[barkingtoad]

Most common car repairs 2015:

Replacing an oxygen sensor – $249 - Teslas don't have these

Replacing a catalytic converter – $1,153 - Teslas don't have these

Replacing ignition coil(s) and spark plug(s) – $390 - Teslas don't have these

Tightening or replacing a fuel cap – $15 - Teslas have a charging port cover, and it breaks

Thermostat replacement – $210 - Teslas don't have these (in engines)

Replacing ignition coil(s) – $236 - Teslas don't have these

Mass air flow sensor replacement – $382 - Teslas don't have these

Replacing spark plug wire(s) and spark plug(s) – $331 - Teslas don't have these

Replacing evaporative emissions (EVAP) purge control valve – $168 - Teslas don't have these

Replacing evaporate emissions (EVAP) purging solenoid – $184 - Teslas don't have these

[slaw]

If you have common ICE car, it is very inexpensive to keep it running when you can wrench yourself. I spent less than $600 in 15 years and 160k miles for all parts to repair 2005 Malibu. I had to go to dealer once, because ABS control module is locked. You need dealer codes and 'programming'. $240 for 15 minutes work.

For 2005 Malibu:

Oxygen sensors: one is $19, still running on originals.

Catalytic Converters: one side Carb Compliant $319, still running on originals

Spark plugs: Iridium NGK 6*$5, took me 1 hour to replace

Thermostat: $4 + $3 shipping, 15 minutes to replace

Mass air flow sensor: still original $62

Prices from RockAuto.

[mark-r]

And how much is a replacement battery pack? - ICE don't have those

[whatarethembits]

That's equivalent to replacing an ICE engine/transmission, how often does that happen, and how much does that cost? It's a moot point, ICE cars lose that one by default.

Secondly, it's not just the pure monetary value. We have four cars in a family of six, and despite my brother being good with the wrench, ICE manufacturers have made it incredibly time consuming and difficult to do even the most basic maintenance work outside of maybe oil changes and brake pads. HUGE dealership service costs are practically unavoidable with modern ICE cars despite improvements in reliability to previous eras. The peace of mind and reliability gained from having fewer mechanical problems is invaluable. I'm gladly willing to pay MORE for electric cars in their current state to not have to deal with dealerships and mechanics. They're only going to get better.

Thirdly, I've been in the market for a new car for the past year. Driving assistance on motorways and London like traffic where you spend hours daily are a huge help. Virtually every viable option right now is a baby compared to Tesla's autopilot. Although this could be improved upon, I have no trust in ICE manufacturers to make any meaningful strides to catch up anytime soon. They're still figuring out android auto (which is a must because their proprietary tech is equivalent to a kick in the balls). The new kid on the block is just doing it better.

Lastly, a decade-ish old company/tech here warrants serious discussion in its CURRENT state compared to giants that are decades old, and they have no answer so far. ICE Vs electric is a forgone conclusion at this point, but I wish other manufacturers catch up to the trend sooner rather than later because that's ultimately better for us consumers. I'm not a fan of Tesla's Apple like views on product ownership in regards to repairs etc. But sadly, their current offering is far better than competition so we have no choice.

[mark-r]

You missed my point completely. The comment I responded to cherry-picked a large list of items that didn't apply to electric cars, so I cherry-picked an example that didn't apply to ICE cars. Neither example is really relevant to the point I started with, which is that Tesla in particular is locking you into their repair centers in a way that is new to the car industry.

[ericd]

Mostly irrelevant, because it’ll last longer than the lifetime of almost any ICE car.

[rootusrootus]

I like my Model 3 pretty well, but maintenance cost is a losing argument at this point, still. So far, the real world numbers show that Teslas cost more to maintain than a similar ICE car. It may eventually be true that the simplicity of an EV means lower maintenance costs, but we are not their yet.