Our Tesla Model 3 Hasn't Delivered Big Savings in Maintenance Costs
https://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/a30209598/2019-tesla-model-3-reliability-maintenance/JUL 29, 2021
One of the pitches we hear often on the switch to EV ownership is that electric vehicles are cheaper to maintain. But, as we close in on 40,000 miles in a Tesla Model 3, the actual savings in service costs is turning out to be quite minimal.
Sure, the Model 3 needs no oil changes, which in theory should save us significant cost. However, the Model 3's requirement that we lubricate the brake calipers every year or 12,500 miles—something specified for areas that use road salt in the winter months—has cost nearly as much, totaling $432 for three such services thus far, which often also include a tire rotation. Although that's less than the $539 we spent on maintenance for our BMW M340i or the $728 for our Kia Telluride, that savings works out to between $6 and $15 a month over the course of our nearly two years of ownership, which would be barely noticeable in an owner's budget.
Although not included in our official tally of regular maintenance or normal wear, we've had some pricey fixes as well. For example, a stone chip in the glass roof set us back $1200 for a new one, and we paid $1100 for a new windshield for the same reason. And, since Tesla owns all of its service centers and maintains tight control over its parts, there are fewer options to shop around for service in cases like these than for most other cars.
By 30,000 miles, the original Michelin Primacy MXM4 tires were shot. We often get twice as many miles on all-season tires, but rapid tire wear is something that's a common topic on Model 3 owner's forums....
