Overview
- On record
- 4 warnings, 24 recalls
What changed for 2021
- Refresh announced in January 2021: new bumpers, a horizontal screen, a yoke, ventilated front seats, a rear screen and a new powertrain. The lineup is the Long Range and the three-motor Plaid. Drive Tesla, CarGurus, Edmunds
Colors
No paint color is recorded yet.
Also in the generation, years not known: Pearl White SlashGear, Solid Black SlashGear, Deep Blue Metallic SlashGear, Midnight Silver Metallic SlashGear, Frost Blue Metallic Drive Tesla, Diamond Black Drive Tesla
Interiors
- Cream
- Black and White
- Ebony
Sources: MobileSyrup
Specs
Motors
- Dual motor CarGurus
- Tri-motor CarGurus, a published reference
Batteries
- 100 kWh CarGurus, a published reference
Drivetrains
- All-wheel drive CarGurus, a published reference
Trims
- Long Range (2021–2022) CarGurus, Edmunds
- Plaid CarGurus, Drive Tesla, Edmunds
Packages
- Six- or seven-seat interior CarGurus
- Yoke Drive Tesla, CarGurus
- Full Self-Driving Capability CarGurus
Figures for the whole Refreshed
- Plaid output: 1,020 hp CarGurus, Edmunds, a published reference
- Long Range output: 670 hp CarGurus, a published reference
- Plaid 0 to 60 mph: 2.5 seconds Edmunds, a published reference
- Plaid quarter mile: 9.9 seconds A published reference
- All-Wheel Drive EPA range, 2026: Up to 352 miles Edmunds, a published reference
Watch out
Faults owners and the press report, and how to spot each one.
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Falcon-wing doors that stop or will not latch All years
Check: Open and close both falcon-wing doors several times and watch that each rises all the way and latches. Ask whether the car has had the 2024 software that lets the doors open further.
Owners on Tesla Motors Club report the same trouble on the refreshed car: a 2021 whose door sometimes would not open, and a 2024 door that stuck part-open until Tesla freed a jammed latch. Another owner says that on cars without ultrasonic sensors the doors stopped short of fully open until a 2024 software update. Owners' reports (unofficial)
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Driver's airbag recalls All years
Check: Confirm that recalls 21V868000 and 24V967000 were done, and if the yoke or the wheel has been swapped, 23V743000 too.
The driver's airbag can tear when it goes off, and after a swap between the yoke and the wheel the wrong airbag may have been fitted. NHTSA
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Front seat belt anchors 2021–2023
Check: Confirm that recall 23V488000 was done.
The front seat belts may not be fixed properly to their pretensioner anchors and can come loose. NHTSA
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Build quality All years
Check: Look along the panel gaps and listen for rattles from the cargo area over bumps.
Edmunds says build quality steadily improved after 2020 but is still a bit below the competition, and found the 2025's interior lacking in solidity. An owner on Tesla Motors Club reports plastic rubbing sounds from the cargo area over bumps. Edmunds, owners' reports (unofficial)
Going to see one? Take the checklist with you.
Open the checklistRecalls
Newest first. Ask the seller for proof the work was done, or check the VIN with NHTSA.
2021–2023 Recall 26V283000
The rear camera picture can lag when reversing, on one software version. Fixed over the air. NHTSA
2021–2025 Recall 25V172000
A driver's airbag fitted with the wrong horn pad can stop the horn working. NHTSA
2021–2025 Recall 24V967000
The driver's airbag can tear when it goes off. NHTSA
2021–2024 Recall 24V554000
The car may not notice a hood left unlatched. Fixed over the air. NHTSA
2016–2024 Recall 24V376000
The seat belt warning may not come on for an unbelted driver. Fixed over the air. NHTSA
Show all 24 recalls
2020–2021 Recall 24V153000
A factory reset can silence the sound that warns pedestrians of the car. Fixed over the air. NHTSA
2016–2024 Recall 24V051000
The brake, parking brake and ABS warning lights are shown in letters too small. Fixed over the air. NHTSA
2016–2023 Recall 23V838000
Autosteer's checks may not do enough to stop a driver misusing it. Fixed over the air. NHTSA
2021–2024 Recall 23V743000
When the yoke or the steering wheel was swapped, the wrong driver's airbag may have been fitted. NHTSA
2021–2023 Recall 23V679000
The car may not detect low brake fluid or show a warning light. Fixed over the air. NHTSA
2021–2023 Recall 23V488000
The front seat belts may not be fixed properly to their pretensioner anchors and can come loose. NHTSA
2016–2023 Recall 23V085000
Full Self-Driving Beta can behave unsafely at junctions and respond poorly to speed limit changes. Fixed over the air. NHTSA
2021–2023 Recall 22V843000
The airbag module's calibration may make the front passenger airbag deploy wrongly in some low-speed crashes. Fixed over the air. NHTSA
2017–2021 Recall 22V818000
Power steering assist can drop out on rough roads or after a pothole. Fixed over the air. NHTSA
2021–2022 Recall 22V702000
The windows' automatic reversal may not react properly to an obstruction. Fixed over the air. NHTSA
2021–2022 Recall 22V296000
The touchscreen's processor can overheat while getting ready to fast- charge, and lag or restart. Fixed over the air. NHTSA
2020–2022 Recall 22V235000
The Boombox feature can play sounds through the outside speaker while moving and mask the pedestrian warning. Fixed over the air. NHTSA
2021–2022 Recall 22V233000
The front side curtain airbags may not deploy as intended when the windows are down. They are replaced. NHTSA
2020–2022 Recall 22V063000
The Boombox feature can play sounds through the outside speaker while moving and mask the pedestrian warning. Fixed over the air. NHTSA
2021–2022 Recall 22V050000
A software fault can open a heat pump valve and trap refrigerant, weakening the defroster. Fixed over the air. NHTSA
2021–2022 Recall 22V045000
The seat belt chime may not sound when the driver is unbuckled. Fixed over the air. NHTSA
2016–2022 Recall 22V037000
Full Self-Driving Beta's rolling stop could take the car through an all-way stop without stopping. The feature is switched off over the air. NHTSA
2021 Recall 21V868000
The driver's airbag can tear when it goes off. NHTSA
2017–2021 Recall 21V846000
On one software version, a fault can bring false collision warnings or sudden automatic braking. Fixed over the air. NHTSA
Owning
What owners and buyers say
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Sought after
The dual-motor car All years
Edmunds picked the Long Range for 2021 and the All-Wheel Drive for 2026. Edmunds
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Watch for
Yoke All years
Less sought after One source so far
Edmunds lists the lack of a steering wheel and stalks among the 2022's cons. Edmunds
Maintenance
Cabin air filter All years
Replace every 2 years Tesla
HEPA and carbon filters All years
Replace every 3 years Tesla
Wiper blades All years
Replace every 1 year Tesla
Clean and lubricate the brake calipers All years
Service every 12,500 miles or 1 year Tesla
Only for roads salted in winter
Tire rotation All years
Service every 6,250 miles. Sooner if the tread depth differs by 2/32 in or more Tesla
Warranty when new
| Basic | 50,000 miles or 4 years CarGurus |
|---|---|
| Battery and drive unit | 150,000 miles or 8 years CarGurus |
| Body rust | 12 years EdmundsAny miles |
Before you pay: every warning, recall and check on one sheet.
Open the checklist