Need help deciding the future of my LEAF.

[johnlocke]

Sell both the Leaf and the Volt. Buy a new 2022 Leaf or Leaf+. You'll get the bigger battery, new electronics, 100,000 mi warranty and get $7500 Federal Rebate plus any state rebate. It will cost you less than trying to find a salvaged battery and install it. You'll end up with a much nicer car and it will not cost a lot to do. Buying a used Tesla will cost almost as much as buying a new one except that you can't actually get a new Tesla until sometime next year.

[LeftieBiker]

Sell both the Leaf and the Volt. Buy a new 2022 Leaf or Leaf+. You'll get the bigger battery, new electronics, 100,000 mi warranty and get $7500 Federal Rebate plus any state rebate. It will cost you less than trying to find a salvaged battery and install it. You'll end up with a much nicer car and it will not cost a lot to do. Buying a used Tesla will cost almost as much as buying a new one except that you can't actually get a new Tesla until sometime next year.

You're not wrong. I'm assuming, though, that the OP has a certain attachment to the old Leaf, and that he and his wife don't really need a new car. If I'm mistaken, though, your suggestion is the best.

[mwalsh]

Definitely not looking for a new car. Though there certainly are a lot more choices these days if that's what I was after doing.

[Drew21]

If you are open to parting with one or both cars you also have to consider that they'll likely never be worth as much as they are right now. Of course, a replacement used or new car will also cost more at the moment, so...

It seems like early Leafs are worth less because of the known battery issues and the less efficient heaters, but since you've got a newer battery pack and are located in CA you've got a leg up there as well. Of course, you did mention some paint issues which will lower the value of the Leaf.

Just something to think about.

Having said that, if I didn't drive much, and if the Leaf covered most of the my driving, I would probably roll with it and rent an ICE vehicle when I needed to take a longer trip. If you work the numbers you might find that it's way cheaper to rent a vehicle a few times a year than to buy/insure/maintain one that you don't drive much.

[nlspace]

+1 Drew

[cwerdna]

Haven't had time to think of this but my 1st instinct was no way on a used Model S. Reliability is spotty at best and it can become a money pit once bits are of warranty (e.g. battery pack, MCU, drive unit, half shafts (e.g. https://teslamotorsclub.com/tmc/threads ... nty.93857/), door handles, etc.)

Google for these to get an idea of costs, if it happens:
model s drive unit out of warranty site:teslamotorsclub.com
model s pack out of warranty site:teslamotorsclub.com (e.g. https://teslamotorsclub.com/tmc/threads ... -s.221438/ and https://teslamotorsclub.com/tmc/threads ... 950/page-2). BTW, wk057 is a very knowledgeable guy.

In late 2020, Model S had a pretty poor showing at https://web.archive.org/web/20201123161 ... able-cars/. Click on Tesla. And, it was for that year in the bottom 10 in reliability: https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/ca ... 337648002/.

Other than the current crazy used car market, you could consider a used Bolt. GM dealers cannot sell unrepaired ones but some might have some repaired ones now (see near bottom of https://www.donohoochevrolet.com/blogs/ ... s-incoming). Non-GM dealer sources can sell GM cars w/open recalls. Even if the pack hasn't been replaced, you can get the 883 80% temp limiter applied (it's on my '19). See https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/rcl/2021/R ... 0-3931.pdf, including the last page. You can then check via 1 of methods at top of https://www.chevybolt.org/threads/batte ... ary.41131/ to see when it's eligible for a pack. If it gets flipped to 881 w/no more "remedy not yet available", dealer can order a replacement pack.

All '17 to '19 Bolt owners got this letter: https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/rcl/2021/R ... 0-4200.pdf, so the replacement pack will have about 8% more capacity than a new one and the 8 year/100K battery warranty will start over w/the new pack. ('20 to '22 Bolts won't have any additional capacity).

That said, there have been ridiculous Bolt parking bans (e.g. https://www.chevybolt.org/threads/bolt- ... ost-663639). Not sure if the window clings (https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/rcl/2021/R ... 0-7907.pdf and https://www.autoblog.com/2022/01/04/che ... ecall-fix/) will help change things.

BTW, I own a '19 Bolt (bought new at end of Jan 2019) and finally got a buyback offer (began 9/14/21). The offer is good enough that due to the Federal tax credit (which they didn't and probably cannot deduct) and my low usage in miles, I'm getting all my $ back and likely making a slight profit (relates to the extended warranty I bought which I will only receive a pro-rated refund for and have to take up w/that warranty company). Hope to have Bolt surrendered by 1/28/22 when my CA tags expire. My Bolt was already flipped to 881 over a month ago. So, if the dealer is able to buy the car from GM, they can order a pack, install it and put it up for sale.

Will write more later when I have time.

[solartim]

Have you looked at the VW ID.4? Very reasonable price, plus you get the full warranty and the tax credits. It will take a while to receive, but any new car will now, unless you're paying a dealer premium.

[mwalsh]

OK. Decision reached. And the decision is - do nothing. LOL! At least not for now.

I'm going to keep the LEAF as-is for the moment as I continue research the upgrade options (Dala, EVs Enhanced, Simon André, etc...) with the expectation that the process becomes more mature, full kits that include all the hardware and electronics become available, and 64kWh packs become more readily available from salvage vehicles.

In the meantime, I will hedge my bets by continuing to remind (OK, harass) my neighbor over selling me his Model S at the trade in value he's offered if and when he comes to sell it. I don't think I could go too wrong with his VERY babied car.

[watchdoc]

Have you looked at the VW ID.4? Very reasonable price, plus you get the full warranty and the tax credits. It will take a while to receive, but any new car will now, unless you're paying a dealer premium.

Worst UI ever combined with slow screens was a deal breaker for me.

[SageBrush]

Have you looked at the VW ID.4? Very reasonable price, plus you get the full warranty and the tax credits. It will take a while to receive, but any new car will now, unless you're paying a dealer premium.

Worst UI ever combined with slow screens was a deal breaker for me.

VW software woes were top news for months, but when I took a VW.4 test drive I was not bothered by the interface at all. I may have changed my opinion during ownership, but I think a lot of it has to do with how much and in what way you use the car. E.g., I rarely use the 'entertainment' options, and I don't care much if my phone is connected to the car.