Tesla Model 3 MOT failures and reliability
In 2023 the Tesla Model 3 took 13,902 MOT tests in Britain and passed 84% of them first time, above the national average of 71% for all cars. The figures below come from the DVSA's record of every test, so they show what testers actually found on these cars rather than what owners report.
- MOT tests in 2023
- 13,902
- First-time pass rate
- 84%
- All cars
- 71%
What the Model 3 fails on
Share of tests with at least one failure in each area, against the figure for all cars.
- Tyres12.3% (all cars 6.4%)
- Lights and electrics3.2% (all cars 11.3%)
- Visibility0.9% (all cars 4.8%)
- Suspension0.7% (all cars 9.0%)
- Brakes0.6% (all cars 6.8%)
- Number plates and VIN0.2% (all cars 0.4%)
- Seat belts and airbags0.1% (all cars 1.0%)
- Wheels0.1% (all cars 0.4%)
Most common failure items
Share of tests on which each item was recorded.
- Tread depth: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm 6.3%
- Tyres, condition: has ply or cords exposed 5.3%
- Tyres, condition: has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords 2.2%
- Headlamp aim: too high 1.2%
- Headlamp aim: too low 1.2%
- Washers: provides insufficient washer liquid 0.5%
- Tyre pressure monitoring system: malfunctioning or obviously inoperative 0.4%
- Suspension arms, pins and bushes: pin or bush excessively worn 0.4%
Most common advisories
- Tread depth: worn close to legal limit/worn on edge 25.2%
- Brake discs: worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened 5.4%
- Suspension arms, pins and bushes: pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement 2.2%
- Tyres, condition: has a cut but not deep enough to reach the ply or cords 2.1%
- Non-component advisories: Child Seat fitted not allowing full inspection of adult belt 2.0%
- Tyres, condition: slightly damaged/cracking or perishing 1.8%
- Non-component advisories: Nail in tyre 1.4%
- Service brake performance: fluctuating, but not excessively 1.3%
Pass rate by year of registration
Older cars fail more often whatever the model, so compare a car with others of the same age.
| First registered | Tests | Pass rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 2,820 | 84% |
| 2020 | 9,758 | 83% |
| 2021 | 568 | 93% |
| 2022 | 739 | 94% |
Typical mileage by age
Average odometer reading at the MOT, by the car's age in years at the test.
| Age at test | Average mileage |
|---|---|
| 3 years | 34,740 miles |
| 4 years | 39,959 miles |
Check a particular Model 3
Model figures tell you what to look out for. To see one car's own MOT history, mileage and tax, enter its registration.
Other Tesla models
Source: Department for Transport, Anonymised MOT tests and results, 2023, cars and light vans, normal tests only. Pass rates are first-time passes; a pass after repair at the test station counts as a fail. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.