If you’re coming from a regular gas car (aka internal combustion engine or I.C.E), there’s going to be a big difference for you in terms of maintenance. Hurray, say goodbye to oil changes, timing belt changes, and spark plug changes!
Luckily, Tesla cars are typically easy to maintain. I’ll break it down for you in this post.
1) Tire Rotation
Tire rotation should be done every 5,000 or 6,000 miles, depending on your tires. You can rotate your tires at Costco, Americas Tires, Tesla mobile service. Just make sure you have the Tesla hockey pucks. These are needed in order to jack the Tesla up, without damaging the battery, in order to rotate the tires. I talk about this in my Must-Have Tesla Accessories blog post.
I highly recommend sticking to rotating your tires on a regular schedule because Tesla cars are electric and have regenerative braking, so the Tesla tires will wear faster compared to normal cars. Of course, there are other factors such as how you drive, too.
TIP: In order to keep track of my 6,000 miles, I created a separate Trip tab, named it “Tire Rotation.” Each time after I rotate my tires, I reset the mileage to zero, so when it becomes 6,000 miles, I know it’s time to rotate my tires.
2) Cabin Air Filter or HEPA Air Filter Replacement
This should be done every 2 years for the cabin air filter, or 3 years for the HEPA filter. The newer model Ys have a “Biodefense” button, which means your car has the HEPA filter.
If you want to learn how to replace your cabin filter by itself, I made a Youtube video showing you step-by-step how to replace your cabin filter so check that out.
3) Brake Fluid Check
Tesla recommends checking the brake fluid every 2 years and changing it as necessary.
To access this, go to your front trunk. Lift up the upper black piece (held in by clips) and near the top, you’ll see where the brake fluid is.
If it is low, you can schedule an appointment with the Tesla service center to have it refilled.
Also in this area, you’ll see the windshield wiper fluid. You can replace that as needed (notification shows up on your Tesla screen if it needs to be replaced). I use Rain-X for my windshield wiper fluid.
As far as actual brake replacement, this is rarely needed due to Tesla’s regenerative braking where the motors are used to slow down the car. Therefore, you shouldn’t have to brake often and therefore, your brakes should last much longer.
4) Clean & Lubricate Brake Calipers
If you live somewhere where snow is and the roads are salted, Tesla recommends you clean and lubricate your brake calipers every 12,500 miles.
5) AC Desiccant Bag
Lastly, Tesla recommends replacing the AC desiccant bag replacement every 6 years. To do this, you can take your Tesla to the Tesla service center.
6) 12-Volt battery or Lithium Ion battery
There is still a smaller battery (either a 12-Volt or Lithium ion battery) located in the Tesla front trunk that needs to be replaced. Based on other Tesla owners, it lasts anywhere from 2-5 years.
Your car also usually lets you know that the battery is low, and needs to be replaced.
Conclusion
That’s it! Compared to a gas car, Tesla’s require much less maintenance.
DISCLAIMER
The opinions and views expressed on this blog are solely personal by Everyday Chris. Everyday Chris is not affiliated with nor endorsed by Tesla. It is neither inferred nor implied that products recommended by Everyday Chris nor recommendations given by Everyday Chris are authorized by or in any way connected to Tesla. This post contains affiliate links, which means I’ll receive a commission if you purchase through my links, at no extra cost to you. See Terms & Conditions below for further information.