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The modern car is a marvel of electronics and metallurgy, but even marvels have their Achilles’ heels. For Tesla, the battery pack is both a crown jewel and a potential issue.
Most of the time, it works as advertised: years of quiet commuting, cross-country road trips on electricity, and software updates that make yesterday’s car feel new.
But sometimes, when things go wrong, they do not fix themselves. Sometimes it takes the manufacturer stepping in, and as a recent thread on the r/TeslaSupport subreddit shows, that process does not always move with the speed or clarity an owner might expect.
“Hi everyone,
I really need some advice (and maybe to share my frustration).
I own a 2019 Tesla Model 3 AWD Long Range, which I bought from the Tesla Used Marketplace about 3 years ago.
At purchase: ~50,000 km (≈31,000 miles), battery health 93% (got informed after the purchase)
Since then, I added ~70,000 km (≈43,500 miles).
Always charged carefully (80%), the battery condition was great.
Last summer, during a long-awaited road trip across Europe, I suddenly got a BMS_a079 error. The car could no longer charge at all. Luckily, I managed to limp into the Tesla Service Center in Bordeaux, France, with ~20% left.
The battery is still under warranty, and Tesla confirmed it needs to be replaced. But here’s the catch:
Tesla provided no replacement vehicle.
I had to pay for a rental car to finish the road trip.
I had to fly back home (I live between Austria and Switzerland)
The car has now been immobilized in another country for over 2 months, waiting for a new battery.
I have to do everything with a rental car/public transportation
I was planning insurance-covered bodywork repairs, then sell the car, but this situation froze everything
This has cost me thousands already (rentals, flights, no car for daily life). Tesla just keeps saying “waiting for parts.” They also said they will be replacing it with a refurbished battery. The battery retention was still very good, so I’m afraid that after getting a refurbished one, it will be worse than before.
My questions:
Has anyone else in Europe dealt with months-long delays for a Tesla battery replacement?
Did anyone manage to get compensation or a loaner from Tesla in this kind of case?
Since my old pack still had excellent retention, shall I worry that the refurbished one might actually be worse?
Is this “normal” for Tesla in Europe, or am I just extremely unlucky?
Thank you for reading.”
That dispatch, written by Reddit user Rachma-1, feels less like a casual post and more like the journal of a stranded traveler. A road trip meant to stretch across the continent ended with the car parked indefinitely in a French service bay. What followed was not a simple warranty procedure but two months of waiting, phone calls, and bills for flights and rentals. The story struck a chord on the subreddit, and responses reveal the gap between Tesla’s written promises and the lived reality of its customers.
Tesla Model 3 Acceleration & Model Improvements
- The Model 3 Performance delivers brutal acceleration with 0-60 mph in just 2.8 seconds, while even the base Long Range RWD achieves 4.6 seconds, making it one of the quickest compact sedans available.
- The rear-wheel-drive Long Range model offers an EPA-estimated 363 miles of range, with the all-wheel-drive version providing 346 miles, delivering a real-world highway range of 310 miles in testing.
- The 2026 model features significant improvements, including better suspension for a smoother ride, upgraded interior materials, and enhanced cabin quietness compared to previous generations.
- Features a revolutionary stalk-free design with turn signals on the steering wheel and gear selection via the central touchscreen, creating an ultra-minimalist cabin experience.
One commenter, BoofinChicknTendies, cut to the heart of the matter: “EU has much stricter consumer protection laws than the US… There is no excuse for a battery replacement to take 2 months here at least.” In America, they argued, a lawyer would already be drafting paperwork.
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with the same error code. In their case, Tesla provided a loaner within an hour and completed the battery swap in four days. The only blemish was that the refurbished pack had a slightly worse range. “Overall, I can’t complain,” they wrote, before adding the damning line: “I am not sure why they didn’t do that for you.” That single comparison shows how wildly uneven Tesla’s service network can be, depending on geography.
People Voiced Their Opinions
Other voices were pragmatic. One user pointed out that pursuing legal action might not even be worthwhile. The cost of hiring a lawyer could outweigh the damages unless the case were unusually large.
Another commenter recalled a friend in Italy who received a replacement Tesla, but only after months of waiting and with the burden of driving it back across borders. These stories are not indictments of the product itself but rather of a service infrastructure that has not caught up to Tesla’s sales growth.
Tesla Model 3 Autopilot System
- Comes standard with Tesla’s Autopilot driver-assist system, navigation, and a 15-inch central touchscreen, though it lacks Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility.
- Access to Tesla’s extensive Supercharger network provides fast charging capabilities and broad coverage for long-distance travel across North America.
- Standard heated and ventilated front seats, over-the-air software updates, and entertainment options, including Netflix and YouTube for charging stops.
- Starting at $44,130 for the Long Range RWD model, positioning it competitively against luxury compact sedans while offering electric performance and efficiency.
The thread coalesces around a theme: consistency matters. As azguy153 summarized, “The best you can hope for is direct damages. E.g.: battery replacement and rental car. All else is indirect, and they are not likely to be helpful.” That line could serve as the unofficial epilogue to the story.
Cars, whether powered by gasoline or electricity, are mechanical companions. They will break. What matters is how the manufacturer responds when they do, and in this case, the gulf between policy and practice left an owner stranded.
The conclusion is not that Tesla builds unreliable cars. On the contrary, many owners enjoy years of trouble-free motoring.
The lesson is that when something does go wrong, especially with the centerpiece of the vehicle, Tesla must deliver a process that is as polished as the product itself. For now, the company’s ambition still outpaces its infrastructure. The future of mobility promises seamlessness, but as one stranded Model 3 owner discovered, even in 2025, the future can still be stuck waiting for parts.
Image Sources: Tesla Media Center
Noah Washington is an automotive journalist based in Atlanta, Georgia. He enjoys covering the latest news in the automotive industry and conducting reviews on the latest cars. He has been in the automotive industry since 15 years old and has been featured in prominent automotive news sites. You can reach him on X and LinkedIn for tips and to follow his automotive coverage.
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Source: torquenews.com
