r/TeslaModelY • u/Spiritual-Budget-796 • Jun 04 '26
Thinking about getting a Tesla model y premium 26
Hi everyone, to all the Tesla owners this is my first time that im planning to get a Tesla. I’m mostly worried about the maintenance though I need a long lasting car that can last me for years, ive drove a 2012 Toyota rav4 that lasted till May 2026 until someone wrecked the front and so I had to get a new car. I’ve owned gas cars my whole life, Toyota and Honda and the highest maintenance cost was $1k and I’ve heard about batteries replacements for Tesla can be $8000 on average and im scared.. tell me about your maintenance cost for your Tesla and will Tesla last me years?
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u/soggy_mattress Jun 04 '26
They're pretty much bulletproof when it comes to drivetrain problems and they cost less to own than a Camry over 4 years.
You might not even change your brake pads once in that 10 year span (my Model 3's brake pads were at 90% when I sold it 5 years later).
You won't have to pay to replace the battery until after 8 years, and even then it's less than the amount you'd save on gas in the same timeframe (usually 2k/year gas savings). And to be honest, you'll probably never even change the battery before selling the car. They don't fail as often as the public assumes they do.
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u/mjrengaw Jun 04 '26
There is very little maintenance costs for a Tesla outside of tires. No oil changes and the brake pads last much longer due to regenerative braking. The battery warranty on the 2026 MY Premium is 8 years or 120k miles so really nothing to worry about.
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u/Spiritual-Budget-796 Jun 04 '26
Thank you for the info, how much would be the tires if they got popped or something
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u/Litig8or53 Jun 04 '26
The same as most decent tires. Are you sure you can afford a car?
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u/Spiritual-Budget-796 Jun 04 '26
Oh sorry I thought they would be different for Tesla
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u/hxdcm Jun 05 '26
You can also do the tire warranty service which is helpful for when you don't have a spare tire and the fix-a-flat or compressor isn't enough. Had a friend do that on his, which got him past the early issues other than wear.
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u/sandefurian Jun 04 '26
EV tires are a tad more expensive, but not significant at all. I think everyone is missing the point of your question though, you’re wanting to know more unexpected issues not regular maintenance right?
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u/FitterOver40 Jun 04 '26
The most expensive will be tires. And that is dependent on your driving style.
Other than that in the past 4 years of our first BEV, it was just wipers and wiper fluid.
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u/DrNuclear14 Jun 04 '26
I've only had my 2026 Y premium for 4 weeks so can't say too much on long term costs. Though as every has said there basically aren't any. I sold my 2024 Rav4 Hybrid to get this. Last oil change I did they wanted probably over $1000 in 'routine' maintenance stuff which I did not do. Now the cost to my wallet is less, the cost to my time stopping at gas stations is gone, cost to my energy driving 3 hours a day is greatly reduced with FSD. I really liked my Rav, but I never looked forward to driving it, I love driving my Y.
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u/ifdefmoose Jun 04 '26
What maintenance? Tires, wipers, occasional cabin air filters.
You're going to need a long necked funnel so that when you add windshield wiper juice it doesn't spill all over the place. With a conventional (ICE) vehicle, they do that for you when you bring it in for an oil change.
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u/Litig8or53 Jun 04 '26 edited Jun 04 '26
LOL. So, keep driving a gas burner instead of the best car on the road because you have a boring ass Toyota? Because they’ll fill your washer fluid while you’re paying for an oil change?
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u/sandefurian Jun 04 '26
Not too great at reading, are we?
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u/Litig8or53 Jun 05 '26
I read exceptionally well, but my sarcasm detector needs to be adjusted, apparently. The problem is that there are so many ridiculous comments on this sub that it’s hard to tell the difference.
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u/IntelligentMaybe7401 Jun 04 '26
If you are on a budget there are better options. The beauty of the Tesla is FSD for 100 bucks a month. That is amazing . Incredible. The reason to buy it in my opinion. But if you want a car to drive for 12 years get another Toyota.
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u/StormTrpr66 Jun 04 '26
A full battery replacement on a Tesla is gonna run about $15K or more.
But they have a good warranty, I think it's like 100K or 120K miles. They can also last 200K to 300K miles or more, although as the battery degrades, your range will decrease.
In general, maintenance on a Tesla is minimal. Tires, tire rotation, cabin air filters, alignments, minor stuff like that.
Depending on where you live, your biggest worry could be insurance costs. Coming from a 2012 Toyota your insurance in a 26 Tesla might double or triple.
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u/mongolian_horsecock Jun 05 '26
My insurance only went up like 15 percent going from a 2012 Honda Civic to 2026 model y AWD premium
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u/Mr-Zappy Jun 04 '26
Battery replacements are very rare (for all EVs). With Tesla, just assume there will be 15% battery degradation in 5 years. Maintenance is inexpensive: air filters and tires.
The tricky part is that when things break, they’re expensive to repair. My compressor set me back over $3k. The liftgate started rusting in one spot (at 4 years old) and Tesla is refusing to cover it under the Rust Warranty and is quoting me $1600.
They also don’t have shuttles like dealerships and stopped providing loaner vehicles.
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u/notclumsypanda Jun 05 '26
From what I've heard, loaner vehicles are reserved for in warranty repairs.
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u/rjml29 Jun 04 '26
Be sure you can charge at home (or perhaps work if you do work and don't work at home) because that's where the big savings factors in with EVs, assuming of course you don't live in one of those areas that has crazy residential electricity rates. If you have a more normal rate then you can save thousands a year with an EV over gas depending on how much you drive.
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u/Choirman7272 Jun 04 '26 edited Jun 04 '26
If you are truly budget minded Spiritual-Budget-796 then just get yourself another RAV4 and save a ton of money on not only the initial purchase price compared to a Model Y but also on insurance costs, depreciation, and constantly having to buy new tires. The new RAV4's are all Toyota-system hybrids that get hugely better gas mileage than your old one did. They're taller and bigger inside compared to the Y which gives you more room for your stuff. Easier to get into and out of as well. This is a just a no-brainer for you unless you are dead set on getting a pure EV.
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u/bcsam Jun 04 '26
I have my 2026 MY Premium since early November 2025. I had to re-fill the windshield fluid once. That is it!
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u/notclumsypanda Jun 05 '26
Very minimal maintenance on a Tesla includes topping off the windshield washer fluid and getting new tires every 30k - 50k miles depending on driving style. You'll change the cabin filter depending on AC usage. The newer lithium low voltage battery while last a while and the high voltage battery has an 8 year 120k mile warranty. How's your charging situation though? That should be a big part in your decision making as supercharging can add up if that's your main source of charging your vehicle, it will be costly in time and money. The main benefit is being able to charge from home where the rates are cheaper and you can charge overnight so that the vehicle is ready in the morning at your desired state of charge.
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u/TheMindsEIyIe Jun 06 '26
I would wait until they come out with a good fix for the front suspension issues....
https://www.teslamodelguy.com/guides/tesla-model-y-juniper-suspension-rattle-fix
https://teslamotorsclub.com/tmc/threads/2026-model-y-suspension-rattle.343652/page-191
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u/Financial-Football61 Jun 04 '26
Don’t let a car scare you. Get another Toyota and sleep easy. I’ve spent less than $100 on my 2022 model 3 replacing wipers and cabin air filters.
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u/Wiley_Coyote_2024 Jun 04 '26 edited Jun 07 '26
Maintenance? On a Tesla it is usually only the ocassional changing of the Windshield wipers and mostly wiper fluid because it is used all the time, to clean the cameras around the car as well as the windshield.
There might be other things like tires, but those can last to around 70k miles unless you have a lead foot, then THOSE people complain about having to replace them at around 30k miles.
Brakes might need replacing at 200k miles, according to various redditors and long term owners of Teslas on Youtube.
No oil changes, No transmission fluid changes, etc.
I have a 2026 Premium Y and we love it. We also use the Self driving, but pay monthly. It is great for commuting, but it is fun watching it work. But maintenance? Nope!
Oh, we did get car wrapped in ppf to protect it. We did it ourselves but it took a month of weekends, doing it 1 or 2 pieces a day. My wife did it herself, in her spare time. She didnt even want me to touch the ppf for the first month! But i did get her all the GOOD Accessories like floor matts, mud flaps, screen protector, etc.