This week we are looking at a 2019 Tesla Model 3 Performance that has travelled over 200k miles as a Taxi. We are looking at its issues so far, reliability, expense and if this Tesla is a car we'd consider buying.
@@Jamesandkate this videos a bunch of bullshit lol its had dozens of times and they're the most expensive thing to replace the fact you've had to replace the control arms something u never have to replace ice vehicles proves its a piece of shit, struts yes control arms no lol.
So apart from 15 oil filters, 15 gallons of oil, 7 air filters 3 fuel filters, a dual mass flywheel, 2 diesel particular filters, an EGR valve, 3cam belts, 4 sets of brake pads and 2 sets of discs. My faithful diesel hasn't needed anything. (Sarcasm). Great video, not only did it show just how good the Model 3 is, they have been continuously making improvements to the build quality since that particular car was built.
That’s the thing. I’m a technician of over 30 years, so fully understand the realism of running an ICE car. You’re one of the few people who are honest about it. Thanks 🙏
I recently sold a BMW 320d for £500 at 180k miles, after spending thousands on maintenance and repairs. Plus if you charge overnight off peak you stand to save around £20k in fuel over 200k miles compared to an economical diesel, or north of £30K compared to a performance saloon like an M3. When you consider a new LFP model 3 costs the same to buy as a new 320d, it's a no brainer on cost alone.
High praise indeed James, especially for a Fremont built car. I didn’t think the Septics had it in them, but clearly they have done something right! Cracking car and review!
My 2021 Fremont Model Y has no quality issues, they big problems were in the initial orders before Tesla was able to get more manufacturing experience.
The interior especially the seats have held up exceptionally well, there has probably been 60,000 people sit in them, they still look new, the only thing that showed slight wear was the steering wheel, well done Tesla.
Thank you, this is the type of feed back that people want to hear. A trusted mechanic always works for me and the fact you are the one that has maintained it for most of its life to date is why word of mouth is still the best advertising.
Only yesterday, a friend asked how long I intend to keep my Tesla LR. Answer: “it’s probably my last ever car”. Well, I am in my 70s. As you know James, it’s a driving school car, Fremont-built 2019, serviced by you and the team at Cleevely EV. Only drawback is, learners get to drive it more than I do!
James thank you so much for your considered review of a high mile Tesla, given your vast real world experience this is gold dust. Ive run a 2014 Model S P85 since 2015 and from new so 130,000 uk miles later Im happy to say taking a flyer and getting this incredible car has been life changing. It helped that I engineered 40+ years in big auto world wide, always knew electric propulsion was the best and when Tesla announced they would put the infrastructure in I went for it. In the early days people people were so dismissive of an EV (till they sat in the passenger seat on a 0-60!) but I always said to myself EVs will be truly accepted once 200k miles cars can be seen on the roads dispelling all the FUD on life expectancy. For me this review is a mile stone. As Ive worked on bikes and cars all my life servicing my car is no problem (and almost non existent) support from Tesla especially Chester Service and in addition the superb Ranger service meant when Tesla cancelled the RHD Plaid I had on order I just wasnt that bothered. It helps having the free Supercharging as this is a pre 2016 car, but every time I get in the S it still feels special and lets face it if we want to save the planet keep these "classic" Teslas on the road cranking up genuine high miles in the global fleet for many years to come, now that is saving CO2 who needs a Plaid
I took a gamble and picked up a couple of months ago a MS 2014 P85 with 105k and free supercharging. Drives lovely. Saved me £300 on deeeesil in me first month + should save on costs of maintenance and repairs i've always paid on my petrol and deesil cars over the last decade. Vids like this make me happier about my "risk level". (No warranty. No battery warranty. No motor warranty.) Lets hope it makes 400k miles I am planning on keeping it going no matter what!!
The early model S cars 2012-2015 did have some design flaws that have higher chance of failure. Like the AC drain on top of the battery. So it is possible at some point the battery will need to be replaced. Later ones seem to not have that problem but time will tell.
That is a great review James. If I had seen this 8 months ago I don’t think I would have bought a new EV. It’s so good to have a review by someone that knows what they are talking about.
Great to see James, thanks. My 2020 M3LR was due a change in this year, but ive kept it as its mint and runs so well, no degradation, low miles and with the CO2 effect, I'm considering just keeping it long term. Amazing cars.
Thanks James, enlightening ! 😮. After 4 years of driving in -30c to +30's Québec climate ( 5 month winters) my Kona E is at 121;000 km, I’ve had a cruiser control switch replaced ( under guarantee), and that’s it. EV's win hands down. 😅
Good review James, though I'm not a Tesla person. Two points ... 1). Michelin Climate All Season Tyres are long lasting and excellent in all weather conditions. 2). That door click ... I had it on my Jaguar with the retaining/control arm fixing to the body being pulled by wind-gust catching the door. The bracket to A Pillar ovaled and the bolt wouldn't tighten, so it would click as the bracket moved back and forth. I fixed it by opening out the thread in the pillar with a drill and fitting a helicoil for a larger dia bolt that I also drilled a bigger hole for in the bracket. Been good for 40k miles since 😀
Thank you so much for your review. I have a Tesla Model 3, 2023 performance and it's a pure joy to drive! I hope my car performs just as well. It's amazing the original brakes are still on the car, WOW
Love this real life use case; wish there were more peeps doing this stuff. Elon needs this info in one of his adverts. Great work as always - would love more stuff on eVans, especially a comparison between the vivaro-e and all it’s similar platform cousins.
Hey James! I can agree fully, my P- may have only done 25k miles in its 4 years but it's pretty damn close to 'as new' as it could be. White seats are still perfectly white, despite the best efforts of two young kids in the back. Also had the front control arms done under warranty (common issue with the early ones it would seem) but other than two ~£180 Cleevely services (most recently Steve about 2 weeks ago!), it's cost me nothing. The final point about 'never buying anything else' holds true here, I'm planning on being the single owner of this car for many, many years. I'm at ~92% of the original battery but I've been at ~92% for the last 14k miles / 2.5 years so it's going nowhere. Noticed the owner had Rimetrix rims that I used to run on mine - after a mere 20k miles on the car they'd worn down just enough that they were loose on the wheel and all four corners were rattling. I thought there was something seriously wrong with the car - turned out to be those aftermarket rims making an absolute racket :( They've also utterly destroyed the wheel rims where dirt got between them and the wheel - designed to protect the wheel by taking the brunt of damage if you hit a kerb etc (which they do, very very well! *not looking at my partner... cough) but they've done more damage to the entire wheel than a lifetime of kerb rash. They look good but they're hiding the absolute state they've caused behind - if you see these rims, I'd factor in 4 wheel refurbs into the price and bin them.
Very impressed with the longevity there James. If we had been in for a car of that size and style (boot, not hatchback) it would have been difficult to buy anything else. I was at Napton Eco Fair on Saturday and a few EV owners had their cars on display with info sheets in the screen. The ID.3 owner has taken a break as I was passing but a couple were looking round the car. I offered my insider knowledge as an owner and we chatted for about 30 minutes. I didn't realise but the owner returned part way through and joined the couple playing an "interested punter". They said that they would be arranging a test drive this week. They currently run an Audi Q3 so similar size. I warned them that they might miss their deep and soft leather seats but they didn't seem to mind. And then the owner revealed himself, thanked me and asked for a bit of assistance with a few settings in the deep dive.
That's quite impressive for a 200k mileage car of any sort, on the issue of maintenance costs it's a lot harder to quantify, the prices you quoted seem very good for the work undertaken, I could well imagine these things costing a lot more at a traditional garage with all the overheads they carry, we all need a mechanic like you..
Fantastic review, thank-you so much for this detailed info, invaluable and much appreciated. I've been a taxi driver for 12 months and have been considering a Tesla. The build quality is just incredible. You just made up my mind. :D
Nicely done. I have a 23 MYP, now have 9700 miles, other than a window regulator replaced under warranty, I have done NOTHING but keep it clean. I don't even get brake dust on the wheels. I'd be on my 3rd oil change on an ice car by now. I love the calm driving this car has, no noise and vibration at a stop light, and I play with the traffic around me. I've saved many hours and $$$ not going to gas stations, and the car is rock solid and confident on wet roads. No vehicle I've ever owned comes close
Great stuff! Saturday just gone changed my M3LR Pilot Sport 4 tyres since new, got 25k out of them. Had the car new so obviously a bit heavy footed early days and occasional fun Sunday drive.
Excellent review James - You have a good impartial view of Tesla's - so pretty good coming from you. I think its the shape of things to come - the Car industry needs to wake up - when these 4 / 5 / 6 year old high milers start coming on the market - they will be affordable and great value for money for more people - thus accelerating the transition to EV's. Mechanically they just make so much more practical long term sense.
Thanks, I'm over 90k on my Model 3, good to know I can more than double that with no problem. I run the same tires and am coming up on 50k miles, still good tread. OEM tires didn't last anywhere near as long.
Nice video! So I've got a 2023 Model 3 RWD with 9,000 miles on it over first 9 months. That means I've only got 191,000 miles to go to catch up with yours. Wow, gotta love that dependability.
Awesome video for this car and great you can look after it … however here in Australia it appears so many non Tesla mechanics are yet to appear so very expensive I assume here ! Thanks for the video
Good presentation and very good information. Like others have mentioned, I have now added this video to my list of "EV education" videos that I share with people about EV ownership I drive a 2021 Model Y LR, I just rolled over 30k miles and I'm looking for a long future with this car. Baring any kind of "wham bam" incident!
Glad I bought the Amazon mudflaps back in 2019. :-) I don't do as well for tyre mileage, maybe I should change to cross climates, or slow down. 40+k miles and just tyres and screenwash so far. Always intended to keep mine for years. This is good to see.
really great overview even though the paintjob is looking at that spot terrible and it is also not cheap to repair if those are aluminium parts. The paint shops here hate to do the job cause they cause a lot of trouble and complaints afterwords. I bet this spot will also hurt the price he might get from a sale cause it is really expensive if done in a paint shop right, especially in those body work certified ones. Great video and I would love to see that again on the journey beyond the 200k like the 250 k.
Glad to hear it. I got a refreshed, heatpump included Dec 2011 build of a SR+ from Freemont. Done only 11k miles! I guess it's got a bit of life in it :)
I was fortunate to be an early adopter and took possession of a model. Three standard range in August 2019. It is a rear wheel drive, 320 hp monster. I sold it onto my brother in March this year, having taken possession of a model Y long range. That M3 was a mint car with just 18,000 miles and my brother bagged it for just 25 grand. (trade in price offered to me by Tesla.) I am still suffering sellers regret.
Another great video, thanks James. A very impressive report on this high mileage Model 3 but it's clearly standing up very well and I completely agree with your point about the owner not needing to change it. I think many people, (including me), have become brainwashed into thinking a car needs to be changed if it gets near 100,000 miles. In terms of EV's this is clearly nonsense!
However, technology in Tesla has vastly improved battery life and ride. The most overlooked feature of new Teslas is the heat pump, due to cost savings and efficiency…Older models do not have the heat pump, nor the BMS and battery conditioning, notably cooling and warming it at the right time.
Yep , I would buy one at the right price , I bought a Nissan leaf with 180k and drove it for another 20k until selling to a fella who still uses it daily .
Thanks for your insight on this M3P! I noticed that you mentioned that it was a Fremont-built car, which surprised me a bit. I didn’t know that the US plants built RHD vehicles. If you ever do a similar video on a MY I’ll be even more interested from my personal perspective.
Hi James, I’ve got a Mode Y company car which I love and had wondered about whether I would invest my own money in a used Tesla as a long term keep. This is pretty compelling.
Thanks James for a great video. This is all grist to the mill of helping the wider public to understand that EVs are more durable and more reliable over more miles than any ICE car. We don't know how the owner has charged the car, overnight at home? Rapid chargers en route?...but a similar sized diesel taxi ( doing 50 mpg) would have spent about £30,000 on fuel over that distance. As for battery degradation, if the car does get sold it is likely to have a much easier life with a more gentle charging regime so the loss of range over the next 200,000 miles may not be linear.
Yeh, 2nd hand Teslas are great buying now! We just sold our MG ZS Ev and changed to a 2nd hand Model 3 for a little more money. Far out they are a nice machine! I think I have to disagree with your maths on how much C02 has been saved over the lifetime of the car. I calculated we saved ~10 tons of C02 in our MG after just 50000km (~30k miles) compared to driving our old Forester. It will depend a little on how much renewables you use to charge but at 200k miles I would think it would be closer to 66tons of C02 saved (so about 10 times your estimate). Great video!👍
Excellent work, we recently purchased a Model 3 here in Newcastle Australia. I have a huge commute with about 120 miles a day 3 and 4 days per week. So I am very interested in how the high mileage will affect the car. Ours does have the LFP batteries so Im not sure how they will handle the distance.
That’s amazing, I’ve just had my girlfriends fiat 500 given a mega full service and that was about £950. It’s only done 40,000 miles. Would be interesting to compare the cost of an Audi tdi uber total cost including depreciation as a comparison. Great video James
You have just highlighted what so many people miss about electric vehicles. - yes, they might cost more to buy, but they are cheap as chips in every other way. From that point onwards. And we also have to compare like with like so a BMW 320 D is a slug compared to a model three standard range.
Chuffed with our Model S, bought with 100k on the clock and just under £800 paid by the previous owner to maintain it during that time. Hoping it's still as good as this 3 when it hits 200k.
Hi there James, First of all, kudos on the channel, it must really be an achievement for you to see yourself on the big screen. We've come across a problem at our garage of water ingress on the Tesla model 3 performance, I was wondering if you guys have had any experience of this? We are really struggling to identify the origin of the leak so any help would be really appreciated. If it would be possible for you to make a video of known fixes of water ingress on the Model 3 that would be very helpful for me and my workforce, it's been such a struggle with the recent downpour. Thanks, SKJ.
I own a Tesla model 3 from 2019. It has 87000 km now. The car has been in workshop 2 times. There has been 1 wheel bearing done (250euros). Replaced all 4 lower control arms in front and 2 control arms in the rear, wheel alignment done (1300 euros). Now it has the well known issue of front door handles peeling. (it will be about 300 euros per side including labour). Everything has been done in an independent workshop, as in the country I live, there is no offical Tesla workshop. Apart of above mentioned issues, there have been no other major breakdowns.
Just to let you guys know the north of leicester on the A50 Groby road at the shell garage FOUR rapid chargers are being installed as we speak should be operational by the end of the week! This is important as the north of leicester has only one very old polar 50kW charger in sileby. So well done SHELL! Cheers
I would guess a Taxi Driver would appreciate the low running costs , but maybe even more importantly I’d guess a 200k iCE car, even a reliable one, would have spent a lot more time off the road being serviced and Time = Money I’d also guess the Diesel alternative would have been sold on by now Great Video and incite into a high mileage EV car, the brake condition is amazing
A really insightful video !! Especially as there are so many M3 flooding the market and have become more affordable. I still can't understand why the Model S has held their values. My question is a used M3P or a Used MS and what model and price would be a good comparison?
Both good cars, but very different. The 3 is more efficient, charged quicker and goes like stink, the S is more of a cruiser and beautiful to drive. Test both before you decide
I would happily buy a 2020 or older Tesla Model 3 with 200k or even 400k miles on it. Still has another 500k miles on it! It should last more than 750k miles. Even Hertz keeps them for 143k miles. Hertz policy is to resell cars before 35k miles.
This is the first 200K tesla I can found on youtube that hasn't had the battery replaced. Very impressive and seems quality have improved significantly from the early days. But those tire costs, man. I wonder if I drive it like a normal slow car would the tire last 80K kms or more.
