Tesla owner was apparently locked out of his car until he paid $26,000 for a new battery

While Tesla dominates half of the EV market, not everyone’s pleased with their electric vehicles.

One such person is Mario Zelaya, who goes by @supermariozelaya on TikTok.

Zelaya experienced his fair share of trails and tribulations with his $140,000 Model S – and he didn’t mince his words, calling it a “piece of trash”.

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The TikToker previously posted videos saying he was trying to sell his Tesla because its battery died, meaning he was locked out of it.

Initially, it seemed Zelaya’s only options were to dismantle the car to get in – which he said he didn’t have time to do – or buy a new battery, which he claimed would set him back $26,000.

The world’s highest-mileage Tesla had 13 replacement motors and three battery packs during a ten-year period.

Instead, Zelaya decided enough was enough and the car had to go up for sale, however, he faced one major problem.

“I can’t sell the car because the ownership papers are in the car, and I have no way of accessing it,” he said in one of his videos.

Fortunately for Zelaya, though, there was an easy fix.

He visited ServiceOntario – the Canadian version of the DMV – and paid $30 to get the ownership papers.

Zelaya has since confirmed that he’s successfully sold the vehicle.

When the new owner came to pick it up, they managed to turn it on by popping open the front and turning on the power through there.

But why did Zelaya’s battery die?

He claims his 2013 Model S experienced water leaking into the battery, causing it to stop working.

Apparently, he’d been in contact with other motorists who’d allegedly experienced the same issue, too.

In the 2012-2020 Model S user manual guide on the Tesla website for the US and Canada, it said that “damage caused by water is not covered under warranty”.

It also added: “If you leave it unplugged for an extended period, it may not be possible to charge or use Model S without jump starting or replacing the low voltage battery.

“Leaving Model S unplugged for an extended period can also result in permanent battery damage. If you are unable to charge Model S after attempting to jump start the low voltage battery, schedule a service appointment.”

Tesla hit the headlines recently when the automaker recalled almost two million vehicles in the US due to safety concerns related to the Autopilot feature.

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