meara@alien.topBtoElectric Vehicles@gearhead.town•Is paying for AAA worth it for an electric car?English
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1 year agoI have a Tesla that’s mostly out of warranty. Recently, it wouldn’t turn on, and when we contacted mobile service, they said it would need to be towed to the nearest service center for $500 to get diagnosed. We were able to figure out that it was just a dead 12V battery and fix it at home, but after that, we decided to sign up for AAA. If we do end up needing a tow in the next few years, the membership will have paid for itself.
The only issue I’ve had with my Tesla is a dead 12V battery.
One day, the driver’s side of the car wasn’t working (doors wouldn’t unlock, frunk and charge port wouldn’t open, screen wouldn’t turn on, etc.). However, the passenger side and trunk still worked. Mobile service said it would need to be towed for diagnosis. Roadside said it would be $500 to tow to the nearest service station (about an hour away) because we weren’t under warranty anymore.
After some googling, I figured out that it was probably the 12V battery. We used a 9V battery on the wires behind the tow hook cover to open the frunk, thus proving that the 12V was dead. That was enough evidence to convince mobile service to come replace it. Everything was quick, convenient and reasonably priced from there on out.
Still, we were spooked by that $500 tow estimate and signed up for AAA so that the tow will be free if we ever need it.