Remote Tesla Roadster Appraisal & Pre-Purchase Analysis
Buying or valuing a Tesla Roadster from a distance can be risky if you don’t know what you’re looking at. These cars are now 15–18 years old, and while they have fewer moving parts than an internal-combustion car, they still have predictable wear items and known engineering weak points that can turn into expensive surprises. We offer a trained eye to help assess the condition of these iconic cars.
Our Remote Tesla Roadster Appraisal & Analysis is designed to give you a professional, Roadster-specific opinion before you commit to a purchase—or to document the condition and value of a Roadster you already own. We will guide you through a log file analysis procedure which provides is an indepth review that can reveal alerts that have not yet made it to the Vehicle Display Screen (VDS).
We will also guide you where to look for condition clues on the car, and help review any owner-supplied service records.
What this service includes
- Charge & battery behavior review – By guiding a remote VDS screen analysis we are able to review charge and range profiles, brick delta which may indicate future battery problems, and look for signs of imbalance, abuse, or thermal management issues.
- Vehicle Management System (VMS) data review – Analysis of supplied log files to identify recurring faults, temperature events, and high-risk operating patterns.
- Drivetrain & Power Electronics Module (PEM) assessment – Visual review of PEM exterior, cabling, and cooling paths; discussion of operating environment, service history, and known engineering issues that affect the three-phase inverter that drives the car.
- Chassis, suspension & braking review (remote visual) – Inspection of supplied images for ride height, uneven tire wear, and visible damage; age- and mileage-based assessment of control arms, bushings, toe links, shocks, and related hardware.
- Lighting, safety & cosmetic condition – Review of interior and exterior lighting, obvious safety issues visible in photos, and grading of paint, interior, top, wheels.
- Documentation & history review – Scan of service records, prior repair invoices, and recall or campaign history, checked against what we typically see on Roadsters of similar age and mileage.
Age-related wear items we focus on
With every remote appraisal, we start from a realistic baseline: a 15–18-year-old EV has components that are at or beyond their intended service life. Our report calls out the most predictable concerns, including:
- Suspension & steering – Control arms, bushings, ball joints, toe links, and shock absorbers that fatigue with age and mileage.
- PEM (Power Electronics Module) – The three-phase inverter that drives the car. In original form it contains aging capacitors, thermally stressed components, and several known cooling and interconnect issues.
- Cooling & environment – Debris-loaded cooling paths, corroded connectors, and hardware exposed to harsh climates or long-term storage.
Gruber PEM restoration seal
A key part of our appraisal is reviewing our service records for activity, and determining whether the PEM has been professionally restored. If the Roadster’s PEM does not have a Gruber warranty sticker on the lower right-hand corner of the PEM, it has not been through our restoration process and should be considered unrestored—with original-age components and a high level of deferred maintenance risk.
What you receive
- A written summary of overall condition, risk level, and estimated scope of deferred maintenance.
- A prioritized list of recommended repairs and medium-term maintenance items tailored to the vehicle reviewed.
- Our expert opinion on whether the vehicle is best treated as a good candidate to buy as-is, buy with planned reconditioning, or avoid.
This remote appraisal gives you a Roadster-specialist’s view of the car before money changes hands, helping you negotiate realistically, avoid problem vehicles, and plan for the true cost of ownership on these increasingly rare and valuable EVs.
