Skip to content
MotorFiable

Tesla Model 3 / Model Y engine: faults and reliability

Tesla Model 3 and Model Y: motor síncrono de reluctancia con imanes permanentes and baterías de 60 a 84 kWh · Tesla

The electric drivetrain of the Model 3 and Model Y has had few documented problems in Europe: ADAC puts the three-year-old Model 3 at 0.7 faults per 1,000 vehicles, and Aviloo measures battery health at around 89–90% at 150,000 km. There are only isolated cases of battery, motor and, somewhat more often, on-board charger or charging port failures.[1][2][3]

Risk index
24
Low risk · what it is
Documented faults
3
2 of high or critical severity
Timing
—
Technical data[1][4][5][6]
Production
since 2019
2 models on this site

8 sourcesHow we work

Which Tesla Model 3 / Model Y versions should you buy?

Our verdict for each version, based on the documented faults.

Buy: No known serious faults, or they have already been corrected, in this version. With caution: Worth buying if something specific is verified: history, a replaced part or a completed campaign. Avoid: High risk of a serious fault that is hard to check for or prevent.

Known faults of the Tesla Model 3 / Model Y

Sorted from most to least important (severity × frequency).

  1. 1Critical severityFrequency: RareTraction batteryTotal failure of the traction battery in the Tesla Model 3 and Model YThere are isolated cases of a traction battery being beyond repair in the Model 3: fiches-auto.fr cites a Long Range with 70,000 km and a little over four years old whose battery, valued at around €14,000, was replaced under warranty. Aviloo's measurements show normal degradation in the vast majority of units.Repair: €14,000
  2. 2Medium severityFrequency: OccasionalChargingFailure of the on-board charger or charging port on the Tesla Model 3 and Model Yfiches-auto.fr records owners of the Model 3 and Model Y reporting on-board AC charger faults, mobile charging cable faults or port locking that prevent charging, sometimes from the day the car was delivered. It is a minority problem, not a widespread one.
  3. 3High severityFrequency: RareElectric motor and reduction gearFailure of the electric motor or traction unit on the Tesla Model 3 and Model Y that immobilises the carElectric motor faults on the Model 3 and Model Y are rare: fiches-auto.fr records one case of a motor defect that left a dual-motor Model 3 Long Range immobilised, and ADAC places the Model 3 among the electric cars with the fewest faults.

Severity colours: low, medium, high, critical. How we rate them

By part

Compare each fault with the same part on other engines: symptoms, cost and affected models.

Symptoms of these faults

What the Tesla Model 3 / Model Y is

The Model 3 (in Europe since 2019) and the Model Y (since 2021) share a drivetrain: a rear synchronous reluctance motor with permanent magnets and, in dual-motor versions, a front induction motor. Rear-wheel-drive versions have used LFP batteries; the longer-range and Performance versions use NMC or NCA batteries.[5][6]

The facelifted Model 3 is built in Shanghai for Europe; the Model Y has been delivered from Giga Berlin since March 2022. The power figures owners quote on fiches-auto.fr range from 275 hp in rear-wheel drive to 513 hp in the Performance versions.[1][4][5][6]

Gross battery capacity is not published consistently across sources: Wikipedia gives around 60 kWh for the LFP versions and up to around 84 kWh for the highest-capacity Model Y.[5][6]

Manufacturer
Tesla
Family
Plataforma eléctrica Tesla Model 3 / Model Y
Type
Electrical
Engine
Síncrono de reluctancia con imanes permanentes en el eje trasero; asíncrono de inducción delante en las versiones de doble motor
Battery
60–84 kWh
Power
275–513 hp
Production
since 2019
Makes
Tesla

Technical data[1][4][5][6]

What changed between versions

  1. since 2019

    Rear-wheel drive (Model 3 276–325 hp, Model Y 275–347 hp)

    A single rear synchronous permanent-magnet motor; the Model 3 and Model Y have LFP and longer-range battery versions, with outputs of 275 to 347 hp according to owners on fiches-auto.fr.[1][4][5]

  2. since 2019

    Long Range dual motor (441 hp)

    Adds a front induction motor to the rear motor and a larger-capacity battery; this is the version behind the battery case and the electric motor case cited by fiches-auto.fr.[1][4][5]

  3. since 2019

    Performance dual motor (513 hp)

    Dual motor with the highest output in the range (513 hp according to fiches-auto.fr); a 2022 report mentioned traction unit problems on the Model Y Performance from Giga Berlin.[1][4][8]

Cars fitted with the Tesla Model 3 / Model Y

2 models sold in Europe. Open each one to see all their faults and the buying checklist.

Tesla

  • Tesla Model 3Model 3 Propulsión · Model 3 Gran Autonomía · Model 3 Performancesince 2019[1][5]
  • Tesla Model YModel Y Propulsión · Model Y Gran Autonomía · Model Y Performancesince 2021[4][6]

Compare the Tesla Model 3 / Model Y

Maintenance parts for the Tesla Model 3 / Model Y

The parts replaced at services and when the timing belt or chain is changed, searched for this engine. Confirm the part number with the registration plate or VIN.

Affiliate links: if you buy from these shops, MotorFiable may receive a commission at no cost to you. Check compatibility against the registration plate or VIN before ordering. More information

Are you buying a car with the Tesla Model 3 / Model Y?

We will put you in touch with a partner only if you authorise it in the form.

Do you have a car with this engine? Tell us which faults you have had, at how many kilometres and how much you paid. Report your fault.

Sources

Every fact on this page links to its source. If you find an error, let us know.

  1. Fiabilité Tesla Model 3 (2018-2023): 63 témoignages, problèmes connus et rappelsfiches-auto.fr · Motoring press · consulted 30 October 2026 · in French
  2. Ni un solo eléctrico baja del 86 % de batería: 500.000 tests miden la degradación de 20 modelos a los 150.000 kmtestcoches.es · Motoring press · published 4 September 2026 · consulted 30 October 2026 · in Spanish
  3. ADAC-Pannenstatistik 2026: Die Patienten werden immer älterMotor1 Deutschland · Motoring press · published 23 April 2026 · consulted 30 October 2026 · in German
  4. Fiabilité Tesla Model Y (2021-2025): 19 témoignages, problèmes connus et rappelsfiches-auto.fr · Motoring press · consulted 30 October 2026 · in French
  5. Tesla Model 3Wikipedia (inglés) · Other source · consulted 30 October 2026
  6. Tesla Model YWikipedia (inglés) · Other source · consulted 30 October 2026
  7. Tesla Model 3 und Model Y: Akku-Degradation nach 150.000 kmelektroquatsch.de · Motoring press · published 25 September 2026 · consulted 30 October 2026 · in German
  8. Tesla delaying Model Y Performance deliveries from Giga Berlin over drive unit issuesDrive Tesla Canada · Motoring press · published 25 June 2022 · consulted 30 October 2026