The same Recurrent report found reports of two Tesla Model S owners being quoted $22,000 for replacing their batteries. This amount was for 2012 and 2013 MY Model S units, indicating that the oldest versions of the electric sedan require the highest battery replacement costs. If you consider that a few 2012-2013 Model S sedans sold for around $20-$25k on Bring A Trailer last year, you can see why a battery replacement has the potential to exceed the vehicle’s value.
We found the following other real-world reports on forums like Reddit. These are from Tesla customers who had to replace batteries. Note that in some cases, information such as model year or battery size were not indicated:
- 2018 Model 3 Long Range: $13,093
- Model 3 Long Range: $18,000 (verbal quote)
- Model 3 Long Range: $12,000
- Model S with 90-kWh battery: $19,560
- Model 3 with 75-kWh battery: $16,550 (including $2,299 for labor)
- 2012 Model S: $16,579
While you likely won’t need to worry about a battery replacement for your Tesla for a long time, the 2012 Model S story from above shows how risky older models can be. On Reddit, this customer explains how they bought the 2012 Model S with 95,961 miles for $22,000, expecting that the estimated battery life would prevail for many more miles. That wasn’t the case, as the customer only got 10,000 miles out of the Tesla before needing to fit a new battery, which was quoted at $16,579 – a whopping 75% of the car’s value.
Obtaining consumer accounts of Tesla Model Y battery replacements isn’t possible yet, as the crossover simply hasn’t been on sale for long enough to warrant battery replacements regularly. The same applies to the Cybertruck, which only recently launched.
Combining real-world examples and estimates from industry experts, it’s clear that many variables are at play when determining the battery replacement cost for your Tesla, but you are looking at way over $10k in most cases.
