24 Months of Model 3 - How is Reliability?

[ratsbew]

Model 3 has been in customer hands for about 2 years now. How are these cars holding up mechanically? From my observation of my personal car (16 months) and what I have observed from other's cars online it seems like Model 3 is extremely robust mechanically.

Are there any documented examples of problems with the drivetrain or other mechanical parts?

 

[KMCC]

Model 3 has been in customer hands for about 2 years now. How are these cars holding up mechanically? From my observation of my personal car (16 months) and what I have observed from other's cars online it seems like Model 3 is extremely robust mechanically.

Are there any documented examples of problems with the drivetrain or other mechanical parts?

have

I have had my model 3 for 17 months. (24,000 miles) and have had no issues. Love my model 3. Ken

 

[ChadS]

18 months and 14k miles, no issues.

Consumer Reports had said there were early problems (mostly cosmetic), but just recently said they are now good enough to recommend again. TrueDelta and a recent 5,000-customer survey from a business magazine (the name escapes me now) show similar improvement. They said less than 1 problem per car in the first 30 days.

That said, there have been a few people reporting drivetrain issues, but given the number of cars sold, it sure hasn't been many.

 

[SalisburySam]

06/18 LR RWD. Two visits to the ServiceCenter: one for first tire rotation and a service bulletin adjusting frunk latch, second for small body work touch up from parking lot rash and another service bulletin replacing charge port pins. So yeah, pretty reliable for me.

Or, for the glass-half-empty crowd, this is the worst vehicle on earth. I’ve had 24 cars in my life and not one of them had to have a frunk latch adjusted, nor charging pins replaced. And why can’t they use self-healing paint? And for the love of everything motorized, and after well over a century in development, why oh why do I have to rotate tires today?

I’ll close the door on my way out.

 

[bd7349]

I'm at 47k miles in just under a year and it's been absolutely perfect. Not a single problem and I'm still on the stock tires (soon to be replaced with winters). I'm a Tesla customer for life.

 

[woodisgood]

15 months, 38K miles, no major issues.

Only issue to speak of was out daytime LED light few months in, headlamp assembly replaced by mobile service.

 

[Az_Rael]

Are there any documented examples of problems with the drivetrain or other mechanical parts?

There are examples of drive unit failures posted here, but not a lot. (My neighbor had his fail on his 3).

My 2017 car has had two charge port door failures, and a very smelly AC that seems to be non-fixable despite multiple cabin filter changes, HVAC cleanings, etc. I have mobile service coming out next week for a brake cleaning service since my brakes are squeaky at low speeds, and I haven’t been able to correct it myself. Overall, my 3 has been much more reliable than our S.

 

[jasonh4451]

17 months, 15K miles. Two minor issues. Frunk latch replaced and DRL Led replaced

 

[tvad]

Every day after my wife leaves for work in the Model 3, I am still in the old habit of checking the garage floor for oil spots. None so far. Good sign.

 

[clmason]

22 months and 30,000 miles. Only issue was funky A/C smell that was addressed with a 45 minute appointment.

 

[Matt L]

18 months 18k miles...it’s been absolutely flawless. Zero maintenance costs so far.

And because I pay next to nothing for electricity...over $1k in fuel savings

 

[Whosyourbaba]

I am at my 1 year anniversary and was one of the lucky ones to have error that my car couldn't charge to 100 percent at 5 months of ownership with 2900 miles. My car ran fine but couldn't charge it at all with any chargers. Tesla said in paperwork internal fault in the High Voltage battery and my battery was replaced and car works perfectly. No other issues. Things happen and still love the car. Below is my thread on issue

Notification that battery cannot charge to 100%

 

[seattlite2004]

Lots of good info/data here:
Bloomberg - 2019 Tesla Model 3 Survey

As an example from the above link:

 

[puckpurnell]

After 11 months and 10,500 miles, all good!

 

[cwerdna]

Are there any documented examples of problems with the drivetrain or other mechanical parts?

Plenty. See Shoddy quality and poor QC and missing parts.., for example.

Doing a Google search for site:teslamotorsclub.com drive unit failed "model 3" with date of April 1, 2019 to today turns up a few more I quickly found.

Rear Drive Unit Failed
Drive unit failure, car says Pull Over Safely
Rear motor failure (on a trip out of town)

 

[Amendale]

Here is a list of problems I have had in 15,000 miles (11 months):
- Wheel speed sensor had to be replaced;
- Control arms for front suspension had to be replaced;
- Drivers window actuator had to be replaced;

 

[tvad]

- Drivers window actuator had to be replaced;

When I took our Model 3 in for service this week, there was a Model 3 owner there with this issue.

 

[luke68bird]

My August 2018 build is awaiting condenser fan to come in for repair number 10 with 22k miles. Think it has been to service center twice, mobile service once and mobile will install condenser fan once it arrives.

 

[skygraff]

For what it’s worth, April 2018 LR RWD with just over 17k miles and I feel it’s been extremely reliable.

I have had a couple minor issues (charge port door and deadfront PINs) that were easily and quickly resolved while in for other things such as tire rotations but I’ve also, recently, had the drive unit fail. Even that issue, as frustrating as it was, happened without much drama since I was in a parking lot at a supercharger rather than on he road. Besides not having my car, the only downside was the timing of the part and communication, as we all know, from Tesla.

I’ve spent so little time and money on general maintenance, operating costs, and teething problems that, when all is said and done, it outshines every ICE vehicle I’ve owned.

 

[KenC]

You tend to hear about problems on car forums, and just reading this site over the last year, there's been nothing consistent. Just random PM motor failures, and some batteries from last Summer that didn't have all the wires connected so some people had less capacity. There's the undertray coming off in water issue. But nothing really mechanical that I can think of.