Abandoned Tesla Model S stuck in parking lot for months won’t move an inch, mechanic wants to restore it but there’s a problem

  • This Tesla Model S was left in a parking lot for months
  • Despite knowing some faults, this mechanic thought he could get a ‘dirt cheap’ fix
  • Would it be a happy ending?

Published on Jan 15, 2025 at 9:55 PM (UTC+4)
by Jack Marsh

Last updated on Jan 15, 2025 at 9:55 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by Tom Wood

A mechanic whose latest restoration job is an abandoned Tesla Model S has hit a major problem.

The electric car is one of the best on the market, but somebody has discarded this EV for pastures new.

Instead of dominating the roads, it was stuck in a parking lot for months.

Now, it won’t move an inch, and its restoration is facing massive issues.

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Mechanic claims he could fix an abandoned Tesla Model S for ‘dirt cheap’

Abandoned EVs are quite rare knowing that they haven’t been around for all too long, never mind the high-end Teslas.

But this Tesla Model S 85 Performance was left to its deathbed.

That was until one man thought that he could save it.

The car was bought for $7,000, which is some way off its original $50,000 brand-new price, while most second-hand 85 models are coming in between $15-25,000 depending on usage.

Over on the WatchJRGo YouTube channel, the mechanic thought this would be the perfect fix-up job after being told about it by a friend.

“I think I can fix this for dirt cheap and it would be a great car to have,” he said.

However, upon inspection, this car had major issues.

Aside from being put on blocks and being abandoned in the open for months, the car also wouldn’t go into gear and the engine wouldn’t spark to life.

Once it was jump-started, an array of errors flashed up, including cautions about power and charging, speed and performance, and the brakes and gears.

It also turns out that the battery is defunct, which instantly ramped up the cost of this restoration.

Tesla Restoration his massive problems

Having already found a mountain of problems with this abandoned Tesla, the car continued to throw more bad news at the mechanic.

The suspension refused to rise after being let down months ago, the coolant was rusty and leaked, and the large drive unit appeared to be needing of a replacement.

Overall, the YouTube personality was quoted roughly $22,000 for the repairs, and that became a huge issue.

So what happened to the Tesla?

Well, this project was first started back in December 2022, and since then the WatchJRGo channel has been populated with videos on a near-daily basis.

Just not with the Tesla.

Unless the car has been discarded again – or remains in his garage two years later – then the abandoned Tesla Model S has been sold for parts, as the mechanic suggested that he might in the last installment of this series on the channel.

It’s quite a shame for this Model S, as the fabled cars are extremely well-liked by road users and loved by racers, who modify the EV to become a beast on racetracks, such as the custom ‘Dark Helmet’.

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Jack Marsh is a journalist who started his media career after graduating with a degree in Journalism from the University of Chester. With five years of experience in gaming, and entertainment, he also has a passion for fantasy novels and sports.