Despite the parts being under warranty, a Seattle-area homeowner was facing thousands of dollars in labor costs to replace a failed home battery. With their installer having gone out of business just days before the situation arose, the homeowner had been having a difficult time finding a licensed installer who would perform the replacement without charging an exorbitant price for labor. 

Here's what to know

The homeowner explained their predicament in a Reddit post on r/TeslaSolar, writing that their Tesla Powerwall 3 had been installed roughly a year earlier but had already stopped functioning. A remote diagnosis by the manufacturer identified a faulty battery module, which the company acknowledged was covered under warranty.

According to the original poster, Tesla instructed them to arrange to have the work performed through another certified installer. However, when they tried to find one who would do the work, many were unwilling to take the job altogether, while others gave labor estimates ranging from $2,000 to $2,800.

"When I push Tesla support on this," the homeowner wrote, "they just keep repeating the same line: find an alternative installer."

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What commenters said

In the comments, several other Tesla Powerwall owners commiserated with the OP's experience by sharing their own frustrations. 

"They are the absolute worst," complained one Redditor. "When my system works, it's great, but their lack of give a s*** is abhorrent. Never again, Tesla, never again." 

Tesla's clear pivot to artificial intelligence has also raised concerns about the fallout for its energy division, whose vice president of energy and charging, Mike Snyder, recently left the company, as the Wall Street Journal reported.

Others suggested, however, that the OP would be stuck paying for labor under almost any scenario. 

"Tesla is going to cover a replacement warranty but not actual labor for replacing the parts," advised another. "They will cover labor if it is part of a recall, but in this situation they won't."

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What can be done?

With the homeowner reporting several calls and numerous email exchanges with Tesla, one commenter urged a different approach: filing a formal complaint with the Washington State Attorney General's consumer protection department rather than relying solely on the company's support.

Other commenters pointed to arbitration as a possible next step, depending on the terms of the warranty.

"Take them to arbitration. I did and I won," wrote one commenter.

Where can I learn more?

Other home battery owners have also run into unexpected costs and complications when their batteries needed service.

• A home battery owner received a free Powerwall swap but faced additional installation costs.

• A battery manufacturer replaced two Powerwall 3 batteries under warranty after capacity fell more than 30%.

• A remote firmware update knocked one Powerwall offline, leaving its owner with an installer bill.

• A home battery owner's recall replacement came with no warranty reset despite receiving a newer Powerwall.

• An inspector ordered underperforming Powerwall batteries removed from a new homeowner's basement.

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