Is the Tesla Model S reliable?

On MOT evidence the Tesla Model S is well above average. It passes 81.5% of tests once age and mileage are accounted for, against a national average of 72.3%. That figure covers 62% of the national age and mileage range, which is enough to quote but not to rank. This measures how often the car meets the MOT standard, not how often it breaks down or what a repair costs.

What is the most common MOT failure on a Tesla Model S?

The item recorded most often is "Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements", which appears in 24.2% of failed Tesla Model S tests. Because one failed test can list several items, these shares do not add up to 100%.

What do testers most often warn about on a Tesla Model S?

The most common advisory is "Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements", noted on 30.5% of all Tesla Model S tests. An advisory is not a failure: it flags something that will likely need attention before the next test.

What mileage does a Tesla Model S usually have at its MOT?

The average odometer reading recorded at test is 89,392 miles. This is the mileage across all tested examples of every age, not an annual figure, so treat it as a description of the fleet rather than a target for one car.

Which Tesla Model S years are the most reliable?

Going by MOT pass rate, Tesla Model S cars first registered 2020–2022 do best at 81.1%, and those registered 2014–2016 do worst at 76.6%. But that ordering is mostly age, not build year: almost every model passes less often as it wears, so the newest cars top this list whatever they are. A specific year looking strong here means little on its own; the failure items above, and the individual car's own MOT history, tell you far more.

Does a Tesla Model S get harder to pass as it ages?

Yes. At 3 to 5 years old, 81.1% of Tesla Model S tests pass. By 9 to 11 years, that falls to 76.6%. Nearly every model follows this pattern, which is why comparing raw pass rates between models is misleading unless age is accounted for.

Model reliability file

Tesla Model S MOT pass rate & common failures

From 10,836 recorded MOT tests of the Tesla Model S, published by DVSA.

Data updated 29 July 2026

Quick answer

The Tesla Model S passes 81.5% of MOT tests once results are adjusted for the age and mileage of the cars tested, against a national average of 72.3%. That is well above average. Based on 10,836 tests. Its most commonly recorded failure is tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements, which appears in 24.2% of failed tests. Cars of this model average 89,392 miles on the odometer when tested.

At a glance

Pass rate, adjusted for age and mileage

81.5%national average72.3%unadjusted79.8%range covered62%

The Model S is 9.2 percentage points above the national pass rate once age and mileage are accounted for, which is well above average. The unadjusted figure is 79.8%; the difference is what the age and mileage of this model’s fleet was hiding.

Electric car

How the Model S compares with other electric cars

At 3 to 5 years old the Tesla Model S passes 81.1% of MOT tests, from 953 tests in that age band. Petrol and diesel cars of the same age pass 89.9%, so this model sits 8.8 points below that baseline.

There is no emissions test for an electric car and the MOT does not check the battery. Electric cars as a group fail slightly more often than same-age petrol cars, almost entirely on tyres and suspension, because they are heavier and deliver full torque instantly.

Every electric car ranked, and what fails · What the MOT tests on an electric car

DVSA recorded wording

Most common failure items

Share of failed Tesla Model S tests in which each item was recorded. One failed test often lists several items, so these do not sum to 100%.

1.Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements24.2%
489 occurrencesTyre worn close to the legal limit explained
2.A tyre cords visible or damaged21.7%
437 occurrencesTyre ply or cord exposed, or the casing separating explained
3.A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn17.1%
345 occurrencesSuspension arm bush worn explained
4.A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn13.5%
273 occurrencesSuspension arm bush worn explained
5.A tyre seriously damaged12.5%
253 occurrencesTyre damaged or deteriorated explained
6.A steering ball joint with excessive wear or free play9.7%
195 occurrencesBall joint worn explained
7.Wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen5.9%
118 occurrencesWiper or washer not working properly explained
8.A brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm5.8%
117 occurrencesBrake drum or shoe worn or contaminated explained
9.A suspension joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc5.5%
110 occurrencesSuspension joint dust cover missing or split explained
10.A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn4.6%
92 occurrencesSuspension arm bush worn explained

Warnings without a failure

Most common advisories

Share of all Tesla Model S tests carrying each advisory. The denominator differs from the failure list above because an advisory can be issued on a car that passed.

1.Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements30.5%
3,303 testsTyre worn close to the legal limit explained
2.Brake disc or drum excessively weakened, insecure or fractured13.0%
1,407 testsBrake disc worn, pitted or scored explained
3.A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn11.1%
1,199 testsSuspension arm bush worn explained
4.A brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm10.9%
1,178 testsBrake drum or shoe worn or contaminated explained
5.A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn8.2%
887 testsSuspension arm bush worn explained
6.A tyre seriously damaged4.7%
513 testsTyre damaged or deteriorated explained
7.Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements4.4%
478 testsTyre worn close to the legal limit explained
8.A tyre seriously damaged3.4%
364 testsTyre damaged or deteriorated explained

The rest of the record

Everything else recorded on the Tesla Model S

The 18 other defects testers recorded on this model, beyond the most common listed above. Each links to what it means and what it takes to put right.

Known faults

Tesla Model S common problems, by part and by year

The same failure record read the way a buyer asks the question: which parts wear out on a Model S, when they start, and how each registration year compares — including the steps that mark a generation change.

Model S common problems and results by year

How wear changes the picture

Model S pass rate by age and registration year

How often the Tesla Model S passes at each age, with the years those cars were first registered. Tests are from 2025, so a car aged 3 to 5 was first used in 2020–2022.

3–5 yrsreg. 2020–202281%

6–8 yrsreg. 2017–201982%

9–11 yrsreg. 2014–201677%

Read this as an age curve rather than a verdict on particular model years. Nearly every car passes less often as it gets older, so a newer Model S outscoring an older one says more about wear than about how that year’s cars were built. Bands holding too few tests to be meaningful are omitted rather than shown as a rate.

What gets tested

The Model S fleet

Average mileage recorded at test: 89,392
Fuel mix of tested cars: Electric100.0%

Trim names grouped into this model (6)

Recorded exactly as DVSA holds them. Trim-level names are rolled up so one model is not split across a dozen thin pages.

MODEL S 90 D
MODEL S LONG RANGE AWD
MODEL S P85
MODEL S PERFORM LUDICROUS AWD
MODEL S PERFORMANCE AWD
MODEL S STANDARD RANGE AWD

Check a specific Tesla Model S

A model average tells you the pattern. Its own MOT record tells you the car.

Compare within the range

Other Tesla models

Tesla Model 3 — 84.5% unadjusted
Tesla Model Y — 84.4% unadjusted
Tesla Model X — 79.0% unadjusted
All Tesla models

Similar test volumes

Compare against other makes

Audi A8 — 88.6% adjusted, ranked 6
Mitsubishi Mirage — 77.3% adjusted, ranked 82
Toyota Alphard — 75.4% adjusted, ranked 102
Volkswagen Jetta — 69.3% adjusted, ranked 177

Common questions

Is the Tesla Model S reliable?: On MOT evidence the Tesla Model S is well above average. It passes 81.5% of tests once age and mileage are accounted for, against a national average of 72.3%. That figure covers 62% of the national age and mileage range, which is enough to quote but not to rank. This measures how often the car meets the MOT standard, not how often it breaks down or what a repair costs.
What is the most common MOT failure on a Tesla Model S?: The item recorded most often is "Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements", which appears in 24.2% of failed Tesla Model S tests. Because one failed test can list several items, these shares do not add up to 100%.
What do testers most often warn about on a Tesla Model S?: The most common advisory is "Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements", noted on 30.5% of all Tesla Model S tests. An advisory is not a failure: it flags something that will likely need attention before the next test.
What mileage does a Tesla Model S usually have at its MOT?: The average odometer reading recorded at test is 89,392 miles. This is the mileage across all tested examples of every age, not an annual figure, so treat it as a description of the fleet rather than a target for one car.
Which Tesla Model S years are the most reliable?: Going by MOT pass rate, Tesla Model S cars first registered 2020–2022 do best at 81.1%, and those registered 2014–2016 do worst at 76.6%. But that ordering is mostly age, not build year: almost every model passes less often as it wears, so the newest cars top this list whatever they are. A specific year looking strong here means little on its own; the failure items above, and the individual car's own MOT history, tell you far more.
Does a Tesla Model S get harder to pass as it ages?: Yes. At 3 to 5 years old, 81.1% of Tesla Model S tests pass. By 9 to 11 years, that falls to 76.6%. Nearly every model follows this pattern, which is why comparing raw pass rates between models is misleading unless age is accounted for.

How this was worked out

Method and limits

Figures come from the DVSA anonymised MOT testing dataset, published under the Open Government Licence. Only class 4 initial tests are counted: retests are excluded so a car appears once, and abandoned tests are excluded entirely. The adjusted rate is directly standardised across twenty-five age and mileage bands and reweighted onto the national distribution, so this model is compared against cars that have lived a similar life rather than against a younger or lighter-used fleet.

An MOT measures whether a car met a legal standard on the day. It is not a breakdown record, a service history or a running-cost estimate, and a pass rate is a property of a fleet rather than a prediction about one car.