2008 vs 2009 Tesla Roadster

Both years are the same generation, so most of what they offer is shared.

Watch out for

Reputation: what owners and the press report. Tap one to see what to check.

Loose rear hub bolts 2008

What to 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

Nothing that 2008 lacks.

Battery capacity and bricking All years

What to 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

What to 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)
Age-related wear All years One source so far

What to 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

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

Nothing that 2008 lacks.

09V178000 2008
The rear hub flange bolts may be under-tightened and can loosen, hurting the handling. Tesla tightens them. NHTSA

Nothing that 2008 lacks.

After 2008, up to and including 2009.

2009No 2009 model year. The 2008 car is built until June 2009, and the 2010 car from July 2009. A published reference

Transmissions: Two-speed, locked in second gear (2008) A published reference

Nothing that 2008 lacks.

Reputation: what owners and the press report

Nothing that 2009 lacks.

Nothing that 2008 lacks.

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