Tesla owner's 'heart missed a beat' at a $20,000 estimate to fix battery damaged by rain

Tesla
battery replacements can cost between $5,000 and $20,000.
HUIZENG HU/ Getty Images

A Tesla-owning couple said they received a £17,374 bill, or $20,698, after their vehicle broke down.
One of the owners, Johnny Bacigalupo, told Edinburgh Live that the bill was “absolutely obscene.” 
They were told by a Tesla customer support rep that the battery was “damaged due to water ingress.”

A Tesla owner said he was “flabbergasted” when he and his partner were hit with a hefty bill to fix their electric vehicle. 

Johnny Bacigalupo and Rob Hussey told Scottish news outlet Edinburgh Live they were given a £17,374, or $20,698, bill to fix their Tesla after its battery was damaged by rain last week. 

“I honestly can’t believe that this has happened. When I first got the call I thought we would get a bill for £500 or £1,000,” Bacigalupo told Edinburgh Live. “When they said over 17 grand – it’s absolutely obscene. My heart missed a beat, honestly.”

Elon Musk said in 2019 that it could cost between $5,000 and $10,000 to replace a Tesla battery, J.D. Power reported, noting that the figures are different in 2023. Recurrent, which reports on EV battery health, said battery replacement could cost anywhere from $5,000 to $20,000.

After being unable to start their vehicle and arranging to have it delivered to Tesla Edinburgh by a collection firm, Bacigalupo and Hussey received a call on Wednesday informing them that the battery was “damaged due to water ingress.”

The 8-year warranty didn’t cover this, and they were asked if they wanted to proceed with a repair costing $20,698.

“Did I wish to proceed?? I was flabbergasted and couldn’t really find my words,” Bacigalupo said, who told the Tesla representative that the couple wasn’t at fault. 

The outlet said it verified the bill via correspondence between Tesla and the couple and that it had seen an email from Tesla customer relations, which says it’s investigating the complaint. 

A similar incident occurred last year when a Canadian Tesla owner was told it would cost $26,000 to get a replacement battery for his vehicle, Fox Business reported.

The owner, Mario Zelaya, shared his experience in a TikTok video and said he was locked out of his Tesla Model S after the battery died. Zelaya said he eventually sold his Tesla after he spent $30 getting replacement ownership papers, which were locked in the vehicle. 

EV batteries can deteriorate at various rates depending on numerous factors, including how they were charged and the environment in which the vehicle was driven.

Tesla Europe didn’t immediately respond to Insider’s request for comment.