What Maintenance Does A Tesla Need?

Last Updated on March 18, 2022 by

For such a technologically advanced car, a Tesla still requires the odd bit of maintenance. It may have different components and a more complex engine yet like any appliance or vehicle, a Tesla may need a check occasionally.

You may want to know what issues a Tesla can encounter which may go undetected until it requires some servicing. Due to being such a specific car, you may also wonder where you can get one serviced and how often.

What Maintenance Does A Tesla Need

Finally, if you have already paid, or are deliberating paying, for a Tesla it may be worth comparing the costs of maintenance to that of a regular gas car.

These concerns and considerations are vital to learning about a Tesla and what maintenance it may require. Not only can that indicate how they differ from other cars but also the associated costs of owning one.

Tesla Maintenance Problems

One issue with the Tesla is that different parts require maintenance after different periods of time. For instance, you should test your brake fluid every two years whereas the tires need rotating every 6,250 miles or where the tread depth reaches 2/32 or more.

Even the brake calipers require cleaning and lubricating every year, or every 12,500 miles if in a cold-weather region. Having to take in your Tesla so often could get frustrating yet keeps the car in excellent working condition.

What Are The Most Common Problems With Teslas?

There are certainly other parts in a Tesla that require maintenance at specific times. One component is the cabin air filter who prevents particles from entering the vents.

For Models 3 and Y, you should replace the cabin air filter every two years, whereas for new Models S and X it is every three years.

Similarly, if a Tesla has a HEPA filter then this also needs to be replaced on a three-year cycle but you should check whether it has one first.

The air conditioning can be quite particular as different models have different replacement schedules for their desiccant bags so they require replacing after different periods. For example, one in a Model S (bought from 2012 to 2020) should be changed every two years.

However, a desiccant bag in a Model S or X (from 2021) only needs replacing every three years.

For a Model X bought between 2012 and 2020, their desiccant bag should be replaced every four years, which is the same for one in a Model Y. Then there is the Model 3 which needs its desiccant bag changed every six years.

Tesla Maintenance Service Center

Unlike regular gas cars, you cannot simply take a Tesla into any car shop or mechanic to get checked. The cars are highly specific and require engineers who are fully trained to know how to service one and how to remedy any issues.

If you were to take a Tesla to a non-Tesla shop for servicing then you may be jeopardizing the coverage under your warranty.

How Do I Get My Tesla Serviced?

Due to the specificity of a Tesla, you would be recommended to visit a Tesla Service Center and one can be found in the Tesla app.

You can also use remote diagnostics, over-the-air software updates, and Mobile Service technicians before you get your Tesla serviced in a Service Center.

Tesla Maintenance Schedule

That lack of a traditional fuel engine is the real differentiating factor for the maintenance schedule of a Tesla.

The company did recommend annual checkups which you would expect for any vehicle yet shifted that to recommending particular maintenance when required. Only a few items should be changed, and even then that is on a periodic basis.

How Often Do You Have To Get A Tesla Serviced?

There are certain timescales for looking after certain parts of a Tesla which are all included in the Owner’s Manual. However, unlike a gas car, a Tesla does not need consistent fluid changes or even annual maintenance.

Do Teslas Have Routine Maintenance?

There are some differences with gas cars in that Teslas do not require emission checks or spark plug replacements, fuel filters, or oil changes as they simply do not use them. Some parts will need to be replaced yet this is specific to the part and the model of Tesla.

Whether that be the brake fruit, the tires, the air conditioning, or HEPA filter.

Tesla Maintenance Cost Vs Gas Car

A Tesla requires a more tailored level of maintenance than a gas car as it does not burn fossil fuels and has a starkly different engine. The depreciation rate is also significantly lower for a Tesla Model 3 compared to a regular gas car.

There are other associated costs to consider which include the maintenance yet even then the servicing cost of a gas car can be over ten times as much as that of a Tesla Model 3 for example.

Is Owning A Tesla Cheaper Than A Gas Car?

Aside from the maintenance cost, you should be looking at the running costs. In the case of a Tesla that is the charging and even then that can be significantly less than the average gas car. Fuel prices can be significantly higher over a year, perhaps as much as three times as much.

Final Thoughts

When you drive a Tesla, you are operating an altogether different piece of technology than an average gas car. It should feel smoother which is largely due to the lack of a gas-guzzling engine.

That one difference means that the maintenance does not need to be performed every year. This schedule can feel quite liberating yet maintenance is still required based on the specific model of a Tesla car and the component itself.

You may need to consult the Owner’s Manual and try to remember to put it on next year’s calendar, or the one after that.

Derek Bruce
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