Used Tesla — Known Failures, Repairs & Fixes
An honest, year-by-year guide to what breaks on each Tesla and how it gets fixed. Pick a model and year for symptoms, the actual repair or service bulletin, recalls, and a DIY difficulty rating.
How to use this
Each model-year page shows what changed (green), known issues (red), recalls (amber), and repairs & fixes (blue) with a verdict badge — BUY, OK, or SKIP. Always confirm recalls against your specific VIN.
Browse all known issues by category →
Model Y →
Tesla's best-seller, built on the Model 3 platform. Most used examples are Long Range AWD. Pick a year for the full failures, repairs, and fixes.
Model 3 →
The car that took Tesla mainstream. Heat pump arrived late 2020; the Highland refresh lands for 2024.
Model S →
Tesla's flagship. The 2021 refresh/Plaid is the dividing line — new interior, push-button doors, MCU3 (Ryzen).
Universal "look at this before buying" list
- Check the Tesla app before purchase — confirms FSD/AP package, Premium Connectivity status, software version.
- Service history via Tesla service portal — look for major drivetrain or battery work.
- Battery health — request a recent full charge and verify projected range vs original EPA.
- HW version — Service Menu → Software → Hardware. HW2.5 = no FSD without retrofit; HW3 = FSD-capable; HW4 = newest.
- MCU version — MCU1 is the failure-prone early Intel Atom; MCU2 (Intel) and MCU3 (AMD Ryzen) are reliable.
- Recall completion — NHTSA VIN lookup shows all open and completed recalls.
- Title check — Carfax / AutoCheck. Salvage title affects Supercharger access.
- Door handles on Model S/X — extend/retract a few times. Listen for grinding.
- Tire wear — uneven wear suggests alignment or suspension issues, especially on Model X.
For the printable buyer's checklist, see Pre-Purchase Inspection →