Man Buys Used Tesla, Then Learns He Can’t Charge It

• An Illinois man says his used Tesla Model 3 can’t connect to the company’s Supercharger network.
• Tesla later told him the car was a “salvaged vehicle,” voiding its warranty and charging access.
• The dealership disputes that claim, saying the car was never officially listed as salvaged.

An Illinois man’s excitement over his newly purchased Tesla Model 3 quickly turned to disappointment after discovering he couldn’t charge it.

Daniel Boycott said he was enjoying his 2022 Tesla Model 3 after purchasing it from a used car dealership in Illinois last month. It rode smoothly and showed no issues during the test drive, but that changed when he tried to charge it.

When the first Tesla Supercharger didn’t work, Boycott tried several others before turning to the dealership and Tesla for help.

“I was told it was clean. The Carfax said it was clean, and I trusted that,” Boycott told CBS News.

A Tesla representative later informed him that “the car is currently unsupported for supercharging and warranties are voided due to [it being a] salvaged vehicle.”

Boycott said he didn’t initially understand why the word “salvage” appeared, until he reviewed the vehicle history report himself. It showed a “minor accident” prior to the sale.

The photos appeared to show minimal damage, but a Tesla technician later told Boycott that the repair “wasn’t done well,” classifying the vehicle as damaged.

“It was bad enough where they flagged it,” Boycott told the outlet.

He added that he had chosen a Tesla specifically because of the accessibility of the Supercharger network. “The whole reason I sought to purchase a Tesla over other EVs was for the wide network of Superchargers,” he said.

Tesla told him that connecting a damaged vehicle to a Supercharger poses a safety risk, which is why his car was blocked from the network.

The company does offer an inspection process for owners seeking to regain access, but Boycott said it comes at a steep cost. “You know, I don’t want to pay like $10,000 extra on a car that I already agreed to,” he said.

He remains in discussions with the dealership, which insists that the Illinois Secretary of State Police investigated and confirmed the car was never officially marked as salvaged.

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