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Tesla Owners Reported a £17,374 Repair Estimate After Driving in the Rain

Edinburgh Model Y owners reported a £17,374–£17,500 repair estimate after their car failed following a rainy outing, but the reports do not prove ordinary rain caused the damage.
Entry963 Date Time3 min MechanicCarCody Team
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Two Edinburgh Tesla Model Y owners said they were quoted £17,374–£17,500 after their car failed to start following a wet-weather dinner outing. The often-repeated “$20,000” headline is rounded; the reports describe an estimate relayed to the owners, not a confirmed amount paid or proof that ordinary rain caused the damage.

What happened to the Edinburgh Model Y?

Johnny Bacigalupo and Rob Hussey said their Tesla Model Y would not start after they had been out for dinner in wet weather. Bacigalupo said Tesla representatives attributed the problem to water ingress, describing the battery as effectively submerged, and gave an estimate of roughly £17,374 to £17,500. Daily Galaxy’s February 8, 2025 account gives £17,374; Carscoops’ October 16, 2023 report describes the estimate as about £17,500.

Daily Galaxy renders £17,374 as about $22,627. That is an approximate conversion attached to its report, not a separate repair figure. The “$20,000” phrasing in the headline is rounded shorthand for the reported estimate.

Bacigalupo told UNILAD, “When they said over 17 grand – it’s absolutely obscene. My heart missed a beat, honestly.” In Daily Galaxy’s account, he said: “They said that the battery is effectively submerged in water. How can that be our fault?” These are the owner’s accounts of what he was told; they are not an independently verified technical diagnosis or a statement from Tesla confirming the cause. UNILAD’s October 21, 2024 report repeats the owners’ account.

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Does this prove that rain damaged the battery?

No. The reports establish that the owners connected the failure to a rainy outing and said Tesla representatives described water damage. They do not include an independent inspection report, establish the water’s source or level, or distinguish ordinary rain exposure from standing water, flooding, or another event. The case therefore cannot show that routine driving in rain caused the battery failure or that this is a typical Tesla repair bill.

Does Tesla’s battery warranty cover water damage?

Tesla’s current US vehicle-warranty support page lists battery and drive-unit coverage by Model Y version. For the listed RWD and AWD versions it states eight years or 100,000 miles; for listed Premium and Performance versions it states eight years or 120,000 miles. Both include a minimum 70% battery-capacity retention condition. Tesla also says the warranty provided with the vehicle is the authoritative document. These US terms do not establish which warranty applied to this Scottish car or determine the outcome of an individual claim.

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Tesla’s Model 3 owner’s manual says water damage is not covered under warranty. It is useful general context, but it is not the exact Model Y warranty supplied to Bacigalupo and Hussey. Coverage depends on the applicable vehicle documents and the facts established for the specific claim.

What should owners do after suspected flooding or submersion?

  • Contact Tesla service. Follow the vehicle’s applicable warranty and Tesla’s service guidance. Tesla says warranty service must be performed through a Tesla Service Center; non-warranty maintenance or repair may be done at Tesla or a preferred non-Tesla service center.
  • Contact your insurer. Tesla’s cited manual advises contacting the insurer after flooding or submersion. That guidance does not establish that the Edinburgh owners filed a claim or received coverage.
  • Keep records of the event and diagnosis. Preserve service communications, estimates, inspection findings, and any relevant insurance correspondence so the cause and claim can be assessed against documented facts.
  • Do not open or tamper with the battery. Tesla’s manual says high-voltage systems must be serviced only by trained technicians and warns against opening or tampering with the battery. A suspected water-damaged high-voltage pack is not a DIY inspection or repair job.
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Was the quoted repair completed, or did insurance pay?

The cited reports do not verify whether the repair was completed, whether the owners ultimately paid the estimate, or whether an insurance claim covered any costs. They report the estimate and the owners’ account, not a confirmed final resolution.

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