Tesla is one of the first and most popular brands in the EV market, they are doing their best to spread the message of easy maintenance and less expensive Car Servicing Rugby costs. Still driving a Tesla on the road is not free and EV service centres aren’t as common as regular auto shops in most parts of the country. 

In this blog post, we are going to talk about Tesla maintenance and answer some questions people have asked about Tesla maintenance, so if you are interested in knowing more about Tesla cars then keep reading. 

How Much Does Tesla Servicing Cost?

The most popular and top-selling model of Tesla is the Model 3 and it is the fastest-selling electric car in the US and UK market. This specific model received an award for the title of Lowest 5-year Cost to Own vehicle in the premium electric vehicle segment in 2023.

On average, an owner of a Tesla Model 3 spends around $3,115 on servicing, or $623 on an annual basis. The cost is a bit more than a combustion engine car. For example, servicing for the Lexus is350 costs $2,621 over five years.

Tesla saves you money on fuel which reduces the cost of maintaining it. But some costs can add up for maintenance. For example, electric car tyres wear faster because of the extra weight of the batteries and need to be replaced more often than tyres on combustion engine cars.

Older electric vehicles may experience additional service and repair costs over time. For example, a person replaces one headlap in his 2014 Model S for around $3,631 which is more expensive.

Can You Service A Tesla Yourself?

There are some tasks which are mentioned in Tesla’s routine servicing schedule that you can do by yourself in your home garage. For example, you can replace the cabin air filter every two years by yourself with minimal effort. Other tasks like testing brake fluid for contamination need special tools which most people don’t have in their home garage. 

Still, whichever model you buy from Tesla comes with a bumper-to-bumper and a battery warranty. Depending upon the model, the car battery warranty length can differ from eight years or 120,000 or 150,000 miles. The comprehensive warranty is four years or 50,000 miles.

Where To Go for My Tesla Servicing?

Tesla has many mobile service providers in the US and UK. They will come to you wherever your car is parked to perform the routine servicing. The service includes cabin air filter changes, tyre rotations and other basic tasks.

Tesla handles a network of service centres for less common and more extensive work. They operate service centres in at least 37 states within the US. But, that doesn’t mean they are all conveniently located.

Accessing the service centres widely depends on where you live in the country. For example, If you live in Idaho and your Tesla has issues then you need to Boise to fix the issue, whereas if you live in California there are over 39 service centres across the state. 

There are solutions for Tesla owners who don’t live near a Tesla service centre. Now General Motors began servicing Tesla vehicles in the last few years. GM has one of the largest service centres in the US, around 90% of Americans live within 10 miles of their dealerships. 

Can You Take Your Tesla to A Regular Workshop?

Yes, few technicians are certified to perform service on electric cars. The number of these types of technicians keeps increasing as more people are going for EVs. In the coming years, electric vehicles make up a more significant amount of the cars on the roads. But still, most independent workshops and garages don’t service electric vehicles. 

Tesla also mentioned that if take your vehicle to a non-Tesla workshop for servicing or repairs, the coverage under your warranty could be affected if any problems occur in your vehicle. 

Routine Tesla Maintenance

Tesla installed batteries and service-free electric motors in the vehicles. In the combustion engine vehicles those take the palace of the engine, fuel system and transmission that are the source of most servicing needs.

Just like any other electric car, Tesla uses a suspension system, tyres, brakes and other components which are similar to vehicles with internal combustion engines. These all parts need routine service even in electric vehicles.

Do Teslas Require Unique Servicing?

Tesla cars also require some other services because of their unique design nature. For example, regenerative braking uses resistance from the electric motor to slow down the vehicle. This function reduces the reply on brakes.

But, you still may need to lubricate the brake callipers on an annual basis to reduce the damage from road salt in the winter. Many Tesla owners recommend that you replace your car tyres before their predicted lifespan ends to stay safe from flat tyres. 

Tyres mentioned to last 40,000 miles can last up to 30,000 miles on a Tesla. The fast wear of tyres because the electric car weight is more than combustion engine cars. Another reason cause fast tyre wear is the instant torque of their motors provides high-friction starts. 

If you are driving your Tesla within the UK, most people have doubt that if your car is electric they don’t need to do an MOT Rugby but this is not true. You need to do an MOT test even if you own an electric vehicle.