2008 Tesla Roadster

Overview

On record

4 warnings, 1 recall

What changed for 2008

• Series production begins on March 17, 2008. The first cars have a two-speed gearbox locked in second gear, to be swapped under warranty; the BorgWarner single-speed gearbox and powertrain 1.5, rated at 244 miles, follow from September. A published reference

Compare 2008 with 2009

Rare and special

• Two-speed, locked in second gear

Colors

No paint color is recorded yet.

Also in the generation, years not known: Atomic Red A published reference

Specs

Motors

• Induction motor A published reference

Batteries

• 53 kWh A published reference

Transmissions

• Two-speed, locked in second gear (2008) A published reference
• Single-speed, 8.27:1 A published reference

Drivetrains

• Rear-wheel drive A published reference

Trims

• Roadster A published reference

Also in the generation, years not known: Final Edition A published reference, Touchscreen and backup camera A published reference

Figures for the whole Original

• EPA range, powertrain 1.5: 244 miles A published reference
• 0 to 60 mph: 3.9 seconds, 3.7 for the Sport A published reference
• Top speed, limited: 125 mph A published reference
• Weight, as Tesla gave it: 2,877 lb A published reference
• Battery pack weight: 992 lb A published reference
• Sold worldwide: About 2,450 A published reference

Rare trims and options

• Rare

  Two-speed, locked in second gear Transmission

  Fitted only to the first cars, until the single-speed gearbox was ready in September 2008 A published reference

Watch out

Faults owners and the press report, and how to spot each one.

• Battery capacity and bricking All years

  Check: Charge in standard mode and note the ideal range, ask a Roadster owner or specialist to read the logs from the USB port, and look at the label on the battery for whether it was remanufactured.

  Find My Electric calls the battery the biggest and most notorious problem: an aging pack is sensitive to sitting, and a bricked one may no longer take a charge. Owners on Tesla Motors Club, in three threads, report replaced or remanufactured packs, one after a failed sheet, and a 2008 car that stopped taking a charge in 2024. Find My Electric, owners' reports (unofficial)

• Power electronics module All years

  Check: Watch that the car starts and keeps charging, and look for warning lights or loss of power on a drive.

  Find My Electric lists heat damage, aging parts, warning lights and lost power among the power electronics module's common faults. One owner on Tesla Motors Club names the battery and the PEM as the big-ticket items, and another traces a car that will not keep charging to the PEM. Find My Electric, owners' reports (unofficial)

• Loose rear hub bolts 2008

  Check: Confirm with Tesla or NHTSA that recall 09V178000 was done.

  The rear hub flange bolts may not have been tightened properly and can work loose, which hurts the handling. NHTSA, a published reference

• Age-related wear All years

  One source so far

  Check: Work the convertible top, the door handles and the lights, and look at the suspension bushings and shocks.

  Find My Electric lists the convertible top, door handles, lighting, the display, wiring and suspension wear among aging Roadsters' common faults. Find My Electric

Recalls

Newest first. Ask the seller for proof the work was done, or check the VIN with NHTSA.

• 2008 Recall 09V178000

  The rear hub flange bolts may be under-tightened and can loosen, hurting the handling. Tesla tightens them. NHTSA

Owning

What owners and buyers say

• Sought after

  A car charged and serviced regularly, with records All years

  Find My Electric says storage history matters almost as much as mileage, and favours a car that was regularly charged, maintained and documented. Owners on Tesla Motors Club tell buyers to check the battery's range on a standard charge and read the car's logs. Find My Electric, owners' reports (unofficial)

• Watch for

  A car that sat uncharged All years

  Walk away One source so far

  Find My Electric warns that a Roadster left uncharged can brick its battery, and that a low-mileage car that sat dead for a long time can be much riskier than a higher-mileage one that was charged and serviced regularly. Find My Electric

Maintenance

• Annual service All years

  Service every 12,000 miles or 1 year A published reference