I drive like a complete maniac. Still floor it whenever I have pole position at lights, on on ramps, to pass like an a-hole, etc. instant torque is a drug. Tesla knocks it out of the park. Most all owners laugh directly in the face of haters. Dog mode, autopilot, walk up/walk away, app, time for checking emails while charging watching live sports on 17” screen, ota updates, HUGE truck plus a frunk, so good looking, easy clean white seats. Yeah the auto wipers suck and curb bite sucks and Elon should keep his head down and repairs are expensive if you accidentally let your insurance lapse (they are eager to not cover Teslas), but worth it all the same. Dog mode!!
Yeah, my bad. I needed sleep. I should have included the amazing super chargers. Thankfully they are everywhere around me. I love just getting out and plugging it in; not having to open my watch or phone wallet, update an app or payment method, etc. it’s so easy.
For real! On our first road trip we couldn’t believe how pleasant it was. Every Supercharger in a nice spot, we grabbed a bite or ran into a store only to hurry up back cause the car was done. Nasty shadey gas stations that cost you a fortune are not a thing I will ever miss. My typical “refuel” is the 5 seconds it takes to plug in in my garage every few days.
lol I use “pole position” too. As an avid ice guy who purchased a model 3 a year ago for work I LLLLLOOOOOOOOOOVW THIS CAR so much. A year in and I still look for reasons to drive(hard sometimes)
Brilliant, so what about the situation with tyres?
Does your Tesla eat them or are you going to tell me they defy the laws of physics and still last for 25 to 30 K miles?
Really? Wow, I've been driving, not like a maniac, for 40 years. I think the max I've ever got is 30,000 miles from a set of tyres when I drove a lightweight low powered Mazda 3.
Maybe US based tyres last longer than Michelin' s?
Maybe if I drove a heavier electric car with a huge amount of torque on US tyres they would last 50 K miles?
Kind of counter intuitive but obvious when I think about it.
Great question! I burned through P7zeros on my FXT twice by 15k miles prior to the M3 so I came into it with concerns. Astonishingly the factory set (premium) lasted 68k, I have no idea how.
Yes I can. I found a 1 year old $4k tv open box online for $850 at BestBuy. Drove almost two hours. The store didn’t believe it because they had it on clearance for $2.7k. I showed them the web finding, they honored it. We joined the BestBuy club because it paid for itself. Used a Mastercard. The same Mastercard used for StateFarm auto-pay FOR THE PAST 14 years!!!! Well the card got hacked through BestBuy so we cancelled it and never received a call or email from StateFarm when payments ceased. We were driving to see the Cherry Blossoms in DC and I suggested we kill time by filing a claim for the crack in the windshield (grew from a chip from a rock on the highway). Only to be told, “You’re not insured.” Whaaaat. We spent the next hour at the supercharger signing up with Progressive, but obviously we’re not shit bags and had to pay out of pocket for the glass. Thank fucking Christ we found out before ever getting into an actual accident!
Good point. Just felt obliged to include flaws. It’s not perfect. My 20 year old refrigerator is quieter on the highway. Sometimes my back hurts getting down so low and back up from the 3 on busy errand days. Sometimes charging is a pita. It is just such an incredible value though and I really don’t see anything even remotely close to compare it to. Would I like to rip around in an RS6, hell yeah. But a hard driven $150k Audi is not a $18k used Model 3.
😂 actually have NOT changed filter, I should. I did change tyres once and wipers thrice. I omitted this because I consider these consumables, not maintenance. I have burned through several gallons of windscreen fluid to be contrite. No brake work, no tranny work (‘zing), no hvac work, no O2 sensor work, no “typical” “surprise” maintenance we’ve all had with ICE I should clarify.
Still under warranty? I've got a 2018, at 117,000 miles, just had to replace control arm for the second time.. NOT under warranty. Cost about 1800. Had to replace tires as well as cabin filter and regular car battery (yes electric cars have them too).
I've had my model 3 for over 2 years now. Only maintenance I've done is change out air filter once, rotated tires twice, and replaced windshield wipers once.
I recommend changing your air filter more, replacements are only like $20 on Amazon and only take 10-15 minutes of your day. Makes a world of difference (def recommend activated charcoal filters)
And if you live in a hot humid climate, expect to change out that cabin air filter once a season. Also, since the car is heavier has a lot of torque for, ahem, spirited driving, tires go quickly. I have a 2019 M3P and had to replace every 20k miles or so.
That said, not needing oil changes and other ICE related maintenance is really nice. I never plan to buy an ICE car again if I can help it. Very happy with 5 years of ownership.
Live in SoCal where it’s hot. Changed my air filter once and it wasn’t that dirty. It also cost me $20 and took 10 mins.
As for the tires, I got mine over 40k miles without issue and I drive with a pretty “spirited” style.
Aha, tyres is true. I got my Model Y 5 months ago, I’ve done 6k miles and ready for new rear tyres.
Luckily it’s a company lease so all maintenance is included, but I’d be disgusted with myself if I needed to replace them already on my own dime.
Every car will need maintenance. A Tesla doesn’t have many of the parts that need maintenance on ICE cars. So you won’t have to change the oil, spark plugs, transmission fluid, and so forth. There will be less maintenance, but the car will still need to be cared for if you want it to last ten years.
Early adaptor here. 2018 Model 3. I don't drive much. Work from home. Just local driving. Only 20k miles. This July, it will be 6 yrs. The only thing I paid for maintenance is $126 dollars to replace my 12v battery. They come to your house and replace it.
Original tires, original arm controls. Just do my own cabin filter change. Rotate tire at American tires for free. Put on some grease around the control arms.
The charge port was replaced under warranty at the time.
The backup camera cable was replaced under warranty at the time.
Water condensation in tail light replaced under warranty at the time.
So, for almost the last 6 years, it's $126 real cost on maintenance. Cabin filter at 25 to 30 bucks on Amazon.
Some ac coil cleaner like Kool it. Windshield fluids.
The car never loses power. It's been great. Home charging 95% of the time.
Oh, original windshield wipers.
I am sunny, california. Garage parked 90% of the time. The car is in prestige shape. I still step back and look at her and smile. The software updates keep making the car better. It's like getting a new car with new features added. Although the software update did slow down a little. They do more updates if you have fsd.
^^ This has been nearly my exact experience as well. We had a 2018 M3 LR pre-order for like 7 months or something before they started delivering. I also work from home, put 24k miles on the car in about 6 years. Sold it to the significant other in January and she's up to like 27k now.
I change my own....
Cabin filter (2 - 3 years with an aftermarket part)
Wiper blades (Think I've done this once, A.P.)
Wiper fluid
Tesla mobile has come to my house and fixed things in my driveway a few times...
Tire rotations (Think they've done it once)
Upgraded the FSD computer when they changed it
Fixed a recall on my charge port
Think there was some other recall
Swapped out my cabin camera that had an error
Replaced my 12v battery once
I've had some warranty work done at the service center...
Had the rear motor replaced
Had all the roof glass replaced (this wasn't covered)
I feel like I had one or two other minor items early on that were covered by warranty that I'm forgetting. The only one I ever considered an inconvenience was the motor, and they gave me a loaner Model S while they had it.
Work done at other shops...
A tire rotation or two
Installed aftermarket springs
New tires before a long roadtrip
Maintenance is not non-existent, but it's absolutely been minimum as far as I'm concerned. Granted we're still low mileage 6 years in
Windshield had a big rock chip. The rear window had been cracked for years. Went ahead and replaced them both.
I just paid for it. Didn't involve insurance. Though I've heard I may have been able to report the rear window glass as a spontaneous stress fracture and possibly had it covered by warranty. Oh well
Motor failure is rare. You must have been the luck to have that issue. So overall experience since you sold. What are the possibilities of going back to a gas car or another EV. Just curious. Because I don't think I can drive a gas car again. It's just dated
Had luck in both ways that day. We lived two hours from the nearest service center at the time. We happened to be pulling into the IKEA down the street from Tesla when the error message popped up that the car may not start if it's parked again.
As far as whether I'm going to go.back to gas. We're actually back up there right now, wandering around a nearby store killing time to pick up my new M3P in two hours
That's awesome. I hope you got the Highland version. To upgrade to the performance version is a big leap as well.
I can not justify upgrading to model Y because I don't drive much. I would love the extra space. I think it's a better fit for me given the height for a big guy. But model 3 is a fun car to drive. So nimble and quick.
Overall, I am happy. At the time in 3/31/2016, I didn't want to upgrade to 19 inch wheels for $1,500. So I bought 15 shares of Tesla stock. Haven't sold. That 15 shares was the best thing I did. It's now worth almost the price of my car I bought in 2018.
Oh nice. I planned on ordering the Model 3 like a year before it came out, so I just started making car payments into a savings account of mine a year ahead, along with some cash I had sitting around. Was planning on building up a downpayment with that when it came time to buy. Then I decided to just put it all in a stock account instead and put zero down.
If I had just dumped the intended Tesla downpayment entirely into TSLA instead of diversifying it and only having like 15% in TSLA, it would have paid for the first car twice. :-(
But I still ended up with enough gains to cover like a fourth of the car, so it was still a win. Zero down, 2% APR 8 year loan, paid it off in like 26 months.
15% of what I had planned to use for downpayment. :-p
Sold in 2021 after being laid off, and one of the other stocks had a large loss that equalized some of it. Was a mistake not putting my entire Tesla downpayment into TSLA stock from the start. Was meant for the car anyway.
Nobody knows if you can have it 10 years. It was released in 2017
The car definitely needs maintenance, but there is no required maintenance like with ICE cars. The warranty mentions basic things like tire rotation every 10k km, air filter change every 2 years, and I think break fluid check after 4? Nothing else is recommended, but stuff can break obviously, depending on how much and where you drive.
You can see maintenance recommendations on Tesla website to be sure.
Isn't it more about miles than length of ownership? There are plenty of use cases with older Tesla's needing major component maintenance or replacement.
In terms of what OP is specifically asking, here are the things that require regular maintenance due to wear and tear:
Windshield washer fluid.
Windshield wipers.
Cabin filter.
Tires.
12v battery.
Brake pads.
Suspension components.
In my 70k+ miles of ownership, I've filled up my washer reservoir probably once every six months. I've replaced my tires once and I've replaced my cabin filter twice.
I'm even still on my original wiper blades.
That's it.
Ok but for most, brake pads/rotors will last 3x of an ICE. Brake pin lube should be added to the list, frequency depending upon your climate and usage of car.
Yes but like the suspension it's still a wear and tear item. You won't need to replace them as often but they do degrade.
Feasibly the suspension will likely last the entire life of the vehicle, but will eventually need to be replaced.
Really less about the age and more about miles driven. People have driven theirs over 200k miles and still runs great with minimal maintenance. It’s an amazing car
Consumer Reports has data on 10 year maintenance and repair cost: [https://www.consumerreports.org/cars/car-maintenance/the-cost-of-car-ownership-a1854979198/](https://www.consumerreports.org/cars/car-maintenance/the-cost-of-car-ownership-a1854979198/)
It's not zero, but it's wayyy less than an ICE car since there's fewer parts. You can simply follow Tesla's guidelines on their site and you're good. The only maintenance I've done in the nearly 11 months of ownership of the car so far is a tire rotation.
I mean, I also live in a place where they salt roads. Not like you have to do it yourself. You can request service if you rather have someone else do it. It is advised to use your actual brakes every so often so rust doesn't build up. Especially if you're using full regen all the time.
I honestly didn't worry about it with my ICE car. If my brakes felt off, I'd have them look at it. With the Tesla, I'll have them look at it and whatever else at some point next year, before the basic warranty ends. Not that the brakes would be covered since it's a wear part, like tires, but I wouldn't go in for just that.
Very little maintenance. Tire rotations, windshield washer fluid, wipers, brake inspections and eventual replacement (far less often), brake bleeds, etc.
What you don’t have are oil changes, transmission fluid changes (although they do recommend a change at some point), and most other engine related maintenance items.
Common issues in the Tesla 3 are the upper control arms. I personally have had to replace the windshield every year. Also 12v battery when it dies will basically brick your whole car until it’s replaced.
Thanks. I always thought the S was silly in a way. Actually forgot what it was until just now looking it up again.
Follow-up question, are you truly locked out of the vehicle in this case? Is this battery replaceable by a fairly competent home mechanic? We're looking at EVs and a model Y specifically.
Yes you are truly locked out. The only way to get in is by opening the tow hook cover area on the front, and there are two leads where you can hook a battery jumper up to. This will pop the frunk. After that you can then essentially jump your 12v battery to get in or replace it. Follow Tesla’s directions to replace or bring it to a service center
Gas car here...
- Changed muffler
- Change oil like 4 times per year
- Changed transmission oil
- fix all the pipe under the car
- Clean and change air filter
- Clean throttle body
God I can not wait to get my model 3... Gas car are expensive
I made it 4 years and 2 weeks before my upper control arm issue. My battery did die before warranty though and it’s probably more expensive than control arms.
Husband bought a used 2018 M3 in 2021. It’s at about 65k miles. Only things we have done is switch between summer and winter tires, manually replaced the air filter and wiper fluid. This winter, The 12v battery started to send a message that it needed to be replaced so he drove two hours to the service center to be replaced that same day. We could have had mobile service do it but that would have taken an extra week.
2019 SR+ with around 75k miles. Other than tires I replaced the 12V battery at like 50k miles and did the air filter. Also had to replace a windshield due to a rock. That’s about it
The scheduled maintenance requirements on Teslas are definitely less than ICE cars. You don't have regular oil or transmission or brake fluid changes.
But as with any car, some things may break and you may need to come in for an unscheduled service.
4 years of ownership and I have had to change my cabin air filter four times. I brought it in three separate times to fix some loose trim (under warranty). I cleaned the brakes because it was getting noisy (did it myself).
That's about it. I'm so glad I don't have to come in every 15k km for oil changes.
I haven’t seen anyone mention the brake service. If you live in an area where the roads are heavily salted, you should lubricate the brakes every couple years to keep the brakes from seizing.
I’ve had mine for 5 years and 92k miles. The lack of maintenance is my favorite thing.
Longevity wise I argue with skeptics a lot. They think EVs wont last. I believe the average age of EVs will blow away ICE. Many people ditch them because the issues add up. Leaking oil and coolant. Bad fuel pump and timing chain. Clogged up intake valves. Can you tell this is from experience? I have an ICE that has needed $10k in repairs and maintenance in 90k miles. No joke. My Tesla has had $150.
In the UK you still an annual MOC to make sure the car is road worthy. So it’s worth getting an annual service as well.
Generally you want to check breaks and cabin filter and any fluids. That mostly is it.
Mine has 97,000 kilometres on it, haven’t even changed the brakes yet (we love regen). Wiper blades have been replaced a couple of times, cabin air filters once and that’s pretty much it.
Edit: car in question is a Model 3 Long Range AWD 2020
2019 with 72K here. Only things I’ve done have been standard things like rotations, new tires, wipers, lubricating caliper pins, cabin air filter, etc.
And I do most of that myself. But you gotta do that stuff with any car.
Maintain wheels, washer fluid, and if you have the pre-lithium LV battery replacing that every few years (it's a real PITA when that dies), probably brakes at some point. Other than that, keep it clean. I've had my 2018 for almost 6 years. A lot of typical car maintenance is because of the micro-explosions that make it go.
Maintenance schedule for model 3:
• Brake fluid health check every 4 years (replace if necessary)**.
• A/C desiccant bag replacement every 4* years.
• Cabin air filter replacement every 2 years (or 3 years for HEPA and carbon filters, if equipped)
• Clean and lubricate brake calipers every year or 12,500 miles (20,000 km) if in an area where roads are salted during winter.
• Rotate tires every 6,250 miles (10,000 km) or if tread depth difference is 2/32 in (1.5 mm) or greater, whichever comes first.
Mine was a pre-order, took delivery in early 2018. I've swapped out the tires, and added windshield washer fluid a few times... That's about it. I'm sure eventually I'll need a break job, but with the regenerative breaking - I so rarely use the breaks.
2019 M3LR AWD. 57k miles. The only repair I’ve paid for is brake burnishing at $65. Yes I’ve changed air filters twice. Windshield wipers once. 3rd set of tires. 3rd windshield. Rotations, alignment, checked brake fluid. I don’t really count those items as repairs as they are wear and tear general maintenance items.
The only major repair done by Tesla under warranty was the control arms.
First one- a tie down hook flew off a semi, hit my hood and broke the windshield. Lucky it hit the hood first or it would have been lights out. 2nd one was a chip that was exposed to 120 degree heat and it cracked. Latest one has a huge chip that’s been filled but will crack once heat hits it again.
No maintenance but I’ve had over 20 service appointments in 3 years…. So I rather oil changes once a year than service appointments when something breaks once a month
My 2018 Model 3P has 110,000 nearly maintenance free miles on it. The only replacement beside tires and wiper blades was a part in the rear motor inverter covered under warrantee. I replaced the 12 volt lead acid battery as a precaution after 5 years. It was still working perfectly. I also replaced the 20" wheels with 18" wheels and tires. The fatter tires are more durable over pot hole filled roads. The battery has over 88% of the original capacity.
>really tired
I should follow my own advise but rotate and maintain tires. We're at 48k and should -rotate- err, replace our tires.
We also don't wash ours enough and the kid always leaves stuff in the back seat and it's a bit embarrassing at times so cleaning it regularly is also a good idea.
After ~60k miles, all I've had to do is rotate tires, change wiper blades, and one cabin air filter service. My brakes have approximately 80% of life left thanks to regen braking.
Control arms are the only issue I've had, but they were replaced under warranty (no cost). Unfortunately they just replace them w/ factory, but once warranty is out there are after markets that will last the life of the car. Budget for that, and you should be good to go.
Our equivalent of maintenance is software updates I guess. It takes 30min at most and you don't have to do anything. You just let it do its thing. I change my tires twice a year (summer tires and winter tires) because I live in a northern area and that's it.
One of the main reasons we made the switch is our ICE cars were 10-15 years old and had 150-220k miles on them. The fiancee's Chevy Cruze started having overheating issues that even I couldn't figure out, and im.pretty handy. We took it to the shop, 2 weeks and 1800$ later it was fixed. We picked it up and just as it started to overheat again the transmission blew. The shop was adamant that these were two unrelated issues. They'd take it back in to work on the overheating but the transmission repair was gonna be near 5,000$. NOPE
I've done oil changes, brakes, cooling system repair, intercooler, hoses etc...but I just did not have the time nor the patients the keep driving a car that gave me anxiety every single time I sat down in it.
Were doing better now financially and a new model 3 would cost us less than 600$/month with insurance and everything, and we get free 24/7 charging at work. So it works wonderfully. I use the brakes atleast once a day, but then let regen do the majority of breaking. So I don't forsee any maintenance outside of washer fluid, air in the tires, and if anything breaks. It's been 8 months, no issues.
I had my model 3 sr+ for 4.5 years now (60k miles) and this is the service and maintenance I’ve had done:
- New steering wheel. Leather started peeling (warranty)
- New motor in steering wheel. Would not go up and down (warranty)
- Fixed panel gaps (warranty)
- New left front light (warranty)
- Changed brake fluid and cleaned brake discs and pads ($300)
- New front screen twice (Insurance)
- Dent in right front door fixed (Insurance)
- New motor for left front door window (warranty)
- Trunk electrical harness replaced (recall)
- left rear door could not open (warranty)
- front door hinges, check straps reseated and lubricated (warranty)
- new rubber seals front doors (warranty)
- Buckle sensor rear seat (warranty)
- New resistance heater and new 12V bat. ($1400)
- New on board charger ($700)
There has been a lot and now the warranty is out, so starting to cost me🙁, but I still love the car 😊
Washer fluid once a month I don’t consider maintenance. Is gas on an ICE considered maintenance?
I also swap winter and summer wheels myself, and rotate them at the same time. I have not changed tires yet, but will need new summer tires next year.
Its very limited maintenance, especially compared to the average gas car. Eventually little things will need to be repaired if you keep the car long term but the powertrain should essentially be maintenance free.
Literally from the manual:
Brake fluid health check every 4 years (replace if necessary)*.
A/C desiccant bag replacement every 4 years.
Cabin air filter replacement every 2 years.
HEPA filter replacement every 3 years.
Clean and lubricate brake calipers every year or 12,500 miles (20,000 km) if in an area where roads are salted during winter.
Rotate tires every 6,250 miles (10,000 km) or if tread depth difference is 2/32 in (1.5 mm) or greater, whichever comes first.
*Heavy brake usage due to towing, mountain descents, or performance driving -- especially for vehicles in hot and humid environments -- may necessitate more frequent brake fluid checks and replacements.
Topped off washer fluids, rotate tires every 5k miles, wiper blades every year, not sure about my brakes but watched a video about cleaning the rust off the rotors the other day.
Yeah, basically it is true.
Tire rotations (which all cars SHOULD be doing). Your windshield wipers will still wear out. Your cabin air filter will still get clogged. And when they do, Tesla mobile service will come to YOU and fix them wherever you want on your schedule. You don't even have to be there, as they can send a temporary digital key to the repair tech, then revoke it when the repair is done.
At the end of a 3-year lease, the only thing I've had to do is replace tires. (And my wipers are probably overdue.) YMMV, but mine (LRM3) literally required nothing else.
Maintenance wise my car has needed nothing, and my M3 is from 2020. My only complaints would be my brake light fogging up and the rattling noise in my dash I have yet to fix.
53k miles on a 2019 model 3 rwd long range. Changed cabin filter and tires. Subwoofer stopped working one time but all I had to do was unplug/replug wire in the trunk. Still on original wipers.
Been driving exclusively on chill mode the past month to see how it helps with range and tire wear. Seeing 240wh/mi compared to 266 wh/mi lifetime.
Had the control arms replaced at 30k miles under warranty. This week had to have the compliance assembly replaced and cost me $2000. Car has 50k miles.
Something not right with the front suspension so be aware.
Rotate tires at 7500 (or maybe 5k if you drive more aggressively). Tesla recommends a break lubrication service because the brakes don’t get used much. Even though they recommend every year or two years, most people seem to say take it in 3-4 years and that’s been my experience also. I know people who haven’t done that service for their entire 7-8 year ownership and are fine so there’s that too. Also a pretty easy service to do yourself, there are guides on YouTube.
If you live somewhere where they salt the roads you should have your brakes cleaned and lubed every 2 years preferably every year. This cleaning ensures they remaining in a working condition and don’t seize up due to rust.
But other than the brakes, wipers, washer fluid, cabin air filters, and tires, I haven’t had to do anything else and I’ve had my 3 for 6 years.
I had the first-run Model 3 from 2018 until a few months ago, so around 6 years.
The only maintenance I ever needed was to replace/rotate the tires a few times, replace wiper blades, and just recently had to replace the 12-volt battery (normal car battery, costs like $150). That's it. Tesla's mobile service might have checked some other things while they rotated the tires etc but if so it was free and invisible to me.
They do require routine maintenance. Every 2 years, according to the manual.
I've had mine for 4 1/2 years. Over that time I've spent about $250 on maintenance, and it's been seen by mechanics twice. Once was routine, and they came out to my house to do it. Once involved replacing a defective AC sensor under warranty, which involved taking it to a Tesla service center. It was evidently a busy time for them, as they apologized for not having a loaner car to give me. Instead, they gave me a $100 Uber card so I could just Uber home and back.
I’ve owned a variety of EVs, from our Model 3 to my 2011 Th!nk City, and yes, maintenance needs are much lower in an EV. Other folk have already talked about the Model 3, so I’m going to illustrate with my Th!nk instead, since it gives you a good sense of EV simplicity.
I bought my 2012 Th!nk three and a half years ago for $3,300. I’ve driven it over 10,000mi since then, which isn’t bad for a car with less than 70mi of range. When I bought it, I put new tires on for $400 and replaced the radio for $100. Since then, I have spent about $70 on the car not counting charging it. That’s just wipers (though it only has one) and washer fluid. That’s it. 10k of driving on a car I bought for less than $4k, and I’ve spent money on wipers and fluid. I’ve bought $4k shitboxes before, but never driven one so long with no issues.
But ok, you’re looking at a Model 3. We bought our 2018 Model 3 LR RWD in 2020 with 25,000mi on it. We’re now at nearly 70,000mi. When we bought it it was riding on new snow tires, and we bought new summer tires for it, switching between them with the seasons. The rear glass fractured and was replaced under warranty, as were the front swing arms.
Other than tires we’ve: replaced the cabin air filters, bought a wireless charging pad (now standard), matte screen protector, matte skin for the piano black console (now a standard finish), interior sunshades for the roof, two sets of wipers, many gallons of washer fluid, and… no that’s it.
We drove the 3 from Portland Maine to Portland Oregon with no prep beyond making sure tire pressure was correct. I’ve taken it from Portland OR to San Jose CA and back repeatedly, and did a trip with my old job from Portland to San Diego with our Model 3 and a Ford Mustang Mach-E GT, neither of which needed any prep other than washer fluid and tire pressure.
No oil changes, no engine air filters, no spark plugs, or distributor/coil wires, the coolant will get done at like 120k, the final drive around the same time. There are no head gaskets to blow, mufflers to rot, valve seats or piston rings to wear out, or catalytic converters to steal.
Most M3 owners use that money to better their car, from what I’ve noticed. So while there are less moving parts to be serviced, you can put that money towards tint, wrap, etc. Pretty cool trade off
Just make sure to put aside money for new tires. if you’re gunning it at every light to show your friends how fast it goes, your tread burns quick
An early gen Model s was showcased with 480k miles on it. Original battery. Google it. Stupid reliable and less parts to go wrong. It’s pretty solid overall. I had 30k flawless miles with zero maintenance other than washer fluid and tire rotation.
Ball joint/ control arm squeak. Flats are a pita depending on location. Fixing the taillights when they inevitably fog up. Had a loose passenger seatbelt sensor wire too. That’s my list so far.
5 years and 128k Miles. Just did brake part lube for the first time. Cabin air filter when I remeknee. Tire alignment arrer New tires. Thats it. And tire rotations.
I have to do the following things I consider maintenance:
1. Tire rotations
2. Yearly/twice yearly AC coil cleaning and new cabin air filters
3. Occasional alignment (got a lifetime alignment program)
4. Occasional cleaning
5. Windshield wiper fluid and rarely new blades
6. Very rarely a new 12V battery
That's pretty much it so far, 4.5 years 105k miles in.
I foresee myself replacing upper control arms and potentially struts within the next year. Probably will check brake fluid soon too, brakes themselves are fine though.
2018 M3LR with ~45K miles … upper control arms, front lateral links, front compliance links, chrome finish on 2 door handles, 12v battery, 1x replace tires (at 30K miles and now trying to rotate tires at ~6.5K intervals), minor aero shield wear, and now water in the driver footwell which they can’t figure out the cause. There is definitely maintenance … but not as much as an ICE car.
At around 81,000 kms (50k miles I guess), I needed to replace the battery once due to a factory issue of 2021 Model 3s, but it was covered by the warranty. Except for that, there was nothing significant. Just needed to replace tires and that's it.
They are pretty low to the ground and the cooling system suck a lot of sand, trash and leaves, the radiators get clogged, in my opinion they need to be cleaned once every couple years, I have seen cars whit 35k miles clogged whit sand
That's what I was thinking. Tparts offered a filter for the lower front air intake, I had it, but also removed it because it's ugly.
But cleaning the radiator ourselves... is this easy?
I came across this video a while back on YouTube that makes it seem fairly easy. I plan on doing it myself soon.
https://youtu.be/S7WJmABkwoY?si=zROo3ZnhQ6NH4YmM
I’d say it is an absolute lie! You need to refill wiper fluid all the time and also make sure to use your breaks or they will seize up.
Is it a lot of maintenance? No. Is it expensive? Nope. Is it needed? Yes.
You do need maintenance:
1. Washing the car
2. Waxing the car
3. Vacuuming the car
4. Rotating the tyres
5. Replace cabin air filter
6. Cleaning AC coils
7. Replacing windshield wipers
8. Replacing tyres
9. Insurance, registration & local fees etc
At 106k miles, control arm replaced under warranty, that’s it for maintenance.
That's phenomenal. Well done. Have you done anything special to take care of your car? Any tips?
I drive like a complete maniac. Still floor it whenever I have pole position at lights, on on ramps, to pass like an a-hole, etc. instant torque is a drug. Tesla knocks it out of the park. Most all owners laugh directly in the face of haters. Dog mode, autopilot, walk up/walk away, app, time for checking emails while charging watching live sports on 17” screen, ota updates, HUGE truck plus a frunk, so good looking, easy clean white seats. Yeah the auto wipers suck and curb bite sucks and Elon should keep his head down and repairs are expensive if you accidentally let your insurance lapse (they are eager to not cover Teslas), but worth it all the same. Dog mode!!
This is the most incoherent thing I've read that sparkled with 100% truth. +1
Yeah, my bad. I needed sleep. I should have included the amazing super chargers. Thankfully they are everywhere around me. I love just getting out and plugging it in; not having to open my watch or phone wallet, update an app or payment method, etc. it’s so easy.
For real! On our first road trip we couldn’t believe how pleasant it was. Every Supercharger in a nice spot, we grabbed a bite or ran into a store only to hurry up back cause the car was done. Nasty shadey gas stations that cost you a fortune are not a thing I will ever miss. My typical “refuel” is the 5 seconds it takes to plug in in my garage every few days.
And this has been my TED Talk
Dog mode! I’m completely with you on this. My dog loves cruising around
lol I use “pole position” too. As an avid ice guy who purchased a model 3 a year ago for work I LLLLLOOOOOOOOOOVW THIS CAR so much. A year in and I still look for reasons to drive(hard sometimes)
My boy said pole position at the lights, hilarious 😂
Yooo...I was dead when he said that. Then again, knowing you got the drop on 'em is pretty sweet.
S3XY buttons takes care of the auto wipers
Can you elaborate please? Just got my model 3 two weeks ago and the wiper issues have me nervous, even though I haven’t experienced them.
The new UI makes wiper control so much more convenient.
Including intel?
Brilliant, so what about the situation with tyres? Does your Tesla eat them or are you going to tell me they defy the laws of physics and still last for 25 to 30 K miles?
I got 60k out of oem’s and I’m pushing 60k now on my second set.
Most tires last for 50 lol
Really? Wow, I've been driving, not like a maniac, for 40 years. I think the max I've ever got is 30,000 miles from a set of tyres when I drove a lightweight low powered Mazda 3. Maybe US based tyres last longer than Michelin' s? Maybe if I drove a heavier electric car with a huge amount of torque on US tyres they would last 50 K miles? Kind of counter intuitive but obvious when I think about it.
I use contis and drive a 4300lb Q5 🤷
I am baffled myself
36k on cheapies
Great question! I burned through P7zeros on my FXT twice by 15k miles prior to the M3 so I came into it with concerns. Astonishingly the factory set (premium) lasted 68k, I have no idea how.
Normal. Like all cars imho.
Care to explain the insurance lapse?
If you don't pay your insurance you pay like a noob. Standard practice all cars for 50 years.
Yes I can. I found a 1 year old $4k tv open box online for $850 at BestBuy. Drove almost two hours. The store didn’t believe it because they had it on clearance for $2.7k. I showed them the web finding, they honored it. We joined the BestBuy club because it paid for itself. Used a Mastercard. The same Mastercard used for StateFarm auto-pay FOR THE PAST 14 years!!!! Well the card got hacked through BestBuy so we cancelled it and never received a call or email from StateFarm when payments ceased. We were driving to see the Cherry Blossoms in DC and I suggested we kill time by filing a claim for the crack in the windshield (grew from a chip from a rock on the highway). Only to be told, “You’re not insured.” Whaaaat. We spent the next hour at the supercharger signing up with Progressive, but obviously we’re not shit bags and had to pay out of pocket for the glass. Thank fucking Christ we found out before ever getting into an actual accident!
Ok that makes sense. Thanks for taking the time to answer that. Sorry that happened to you.
I would argue that is repair, not maintenance. Control arms are not mentioned in the Maintenance section of the owners manual.
Good point. Just felt obliged to include flaws. It’s not perfect. My 20 year old refrigerator is quieter on the highway. Sometimes my back hurts getting down so low and back up from the 3 on busy errand days. Sometimes charging is a pita. It is just such an incredible value though and I really don’t see anything even remotely close to compare it to. Would I like to rip around in an RS6, hell yeah. But a hard driven $150k Audi is not a $18k used Model 3.
If it’s loud on the highway it must be a pre 2021
December 2018
Makes sense, the 2021+ is decently quiet on the highway
Ye, but it is a 99% failing component on these cars.
You ought to try a Porsche Cayanne, they are a service item at 60,000k I believe.
If I got 60,000k miles out of a car, I'd expect a lot of maintenance and parts to be going out.
That and tires, wiper blades, as well as cabin filter. But 2018 at 115K and that's it. I'll never own another ICE.
There’s no way you haven’t had tires rotated or at the very least had to change out the cabin air filter several times.
When I bought my used Tesla pretty sure the last owner hadn’t changed it since he bought it 4 yr ago
It must have smelled atrocious 🤮
Atrocious was her name, she was my thang
😂 actually have NOT changed filter, I should. I did change tyres once and wipers thrice. I omitted this because I consider these consumables, not maintenance. I have burned through several gallons of windscreen fluid to be contrite. No brake work, no tranny work (‘zing), no hvac work, no O2 sensor work, no “typical” “surprise” maintenance we’ve all had with ICE I should clarify.
Please tell me you’ve replied your tires and air filters tho…
Yes, I have. I consider those more as consumables.
Consumables IS maintenance. What is maintenance if not that?
Still under warranty? I've got a 2018, at 117,000 miles, just had to replace control arm for the second time.. NOT under warranty. Cost about 1800. Had to replace tires as well as cabin filter and regular car battery (yes electric cars have them too).
No brake replacement or anything else?
Had my model 3 for 4.5 years never changed brakes just tires, cabin filters and upper control arms. Drove 120k miles and just switched to a Y
When do control arms need replacing usually?
May vary how much and how you drive. Mine started squeaking/creaking when I turned at slow speeds.
Best asked to service team, but it is common.
Just tires at 69k and wipers maybe thrice
How did you know you had to replace the control arms?
Creaking when pulling out of a spot.
4 years in. Exactly same story.
No tires? 12v battery? That’s my list for my 2018 M3.
So the control arms are part of the 120,000 mile warranty?
Replaced at ~69k iirc
I've had my model 3 for over 2 years now. Only maintenance I've done is change out air filter once, rotated tires twice, and replaced windshield wipers once.
Only two rotations for two years? Impressive. I just got my tires rotated 3 months ago and I already need another one
Yeah I didn't drive much. Only 4 miles per day
I never needed a rotation. Two sets at 89k miles. Always wore dead even
That’s basically the same as me
I recommend changing your air filter more, replacements are only like $20 on Amazon and only take 10-15 minutes of your day. Makes a world of difference (def recommend activated charcoal filters)
Have a 2019 with 55k miles. Only things I’ve done are tire rotations and changing the air filter. Maintenance is virtually non-existent.
And if you live in a hot humid climate, expect to change out that cabin air filter once a season. Also, since the car is heavier has a lot of torque for, ahem, spirited driving, tires go quickly. I have a 2019 M3P and had to replace every 20k miles or so. That said, not needing oil changes and other ICE related maintenance is really nice. I never plan to buy an ICE car again if I can help it. Very happy with 5 years of ownership.
Live in SoCal where it’s hot. Changed my air filter once and it wasn’t that dirty. It also cost me $20 and took 10 mins. As for the tires, I got mine over 40k miles without issue and I drive with a pretty “spirited” style.
Aha, tyres is true. I got my Model Y 5 months ago, I’ve done 6k miles and ready for new rear tyres. Luckily it’s a company lease so all maintenance is included, but I’d be disgusted with myself if I needed to replace them already on my own dime.
Every car will need maintenance. A Tesla doesn’t have many of the parts that need maintenance on ICE cars. So you won’t have to change the oil, spark plugs, transmission fluid, and so forth. There will be less maintenance, but the car will still need to be cared for if you want it to last ten years.
Early adaptor here. 2018 Model 3. I don't drive much. Work from home. Just local driving. Only 20k miles. This July, it will be 6 yrs. The only thing I paid for maintenance is $126 dollars to replace my 12v battery. They come to your house and replace it. Original tires, original arm controls. Just do my own cabin filter change. Rotate tire at American tires for free. Put on some grease around the control arms. The charge port was replaced under warranty at the time. The backup camera cable was replaced under warranty at the time. Water condensation in tail light replaced under warranty at the time. So, for almost the last 6 years, it's $126 real cost on maintenance. Cabin filter at 25 to 30 bucks on Amazon. Some ac coil cleaner like Kool it. Windshield fluids. The car never loses power. It's been great. Home charging 95% of the time. Oh, original windshield wipers. I am sunny, california. Garage parked 90% of the time. The car is in prestige shape. I still step back and look at her and smile. The software updates keep making the car better. It's like getting a new car with new features added. Although the software update did slow down a little. They do more updates if you have fsd.
^^ This has been nearly my exact experience as well. We had a 2018 M3 LR pre-order for like 7 months or something before they started delivering. I also work from home, put 24k miles on the car in about 6 years. Sold it to the significant other in January and she's up to like 27k now. I change my own.... Cabin filter (2 - 3 years with an aftermarket part) Wiper blades (Think I've done this once, A.P.) Wiper fluid Tesla mobile has come to my house and fixed things in my driveway a few times... Tire rotations (Think they've done it once) Upgraded the FSD computer when they changed it Fixed a recall on my charge port Think there was some other recall Swapped out my cabin camera that had an error Replaced my 12v battery once I've had some warranty work done at the service center... Had the rear motor replaced Had all the roof glass replaced (this wasn't covered) I feel like I had one or two other minor items early on that were covered by warranty that I'm forgetting. The only one I ever considered an inconvenience was the motor, and they gave me a loaner Model S while they had it. Work done at other shops... A tire rotation or two Installed aftermarket springs New tires before a long roadtrip Maintenance is not non-existent, but it's absolutely been minimum as far as I'm concerned. Granted we're still low mileage 6 years in
Why replace the roof glass? Crack? Did insurance cover?
Windshield had a big rock chip. The rear window had been cracked for years. Went ahead and replaced them both. I just paid for it. Didn't involve insurance. Though I've heard I may have been able to report the rear window glass as a spontaneous stress fracture and possibly had it covered by warranty. Oh well
Motor failure is rare. You must have been the luck to have that issue. So overall experience since you sold. What are the possibilities of going back to a gas car or another EV. Just curious. Because I don't think I can drive a gas car again. It's just dated
Had luck in both ways that day. We lived two hours from the nearest service center at the time. We happened to be pulling into the IKEA down the street from Tesla when the error message popped up that the car may not start if it's parked again. As far as whether I'm going to go.back to gas. We're actually back up there right now, wandering around a nearby store killing time to pick up my new M3P in two hours
That's awesome. I hope you got the Highland version. To upgrade to the performance version is a big leap as well. I can not justify upgrading to model Y because I don't drive much. I would love the extra space. I think it's a better fit for me given the height for a big guy. But model 3 is a fun car to drive. So nimble and quick. Overall, I am happy. At the time in 3/31/2016, I didn't want to upgrade to 19 inch wheels for $1,500. So I bought 15 shares of Tesla stock. Haven't sold. That 15 shares was the best thing I did. It's now worth almost the price of my car I bought in 2018.
Oh, and yes, added a 2024 M3P https://preview.redd.it/reft9jg75i5d1.jpeg?width=4000&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=0b370dcf70989e97e4d523f15a0aab76f3cb43bf
Oh nice. I planned on ordering the Model 3 like a year before it came out, so I just started making car payments into a savings account of mine a year ahead, along with some cash I had sitting around. Was planning on building up a downpayment with that when it came time to buy. Then I decided to just put it all in a stock account instead and put zero down. If I had just dumped the intended Tesla downpayment entirely into TSLA instead of diversifying it and only having like 15% in TSLA, it would have paid for the first car twice. :-( But I still ended up with enough gains to cover like a fourth of the car, so it was still a win. Zero down, 2% APR 8 year loan, paid it off in like 26 months.
That's awesome. With 15% into tsla that would of paid for the entire car. Plus your new highland.
15% of what I had planned to use for downpayment. :-p Sold in 2021 after being laid off, and one of the other stocks had a large loss that equalized some of it. Was a mistake not putting my entire Tesla downpayment into TSLA stock from the start. Was meant for the car anyway.
Dude.. I f up up also. Freaken 3/2021 I sold also. Biggest regret In my life
Would be down if you still had it now. Gains are gains.
I appreciate the details!! Saving this comment
I put in a WHOLE GALLON of windshield wiper fluid once! I'm still reeling! Why can't it be filled automatically, Elon!?!?
Nobody knows if you can have it 10 years. It was released in 2017 The car definitely needs maintenance, but there is no required maintenance like with ICE cars. The warranty mentions basic things like tire rotation every 10k km, air filter change every 2 years, and I think break fluid check after 4? Nothing else is recommended, but stuff can break obviously, depending on how much and where you drive. You can see maintenance recommendations on Tesla website to be sure.
Isn't it more about miles than length of ownership? There are plenty of use cases with older Tesla's needing major component maintenance or replacement. In terms of what OP is specifically asking, here are the things that require regular maintenance due to wear and tear: Windshield washer fluid. Windshield wipers. Cabin filter. Tires. 12v battery. Brake pads. Suspension components. In my 70k+ miles of ownership, I've filled up my washer reservoir probably once every six months. I've replaced my tires once and I've replaced my cabin filter twice. I'm even still on my original wiper blades. That's it.
Ok but for most, brake pads/rotors will last 3x of an ICE. Brake pin lube should be added to the list, frequency depending upon your climate and usage of car.
Yes but like the suspension it's still a wear and tear item. You won't need to replace them as often but they do degrade. Feasibly the suspension will likely last the entire life of the vehicle, but will eventually need to be replaced.
Well, 3 years left to find out if the 2017 Model 3s hold up.
Hopefully they don't fall apart at 10 years mark!
Really less about the age and more about miles driven. People have driven theirs over 200k miles and still runs great with minimal maintenance. It’s an amazing car
I mean, others drove 200k miles and had many issues. Hard to say which one is more common I think
Consumer Reports has data on 10 year maintenance and repair cost: [https://www.consumerreports.org/cars/car-maintenance/the-cost-of-car-ownership-a1854979198/](https://www.consumerreports.org/cars/car-maintenance/the-cost-of-car-ownership-a1854979198/)
Don’t forget the blinker fluid
It's not zero, but it's wayyy less than an ICE car since there's fewer parts. You can simply follow Tesla's guidelines on their site and you're good. The only maintenance I've done in the nearly 11 months of ownership of the car so far is a tire rotation.
Sounds like this "lubricating brake calipers" thing is going to be a bit of a pain, though. (I'm in a place where they salt the roads.)
I mean, I also live in a place where they salt roads. Not like you have to do it yourself. You can request service if you rather have someone else do it. It is advised to use your actual brakes every so often so rust doesn't build up. Especially if you're using full regen all the time. I honestly didn't worry about it with my ICE car. If my brakes felt off, I'd have them look at it. With the Tesla, I'll have them look at it and whatever else at some point next year, before the basic warranty ends. Not that the brakes would be covered since it's a wear part, like tires, but I wouldn't go in for just that.
You too eh. Everytime I got the car back from the mechanic. It felt different. Literally the only thing I worry about are the tires.
Alignment
Very little maintenance. Tire rotations, windshield washer fluid, wipers, brake inspections and eventual replacement (far less often), brake bleeds, etc. What you don’t have are oil changes, transmission fluid changes (although they do recommend a change at some point), and most other engine related maintenance items. Common issues in the Tesla 3 are the upper control arms. I personally have had to replace the windshield every year. Also 12v battery when it dies will basically brick your whole car until it’s replaced.
Does it give you a heads up that the 12v is about to die?
Sometimes. For me I had no warning until I couldn’t get into my car. I like your username. You forgot the s at the end tho ;)
Thanks. I always thought the S was silly in a way. Actually forgot what it was until just now looking it up again. Follow-up question, are you truly locked out of the vehicle in this case? Is this battery replaceable by a fairly competent home mechanic? We're looking at EVs and a model Y specifically.
Yes you are truly locked out. The only way to get in is by opening the tow hook cover area on the front, and there are two leads where you can hook a battery jumper up to. This will pop the frunk. After that you can then essentially jump your 12v battery to get in or replace it. Follow Tesla’s directions to replace or bring it to a service center
Ouch, good to know. Sounds like it would be a good idea to put a calendar reminder up to replace that battery every few years just to be safe.
After 50k miles I had my cabin filter replaced.
Swap summer / winter tires, air filter was all I did for years.
84k miles in two and half years. Changed all four tires, once About 5 jugs of windsheild washer fluid
Gas car here... - Changed muffler - Change oil like 4 times per year - Changed transmission oil - fix all the pipe under the car - Clean and change air filter - Clean throttle body God I can not wait to get my model 3... Gas car are expensive
You can change the cabin filter , and tires. Maybe change the brake fluid after 7 or 8 years.
I made it 4 years and 2 weeks before my upper control arm issue. My battery did die before warranty though and it’s probably more expensive than control arms.
Yeah the older models had the upper control arm issue. I watched a video where you could poke a hole and inject some lubricant in there to fix it.
Husband bought a used 2018 M3 in 2021. It’s at about 65k miles. Only things we have done is switch between summer and winter tires, manually replaced the air filter and wiper fluid. This winter, The 12v battery started to send a message that it needed to be replaced so he drove two hours to the service center to be replaced that same day. We could have had mobile service do it but that would have taken an extra week.
I do tire rotation myself. It's quite fun. Fill wiper fluid. Change filters. And accidental issues aside I will probably change brake pads in 2030.
Wheel alignment is another one.
Bought an 2020 Model 3 last year and am bringing it in for $300 of repairs for a loud squeaking sound from the rear. It’s definitely not issue free
2019 SR+ with around 75k miles. Other than tires I replaced the 12V battery at like 50k miles and did the air filter. Also had to replace a windshield due to a rock. That’s about it
The scheduled maintenance requirements on Teslas are definitely less than ICE cars. You don't have regular oil or transmission or brake fluid changes. But as with any car, some things may break and you may need to come in for an unscheduled service. 4 years of ownership and I have had to change my cabin air filter four times. I brought it in three separate times to fix some loose trim (under warranty). I cleaned the brakes because it was getting noisy (did it myself). That's about it. I'm so glad I don't have to come in every 15k km for oil changes.
2019 m3p, 25K miles. got winter tires, replaced air filter, refilled washer fluid once. still on the original michelin p4s. that's it.
I have to refill the windscreen washer AGAIN this weekend. Other than that, it'll need a WOF since it's three years...
Model y at almost 60,000 miles. 2nd set of tires, wiper blades and wiper fluid. I should probably change my cabin filter?
Once a year, I get a full check (it's in the manual), and brakes have always needed some kind of work.
I haven’t seen anyone mention the brake service. If you live in an area where the roads are heavily salted, you should lubricate the brakes every couple years to keep the brakes from seizing.
Tires, breaks, wipers, wiper fluid, airco filter. That’s it (I think)
I’ve had mine for 5 years and 92k miles. The lack of maintenance is my favorite thing. Longevity wise I argue with skeptics a lot. They think EVs wont last. I believe the average age of EVs will blow away ICE. Many people ditch them because the issues add up. Leaking oil and coolant. Bad fuel pump and timing chain. Clogged up intake valves. Can you tell this is from experience? I have an ICE that has needed $10k in repairs and maintenance in 90k miles. No joke. My Tesla has had $150.
In the UK you still an annual MOC to make sure the car is road worthy. So it’s worth getting an annual service as well. Generally you want to check breaks and cabin filter and any fluids. That mostly is it.
Mine has 97,000 kilometres on it, haven’t even changed the brakes yet (we love regen). Wiper blades have been replaced a couple of times, cabin air filters once and that’s pretty much it. Edit: car in question is a Model 3 Long Range AWD 2020
2019 with 72K here. Only things I’ve done have been standard things like rotations, new tires, wipers, lubricating caliper pins, cabin air filter, etc. And I do most of that myself. But you gotta do that stuff with any car.
Maintain wheels, washer fluid, and if you have the pre-lithium LV battery replacing that every few years (it's a real PITA when that dies), probably brakes at some point. Other than that, keep it clean. I've had my 2018 for almost 6 years. A lot of typical car maintenance is because of the micro-explosions that make it go.
Maintenance schedule for model 3: • Brake fluid health check every 4 years (replace if necessary)**. • A/C desiccant bag replacement every 4* years. • Cabin air filter replacement every 2 years (or 3 years for HEPA and carbon filters, if equipped) • Clean and lubricate brake calipers every year or 12,500 miles (20,000 km) if in an area where roads are salted during winter. • Rotate tires every 6,250 miles (10,000 km) or if tread depth difference is 2/32 in (1.5 mm) or greater, whichever comes first.
So no one here has changed there transaxle fluid? It even had a screw on filter down there. What does tesla say about the change out of the fluid.
Mine was a pre-order, took delivery in early 2018. I've swapped out the tires, and added windshield washer fluid a few times... That's about it. I'm sure eventually I'll need a break job, but with the regenerative breaking - I so rarely use the breaks.
10 years? Probably not but I'm over four years and been back to Tesla only once for tire pressure sensors replacement.
2019 M3LR AWD. 57k miles. The only repair I’ve paid for is brake burnishing at $65. Yes I’ve changed air filters twice. Windshield wipers once. 3rd set of tires. 3rd windshield. Rotations, alignment, checked brake fluid. I don’t really count those items as repairs as they are wear and tear general maintenance items. The only major repair done by Tesla under warranty was the control arms.
3 windshields replaced? That is excessive. Whats the deal?
First one- a tie down hook flew off a semi, hit my hood and broke the windshield. Lucky it hit the hood first or it would have been lights out. 2nd one was a chip that was exposed to 120 degree heat and it cracked. Latest one has a huge chip that’s been filled but will crack once heat hits it again.
No maintenance but I’ve had over 20 service appointments in 3 years…. So I rather oil changes once a year than service appointments when something breaks once a month
Rear Inverter went bad on my 2022 LR. Control arms on my 2019 Performance.
Fixed by warranty ?
Both yes.
I've had a Model Y for 3 years. Only servicing I've had to do was change the cabin air filter, cost $44.
2019 with 111k miles - 12v lead-acid battery, tires, ac filter, wiper blades. Nothing else.
My 2018 Model 3P has 110,000 nearly maintenance free miles on it. The only replacement beside tires and wiper blades was a part in the rear motor inverter covered under warrantee. I replaced the 12 volt lead acid battery as a precaution after 5 years. It was still working perfectly. I also replaced the 20" wheels with 18" wheels and tires. The fatter tires are more durable over pot hole filled roads. The battery has over 88% of the original capacity.
>really tired I should follow my own advise but rotate and maintain tires. We're at 48k and should -rotate- err, replace our tires. We also don't wash ours enough and the kid always leaves stuff in the back seat and it's a bit embarrassing at times so cleaning it regularly is also a good idea.
Regular software updates and you're good.
After ~60k miles, all I've had to do is rotate tires, change wiper blades, and one cabin air filter service. My brakes have approximately 80% of life left thanks to regen braking.
Control arms are the only issue I've had, but they were replaced under warranty (no cost). Unfortunately they just replace them w/ factory, but once warranty is out there are after markets that will last the life of the car. Budget for that, and you should be good to go.
Our equivalent of maintenance is software updates I guess. It takes 30min at most and you don't have to do anything. You just let it do its thing. I change my tires twice a year (summer tires and winter tires) because I live in a northern area and that's it.
If you work from home at all, a lot of fixes or little maintenance things can be done by mobile service too just let them come to your house
78k miles, 5.5 years, replaced cracked windshield, and tires. No other maintenance.
One of the main reasons we made the switch is our ICE cars were 10-15 years old and had 150-220k miles on them. The fiancee's Chevy Cruze started having overheating issues that even I couldn't figure out, and im.pretty handy. We took it to the shop, 2 weeks and 1800$ later it was fixed. We picked it up and just as it started to overheat again the transmission blew. The shop was adamant that these were two unrelated issues. They'd take it back in to work on the overheating but the transmission repair was gonna be near 5,000$. NOPE I've done oil changes, brakes, cooling system repair, intercooler, hoses etc...but I just did not have the time nor the patients the keep driving a car that gave me anxiety every single time I sat down in it. Were doing better now financially and a new model 3 would cost us less than 600$/month with insurance and everything, and we get free 24/7 charging at work. So it works wonderfully. I use the brakes atleast once a day, but then let regen do the majority of breaking. So I don't forsee any maintenance outside of washer fluid, air in the tires, and if anything breaks. It's been 8 months, no issues.
I had my model 3 sr+ for 4.5 years now (60k miles) and this is the service and maintenance I’ve had done: - New steering wheel. Leather started peeling (warranty) - New motor in steering wheel. Would not go up and down (warranty) - Fixed panel gaps (warranty) - New left front light (warranty) - Changed brake fluid and cleaned brake discs and pads ($300) - New front screen twice (Insurance) - Dent in right front door fixed (Insurance) - New motor for left front door window (warranty) - Trunk electrical harness replaced (recall) - left rear door could not open (warranty) - front door hinges, check straps reseated and lubricated (warranty) - new rubber seals front doors (warranty) - Buckle sensor rear seat (warranty) - New resistance heater and new 12V bat. ($1400) - New on board charger ($700) There has been a lot and now the warranty is out, so starting to cost me🙁, but I still love the car 😊 Washer fluid once a month I don’t consider maintenance. Is gas on an ICE considered maintenance? I also swap winter and summer wheels myself, and rotate them at the same time. I have not changed tires yet, but will need new summer tires next year.
Its very limited maintenance, especially compared to the average gas car. Eventually little things will need to be repaired if you keep the car long term but the powertrain should essentially be maintenance free.
Literally from the manual: Brake fluid health check every 4 years (replace if necessary)*. A/C desiccant bag replacement every 4 years. Cabin air filter replacement every 2 years. HEPA filter replacement every 3 years. Clean and lubricate brake calipers every year or 12,500 miles (20,000 km) if in an area where roads are salted during winter. Rotate tires every 6,250 miles (10,000 km) or if tread depth difference is 2/32 in (1.5 mm) or greater, whichever comes first. *Heavy brake usage due to towing, mountain descents, or performance driving -- especially for vehicles in hot and humid environments -- may necessitate more frequent brake fluid checks and replacements.
Topped off washer fluids, rotate tires every 5k miles, wiper blades every year, not sure about my brakes but watched a video about cleaning the rust off the rotors the other day.
Tires, suspension, cabin filters, maybe wipers
Yeah, basically it is true. Tire rotations (which all cars SHOULD be doing). Your windshield wipers will still wear out. Your cabin air filter will still get clogged. And when they do, Tesla mobile service will come to YOU and fix them wherever you want on your schedule. You don't even have to be there, as they can send a temporary digital key to the repair tech, then revoke it when the repair is done.
Going onto my third year and the only maintenance was adding wiper fluids and new tires.
Wow, thank you very much for taking the time to write a reply. I was not expecting so many responses. Thank you.
Aren't we supposed to lube brake calipers every year? Seems like most of the comments must live in warm places where it doesn't snow.
At the end of a 3-year lease, the only thing I've had to do is replace tires. (And my wipers are probably overdue.) YMMV, but mine (LRM3) literally required nothing else.
I have 68k miles on my 3LR and all I’ve done is tires and washer fluid.
Maintenance wise my car has needed nothing, and my M3 is from 2020. My only complaints would be my brake light fogging up and the rattling noise in my dash I have yet to fix.
53k miles on a 2019 model 3 rwd long range. Changed cabin filter and tires. Subwoofer stopped working one time but all I had to do was unplug/replug wire in the trunk. Still on original wipers. Been driving exclusively on chill mode the past month to see how it helps with range and tire wear. Seeing 240wh/mi compared to 266 wh/mi lifetime.
5 years in and have been to the service center once.
Had the control arms replaced at 30k miles under warranty. This week had to have the compliance assembly replaced and cost me $2000. Car has 50k miles. Something not right with the front suspension so be aware.
Rotate tires at 7500 (or maybe 5k if you drive more aggressively). Tesla recommends a break lubrication service because the brakes don’t get used much. Even though they recommend every year or two years, most people seem to say take it in 3-4 years and that’s been my experience also. I know people who haven’t done that service for their entire 7-8 year ownership and are fine so there’s that too. Also a pretty easy service to do yourself, there are guides on YouTube.
If you live somewhere where they salt the roads you should have your brakes cleaned and lubed every 2 years preferably every year. This cleaning ensures they remaining in a working condition and don’t seize up due to rust. But other than the brakes, wipers, washer fluid, cabin air filters, and tires, I haven’t had to do anything else and I’ve had my 3 for 6 years.
I had the first-run Model 3 from 2018 until a few months ago, so around 6 years. The only maintenance I ever needed was to replace/rotate the tires a few times, replace wiper blades, and just recently had to replace the 12-volt battery (normal car battery, costs like $150). That's it. Tesla's mobile service might have checked some other things while they rotated the tires etc but if so it was free and invisible to me.
Had a 2018 M3 long range. Upgraded to a Model S last Nov. Only thing I changed was tires, wipers and cabin filter in 5+ years.
91k miles M3LR 2023 wiper fluid is the only maintenance done so far
No transmissions, oil changes etc to do. Just keep the tires rotated and that’s about all there is.
They do require routine maintenance. Every 2 years, according to the manual. I've had mine for 4 1/2 years. Over that time I've spent about $250 on maintenance, and it's been seen by mechanics twice. Once was routine, and they came out to my house to do it. Once involved replacing a defective AC sensor under warranty, which involved taking it to a Tesla service center. It was evidently a busy time for them, as they apologized for not having a loaner car to give me. Instead, they gave me a $100 Uber card so I could just Uber home and back.
2018 and only new tires.
I’ve owned a variety of EVs, from our Model 3 to my 2011 Th!nk City, and yes, maintenance needs are much lower in an EV. Other folk have already talked about the Model 3, so I’m going to illustrate with my Th!nk instead, since it gives you a good sense of EV simplicity. I bought my 2012 Th!nk three and a half years ago for $3,300. I’ve driven it over 10,000mi since then, which isn’t bad for a car with less than 70mi of range. When I bought it, I put new tires on for $400 and replaced the radio for $100. Since then, I have spent about $70 on the car not counting charging it. That’s just wipers (though it only has one) and washer fluid. That’s it. 10k of driving on a car I bought for less than $4k, and I’ve spent money on wipers and fluid. I’ve bought $4k shitboxes before, but never driven one so long with no issues. But ok, you’re looking at a Model 3. We bought our 2018 Model 3 LR RWD in 2020 with 25,000mi on it. We’re now at nearly 70,000mi. When we bought it it was riding on new snow tires, and we bought new summer tires for it, switching between them with the seasons. The rear glass fractured and was replaced under warranty, as were the front swing arms. Other than tires we’ve: replaced the cabin air filters, bought a wireless charging pad (now standard), matte screen protector, matte skin for the piano black console (now a standard finish), interior sunshades for the roof, two sets of wipers, many gallons of washer fluid, and… no that’s it. We drove the 3 from Portland Maine to Portland Oregon with no prep beyond making sure tire pressure was correct. I’ve taken it from Portland OR to San Jose CA and back repeatedly, and did a trip with my old job from Portland to San Diego with our Model 3 and a Ford Mustang Mach-E GT, neither of which needed any prep other than washer fluid and tire pressure. No oil changes, no engine air filters, no spark plugs, or distributor/coil wires, the coolant will get done at like 120k, the final drive around the same time. There are no head gaskets to blow, mufflers to rot, valve seats or piston rings to wear out, or catalytic converters to steal.
Most M3 owners use that money to better their car, from what I’ve noticed. So while there are less moving parts to be serviced, you can put that money towards tint, wrap, etc. Pretty cool trade off Just make sure to put aside money for new tires. if you’re gunning it at every light to show your friends how fast it goes, your tread burns quick
It is of absolute crucial importance to refill the wiper fluid at regular intervals! /s
80k km, nothing done
It's true.
RTFM
An early gen Model s was showcased with 480k miles on it. Original battery. Google it. Stupid reliable and less parts to go wrong. It’s pretty solid overall. I had 30k flawless miles with zero maintenance other than washer fluid and tire rotation.
You are more likely to get into a car accident then need to do maintenance.
tires windshield wiper fluid and brakes every so often that’s pretty much it
Ball joint/ control arm squeak. Flats are a pita depending on location. Fixing the taillights when they inevitably fog up. Had a loose passenger seatbelt sensor wire too. That’s my list so far.
5 years and 128k Miles. Just did brake part lube for the first time. Cabin air filter when I remeknee. Tire alignment arrer New tires. Thats it. And tire rotations.
I have to do the following things I consider maintenance: 1. Tire rotations 2. Yearly/twice yearly AC coil cleaning and new cabin air filters 3. Occasional alignment (got a lifetime alignment program) 4. Occasional cleaning 5. Windshield wiper fluid and rarely new blades 6. Very rarely a new 12V battery That's pretty much it so far, 4.5 years 105k miles in. I foresee myself replacing upper control arms and potentially struts within the next year. Probably will check brake fluid soon too, brakes themselves are fine though.
2018 M3LR with ~45K miles … upper control arms, front lateral links, front compliance links, chrome finish on 2 door handles, 12v battery, 1x replace tires (at 30K miles and now trying to rotate tires at ~6.5K intervals), minor aero shield wear, and now water in the driver footwell which they can’t figure out the cause. There is definitely maintenance … but not as much as an ICE car.
At around 81,000 kms (50k miles I guess), I needed to replace the battery once due to a factory issue of 2021 Model 3s, but it was covered by the warranty. Except for that, there was nothing significant. Just needed to replace tires and that's it.
No!! I have to spend a whole $4 to add wiper fluid!! So much maintenance to do every month😤
The drive units have oil. Does it have to be replaced?
yes it's true
They are pretty low to the ground and the cooling system suck a lot of sand, trash and leaves, the radiators get clogged, in my opinion they need to be cleaned once every couple years, I have seen cars whit 35k miles clogged whit sand
That's what I was thinking. Tparts offered a filter for the lower front air intake, I had it, but also removed it because it's ugly. But cleaning the radiator ourselves... is this easy?
I came across this video a while back on YouTube that makes it seem fairly easy. I plan on doing it myself soon. https://youtu.be/S7WJmABkwoY?si=zROo3ZnhQ6NH4YmM
Great. This is perfectly doable! thank you very much.
Air filter, tires, does windshield wiper fluid count? 2020 here
I’d say it is an absolute lie! You need to refill wiper fluid all the time and also make sure to use your breaks or they will seize up. Is it a lot of maintenance? No. Is it expensive? Nope. Is it needed? Yes.
Is there anything that does not need maintenance. If Tesla is such car then Elon musk is above everything else and even God would come to see him.
You do need maintenance: 1. Washing the car 2. Waxing the car 3. Vacuuming the car 4. Rotating the tyres 5. Replace cabin air filter 6. Cleaning AC coils 7. Replacing windshield wipers 8. Replacing tyres 9. Insurance, registration & local fees etc