Tesla maintenance: cost, plans and service schedule

Are Teslas expensive to maintain?

Most cars have fairly similar maintenance needs, such as scheduled oil changes and fuel filter replacements. However, Teslas are different from most cars.

To quote Tesla's website: “Unlike gasoline cars, Tesla vehicles require no traditional oil changes, fuel filters, spark plug replacements or emission checks. Even brake pad replacements are rare because regenerative braking returns energy to the battery, significantly reducing wear on the brakes.”

This means that maintenance is generally done as needed. But despite this passive attitude toward scheduled upkeep, Tesla's vehicle lineup is still among the most expensive to repair and maintain.

According to RepairPal data adjusted for inflation, the annual maintenance cost of a Tesla is $1,137, depending on the age, mileage, location and shop you’re using. Compare that to the $891 per-year average across all brands.

How Tesla compares with other automakers

Consumer Reports lists Tesla’s lineup 14th out of 30 brands in terms of reliability, even though its predicted reliability score of 48 out of 100 is the highest given to any electric vehicle (EV) maker. But the less reliable your vehicle, the higher your out-of-pocket ownership costs will be. Here’s what that looks like compared to other popular brands.

So what’s with the high cost? Considering that very little maintenance is required for most Teslas, the majority of your costs will likely come from repairs.

Tesla maintenance and repair costs by model

Tesla vehicles also tend to be riddled with recalls. The 2022 Tesla Model Y already has 11 active recalls and four ongoing investigations from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) at the time of publication. Older models face even more to deal with.

Based on what we’ve heard from Tesla owners, you can also expect to pay extra for parts and labor from qualified EV mechanics.

Tesla maintenance cost and schedule

For the most part, Tesla recommends doing maintenance on an as-needed basis. That means Tesla owners aren’t required to visit the mechanic all that often under normal driving conditions. For the few maintenance jobs that Tesla does recommend on a regular basis, your Tesla owner’s app keeps track of how much time and mileage has elapsed and alerts you when it’s time to book a service.

You can see the full list of Tesla’s scheduled maintenance recommendations in the table below, but keep in mind that scheduling will vary by model and year, so always consult your owner’s app for specific frequency.

While we typically look at data aggregator sites to figure out approximate repair and maintenance costs, model-specific information for Tesla vehicles isn’t fully available from our usual sources. The only data-based, model-specific estimate we could find is for the Tesla Model S, which averages $1,047 per year in maintenance and repairs, according to RepairPal.

However, we were able to find a Tesla employee’s estimated maintenance costs for a Model Y, as reported by Car Talk.

Typical maintenance costs for a Tesla Model Y

Ali, a ConsumerAffairs reviewer from California, left a review that corroborated the final estimate on that list, telling us, “I bought my Tesla Plaid about six months ago, and after only 13k miles, I have had to replace all four tires, costing me $2,500. Tesla customer service claims this may be due to my driving style. Grand Prix, who actually put on the new tires, said the car was out of alignment — hence why the tires went so quickly. Of course, Tesla customer service refuses to accept it.”

Unlike some other automakers, Tesla doesn’t provide complimentary maintenance on new vehicles, and it no longer offers prepaid maintenance plans.

Schedule maintenance for severe driving conditions

To ensure the longevity of your Tesla vehicle, the company does suggest more frequent servicing for vehicles driven in severe conditions. Some suggestions include:

• If you drive in areas where roads are salted during winter, Tesla recommends cleaning and lubricating the brake calipers every 12 months or 12,500 miles.
• If you drive in particularly polluted environments, Tesla suggests replacing HEPA filters more frequently than every three years.
• If you tow heavy loads or drive in especially hot and humid environments, Tesla suggests more frequent brake fluid checks and replacements.
• If you’re driving on rough or uneven roads, towing heavy loads, driving in extreme temperatures or using rapid acceleration or hard braking, you may need your tires rotated more frequently than every 6,250 miles.

Tesla repair costs

If a covered component breaks down during your Tesla’s four-year/50,000-mile bumper-to-bumper warranty or eight-year/unlimited-mile powertrain warranty, you may not have to pay anything out of pocket. However, repairs outside of your warranty period can be prohibitively expensive.

“In July 2022, my model X was still under Tesla warranty. I scheduled a service visit for rattling noise. After one week at the service center, they dismissed it as being a bad tire. … It was clear there is more to it,” wrote M., a ConsumerAffairs reviewer from Virginia. “I, again, scheduled a service with Tesla. However, now the car is no longer under warranty. In less than six hours, the list and estimate for the repair was sent to me. It was $5,000.”

Unfortunately, data on common Tesla issues is hard to also find. However, ConsumerAffairs reviewers have left numerous complaints about their Teslas that can help us understand what owning a Tesla may cost you.

Of the Tesla reviews posted to our site in the year before this article was published, 20% have mentioned needing repairs that cost the owner thousands of dollars. That’s not indicative of Tesla owners overall (people who have bad experiences are much more likely to leave reviews), but it is something to be aware of if you’re thinking about buying a Tesla or keeping one outside the warranty period.

Alfonso, a ConsumerAffairs reviewer from New York, told us: “I currently have a 2021 model Y. Vehicle was great, but as soon as I passed the 50,000 miles threshold (only by 3K) the whole vehicle started failing. … The heating pump and multiple sensors failed including the auxiliary 24V battery. Be advised that each repair cost around $4,800. Just diagnostics by itself are close to $1,000, plus towing the vehicle is another $460. Those ‘savings’ in gas, you are going to spend it in parts, or if not, you are going to have a nonoperational vehicle sitting on the street.”

» LEARN: What is a manufacturer’s warranty?

How can an extended warranty help?

Your car insurance will protect you from repairs that you need as a result of an accident, theft or vandalism, but it won’t do anything to help with parts that wear out or break on their own. So, if you aren’t prepared to foot an expensive bill at the mechanic’s, you may want to look into purchasing an extended warranty.

Extended warranties are available directly from Tesla or dedicated auto warranty companies, and there are generally multiple coverage options available, so you can pick a plan that matches your needs and budget.

That being said, extended car warranties aren’t for everyone. If you can afford to pay for expensive repairs out-of-pocket, you don’t necessarily need this protection. However, if these repair bills would cause you financial hardship, an extended warranty may save you money in the long run.

“We have a 2017 Model X and we have constantly had the car in the shop to fix wing doors or sensors, steering issues, battery cooling issues, window issues, doors not opening, etc. ... it's a long list,” wrote Michael, a ConsumerAffairs reviewer from Nebraska. “Unfortunately we are spending an average of $4,000 a year on repairs and nothing seems to be covered under the warranty. Driving it now seems like a worry, as we know something else is going to go wrong soon and it'll be another $1,000 or more.

“I think it would have cost us an extra $5,000 for the extended warranty and so far it probably would have saved us at least $10,000, but we didn't think we needed it. Buyer beware, it's a great car when it works, but buy the extended warranty because you'll need it.”