How Many Miles Can A Tesla Go? A Million Miles Dream?

A Tesla car is now a legend of EVs all around the world. These vehicles are still thought to be the most technological and the most capable electric cars. Of course, some competitors are now very close to Teslas in terms of quality, comfort, reliability, and technologies. But still, American EVs are extremely popular.

Some of our colleagues say that Tesla Model Y and Tesla Model 3 are still the two most popular EVs in the US. They are said to sell around 300 000 cars (of both Model Y and Model 3) in the US only each year, according to 2021 statistics. This is huge, and so we want to understand whether those guys who buy Teslas are lucky or not.

Today we'll be speaking about the following:

1. What's the top mileage of a Tesla car?
2. What are the most common problems with Teslas?
3. What are the main advantages of Tesla vehicles?
4. Can you go a million miles on your Tesla car?

Let's get started!

How many miles can your Tesla actually go?

Well, this question is not very easy to answer. First of all, we should point out what we understand by the vehicle's longevity. Any car can go a lot of miles, but you will need to replace engines, repair its body, invest a lot of money. When we say that the average longevity of a certain vehicle is around 200 000 miles, we mean that it's economically wise and correct to own this car up until it breaks the 200 000-mile mark.

With a Tesla, it's quite hard to talk about longevity. In most cars, the engine and transmission are the units that determine longevity. In a Tesla, you will not find an internal combustion engine that will fail after 200 000 miles, on average. And you will not find a transmission that will probably work for 150 000 miles at best. So, what's the mileage of these EVs?

Here are some ideas:

1. The engine of Tesla cars is an electric engine that barely needs some service and can easily work for years with no issues. We would say, the engine is designed to last 1 million miles.
2. The body of these vehicles is protected from rust. We've found up to 10 cases when owners reported rust issues with Tesla Model 3. This shows that the body of a Tesla car can also go up to 1 million miles if not damaged in accidents.
3. The transmission is extremely simple and reliable. We would say that the transmission will work for years and will be able to reach the 1-million-mile mark easily if not physically damaged.
4. The battery is the weakest point in your Tesla. The latest battery technologies used by the company ensure that the battery will be OK for at least 300 000 miles. Elon Musk has repeatedly claimed that batteries are made to last 500 000 miles if used according to the owner's manual.
5. The wiring is another problem. Over time, some wires start falling apart, some connections may fail and the vehicle will just stop. In an electric car, wiring is extremely important. The first serious wiring issues are usually reported between 300 000 and 400 000 miles, though.

As you see, basically all important units and parts of your Tesla are extremely reliable. The weakest parts are wiring and batteries. But we would be afraid of wiring problems mainly. The complete battery replacement for a 75 kW Tesla vehicle is absolutely possible and it will cost you approximately $15,000. It's a lot, but you will basically get another 300 000 miles for your vehicle.

Wiring issues are much harder to locate and repair. Your Tesla has a lot of wires and it's very hard to understand what's going on with them. Of course, a Tesla dealer will locate the problem and solve it, but the price of this repair may be extremely high. The bad news is that wiring problems will continue to bother you, but changing all wires like you can replace a battery is impossible.

What are the problems you will face with a high-mileage Tesla?

Unfortunately, Tesla is still a car that has a lot of other modules that can fail, not only battery, wiring, and engine. These vehicles are known for a very expensive repair. A lot of owners choose to buy an extended warranty when they get their Teslas or seek a lucrative third-party warranty. This is a wise idea because even a small problem in your Tesla can result in huge expenses.

We would like to show you a couple of main problems with these cars:

1. MCU. The Media Control Unit has a lot of bugs and they usually start to bother you after 150 000 miles. The MCU module needs updates or even replacement because it just fails to complete some simple tasks.
2. AC. Air conditioner issues are very common for cars with over 150 000 miles on the clock. The AC can just leak or it can be broken (compressor or radiators) which anyway will cost you loads of money to repair.
3. Suspension. Your Tesla still drives on four wheels and has basically the same suspension as many ICE cars. After you have driven your car more than 200 000 miles, you will have to replace a lot of suspension parts. And this is a costly activity.
4. Charging issues. Your charging port in a Tesla is an extremely expensive part. And it will start failing after 100 000 miles or something. The actual time of failure will depend on whether you charge your car carefully or not.
5. Lights. You will be surprised with the bills when your taillights and headlights will start failing. A problem with one taillight may cost you more than $1000, for example.
6. Interior wear and tear. Interior parts will start wearing at approximately 150 000 miles or later. To buy new ones is insanely expensive and to repair them is basically impossible. So, you will keep driving in a shabby interior or spend some money on that.

As you see, some minor issues that would cost close to nothing in many other cars to repair, in Tesla may cause problems.

So, what Tesla actually does, is it doesn't repair anything. They will just replace the part that fails and will take thousands of dollars from you. Not a very good experience, we would say.

Also, you should take into account some service costs. We've investigated the service reports and we found out that the Tesla vehicles will cost you $1500 a year, on average, to service. Sometimes, people claim they spend over $2500 yearly. So good insurance will be a must for you.

Will you be able to drive 1 million miles in a Tesla?

Yes, you will. But during this time, you will replace pretty much everything in your car, but the engine and transmission. All other parts will be replaced many times. And economically it doesn't make much sense. It's much better to buy a new car after you have driven your Tesla for more than 300 000 miles.

You will still be able to sell the Tesla with that high mileage to some EV geeks that have little money and have a bad credit score, and then you'll be able to get a new Tesla that will not bother you for 5 or 7 years even with highly intensive driving. So, you should count up the money and decide what suits your needs. But driving a Tesla for 1 million miles is only worth it for some project or just for your enthusiasm.

What are the biggest advantages of Tesla cars?

1. Impressive range. These vehicles are still the leaders in terms of battery range and performance among relatively affordable EVs.
2. Lower bills. If you charge your Tesla at home, you will save up a lot of money because you will not need to buy petrol.
3. Vast network. Dealers and charging stations are everywhere. Tesla is the national company now, so you will get the service and charging wherever you want.
4. Software updates. Nearly all updates are available for car owners for free which helps you drive a freshly updated car at all times.
5. Autonomous driving. Yes, a lot of arguments we've seen about this option, but still, do you know a lot of cars that offer AI experience for this money?

Final words

We love Teslas, but we still have to criticize them for being so expensive to repair. They will just replace the broken parts and will take hundreds or thousands of dollars from you. It's hard to switch to some private service because the vehicle is technically very complicated. You will still need to go to the dealers and pay big money for maintaining your EV. But if you are OK with that, the Tesla will be one of the best cars you can think of buying.