2009 vs 2010 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.

Nothing that 2010 lacks.

Chafed 12-volt auxiliary cable 2010

What to check: Confirm that recall 10V458000 was done.

The 12-volt backup cable can rub against the edge of the carbon fiber armature and short. One car smoked behind the right front headlamp.

NHTSA, a published reference

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

Nothing that 2010 lacks.

10V458000 2010
The 12-volt auxiliary cable may be routed wrongly and rub against the carbon fiber armature, which could short it and start a fire. The routing is checked and a protective sleeve is fitted. NHTSA

After 2009, up to and including 2010.

2010A push-button gear selector, a center display, an Executive interior of leather and exposed carbon fiber, adjustable dampers and anti-roll bars, stronger heating and air conditioning, a more efficient motor and more sound deadening. The Roadster Sport arrives, quicker to 60 mph. A published reference

Nothing that 2010 lacks.

Motors: Hand-wound induction motor (2010–2011) A published reference
Trims: Roadster Sport (2010–2011) A published reference
Packages: Adjustable dampers and anti-roll bars (2010–2011) A published reference

Nothing that 2010 lacks.

Executive Premium leather with exposed carbon fiber, 2010–2011 A published reference

Reputation: what owners and the press report

Nothing that 2010 lacks.

Nothing that 2009 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