Man buys the cheapest Tesla Model S in Britain for $6,025 and quickly finds out if he's made a big mistake

This guy in the UK spent around $6,000 to buy a non-running Tesla Model S 70, and things were even worse than expected.

The car was very cheap, but it was so cheap for a reason, because its mechanical condition was in poor shape.

It was even worse than he thought, actually, and he ended up having to spend a pretty penny on it.

The total cost of the project will make you wonder whether it was worth it.

This is what some people call a ‘legacy’ Model S

A few years ago, Tesla completely revolutionized the Model S (and Model X) lineup by making a few key changes and simplifying the naming system.

In 2019, Tesla changed the naming scheme to Standard Range, Long Range, and Performance.

This made things simpler because, up until that point, Tesla had been using a complicated system which comprised numbers (60, 70, 75, 85, 90, 100) and letters – like random Ps or Ds thrown in there.

In theory, the numbers were supposed to refer to the battery pack (kWh) and the letters stood for Performance and Dual Motor, but it was still a bit confusing, and there were way too many models.

Like a menu with seven different types of steak and five ways to cook eggs.

The Tesla Model S you see here is a legacy model, a 2016 S 70, which partly explains why there were so many issues.

This is what went wrong with this vehicle

When Tesla updated the Model S in 2019, they didn’t just change the name but they also updated the software.

Translated, pre-2019 Teslas are more difficult to fix, which is a problem because they’re generally also a bit less reliable.

In his case, YouTuber OGS & Mechanics bought a non-running Tesla Model S 70 with 184,000 miles on the clock for £4,500 – or around $6,000.

It became immediately clear that the situation was pretty bad.

The car wouldn’t start and showed multiple error codes.

Then, the YouTuber and his team removed the rear motor and discovered significant coolant leakage within the inverter and motor housing.

Trouble didn’t end with the new motor because they then had to reinstall the firmware and adapt it to the new powertrain.

At that point, the car became drivable again, but this revealed another problem because the front suspension was dangerously damaged and had to be replaced.

All in all, considering the cost of the new motor and labor, he ended up having to invest an additional $8,000.

So we’re looking at a $14,000 tab for a 10-year-old Tesla Model S.

That’s not too terrible, but probably not great either.

Tesla Model S 70 key specs

Battery pack: 70 kWh

Powertrain: 315 horsepower (70) or 329 horsepower (70D, Dual Motor)

0-60 5.5 seconds (70), 5.2 seconds (70D)

Top speed: 140 mph (225 km/h), 143 mph (230 km/h)

EPA range: 230/370 miles/kilometers (70), 240/386 miles/kilometers (70D)