There's no engine, transmission, belts, clutch, fuel pump, injectors, turbo, timing belt/chain, starter or alternator to worry about.
Even the brakes last over 100k miles since they only activate below 7mph because above that it's all "regenerative" motor-braking.
You do want to check some standard things, like tires, lights, wipers, locks, windows, etc. & there are 4 non-standard things to check, all of which are relatively cheap or easy to fix or work around, except this first one:
1) Check for a rare-but-serious weak cell with the free AlfaOBD "demo" app.
READ FOOTNOTE*
Practice at home first, like this (click to enlarge):
Next time you open the app it goes straight to step 6, so when you get to the car just:
Parked unplugged with HVAC off it should be under 10mV difference, all the way down to about 30% charge.
Even better to also check for under 20mV difference at 20% & under 30mV at 10%.
If not, either walk away or try the non-OBD test below, or charge to 100% to activate the "balancing" cycle, & check again. If there's less difference, but still more than 10mV, drive it down to 98% & take it to 100% again.
If it keeps getting better, & a few full charges gets it below 10mV at 30%, it just means the difference was caused by to the prior owner avoiding full charge, not by a weak cell.
If the seller won't let you use OBD:
All the rest are usually relatively cheap or easy to fix or work around:
2) See if it charges from the OEM cord AND a "level 2" unit like on a dealer's wall, or test drive to a public station found on plugshare.com
If not, it's sometimes just a temporary minor glitch**.
Use a $9 Amazon "outlet ground tester" to check any outlets you plan to use but note that an extension cord works: 25' max on 14ga, 50' max on 12ga, 100' max on 10ga. Ideally, replace any original 80-cent "residential grade" outlet with a $3.50 "commercial grade" unit.
3) Get $400 off to cover a dealership copy if it doesn't have 2 keys like it came with originally, that each work in the door slot AND start the car with the other one outside (out of transponder range). Work-around: Get cheap copies, tape the OEM one inside the steering column cover, & use the copies to unlock/drive/lock with the door slot, but note the alarm won't arm. That avoids about $1500+towing by preventing the loss of your only transponder key (click here for explanation).
4) Get $1500 off to cover dealership repair if there's a crack or bent pin in the orange part inside the filler flap. DIY is currently $60, as shown in this Facebook vid (click here) using a slightly different part on eBay:
* A cheap Bluetooth reader like a Veepeak VP11, or $17 eBay Konnwei KW902 works for this, but if you plan to buy a 500e, they won't prevent stalling (click here & see item 4). Anyway, @Iceman advises against cheapies (post #6 here) AND @fast_dave recommends against wireless (post #2 here)....
So ideally you want a $45 OBDLink.com SX (click here) or $54 EX (incl. 10% off by signing up to free newsletter) & use a laptop or ~$10 OTG adapter in an Android that's been checked with the free "USB OTG Checker" app. Connecting may require selecting "OBDLink USB":
Android above. Windows below.
The AlfaOBD app is Android/Windows only, so if you & all your friends only have iPhone/iPad/Mac, you can use a $30 Amazon Android. No service needed, just download the app on Wi-Fi, but before you buy one, if you're using a recommended SX or EX device, check that it's OTG compatible.
**
Even the brakes last over 100k miles since they only activate below 7mph because above that it's all "regenerative" motor-braking.
You do want to check some standard things, like tires, lights, wipers, locks, windows, etc. & there are 4 non-standard things to check, all of which are relatively cheap or easy to fix or work around, except this first one:
1) Check for a rare-but-serious weak cell with the free AlfaOBD "demo" app.
READ FOOTNOTE*
Practice at home first, like this (click to enlarge):
Next time you open the app it goes straight to step 6, so when you get to the car just:
- Turn the key 1 click.
- Hit the "OFF" button on HVAC.
- Plug in the reader (socket by the hood release).
- Connect to your device.
- Do 6 thru 10 as above.
Parked unplugged with HVAC off it should be under 10mV difference, all the way down to about 30% charge.
Even better to also check for under 20mV difference at 20% & under 30mV at 10%.
If not, either walk away or try the non-OBD test below, or charge to 100% to activate the "balancing" cycle, & check again. If there's less difference, but still more than 10mV, drive it down to 98% & take it to 100% again.
If it keeps getting better, & a few full charges gets it below 10mV at 30%, it just means the difference was caused by to the prior owner avoiding full charge, not by a weak cell.
If the seller won't let you use OBD:
-Tell them to call you when it's down around half-charge. Then starting at 50% or less, reset a trip gauge (wiper stalk end) & make sure it only drops about 30% in 30 miles.
-That's at moderate temp, city traffic or steady 55mph, HVAC off, & not too many uphills with stops on the way back down cuz there's no regen below 7mph.
-A trip gauge that was reset after any harsh low-efficiency test-driving should be about 4mi/kWh. If it's 10% less due to cold or hills then 10% less miles to drop 30% is okay.
All the rest are usually relatively cheap or easy to fix or work around:
2) See if it charges from the OEM cord AND a "level 2" unit like on a dealer's wall, or test drive to a public station found on plugshare.com
If not, it's sometimes just a temporary minor glitch**.
Use a $9 Amazon "outlet ground tester" to check any outlets you plan to use but note that an extension cord works: 25' max on 14ga, 50' max on 12ga, 100' max on 10ga. Ideally, replace any original 80-cent "residential grade" outlet with a $3.50 "commercial grade" unit.
3) Get $400 off to cover a dealership copy if it doesn't have 2 keys like it came with originally, that each work in the door slot AND start the car with the other one outside (out of transponder range). Work-around: Get cheap copies, tape the OEM one inside the steering column cover, & use the copies to unlock/drive/lock with the door slot, but note the alarm won't arm. That avoids about $1500+towing by preventing the loss of your only transponder key (click here for explanation).
4) Get $1500 off to cover dealership repair if there's a crack or bent pin in the orange part inside the filler flap. DIY is currently $60, as shown in this Facebook vid (click here) using a slightly different part on eBay:
- Click "shop by category"
- Under "motors" click "parts & accessories"
- Click "car & truck parts & accessories"
- Scroll down & click "electric, hybrid & PHEV specific parts"
- Type "j1772 socket" in the search field & look for this part:
* A cheap Bluetooth reader like a Veepeak VP11, or $17 eBay Konnwei KW902 works for this, but if you plan to buy a 500e, they won't prevent stalling (click here & see item 4). Anyway, @Iceman advises against cheapies (post #6 here) AND @fast_dave recommends against wireless (post #2 here)....
So ideally you want a $45 OBDLink.com SX (click here) or $54 EX (incl. 10% off by signing up to free newsletter) & use a laptop or ~$10 OTG adapter in an Android that's been checked with the free "USB OTG Checker" app. Connecting may require selecting "OBDLink USB":
Android above. Windows below.
The AlfaOBD app is Android/Windows only, so if you & all your friends only have iPhone/iPad/Mac, you can use a $30 Amazon Android. No service needed, just download the app on Wi-Fi, but before you buy one, if you're using a recommended SX or EX device, check that it's OTG compatible.
**
- Check the plug & its orange socket for damage & bent or corroded connectors.
- Deactivate the charge timer in the car’s menu. It can default itself to “active”.
- Turn the car off for 3 minutes & back on.
- Reboot the charger via reset button, unplug/replug, or circuit-breaker off/on.
- Try a different charger.
- Leave the car on when plugging in (especially if the battery pack is below -14F)
- Hold the button down on the plug until it's fully inserted.
- Try the OEM cord. It can reset some charge errors: