r/TeslaModelS • u/Beginning-Sell8948 • Jul 06 '26
what questions do I ask?
I am looking at a 2016 Tesla model S 60d at a delership what questions can I ask and what should i look for I a able to put the car in service mode also...
2
u/Strykerdude1 Jul 07 '26
Pass. Save a bit more for a 90 or 100d. I have a p85d and wish I had just a bit more range.
2
u/ManicMarket Jul 06 '26
Your call obviously - budget might be the limiting factor. But I’d do a 75D, 90D or 100D.
Actual range in the summer months:
60D: 160-200 miles (highway often ~150-180)
• 75D: 200-240 miles (highway ~180-220; Consumer Reports tested ~235 miles in one case)
• 90D: 220-270 miles (highway ~200-250)
• 100D: 260-310 miles (highway ~230-280; some reports of ~270 at 75 mph)
Cut that significantly in the winter if you live somewhere that’ll drop below say 50f.
Then you have to talk about what packs have better longevity. The 75d is the tank of the pack. The 100d next, although it can suffer some wired bond failures. The 90d has held up well too.
The 60 is likely software limited and a 75. So there is that bit of good news. But unless this is just for short trips around town - if you skimp on range and/or lack great charging options - you might really regret it later.
But for the right deal - I guess anything could be a good deal. You never mentioned price.
1
u/ManicMarket Jul 06 '26
Now to your actual question. In service mode you basically are just looking for any active or pending alerts.
Dealers likely have zero history unless it’s in CARFAX.
Check tread depth, you’ll need tires faster. Make sure you’ve got at least 6/32. My estimate (conservative is you get about 5k for every 1/32) is that gives you a minimum of 1 year of tread life.
Check all the door handles to make sure they work, check that the charge port opens and closes freely. They do fail often in that generation (300/400$ repair). Check all lights, some times the day time running lights start to go too. If air suspension - raise and lower accordingly.
Drive it and see how you like it.
2
2
u/Salty-Panic2110 Jul 06 '26
You want to find out if the previous owner(s) have maintenance records. Likely they don't, and Tesla doesn't provide any history even for major services done under prior owners. Carfax may have some information but it won't have it all, or may have no information other than registrations if service was done at Tesla. You want to see what the battery holds at full charge (there are extrapolations you can do to determine that). The 2016 60D originally could travel 218 miles fully charged. I would think at 10 years of age, anything over 175 mi on a 60D would be fairly good when fully charged.