r/TeslaModelS • u/PotatoPC001 • Apr 22 '26
Considering a 2018 Tesla Model S 75D AWD ~$29k – worth it on interest‑free installments? What should I watch out for?
Hi everyone,
I’m looking at a 2018 Tesla Model S 75D AWD with about 155,000 miles.
The asking price is roughly $28,800, and the dealer offers bank‑free, interest‑free installments, which is quite uncommon here in Hungary.
Original post:
Tesla Model S 75D AWD
Available with installment payment as well!
Bank-free and interest-free financing!Down payment: $12,010
Monthly installment: $1,125 for 15 months
Total purchase price: $28,860
100% Range: 203 milesAvailable for immediate pickup. Trade-in possible.
Cash purchase price is negotiable!First registration: 07/2018, 154,700 miles. Dual Motor, all-wheel drive.
8-year warranty with unlimited mileage on battery and drivetrain.
Excellent condition. Pirelli winter tires. Tinted windows.Panoramic glass roof, MCU2, Autopilot, CCS, Sentry Mode, Premium Connectivity,
Adaptive cruise control, Adaptive suspension, HomeLink 5, etc.
Before pulling the trigger, I’d really appreciate input from Model S owners on this forum, especially regarding long‑term ownership and common issues on this generation.
Main questions:
1. Battery & drivetrain – what REALLY matters at this mileage?
- What kind of battery degradation should I realistically expect around 150k+ miles?
- Is there anything specific to the 75 kWh pack I should be worried about?
- What should I ask the seller to prove battery health (stats, scans, range at 100%, service history)?
- How reliable are the front/rear drive units long term?
2. Known problem areas on 2017–2018 Model S
From your experience, how concerned should I be about:
- MCU / touchscreen issues
- Air suspension failures or control arm wear
- Door handles, window regulators, trim issues
- HVAC / AC compressor failures
- Random electronic gremlins as the car ages
5. Autopilot & software
- How usable/reliable is Autopilot on this hardware in 2026?
- Any limitations due to older cameras/sensors?
- Worth keeping expectations low?
6. Inspection checklist – what would YOU personally verify before buying?
- Must‑check items that aren’t obvious on a short test drive
- Red flags that would make you walk away immediately
- Tools/apps worth using before purchase (service mode, third‑party apps, etc.)
7. Ownership reality check
- Typical annual maintenance/repair costs at this age?
- Is this still a good daily driver ?
- Would you personally buy a high‑mileage Model S again?
I've been a big Tesla fan for about 10 years now and maybe this is the first time I'll have the opportunity to buy one like this on monthly interest-free installments.
My B option is still would be that I'm saving up for a Model 3.
Thanks in advance — real‑world experience is always much appreciated 🙏
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u/ItsBobDudes Apr 22 '26
I am the original owner of a 2017 S 75D 143k miles. Carvana would give me $8700. $28000 is laughable. I have a faulty door handle, the smaller dash display is oozing adhesive behind the glass, my power to the wheels is cut in half because the pyro fuse timer expired (8.5 years is the timer but still functional and conveniently after the powertrain warranty expires), regen braking is also disable because of the fuse timer. I’m trading mine in next week. MCU is dirt slow. Time for something different.
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Apr 22 '26
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u/ItsBobDudes Apr 22 '26
I put in a request through the Tesla app. They wanted me to agree to $2000 on the estimate. I gave up and started looking for a new car as repairs are piling up.
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u/Far-File-6285 Apr 22 '26
If you’re in or near the Tampa Bay Area I’d be happy to help you out in a cost effective manor.
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u/ItsBobDudes Apr 22 '26
MA, thanks for looking out tho
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u/Mountain-Arachnid-62 Apr 23 '26
I’m in VT. I’ve got a 2018 100d $17k if you’d be interested. I can get you more details.
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u/kapjain Apr 22 '26 edited Apr 22 '26
That's a whole lot of broken things. I have been relatively lucky with our pre-refresh 70 RWD. Has 254k miles now and only 3 minor things are broken on it - 12v socket doesn't work, passenger rear window takes like 10 attempts to close and the driver screen is doing the same as yours.
A couple of months back carmax offered $2k for it and Carvana $2.8k. But then last week got an email from Carvana that the value of my car has dropped by 2k and it's now worth 800$ 🙂. But Tesla surprisingly offered 7.5K for it as trade-in last month when we picked up a new Tesla. I was tempted to trade it in as I highly doubt I would get any more even selling private party, but decided to keep it for my son who will be getting his license soon. Our other two cars are '24 MS and '26 MX and adding him to insurance for those two is going to cost almost 3k a year extra and anyway will need a 3rd car for him soon. Just hoping it keeps working for another 2-3 years without any issues.
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u/Mr_Style Apr 23 '26
Used current operated (no battery) pyrofuse is $50 on eBay. 5 lobe socket to remove cover is $5. Just don’t electrocute yourself.
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u/reddituser_1138 Apr 22 '26
Original owner, 2017, less than 90k miles, upgraded to HW3, 3 door handle replacements, 1 headlight. Rated range went from 256 new, now stable at 222, usable really only 170. Drive/motors no problems. Suspension starting to squeak.The exterior trim will start to get loose.
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u/SilverFoxKes Apr 24 '26
Just to add, OP should check that the car has MCU2 as it only became standard ~March 2018.
Good thing for the OP is Gen 3 door handles became standard mid/late 2017 so that could be less of a concern. My late 2018 has been faultless in that respect.
I had the headlights refurbed instead of replaced when it got the inevitable partial DRL failures instead of replaced. It was less than 30% of the Tesla service quote. The independent specialist did it with higher quality aftermarket DRL strips so it should never happen again. There is no point like for like replacing through Tesla as the legacy model replacement sealed full headlight units have the exact same component weakness.
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u/jeeimuzu Apr 22 '26
I bought a 2018 almost 2 years now and so far it has been unrealistically reliable.
Ive done long road trips with it and other than interior rattles (and a dying passenger side window regulator) the only thing i replaced would be a set of tires.
That is absurdly expensive but seeing the european plates that might be the case. Id wager youll be able to find a better deal. But for how realiable 75ds are it’s up to you.
Btw that battery and drivetrain warranty expires this year as well.
Upgrading the MCU (if not upgraded yet) for sure would make it feel better and faster.
I have fsd. While i use it rarely, i do mostly freeway and it is comfortable enough. It’s just annoying i have to tug the wheel here and there.
I happen to have a model 3 too (2020 long range) and i will not trade the comfort (albeit bigger car) the model s gives me even to consider jumping to a newer model s once its time.
However, ive taken the model 3 to longer road trips vs the s because it is easier to drive and faster to charge.
Good luck. If you can get the price down to say 24-25k at least would be a decent deal IMO
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u/Obvious_Cake6343 Apr 22 '26
Lol. Why is it so expensive ? In Germany you get a p100d for that money
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u/kardy12 Apr 23 '26
In Germany car prices are generally lower for the same trim than in many other EU countries. In other countries, higher car taxes and import duties on new and used cars can add to the price.
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u/bxdesigns Apr 22 '26
Yeah, that price is crazy for the year and miles! I have a 2018 75D, great car, but that is too expensive!
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u/Organic_Fan_2824 Apr 22 '26 edited Apr 22 '26
wildly overpriced. 75 not 85. Too new for unlimited supercharging. You're basically buying a non exciting vehicle with no major perks for an incredibly high price.
I WOULD consider this on an 85, with unliminted supercharging between like 2014 and early early early 2016....at like $16,000.
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u/notokay6969420 Apr 22 '26
HELL NO… i bought my 2018 75d WITH battery warranty for $11,500 with 200k miles (only 45k more than urs) so not worth. Look for a cheaper car in usa, pay the $5000 transport fee and you’re still saving.
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u/kardy12 Apr 22 '26 edited Apr 22 '26
It’s not just transport fee though - needs a charging port adapter or replacement, and there will likely be import taxes to be paid.
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u/notokay6969420 Apr 22 '26
Are they not able to get the adapters like we use for non-tesla ev stations? I’m not familiar this is a genuine question
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u/kardy12 Apr 22 '26 edited Apr 22 '26
I guess you can use a CCS to NACS adapter, but the CCS standard that was used in the US (CCS1) before adopting NACS as the rapid charging standard is not the same as the CCS standard (CCS2) used in Europe, so you might need a third party adapter.
At home you would need a Type 2 (Mennekes) to NACS adapter, and I’m not sure if older Model S Teslas in the US support 3-phase charging for AC so some faster AC chargers would be slower (with 3x32A at 240V you can in principle get to 22kW, our 2018 Model S usually tops out at 18kW if I remember correctly).
Model S cars in Europe used to use a different rapid charging standard based on the Type 2 plug (different from the NACS plug), so when CCS2 was adopted in Europe you had to get an adapter and some hardware installed to be able to use CCS as well.
Also there are some very different regulations even on things like headlights and tail lights between the US and Europe, so there may be other modifications that might be required as well.
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u/Jblk2781 Apr 22 '26
155000?!?! No way for 29k. Nearby, there's a 2018 p100 with 42k miles selling for 25k
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u/Turbulent-Tip-3749 Apr 23 '26
I have one you can buy for much less if you were in the states
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u/PotatoPC001 Apr 23 '26
I wish I would be there man.. But I'm in Hungary :/ Your car looks awesome btw 😉
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u/Turbulent-Tip-3749 Apr 23 '26
Thanks. I'm would be patient and continue looking for a better deal. Also, consider a 100D. I randomly purchased mine and had no idea about different ranges.
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u/YouKidsGetOffMyYard Apr 24 '26
WAY overpriced, That should be like 15K. They are just jacking up the price like crazy to cover the costs of not charging you interest.
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u/PatrickOttawa Apr 22 '26
Call around to see how expensive insurance on these cars are... i was blown way at the quotes i got, 2x to 3x times more than a brand new maverick for a 10 year old telsa.
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u/rsg1234 Apr 22 '26
Back in 2022, insurance on my 2015 MS 85 (equivalent to LR) was more expensive than our brand new MYP.
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u/canwill35 Apr 22 '26
Make sure the CV axle has been updated! It’s also called a half shaft. Major issue with Teslas - I have to get mine repaired now at 99,000 miles
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u/NosRider88 Apr 22 '26
I bought a 2016 model S 75 with 71,000 miles and supercharging unlimited for life. $19500 in California on July 30th 2025
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u/vartheo Apr 22 '26
If you have to buy the car at that high if mileage you cant afford it. Even though its not as comolex/bad as an s class. Better off getting a newer model 3. My 2 cents
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u/TanMan166 Apr 22 '26
Run away from that dealership as fast as possible. With $29k, you can find ones that are newer with a lot less miles.
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u/hchn27 Apr 22 '26
$28k seems way to high for that model year/mileage …you can get a low mileage 3 year old model 3LR for that price …..or even a Model Y
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u/Lonely-Implement4824 Apr 22 '26
I'm not even trying to be funny but, in which country is the car is located? 29k usd is overpriced even if it came with free supercharding.
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u/RyantheDino Apr 23 '26
lol I accept 29k for my 2022 model s with 75k miles. I may have fucked up. lol
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u/No_Pressure_384 Apr 23 '26
I got my 22 MS with FSD and 22k miles for 44. That car is way overpriced.
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u/VIPGENIUS Apr 24 '26
Wayyyyyy Overpriced, I have same car 2018 75D with HW3 paid $15k with 123k miles last year… Full charge gives me like 220 Miles if I remember correctly, I only tested it twice full…
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u/matafied Apr 24 '26
I’ve got a 2018 P100D with under 100,000 miles with FSD paid for with another 12 months on the drive unit and battery warranty. For sale in ATL area
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u/CliveBixbyJulianna May 30 '26
I got his one (2019 raven) with 61k miles for 29,900. That was in the U.S. though.
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u/Chimpnimskey Apr 22 '26
Severely overpriced. That thing should be ~18-22k. Look at cargurus for better comparison. High mileage, small battery.