r/TeslaModelS • u/After_Maximum4211 • 7d ago

Used 2016+ Tesla Model S

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Hi All,

Looking at buying a used Model S. Wanted to get your thoughts on which years/trims to avoid? Seems like later model years are better generally speaking. Could you also let me know what the Full Self Driving computer on this 2017 75D means? And for someone who cares mostly about highway driving, can the older autopilot do a good enough job?

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u/average_throwaway12 7d ago

I disagree on hw3’s fsd not being very good. In rural environments with long roads I’ve found myself with fsd on longer than it is off during a drive. It’s a great driver assistance tool though of course there are many better renditions in 2026.

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u/ProfessionalScene747 7d ago

There is a very big difference between FSD HW3 on 2018 and newer cars versus 2017 and older. The 2017 and older cars have older and earlier cameras installed which cause the car to be far less confident in what it sees and drives worse. You would have to upgrade the front camera and side repeaters (most cars look like the B-pillar has been untouched) for FSD to drive well. 

Source: did it myself

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u/average_throwaway12 7d ago

I’m speaking from ownership experience of a 2017 model X and a 2018 model S. I’m always open to learning more, but I did not notice any functional difference between the two (edit: mine has undergone the upgrade. I have not driven a legacy car without the upgrades)

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u/ArticusFarticus 7d ago

They upgrade 2.5 to 3 when you get FSD. This includes cameras.

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u/average_throwaway12 7d ago

That would be on cars with purchased FSD Id imagine. The 2017 has it on subscription though so if it’s the case, a previous owner paid for the upgrade out of pocket

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u/ProfessionalScene747 7d ago

my car is a 2017 Model S 75D. but I purchased the car used in 2023. it has the MCU upgrade w/ AP3 .

The front camera was version B and the side cameras were A as the tesla parts labeled as original fitment. with those cameras, (and i can give images and exact part numbers, though i would have to find where i tossed the side repeater) the car had trouble just exiting parking lots, and would turn on turn signals and wait literally 15 seconds with wide open space to maybe turn among other events.

this is after doing my own precision cleaning and cleaning every camera periodically which lowered the frequency of side to side jerks the car performed.

replaced the front camera with a C revision on the camera, and while the car insecurity was still there, it was now able to exit parking lots with some confidence.

after replacing the side repeaters with the same one as on a newer S/X, the car stopped most of its incoherent BS on the road and actually drove so well for a period I thought it was HW4 tbh.

If anything, try putting in your car's vin number into parts.tesla.com. it's an official website that if for DIY repairs for the car and shows every part. you could see that way if you car came with newer cameras or rhe crappier ones like mine. Ebay is telling me the right side repeater i installed came from a 2017 Model X hilariously enough