My Tesla's Warranty Replacement Battery Has 50km Less Range Than Original, And The Service Manager Compared It to 'Worn Pistons' in a Gas Engine

There was a time when Tesla was the golden child of the automotive world, the Silicon Valley disruptor sent to break the backs of Detroit’s bloated giants. It was the car of the future, a rolling iPhone that promised a cleaner, greener, and more exciting way to get from A to B. But as the years have passed, the cracks in the foundation have started to show. The software updates that were supposed to make your car faster sometimes do the opposite, the promised Full Self-Driving still isn't fully self-driving, and now, as some owners are learning, even Tesla’s warranty isn’t as solid as you might think.  

From EV Innovator to Warranty Nightmare

Take Ryan Quirico, a Canadian Model 3 owner who recently found himself at the mercy of Tesla’s definition of “customer service.” His car, bought in 2021, was a joy to drive, until, at just 77,150 km, his battery pack bricked itself.

Tesla replaced it under warranty, but there was a catch: the refurbished battery they installed had 50 km less range than his original pack. When he pressed Tesla for answers, he got a response that would make any internal combustion enthusiast chuckle. The service manager compared his situation to a gas engine losing power over time due to worn pistons. That might sound reasonable if you don’t think too hard about it—except, of course, that gas engines degrade over hundreds of thousands of kilometers, and when they do, you can rebuild them. You can’t exactly crack open a Tesla battery and replace a few worn rings.  

Quirico’s 50km Range Loss & Customer Service Fail

Food  for thought when buying a Tesla and your battery pack fails . “ Warranty”  replacement packs are garbage.
https://www.tesla.com/en_ca/support/vehicle-warranty
Lessons learned ,look closer at your warranty especially for your battery.  But even after that, nowhere does it say inside Tesla‘s warranty that your pack will have a lot less range because it’s a refurbished battery 
I’ll admit that I did enjoy driving it since purchasing in March 2021 .  But after this recent warranty issue with the battery pack,  I would never suggest to anyone ever to purchase a Tesla. 
There’s so many places that I can’t get to anymore because my display range has dropped 50km , its Sickening

Since sending the below email out to the Tesla western Canada regional service manager. I’ve received a response, telling me that there’s nothing he can do and it meets all the requirements of Tesla .  He used the analogy of a gas engine losing its horsepower overtime because of worn pistons.  😂 
I asked him why my battery failed and he said it was a “bricked battery”. (Google it if you want the full explanation of what that is)
 So now I’m left with 53 km less range that has  vanished from my 4 year old vehicle that had 77,150km on it when my battery pack “bricked”
February 5, 2025 . 
This is the email I sent to Tesla western Canada regional service manager .
I am reaching out because I’m struggling to understand the performance of the remanufactured battery pack in my vehicle. Specifically, that it only charges to 340 km—and sometimes even less—despite the conditions being favorable. For reference, I’ve attached two photos one from December 3, 2024 at my home temperature around 4 to 6° C and December 19, 2024, taken at a supercharger in underground parking located in Vancouver, B.C., where the temperature ranged between 10°C and 13°C.
After the most recent service, the battery pack charged to 344 km, but this was under optimal conditions inside your shop, where the temperature was likely between 20°C and 22°C. I’ve also included a photo of this for your reference. 
For comparison, the loaner Model 3 , I currently have—with the same battery pack—charges to 389 km at 100% capacity with 50,636 km even at  temperatures ranging from +4°  to -5 C at my home  February 4, 2025 . This discrepancy raises significant concerns with my replacement battery and why it only charges to a maximum of 340km range given cold or optimal temperatures. 
Based on this data and our discussion yesterday, I am not confident that the battery pack will perform any better in the spring or summer. It appears the charging capability is capped at max to approximately 344 km, which doesn’t seem right since I bought a vehicle that would charge up to 393 km. I understand that that after 77,145 km there would be some battery degradation and still charged to 386km + or - like I discussed with you , however what it charges to  
now is not sufficient.
Given these circumstances, I am requesting that a different battery pack be installed in my vehicle to determine whether this resolves the issue.

4-Year Basic, 8-Year Battery, But What’s Really Covered??

• Tesla vehicles come with a standard 4-year/50,000-mile basic warranty and an 8-year battery and drive unit warranty (with mileage limits that vary by model). However, some owners report that certain coverage details remain ambiguous, leaving room for interpretation in claim disputes.
• Numerous Tesla owners have experienced inconsistent warranty service outcomes, including delays in repairs and challenges in getting specific issues—such as panel repairs, electronics glitches, or battery performance concerns—addressed in a timely manner.
• Despite comprehensive warranty promises on paper, rapid sales growth and an expanding but still limited service network in some regions have sometimes led to prolonged wait times for parts and appointments, prompting calls for clearer policies and enhanced after-sales support.

Why Tesla Owners Can’t Fix Their Cars

This isn’t just a one-off event. Tesla’s refurbished packs are a known quantity in the EV world, and not necessarily in a good way. Unlike traditional automakers, which typically replace defective powertrains with brand-new or fully remanufactured units built to factory spec, Tesla often reuses battery modules from previously failed packs. These “remanufactured” batteries meet Tesla’s internal standards, but those standards appear to be a moving target. And, crucially, Tesla doesn’t provide customers the option to pay the difference for a brand-new pack instead. You get what they give you, and you’re supposed to be grateful.  

This level of opacity in Tesla’s service model is nothing new, but it’s getting harder to ignore. With a traditional car, if your engine blows up, you can take it to any number of independent mechanics or shops to get it rebuilt or replaced. 

Why Competitors Guarantee New Batteries

You have options. But with Tesla? The company controls every step of the process. You can’t buy a replacement battery off the shelf, and you can’t take your car to an independent shop to have it swapped for something better. You’re stuck playing Tesla’s game, and they hold all the cards.  

This raises a bigger question: What happens as more Teslas age out of their original battery packs? Right now, Tesla’s competitors—GM, Ford, Hyundai—are all rolling out EVs with long-term battery warranties that **guarantee** performance. Hyundai, for example, explicitly states that its EV batteries will be replaced with **new** packs if they degrade below warranty limits. Tesla? They’re the Spirit Airlines of warranties: technically covering you, but never in the way you’d expect.  

What’s Next?

Quirico’s experience should serve as a warning for anyone looking to buy a Tesla in 2025. The company that once made EVs exciting now feels increasingly indifferent to the people who actually own them. And if Tesla continues to treat its customers like beta testers in a grand experiment, the EV buyers of tomorrow might start looking elsewhere.

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.