2010 Tesla Roadster

Overview

On record

4 warnings, 1 recall

What changed for 2010

• A 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

Compare 2010 with 2009

Colors

No paint color is recorded yet.

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

Interiors

• ExecutivePremium leather with exposed carbon fiber, 2010–2011

Sources: A published reference

Specs

Motors

• Induction motor A published reference
• Hand-wound induction motor (2010–2011) A published reference

Batteries

• 53 kWh A published reference

Transmissions

• Single-speed, 8.27:1 A published reference

Drivetrains

• Rear-wheel drive A published reference

Trims

• Roadster A published reference
• Roadster Sport (2010–2011) A published reference

Packages

• Adjustable dampers and anti-roll bars (2010–2011) 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

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)

• Chafed 12-volt auxiliary cable 2010

  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

• 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.

• 2010 Recall 10V458000

  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

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