A 2021 Tesla Model 3 owner is having trouble with the high-voltage battery again, just a year after getting it replaced. The car has 115,000 miles on it, and Tesla wants $8,178 to put in another battery.
The driver posted a photo of the warning on Reddit on October 16. The screen showed several error messages about the battery needing service and charging being limited.
The original battery had failed last year at about 97,000 miles, and Tesla replaced it under warranty. The owner was happy about getting a replacement and thought the car would be good for a while.
Instead, that battery lasted roughly 18,000 miles before it went bad, too. The owner now has to pay for another one, but still doesn’t want to get rid of the Tesla.
Tesla Owner Thought the First Replacement Would Last Longer
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Sadly, it finally happened
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The owner said they’d been a little too optimistic about claims that Tesla batteries could last 300,000 to 500,000 miles. Their Model 3 hasn’t even reached 120,000 miles, and it’s already gone through two batteries.
Someone in the Reddit comments had a 2021 Model 3 with 126,000 miles and no battery trouble to report. The original poster replied that they’d been pretty happy after the first replacement because they thought they finally had a good battery.
Another commenter asked how the new battery could fail after only a year. “I don’t know. Ask Tesla :-(” the owner replied.
Tesla’s Battery Warranty Only Covered 100,000 Miles
There was also some confusion in the comments about why Tesla wasn’t paying for another replacement. One person pointed out that some Model 3 batteries are covered for 120,000 miles, which the owner’s car hasn’t reached yet.
However, the owner explained that the car is a Standard Range Plus. According to Tesla’s warranty paperwork, that version is covered for eight years or 100,000 miles, whichever comes first.
The first battery failed just before the mileage limit. Tesla replaced it for free, but the warranty on that replacement only lasted until the original coverage ran out. The owner also updated the Reddit post with the price Tesla gave them. The $8,178 quote was for a remanufactured battery, and they said they’d have to pay out of pocket.
Another Tesla Owner Went Through Three Replacement Batteries
One person in the comments said they had a 2021 Tesla that needed three high-voltage battery replacements in three years. They finally traded the car for a 2025 model once it reached 100,000 miles.
That person said they’d already driven the newer Tesla another 56,000 miles without any trouble. They also claimed that Tesla technicians couldn’t explain why the older car kept needing batteries.
Another commenter reported receiving the same warning in a 2021 Model 3 Long Range with 155,000 miles. The original poster isn’t interested in trading the car. They said they still love their Model 3 and have lifetime Full Self-Driving, which they don’t want to give up. “I am going to repair and keep it,” they wrote.