Tesla Maintenance Schedule & Costs
By CarWhere Research · Updated
Tesla maintenance costs about $1,511 a year across the 2 models we price (AAA's 2025 per-mile benchmarks for each model's vehicle category, 15,000 miles a year), against a $1,656 all-vehicle average. No complimentary scheduled maintenance program was confirmed on Tesla's U.S. site. Tesla's service-interval pages list no oil change; the cars are battery-electric.
Est. per year
$1,511
vs $1,656 average
Brand rank
#1 of 25
cost, then complaints
Free maintenance
None confirmed
Models covered
3
2 priced
Tesla maintenance schedule
Intervals and items from Tesla's own maintenance guides and owner's manuals, linked row by row. Your engine and driving conditions can change them; the manual for your car wins.
| Interval | Service items | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Every 6,250 miles (or 2/32 in tread-depth difference) |
| Model 3 Do It Yourself — Vehicle Service Intervals (service.tesla.com) |
| Every year |
| Model 3 Do It Yourself — Vehicle Service Intervals (service.tesla.com) |
| Every 2 years |
| Model 3 Do It Yourself — Vehicle Service Intervals (service.tesla.com) |
| Every 3 years |
| Model S Do It Yourself — Vehicle Service Intervals (service.tesla.com) |
| Every 4 years |
| Model 3 Do It Yourself — Vehicle Service Intervals (service.tesla.com) |
| Every 6 years (older Model 3 only) |
| Model 3 Do It Yourself — Vehicle Service Intervals (service.tesla.com) |
Oil-change interval
Tesla's service-interval pages list no oil change; the cars are battery-electric.
Free / included maintenance
No complimentary scheduled maintenance confirmed for new Tesla vehicles. Tesla's service-interval pages describe no complimentary maintenance program. Tesla says the cars should be serviced as needed, that the list doesn't cover consumables (wipers, brake pads, 12V lead-acid battery), and that damage from opening the battery coolant reservoir isn't covered by warranty.
Tesla maintenance cost by model
Per-year figures use AAA's 2025 benchmark for each model's vehicle category at 15,000 miles a year; they include repairs and tires. Models in the same category share a benchmark, so compare complaint rates too.
Tesla vs other brands
Tesla ranks #1 of 25. Priced brands are ordered by the average of their models' estimates; brands that don't publish service prices follow, ordered by complaint rate.
| # | Brand | Est. per year | Median complaints / 1,000 | Included maintenance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tesla | $1,511 | — | None confirmed |
| 2 | Toyota | $1,463–$1,769 | 0.182 (5 models) | ToyotaCare: 2 years or 25,000 miles, whichever comes first, for model years 2026 and earlier |
| 3 | Mazda | $1,535–$1,746 | 0.317 (4 models) | None confirmed |
| 4 | Volkswagen | $1,535–$1,769 | 0.337 (2 models) | Carefree Maintenance (part of Carefree Coverage): 2 years — covers the 10,000- and 20,000-mile scheduled services, or scheduled services for two years, whichever occurs first |
| 5 | GMC | $1,704 | 0.867 (2 models) | GMC First Service Visit: First scheduled service visit for new GMC owners |
| 6 | Ram | $1,704 | 0.968 (1 model) | None confirmed |
| 7 | Hyundai | $1,535–$1,769 | 0.759 (4 models) | Hyundai Complimentary Maintenance (HCM): 3 years or 36,000 miles, whichever comes first |
| 8 | Subaru | $1,619–$1,769 | 0.405 (2 models) | None confirmed |
| 9 | Honda | $1,535–$1,787 | 0.497 (5 models) | Honda Maintenance Program: 1 year / 12,000 miles on 2026 models |
| 10 | Chevrolet | $1,704–$1,769 | 0.517 (3 models) | Chevrolet Complete Care — covered first maintenance visit: One visit within the first 12 months of ownership |
| 11 | Ford | $1,704–$1,769 | 0.672 (2 models) | None confirmed |
| 12 | Kia | $1,746–$1,769 | 0.756 (4 models) | None confirmed |
| 13 | Jeep | $1,746–$1,769 | 1.19 (4 models) | None confirmed |
| 14 | Nissan | $1,746–$1,787 | 0.355 (6 models) | Nissan Maintenance Care: Up to 3 oil changes within 2 years or 24,000 miles, whichever comes first |
| 15 | Porsche | $1,824–$2,168 | — | Included First Service: First scheduled service at 1 year/10,000 miles on new internal-combustion Porsches |
| 16 | Lexus | Not priced | 0.202 (1 model) | LexusCare complimentary maintenance: First two scheduled services: 6 months/5,000 miles and 12 months/10,000 miles, whichever comes first |
| 17 | Acura | Not priced | 0.874 (2 models) | Acura Maintenance Program: 1 year / 12,000 miles |
| 18 | Audi | Not priced | — | Audi Signature Care Scheduled Maintenance: Included with every new model-year 2026 Audi: scheduled services in the first 3 years/30,000 miles, whichever occurs first |
| 19 | BMW | Not priced | — | BMW Ultimate Care Scheduled Maintenance: 36 months or 36,000 miles, whichever first, from original in-service date |
| 20 | Cadillac | Not priced | — | Cadillac First Maintenance Visit: First service visit at a participating dealer within the first year of vehicle delivery |
| 21 | Genesis | Not priced | — | Genesis Complimentary Scheduled Maintenance (with Service Valet): 3 years / 36,000 miles, whichever comes first |
| 22 | Land Rover | Not priced | — | None confirmed |
| 23 | Lincoln | Not priced | — | Lincoln complimentary scheduled maintenance: 4 years / 50,000 miles |
| 24 | Mercedes-Benz | Not priced | — | None confirmed |
| 25 | Volvo | Not priced | — | Volvo Complimentary Factory Scheduled Maintenance: MY2026 gas mild-hybrid/plug-in hybrid: first two scheduled services |
Frequently asked questions
Is Tesla expensive to maintain?
Tesla maintenance costs about $1,511 a year across the 2 models we price (AAA's 2025 per-mile benchmarks for each model's vehicle category, 15,000 miles a year), against a $1,656 all-vehicle average. No complimentary scheduled maintenance program was confirmed on Tesla's U.S. site. Tesla's service-interval pages list no oil change; the cars are battery-electric.
What is the cheapest Tesla to maintain?
Of the 3 Tesla models we cover, the Model 3 has the lowest estimated maintenance cost: about $1,511 a year (AAA 2025 electric vehicle benchmark). The Model Y shares that benchmark; we list the Model 3 first alphabetically.
How often does a Tesla need an oil change?
Tesla's service-interval pages list no oil change; the cars are battery-electric.
Does Tesla include free maintenance?
Not as standard. Tesla's service-interval pages describe no complimentary maintenance program.
Related
Sources and method
Schedules, oil intervals and included maintenance come from Tesla's own documents. Dollar estimates are AAA category benchmarks (or, for Porsche, Porsche's plan prices), never invented per-model prices. Complaint rates: NHTSA complaints ÷ published U.S. sales (CarWhere analysis).
- Your Driving Costs 2025 (brochure: cost per mile by vehicle category) — AAA (maintenance cents per mile by category)
- Your Driving Costs 2025 fact sheet (methodology) — AAA (what the maintenance line includes)
- NHTSA vehicle owner complaints database — National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (complaints per 1,000 sold is a CarWhere calculation)
- Model 3 Do It Yourself — Vehicle Service Intervals (service.tesla.com) — Tesla (opened 2026-11-06)
- Model Y Do It Yourself — Vehicle Service Intervals (service.tesla.com) — Tesla (opened 2026-11-06)
- Model S Do It Yourself — Vehicle Service Intervals (service.tesla.com) — Tesla (opened 2026-11-06)