the time added by charging is often negligible. If you time charging with meal or stretch breaks every three hours or so, then you can have an awesome trip.

If you are one that drives straight through, my recommendation is to get off the Interstate and enjoy the trip and the countryside.


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## fazooley (3 d ago)

Ed Woodrick said:


> A Tesla is awesome at long trips. It allows most of the driving to be offloaded, both reducing driver stress and increasing safety. How many times have you been driving down stretches of Interstate and realize that you have been daydreaming for some amount of time? Computers don't daydream yet.
> 
> Charging on the road? Much ado about nothing. Unless you are a drive straight through, never take a break type of driver, the time added by charging is often negligible. If you time charging with meal or stretch breaks every three hours or so, then you can have an awesome trip.
> 
> If you are one that drives straight through, my recommendation is to get off the Interstate and enjoy the trip and the countryside.


Well this is another of the real world scenarios I'm interested in testing to be honest with you. From what I can see by all the video's I've been watching the supercharger network is incredible and within around 1 hour can put the car to 100%. From what I'm seeing usually you charge from 10 or 15-80% which takes maybe 15-20 minutes which is also incredible providing you have one of the newer cars that supports this fast charging and a V3 supercharger. The SC network is really the only reason I would get one of these vehicles as from all the videos I've watched the other vehicles always at these other charging stations its like rolling the dice each time. I've also thought about a Taycan but cost wise I think they make zero sense. To get the GOOD Taycan your easily around 225-250k and I cannot see spending that on a second daily driver. As I've mentioned earlier the more I think about it the more I keep telling myself to grab one a few years old with low miles and existing warranty. Does Tesla offer extended warranties on there vehicles and do they only sell these warranties if you purchase directly through them?


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## Ed Woodrick (May 26, 2018)

fazooley said:


> Well this is another of the real world scenarios I'm interested in testing to be honest with you. From what I can see by all the video's I've been watching the supercharger network is incredible and within around 1 hour can put the car to 100%. From what I'm seeing usually you charge from 10 or 15-80% which takes maybe 15-20 minutes which is also incredible providing you have one of the newer cars that supports this fast charging and a V3 supercharger. The SC network is really the only reason I would get one of these vehicles as from all the videos I've watched the other vehicles always at these other charging stations its like rolling the dice each time. I've also thought about a Taycan but cost wise I think they make zero sense. To get the GOOD Taycan your easily around 225-250k and I cannot see spending that on a second daily driver. As I've mentioned earlier the more I think about it the more I keep telling myself to grab one a few years old with low miles and existing warranty. Does Tesla offer extended warranties on there vehicles and do they only sell these warranties if you purchase directly through them?


I don't think that Tesla offers any extended insurances any more, they used to, but got out of the business. Third parties are doing so. I used the word insurance instead of warranty because that's what the extended things are. On average, you'll pay for something that you don't need. The insurance company on average, makes money off of the policies.


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## fazooley (3 d ago)

Ed Woodrick said:


> I don't think that Tesla offers any extended insurances any more, they used to, but got out of the business. Third parties are doing so. I used the word insurance instead of warranty because that's what the extended things are. On average, you'll pay for something that you don't need. The insurance company on average, makes money off of the policies.


What is Word insurance?


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## Joseph Amato (3 d ago)

Yes, all Tesla Model S cars come with the necessary hardware for Full Self-Driving (FSD). The only difference between a 2017/2018 and a 2022 model is range and some subtle differences in technology. All Teslas come with Autopilot, which has safety features such as lane keeping assist, adaptive cruise control, and others. For FSD to work properly, you need good sensors around the car that can detect road curves, traffic signs and other information from the environment. Older Teslas may not have these same advanced sensors but they still provide an excellent driving experience. So if you are looking for an economical way to purchase a Tesla Model S then buying one of the older models will be just fine. You should be able to enjoy all the features and benefits of a newer Tesla at a more affordable price.
Happy driving!


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## Ed Woodrick (May 26, 2018)

fazooley said:


> What is Word insurance?


I was talking about the word "insurance" vs the word "warranty"


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## fazooley (3 d ago)

Joseph Amato said:


> Yes, all Tesla Model S cars come with the necessary hardware for Full Self-Driving (FSD). The only difference between a 2017/2018 and a 2022 model is range and some subtle differences in technology. All Teslas come with Autopilot, which has safety features such as lane keeping assist, adaptive cruise control, and others. For FSD to work properly, you need good sensors around the car that can detect road curves, traffic signs and other information from the environment. Older Teslas may not have these same advanced sensors but they still provide an excellent driving experience. So if you are looking for an economical way to purchase a Tesla Model S then buying one of the older models will be just fine. You should be able to enjoy all the features and benefits of a newer Tesla at a more affordable price.
> Happy driving!


I think what I was referring to was the Radar. I thought some later models got rid of radar and went to a camera based system only? I didn't know if that was just model 3 or model s also. And if anyone thinks there is any difference or one is better then the other


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## gusmarbert (May 13, 2021)

fazooley said:


> Hey guys,
> I'm looking to pickup a second daily driver for my driveway. I think I'm finally ready to grab a model S and was wondering do they all come with the necessary hardware for FSD? I know at some point they did away with Radar or something of the sort and wasn't sure if there was some year you had to start looking from to make sure any current technology can be used. Initially I was thinking of just ordering a Plaid but the more I think about it before I drop 150k on a EV that I know will be a tremendous change to anything I've been used to in the past maybe one a few years old may be a good place to start. I just want to make sure that I can actually give the thing a fair shake and really test out all functionalities before going to their Plaid model.. ie, Is there anything I'm gonna be missing aside from some range buying say a 2017 or 2018 instead of a 2022 LR or Plaid?
> 
> Thanks


I have a 2020 S with FSD BETA AND FREE SUPERCHARGING WITH WARRANTIES AND NEW TIRES. BG. [email protected] for details.


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## Bigriver (Jan 26, 2018)

gusmarbert said:


> have a 2020 S with FSD BETA AND FREE SUPERCHARGING


Free supercharging on a 2020 does not transfer to a subsequent owner.


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## fazooley (3 d ago)

Bigriver said:


> Free supercharging on a 2020 does not transfer to a subsequent owner.



How does that actually work? I heard if its private sale it will transfer. If it ever goes back to Tesla, and then sold its removed. Anyone have any actual clarification on this


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## Bigriver (Jan 26, 2018)

fazooley said:


> How does that actually work? I heard if its private sale it will transfer. If it ever goes back to Tesla, and then sold its removed. Anyone have any actual clarification on this


You are interchanging FSD and unlimited supercharging.

FSD will transfer through a private sale. If Tesla ever re-owns the car, they have the perogative to wipe out FSD.

Free unlimited supercharging belonged to the car and was transferable to a new owner if the car was ordered by January 2017. Any free supercharging intermittently offerred by Tesla after January 2017 is only for the current owner. It does not transfer regardless of how the car is sold.


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## fazooley (3 d ago)

Bigriver said:


> You are interchanging FSD and unlimited supercharging.
> 
> FSD will transfer through a private sale. If Tesla ever re-owns the car, they have the prerogative to wipe out FSD.
> 
> Free unlimited supercharging belonged to the car and was transferable to a new owner if the car was ordered by January 2017. Any free supercharging intermittently offered by Tesla after January 2017 is only for the current owner. It does not transfer regardless of how the car is sold.


Ah ok this is good to know. A lot of the Tesla's I've been looking at people all saying free supercharging, good to know this is not transferrable


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