Connecticut man takes Tesla Model S to CarMax for them to buy it back only 5 months after he bought it and receives surprising appraisal
Published on Mar 17, 2026 at 4:40 PM (UTC+4)
by Ben Thompson
Last updated on Mar 17, 2026 at 4:40 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Amelia Jean Hershman-Jones
After five months of ownership, this man took his Tesla Model S into CarMax where he received a surprising appraisal.
YouTuber Out of Spec Dave was sharing the ‘bittersweet’ experience of selling his 2021 Tesla Model S Refresh to CarMax.
A series of mechanical issues had proven too much for him, so he’d decided to move on.
When he took the car in for negotiations with CarMax, he was surprised with the figure that he was offered.
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What happened when this man took his Tesla Model S into CarMax
When Dave first purchased this Model S from CarMax, he did so for $93,000 – and was initially pleased with the car.
But his contentment with the Tesla’s range and charging speed didn’t last for long, as frequent service visits started stacking up.
A peeling Yoke steering wheel prompted a visit to Tesla, while three door handle failures in five months marred the experience further.
The power seat also had some issues, and he discovered that the rear quarter panel had been repainted.
All in all, the honeymoon period had come to an end, and Dave wanted to part ways.
Tesla offered him a low-ball trade-in price of $61,000 – a lot lower than hoped, partly because of a cooling used car market.
This prompted him to turn to CarMax in hopes of more.
Although he had added $5,000 Martian Wheels and had only driven the car 9,000 miles, Dave ultimately accepted their disappointing offer of $75,000.
It was significantly lower than he’d paid, but he cut his losses and accepted it for his own ‘peace of mind’.
These appraisals can often bring big surprises
When one woman took in her Tesla Cybertruck for an appraisal with CarMax, she was given a surprising offer.
It was a similar story when one man brought in his minivan that had been featured on Pimp My Ride.
One Utah man was left stunned by what he was offered for his Cybertruck.
It really can go either way – either a nice surprise or a bitter disappointment.
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Following stints at LadBible, The Sun, The New York Post, and the Daily Mail, Ben joined the team full-time in February 2025. In his role as Senior Content Writer, his sparkling copy, the ability to sniff out a good story at 100 paces, and a GSOH quickly led to him becoming an integral and invaluable member of the writing staff.
