4 Years & 110,000 Miles On My 2019 Tesla Mannequin 3 Lengthy Vary, The place Do I Stand Now?

October 21 was the 4-year anniversary of our dual-motor Tesla Mannequin 3 Lengthy Vary (see image from our 2019 supply day above). The odometer now reads: 110,860 miles. Please discover under my complete overview. CleanTechnica Chief Editor Zach Shahan simply reviewed his Tesla Mannequin 3 SR+ for its 4^th anniversary as nicely. You need to use this text as one other information level on the reliability of Tesla Mannequin 3s and what you’ll be able to anticipate the automobile to value you as time goes on. I haven’t estimated gasoline prices, curiosity prices, resale worth, and so forth. You possibly can learn Zach’s article for these prices.

Why we nonetheless love our Mannequin 3 after 4+ years and 110,860 miles

I’m an enormous proponent of inexperienced know-how, and particularly, electrical autos. I’m additionally an enormous Tesla fanboy! I nonetheless get an enormous kick out of my Tesla Mannequin 3. My earlier automobiles had been Chevys, Toyota Camrys, and Nissan Leafs, so my Tesla with twin motors, heated seats, a 12-speaker sound system, and so forth., and so forth., and so forth. feels very a lot to me like a luxurious automobile. Tesla has utterly rethought how cars ought to work, making many issues about working your automobile higher.

My Mannequin 3 accelerates like a rocket and I really like having my fueling station in my storage. I get to completely skip the journeys to the gasoline station for a smelly refill. I additionally completely skip the journeys to Jiffy Lube and sitting of their smelly ready room for a not-so-jiffy hour. A Tesla Mannequin 3 has a beautiful big display the place many of the controls are executed. The Tesla navigation utilizing stunning satellite tv for pc maps on the massive display is so good that I don’t miss Apple CarPlay. The large display can also be nice for watching Netflix films and letting my grandkids play video games. The sound system is fabulous, and with the music streaming service, I can play nearly any track I can consider.

I really like utilizing my smartphone as a key that unlocks the automobile as I method and locks it as I depart when I’m ~15 ft away. There’s no begin button. As quickly as you contact the brake, your automobile is activated and able to go. With quite a few software program updates over the past 4 years, it appears like I’ve a brand new automobile each month or so. Many Tesla improvements had been completely new to the automotive business. Nonetheless, many have been copied by different producers by this time — however routinely remotely updating your automobile’s software program such as you do with a pc continues to be a wrestle for some (or most) corporations.

Full Self Driving (FSD) Beta

I’ve spectacular Full Self Driving (FSD) Beta, which is able to drive my automobile to any location I put within the navigation. In rural Northern Wisconsin the place we spend the summers, I can provide a voice command for any enterprise or different location within the space and simply sit and watch the automobile steer and navigate even on roads with no yellow or white traces to that location — with no intervention.

Nonetheless, sadly, it nonetheless screws up often, so you might want to be ready to intervene instantaneously. Additionally, it’s a little bit too timid, so you might want to give it a little bit assist with the accelerator pedal in heavy site visitors. Nonetheless, the steering stays completely automated. I solely have to torque the steering wheel a little bit or twiddle one of many thumb wheels on the steering wheel to let the system know that I’m paying consideration. There’s additionally a digicam over the rear-view mirror watching my face, so I can’t look away from the highway, take a look at my telephone, or shut my eyes too lengthy or the system will complain. It appears to me that the digicam system for figuring out my consideration to the highway is way superior to requiring my steering wheel twiddling. I hope that Tesla will take away the requirement to the touch the steering wheel quickly.

FSD Beta has been improved quite a few instances over the past 2 years. For instance:

1. It now navigates rotaries (roundabouts) correctly a number of the time.
2. It has stopped making an attempt to make a flip not specified by the navigation at a sure intersection in Orem, Utah.
3. It goes round automobiles and obstacles protruding into your lane.
4. It responds correctly to development barrels closing a lane of site visitors. Nonetheless, it nonetheless slides into the second (passing) lane on two lane roads when staying in the principle site visitors lane is the correct response.

Upkeep Prices

Please see my upkeep prices under, which haven’t gone up since my report at 90,000 miles, 22,000 miles in the past.

I do know that, in principal, EVs are a lot much less advanced than automobiles with inside combustion engines. The interior combustion engine (ICE) rebuild value is ~$9000. And such engines seldom run over 200,000 miles with out that very costly rebuild or alternative. As well as, ICE automobiles have very advanced transmissions (alternative value ~$5000). You even have exhaust and emission management programs, radiator/cooling programs, and so forth., and so forth., and so forth. — which EVs don’t have.

An EV has a really costly battery. Do I have to be nervous about changing it? I’m treating mine with child gloves and anticipate it to final over 10 years and over 500,000 miles. I nearly by no means cost over 80%, and no less than ¾ of my charging is finished at Degree 2 in my storage. Nonetheless, I’ve used Tesla’s fabulous quicker charging Degree 3 Supercharger community usually for lengthy cross-country highway journeys. The EPA vary of my automobile was given as 310 miles when new. When your Tesla is charging you’ll be able to set the cost restrict to 100% and your automobile offers you a battery vary estimate. Mine is studying 285 miles now. 310–285=25 25/310= ~8% battery loss, which is nice for 112,000 miles. The drive system and battery warrantee on my Mannequin 3 will run out at 130,000 miles. Due to this fact, the most costly elements of my automobile are warrantied for one more 18,000 miles. I’ve photo voltaic panels on my roof, so when at my Utah dwelling, I’m driving on sunshine. Driving cross nation utilizing Tesla Superchargers, my electrical energy value is much like driving a gasoline automobile. Nonetheless, the heavy EV battery and fabulous acceleration causes tires to wear down extra shortly than for an ICE automobile — so that’s an elevated value for EV upkeep.

In 112,000 miles, the entire value of the tires and unforced out-of-warranty repairs for my Mannequin 3 have been $4,646.60. My tires are already carrying skinny once more, so I anticipate one other huge hit for tires quickly. That is greater than I anticipated, however most likely no more than what I might have paid driving a gasoline automobile with prices for repairs, tires, oil adjustments, emission inspections, brakes, different miscellaneous objects, and better value for gasoline. The large financial savings will come going ahead when the gasoline automobile would see these prices repeated, plus muffler, exhaust, and emission management system alternative — and ultimately transmission and engine rebuild. If I reside lengthy sufficient, I anticipate to drive my Tesla over 500,000 miles. It’s not unrealistic to anticipate the electrical drive system and battery to final that lengthy.

Within the picture above, we see my spouse with our canine Zuni, our Tesla Mannequin 3, and my ebike on the again at Zion Nationwide Park. We spend a great deal of the winter at our daughter’s dwelling in Saint George, Utah, solely 40 miles away.

See my itemized service prices by 112,000 miles under. Apart from needing one other set of tires quickly, I’ve had no further service prices since 90,000 miles.

Conveniently, I used to be in a position to receive the dates, mileage, and actual value of my Tesla repairs from the Tesla app on my telephone. Not conveniently, it seems to return solely 2 years. Discover under what I paid for unforced points with my automobile not coated by the guarantee.

1. I’ve wanted to interchange the tires thrice. The third set is carrying skinny however would usually get me to 120,000 miles. Nonetheless, with winter approaching I’ll most likely get tires earlier in order that I don’t get caught on my method up the canyon to go snowboarding. I’ve paid $578.93 + $565.44 + $1252.23 = $2395.60 for the three units of tires I’ve purchased thus far.
2. I changed the cabin air filter for $29.00. The cellular service man didn’t cost for the set up. Additionally word: the cabin air filter comes as two items. I watched the cellular service man do it and I wouldn’t suggest doing it your self until you may have the proper instruments and are very helpful with DIY repairs.
3. Round April 2020 and April 2021, I had 4 wheel alignments twice ~$280.
4. November 3, 2021 — 54,131 miles: Reseal proper entrance higher management arm ball joint (squeaking) $49
5. November 3, 2021 — 54,131 miles: 4-wheel alignment $90.75
6. July 22, 2022 — 73,149 miles: Take away and substitute Superbottle (battery and drive system cooling valve — automobile wouldn’t go over 50 mph) $672.75.
7. February 2, 2023 — 88,705 miles: I had the cellular service man substitute the windshield wipers for $23.00. This was a easy operation which most anybody might do themselves.
8. February 20, 2023 — 90,029 miles: Take away and substitute PTC/cabin heater (automobile wouldn’t go into drive) $1148.00

Observe: Satirically, my Mannequin 3 has an quaint 12 volt lead-acid battery that’s used besides the electronics when my automobile begins up. This battery is meant to final 4 to five years. Mine continues to be working wonderful, however I’m questioning whether or not I ought to change it proactively. [Editor’s note: The car will give you a message on the touchscreen when you need to change the 12V battery, but then you should do it without too much delay. —Zach] I consider newer high-end Teslas at the moment are utilizing lithium-ion batteries for this perform. Lithium-ion batteries are extra sturdy and will final no less than 10 years.

Restore/Upkeep Price Summation:

• 3 units of tires: $578,93 + $565.44 + $1252.23= $2,395.60
• 4-wheel alignment x 3: $370.75
• Change Superbottle: $672.75
• Change PTC: $1148
• Change cabin air filter: $29.00
• Change windshield wipers: $23.00
• Getting choosy: 3 bottles of windshield wiper fluid at $2.50 every for a complete of $7.50
• Complete: $4646.60

Different Prices

The annual registration in Utah for my 2019 Tesla Mannequin 3 is $318.25. A part of that is the electrical automobile charge of $188. Utah has levied this charge on EV drivers to make up for the truth that we don’t use gasoline and subsequently don’t pay the highway use tax. Utah presents a mileage-based charge which saves cash for low-mileage automobiles. Mine is excessive mileage, so I paid the mounted $188 charge.

The Elephant within the Room

I simply checked on the price of my Bear River insurance coverage coverage on my Tesla. I used to be shocked to be taught that I’m paying $3,089 per yr. Due to this fact, over 4 years, my insurance coverage value has been $12,356. This dwarfs the $4,546 I paid for tires and out-of-warranty repairs by a big margin. It’s clear that if I assumed shopping for an costly electrical automobile can be saving me cash, I’ve been sadly mistaken.

Please add your experiences with repairs in your Tesla autos within the feedback part under.

If you happen to discover any of my articles useful to you, please use my referral hyperlink: https://ts.la/arthur73734 (make sure you use it whenever you make your order). If you’re shopping for a brand new Tesla and use my hyperlink, you’ll obtain $1000 off your buy worth for Mannequin S or X, or $500 off for Mannequin 3 or Y. Additionally, you will get 3 months of Full Self-Driving (FSD Beta), which is able to drive you robotically to any deal with you enter into the navigation. (Simply be ready to intervene instantly if it screws up!)